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LEGO® BATMAN 2™

LEGO® BATMAN ™

LEGO® HARRY POTTER ™

LEGO® BATTLES NINJAGO

LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS, LEGO BATMAN: THE VIDEOGAME, LEGO BATMAN 2: DC SUPER HEROES, LEGO BATTLES, LEGO BATTLES: NINJAGO, LEGO HARRY POTTER: YEARS 1-4, LEGO HARRY POTTER: YEARS 5-7 software © 2012 TT Games Publishing Ltd. Produced by TT Games under license from the LEGO Group. LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and the Knob configurations and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. © 2012 The LEGO Group. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. BATMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics. HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR. © 2012 New Line Productions, Inc. All The Lord of the Rings content other than content from the New Line films © 2012 The Saul Zaentz Company (“SZC”). Mithril, Morgul, The Lord of the Rings and the names of the characters, items, events and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises under license to Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. WB GAMES LOGO, WBIE LOGO, WB SHIELD: ™ & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s12)

inside

ISSUE

the games

RUN DmC

Go inside the Devil May Cry reboot to discover the devilish details about changes to the popular series. Read about Dante’s new beginning, and see what’s at stake for the halfdemon, demon hunter.

DISHONORED

SKYLANDERS: GIANTS

NBA 2K13

RESIDENT EVIL 6

FORZA HORIZON

SNIPER: GHOST WARRIOR 2

DEAD SPACE 3

SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH

WATCH_DOGS

inside editorial

game on

the big 5

reviews

strategy center

parting shots

cover story CREED IS GOOD Walmart GameCenter magazine goes under the cloak to preview the latest installment of the Assassinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Creed franchise, including timelines, interviews with producers, and profiles of the historic characters populating part three.

Own more with the Battlefield 3 Premium Edition!

This is the ultimate Battlefield 3 experience for everyone from first-time players to experienced Battlefield vets. The Battlefield 3 Premium Edition delivers all the driveable vehicles, destruction and team play of Battlefield 3 plus Battlefield 3 Premium membership, which includes all five Battlefield 3 expansion packs, and the Multiplayer Head Start Kit to even the playing ground when you log into multiplayer.

welcome

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Steve B. Harris

FROM THE PUBLISHER

VIDEO GAMING... BY THE NUMBERS

EDITORIAL

Hanging with an old friend set for a Wii U reboot

MANAGING EDITOR Brandon Justice SENIOR EDITOR Marc Camron NEWS EDITOR Eric L. Patterson COPY EDITOR Andrew Fitch ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ray Carsillo CONTRIBUTORS Paul Semel, Matt Cabral, Josh Harmon, Quartermann ART DIRECTION Michael Hobbs Michael Stassus

Look down a game release schedule and you’ll be greeted by a variety of familiar names. From Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry to Dead Space and Dance Central, each of these titles shares one thing in common: They are all high-profile sequels that carry the number three after their title. Sequels, of course, are nothing new. Film producers discovered generations ago that continuing popular stories was a safe bet; reducing risk by catering to an existing audience, while simultaneously expanding themes that fans were familiar with. Videogames are no different. Starting with the original arcade Space Invaders and continuing all the way to this year’s crop of console spin-offs, gamers have shown that they’ll readily return to familiar territory when given the chance. Sales trends reveal that today’s gaming enthusiasts may even prefer them. Even though I enjoy videogame sequels as much as anyone else (except when they’re named Metroid: Other M) and appreciate the difficulty crafting a successful followup that both appeals to fans of the original and expands in areas some may not want changed, I still enjoy the thrill of original creations that are able to try new things with the same high-end budgets shared by franchise releases.

Senior Buyer, Video Games R. Eric Bright Marketing Manager, Entertainment Ronell Hugh EGM MEDIA, LLC

Sure, the cost to create an A+ title carries with it great risk, and anything that helps reduce the gamble is understandably welcome by publishers. Taking advantage of established characters and environments doesn’t just have built-in appeal to fans, it can also lower a developer’s costs. Still, it’d be nice to see more emphasis on big-budgeted original IPs. Next year looks to hold promise with Sony’s The Last of Us and David Cage’s Beyond: Two Souls among the unique entries. But high-profile failures like the recent collapse of 38 Studios sprawling MMO could hurt the cause. I’ll be playing Halo 4 along with the rest of the world this November. But I’m also looking forward to something new, and it’s great to know that there are companies willing to bet on players like me.

29800 Agoura Road Suite 103 Agoura Hills, CA 91301 www.egmmediagroup.com PRESIDENT Steve Harris ASST TO THE PRESIDENT Jodi Bonestroo CIRCULATION CONSULTANT Ron Sklon LEGAL Bob Wyman ACCOUNTING Oz Abregov SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES: gamecenter@egmnow.net ADVERTISING ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jeff Eisenberg ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER John Abraham ADVERTISING SALES Kristian Byrne ADVERTISING SALES Marlyn Hwang ADVERTISING SALES Jason Fishman

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© Copyright 2012, EGM Media, LLC, all rights reserved. WALMART GAMECENTER MAGAZINE (ISSN 2164-7569) is published monthly by EGM Media, LLC, 29800 Agoura Road, Suite 103, Agoura Hills, CA 91301. Subscriptions for 6 issues are $14.99 US. In Canada, please add $10.00 US. International orders outside US and Canada, please add $30 per year for surface mail, US funds only. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EGM Media, 29800 Agoura Road, Suite 103, Agoura Hills, CA 91301. For subscription service questions, address changes, or to order, please contact us at gamecenter@egmnow.net (for customer service) or at http:// www.egmnow.com/gamecenter (to order). Please allow 8-12 weeks from sale before receiving your first issue as well as for any subscription changes to take place on an existing subscription account. We sometimes make lists of our customers available to mailers of goods and services that may interest you. If you do not wish to receive such mailings please write to us at: EGM Media, LLC, 29800 Agoura Road, Suite 103, Agoura Hills, CA 91301. The editors and the publisher are not responsible for unsolicited materials. Without limiting the rights under copyrights reserved herein, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written notice of EGM Media, LLC. The Walmart names and logos and all related product and service names, design marks and slogans are the trademarks or service marks of Walmart Stores, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective companies. All materials listed in this magazine are subject to manufacturers’ change and the publisher assumes no responsibility for such changes. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of EGM Media, LLC is prohibited. For permission to reuse material from our publications please contact EGM Media, LLC’s Rights and Permissions Manager at permissions@egmnow.net.

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© 2005-2012 Take-Two Interactive Software and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. 2K Sports, the 2K Sports logo, and Take-Two Interactive Software are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. The NBA and individual NBA member team identifications used on or in this product are trademarks, copyrights designs and other forms of intellectual property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective NBA member teams and may not be used, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of NBA Properties, Inc. © 2012 NBA Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks and the PlayStation Network logo is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. KINECT, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. Nintendo trademarks and copyrights are properties of Nintendo. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

GaMe ON!

Edited By Paul Semel and Eric L. Patterson

GAMING NEWS, NUMBERS, AND GOSSIP

Videogames Find A New Community Of Interests...

or a few of the most anticipated upcoming releases, developers are finding new ways to harness the power of what the Internet can offer gaming. In Call of Duty: Black Ops II, a new feature called “CODcasting” will let players or clans livestream Black Ops II matches for the world to watch. Available on both the console and PC versions of the game, CODcasting allows you to stream your match live on the Inter-

net, display the scoreboard, broadcast teamchat audio, or even use a USB camera to have a picture-in-picture feed of yourself so people can witness your reactions to the action. Meanwhile, Capcom’s announced ResidentEvil.net, a new free stat-tracking service that’ll debut alongside Resident Evil 6. Not only will you be able to compare your skills with others from around the world and get in-game notifications when your friends beat your Mercenaries high score, but you’ll even be able to unlock in-game items by earning RE.net points or compete in special organized events where players will battle for the Champion’s Belt—an accolade that only one person can hold at a time.

Don’t tell the just about y world of Dut y our Call sk show ’e ills— m!

BY THE 300

Pages in The History of Sonic the Hedgehog, a new book from Udon Entertainment coving the history of Sega’s beloved mascot

Gigabytes of space required to install the multiplayer portion of Halo 4

3+ Million

Copies the XBLA version of Minecraft has sold, making it the most popular game ever released for the service

Years it has taken for Metal Gear Solid 4 to get Trophy support on the PS3 (now available via a new patch)

160

Actors employed during the making of Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain follow-up Beyond: Two Souls

A SOLID SHOWING ON THE SILVER SCREEN? Fans of Konami’s long-running Metal Gear franchise have often claimed that the series feels like the videogame equivalent of a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster. Now, that’s exactly what Metal Gear may become—creator Hideo Kojima announced at a recent Metal Gear Anniversary event that Columbia Pictures will be bringing the adventures of Solid Snake to the silver screen. The film will be produced by Avi Arad, who’s been instrumental in launching comic-based films like Blade, X-Men, and Spider-Man. “For many years, I fought to bring comics to theaters—[and] comic books are now the biggest genre in cinema,” Arad said during the announcement. “Videogames are the comic books of today.”

A NEW ZELDA LEGEND COMING TO THE US For many fans of Nintendo’s long-running and much-beloved The Legend of Zelda series, the ultimate collectable has been the Hyrule Historia, a 274-page hardcover book that chronicles the history and mythos of the entire Zelda franchise. The problem? The book was only released in Japan, making it both hard to obtain and even harder to appreciate for Western fans. Now, Dark Horse Comics has announced that its books division will be bringing Hyrule Historia to North America. Hitting on January 29th, 2013, the English-language version will cost $34.95 and comes jam-packed with information about all of the various Zelda releases, a complete history of Hyrule, an official series timeline, commentary by those involved with the series (such as Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto), and much more.

THE END OF MASS EFFECT We all love playing the latest and greatest games that come along, but when you’re heading off to buy that hot new release, have you gotten everything out of the last game you were playing? BioWare online development director Fernando Melo recently gave some interesting information in regards to how many people have finished BioWare’s recent crop of adventures. The results may surprise some: For Mass Effect 3, only 42% of players have completed its final chapter—down a bit from the 56% of Mass Effect 2 owners who beat that game. Dragon Age Origins, meanwhile, enjoyed a 36% completion rate, only slightly higher than the 41% who reached the end of Dragon Age 2.

GaMe ON! walmart gamer network

GAMER PROFILE NAME DAVID VONDERHAAR LOCATION NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FAVORITE GAME FINAL FANTASY VII FAVORITE QUOTE FROM GAMEPLAY AND TITLE OF GAME IT WAS IN “ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US” - ZERO WING AND EVERY OTHER IN-GAME JOKE THAT CONTAINS IT. What game achievement are you most proud of: The first time I defeated Emerald Weapon and Ruby Weapon in Final Fantasy VII was a big deal. It took well over 75 hours to accumulate the level 99 for each character, master every materia three times, obtain ultimate weapons, get a gold chocobo, and figure out the right strategy to beat it. The battle itself took well over an hour of constant maintenance. After my third play-through, I learned the trick to beating it in less than 20 minutes. This, for young readers, was before the days of internet search engines, instant and downloadable game saves, and way before “trophies/ achievements” were announced to your gamer friends…I feel old. Be honest, do you use cheat codes? Back when codes were easter eggs that you had to really search for, yes. The Konami Code for Contra? Mastered it at age 7 in 1989. That 8-button rhythm mash for all weapons and gear in the original Tomb Raider? I scribbled them out on my homework. “It is a good day to die” and “glittering prizes” saved my hide in Warcraft 2. But, those were the days when you were playing alone, had to go to bed for school in the morning, and really wanted to finish the story and be done with it. Today, cheat codes have become “glitches,” and people who use glitches to accomplish what I just described are ok in my book. Generally speaking, anything that enhances the game for every player involved, whether they were designed on purpose or not, is great. However, glitchers that use gamer anonymity to create bad experiences for other players? No respect. No true gamer ever saw a glitcher in a FPS and said, “Wow, that guy is really awesome. I respect his ability to rank higher than everyone without doing half of the work.”

GAMING GOSSIP

More Xbox Revelations, Fallout 4, and GTA V The Q-Mann is back and ready to dish up the latest gossip and rumors for Walmart GameCenter readers! Last issue, I gave you the low-down on hints I’ve heard about the next generation of Microsoft’s Kinect. This month, I’ve got a tasty tidbit about the console that’ll be powering it. The suits in Redmond recently posted a want ad looking for people to work on “the new versions of all of our most significant products,” and included on their list was the Xbox brand. The timeframe? Over the course of the next 18 months, which could see the next Xbox console launching circa holiday 2013...After its last chapter unfolded in a post-apocalyptic future Las Vegas, could the next major release in the Fallout series be heading to Beantown? Yours truly caught word from an anonymous commenter on Reddit—who “may or may not be” an employee of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—claiming that Bethesda had been “scoping out and researching Boston,” and that they had a strong connection to MIT. Another poster— who also wished to remain anonymous—backed up those claims. Both assertions would dovetail with previous comments from Bethesda lead designer Emil Pagliarulo who noted that mentions of “The Commonwealth” in Fallout 3 were specifically in reference to Massachusetts...I’ve been having a lot of voices whispering in my ears that Rockstar has some big plans for Grand Theft Auto V at this year’s New York Comic-Con. It makes sense to me: The men and women at the New York–based publisher are very loyal to the East Coast, and given that they love to get their games one solid year in the spotlight before release, that mid-October event in the Big Apple would fit perfectly with my spies claim that the game is now targeting a Q4 2013 release... RPG aficionados will no doubt know the name Persona, as Atlus’ groundbreaking franchise has quickly become a favorite with gamers both here and in Japan. Those fans have been eagerly awaiting official news of a fifth chapter for the series, and recently, Persona series director Katsura Hasino hinted about just such a project to Japanese gaming publication Famitsu. Hasino mentioned that his focus is currently on the next numbered title of a “particular series,” and that Atlus artist Shigenori Soejima—the art director for Persona 3 and Persona 4—has been doing sketch work for this unnamed project. We can only hope...That’s it for this issue, kiddies, I’ll be back with more gaming gossip next month, and be sure to get more Q-Mann on your iPads with the free Walmart GameCenter digital app available on AppStore. Q-MANN

EVIL DEAD While the Mila Jovovich films are fun, the live action Resident Evil movies aren’t as true to the games as fans might like. For that, you need the CGI animated flicks. In the newest, Resident Evil: Damnation—a sequel to 2008’s Resident Evil: Degeneration—Leon S. Kennedy heads to Eastern Europe, where a country’s civil war is being complicated by the use of B.O.W.s. Available on DVD and Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, both editions include a voice acting gag reel, a making-of featurette, and “Las Plagas: Organisms of War,” while the BD adds a concept art gallery.

WALMART’S

TOP SELLERS

This month’s top-selling videogames... NCAA FOOTBALL 13

EA SPORTS — 360 / PS3

CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 3

ACTIVISION — 360 / PS3 / WII / PC

ON THE BORDERLANDS According to Gearbox Software, the upcoming Borderlands 2 will take most gamers twenty-four-plus hours to complete. But if a single day on Pandora just isn’t enough, you can return—aurally, anyway—with the official soundtrack. Available from Sumthing Else Music, Borderlands 2: The Original Soundtrack features an all-new score by Jesper Kyd (Darksiders II, Assassin’s Creed II), as well as contributions by Raison Varner (Red Faction: Guerilla) and the duo of Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan (Mass Effect 3), all four of whom worked together on the first Borderlands soundtrack.

DARKSIDERS 2

THQ — 360 / PS3

LEGO BATMAN 2: DC SUPER HEROES

WBIE — 360 / PS3 / WII / PSV / 3DS / NDS / PC

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS

ACTIVISION — 360 / PS3 / WII / NDS / PC

KILLER ART Since the first Assassin’s Creed came out five years ago, the series has always been known for its strikingly beautiful and historically accurate visuals. But now you can enjoy the newest installment’s stunning vistas without Spider-Manning up the side of a building thanks to The Art of Assassin’s Creed III from Titan Books. Written by British game journalist Andy McVittie, this handsome one hundred and forty-four page hardcover not only includes concept art, but commentary on these images by the artist team from Ubisoft Montreal as well. Just watch your back when you read it.

BATTLEFIELD 3

ELECTRONIC ARTS — 360 / PS3 / PC

SLEEPING DOGS

SQUARE ENIX — 360 / PS3

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

ACTIVISION — 360 / PS3 / WII / 3DS / NDS

THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM

BETHESDA SOFTWORKS — 360 / PS3 / PC

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. 2 NINTENDO — 3DS

DISHONORED SNIPER: GHOST WARRIOR 2

“You could safely say that our most beloved videogames, real-world architecture, and history are the biggest influences on this game, but further, you might find traces of Cthulhu, Michael Moorcock’s fantasy, the movie Gangs of New York , and the TV show Deadwood. Visually, we started with real-world history: London 1666, the year of the Great Fire and the last year of the Plague, and over time, we drifted forward toward the 1800s. We then redesigned the world itself, setting the game in an alternate world and drawing from several different periods, including the Victorian Age. Our art director, Sebastien Mitton, and our visual design director, Viktor Antonov, also led us in that direction with their visual designs. It’s our own style of steampunk, set in a world noted for its new technological revolution—driven by the discovery of volatile properties of whale oil—and an ancient supernatural influence.”

— HARVEY SMITH, CO-CREATIVE DIRECTOR, DISHONORED

OCT PUBLISHER BETHESDA SOFTWORKS DEVELOPER ARKANE STUDIOS PLATFORMS 360, PS3, PC

the BIG

the top games you need to know about this month EDITED BY PAUL SEMEL

the BIG

OCT PUBLISHER ACTIVISION DEVELOPER TOYS FOR BOB / N-SPACE PLATFORMS 360, PS3, WII U, WII, 3DS, PC, MAC

SKYLANDERS:

SNIPER: GIANTS GHOST WARRIOR 2

“I honestly don’t know how much thought has been put into doing this kind of game with different characters or toys. Not to sound too boastful here, but the idea of bringing toys to life in a videogame is just a cool concept, and I would love to see it extend beyond Skylanders. I definitely think that Transformers is a perfect comparison. Still, being honest, I hope that one day, all toys can come to life inside videogames or Web worlds or other electronic alternate realities. Then maybe, years later, people won’t be able to imagine toys not coming to life in some way. They’ll wonder what it must have been like when toys were all just totally inanimate and hopefully look at Skylanders as being a trailblazer. I realize that’s kind of pie-in-the-sky, but it’s fun to dream, right? Or, at the very least, think about pies?” — ALEX NESS, CHIEF OF STAFF, TOYS FOR BOB

18 02

the BIG

OCT PUBLISHER 2K SPORTS DEVELOPER VISUAL CONCEPTS PLATFORMS 360, PS3, WII, WII U, PC, PSP

NBA 2K13

“We always take a look at what the competition is doing, both in the sports genre and more broadly, but I think we’re our own biggest critics; we always strive to outdo ourselves each and every year. In terms of gameplay improvements, the new Control Stick offers more precise controls than ever before. With your feet mapped to the left stick and dribbling on the right stick, users have a lot more freedom to perform the moves they want. Also this year, a new Dynamic Shot Generator means that shots are now completely driven by physics, as well as the context of the play, and no longer based on canned animations. Passing has been improved as well, most notably with the addition of the user bounce pass. We wanted to really give an unprecedented amount of control to our fans this year—hence the changes.” — ROB JONES, SENIOR PRODUCER, NBA 2K13

FACEBOOK.COM/RESIDENTEVIL

TWITTER.COM/RE_GAMES

YOUTUBE.COM/RESIDENTEVIL

Pre-order to receive an EXCLUSIVE 3-Pack of Resident Evil 6 Character Decals, while supplies last!

the BIG

OCT PUBLISHER CAPCOM DEVELOPER CAPCOM PLATFORMS 360 / PS3 / PC

RESIDENT EVIL 6

“I don’t see the relationship between two [gameplay] styles as a scale with survival horror on one end and action on the other. Where adding more action necessarily entails a reduction in survival horror. Our aim with Resident Evil 6 is to provide both. We want to bring a variety of amazing experiences to players, and we know that survival horror is an essential starting point, so we built three campaigns around that concept while adding individuality to each one.” — YOSHIAKI HIRABAYASHI, PRODUCER OF RESIDENT EVIL 6

Animated Blood Comic Mischief Fantasy Violence

HARRY POTTER FOR KINECT software © 2012 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Developed by Eurocom Developments Ltd. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. WB GAMES LOGO, WB SHIELD: ™ & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR. (s12)

Pre-order and receive the 2010 Nissan 370Z, while supplies last!

the BIG

FORZA

HORIZON

“This is a game that many of the series’ fans have been asking for: a racing game that takes Forza’s authentic handling and incredible visuals and takes the player out on the open road. Players will now have the chance to drive some of the world’s most incredible cars while exploring an open-world environment designed to push their driving skills to the limit. It also has a variety of races, including point-to-point events and night racing, and we’ve added Showcase events that are designed to highlight the best of automotive culture, such as one that allows you to race a classic Ford Mustang down a mountain against a military-grade P-51 Mustang plane. This still has the same physics systems that powered the previous games, and the same great driving assist and handling options as well. If you’ve played a Forza game before, you’ll feel right at home in Forza Horizon.” — RALPH FULTON, DESIGN DIRECTOR, PLAYGROUND GAMES

OCT PUBLISHER MICROSOFT STUDIOS DEVELOPER PLAYGROUND GAMES/ TURN 10 STUDIOS PLATFORMS 360

Blood and Gore Strong Language Violence © 1994-2012 Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., 2K, 2K Games, Firaxis Games, XCOM, and XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and their respective logos are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. KINECT, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. “PlayStation”, the “PS” Family logo and “PS3” are registered trademarks and the PlayStation Network logo is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. All other marks are property of their respective owners.

10 secrets OF BORDERLANDS 2 BY PAUL SEMEL

ike any action-RPG, Borderlands 2 has a number of hidden rooms, secret areas, and other spots you’ll only find if you know where to look. But as we learned when we spoke to writer Anthony Burch and designer Eric Sexton from Gearbox, there’s some super-secret stuff in this game you won’t find even if their locations are marked on your map by CL4P-TP himself.

BUY NOW AT WALMART and WALMART.COM

CALL BACK

Originally, the plot of Borderlands 2 had a new group of Vault Hunters tracking down the ones from the first game. Which, Burch admits, lasted about two days. “We knew that we wanted to have four new playable characters,” he explains, “but we also wanted to have the four from the first game involved in the plot as well. So, our first idea was to hunt them down, but then we realized that was really sad. ‘Hey, you now those characters you love? We want you to kill them.’ Nobody would’ve wanted to do that.”

BLUTH COMPANY

When it comes to outside influences on Borderlands 2, the sci-fi show Firefly is a rather obvious one, given its humor and space-cowboys vibe. But, according to Burch, the sitcom Arrested Development was also an inspiration. “On that show,” he explains, “they do things like have the setup for a joke in episode two but then have the punchline in episode 15. It’s kind of hard to do that in a game, but we tried to nonetheless.”

ROSE IS ROSES

Shakespeare said that a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. But it wouldn’t be as romantic if it were called Red Smelly Flower. Clearly, the guys at Gearbox know this as well, which is why Salvador the Gunzerker doesn’t go by his original name: Gunnar the Gunslinger. “That would’ve been like naming [the melee character] Brick ‘Fist Man,’” Sexton admits.

A ROSEFLOWER BY ANY OTHER NAME

POST-IT NOTES

In the game’s main hub, Sanctuary, you’ll run into a number of colorful characters, including one, Burch admits, whose dialogue was entirely cribbed by things people wrote in Gearbox’s online forums. “Our main bad guy, Handsome Jack, wears a mask,” he says, “and everyone in our forums has been debating what’s behind it. ‘I bet Handsome Jack is actually Claptrap.’ ‘I think he’s Scooter’s ugly brother.’ So, I just took the different theories and made them the dialogue for this one character.”

MAYBE YOUR BABY

Like most games, there are many Easter Eggs in Borderlands 2. Some of which, apparently, come up at the most inopportune moments. “One of the coolest guns in the game is called the Babymaker, which does something crazy that I won’t spoil,” Burch says. “But most of us didn’t know it even existed until we were at Gamescom and it came up in the middle of a presentation, and this includes the person giving the demo, who had played the game for hundreds of hours.”

HIP-HOP ‘TIL YOU DROP

In Borderlands 2, there’s a part in the game where that lovable robot Claptrap has to put his creative side on full display and do some beatboxing. Well, as it turns out... “David Eddings, who does the voice of Claptrap, doesn’t know how to beatbox,” Burch admits, “so he just made a bunch of farting noises.” How well did his improv work out? “We liked it so much that we not only kept it, but we made him do it four or five more times in the game,” Burch reveals.

Along the same lines, many creatures in the game also had similarly obvious monikers at first. For instance, the squidlike worm was originally called a Wormsquid. Though, in that regard, Gearbox isn’t entirely alone. As Burch explains, “Our creature guy, Ruben Cabrera — who always does the first pass naming whatever he makes—likes this Australian zoologist who, whenever he discovers a new species, names them whatever he thinks of when he first sees them. Which is why Ruben named the worm/squid thing Wormsquid.”

INTROSPECTION RUN AMOK

While the guys at Gearbox clearly have a good sense of humor, it seems they also have a good sense of humor about themselves. “Before I worked here,” Burch explains, “I hosted Destructoid’s podcast, which I would always open by saying, ‘Welcome, welcome faithful listeners...’ Well, there’s a quest in Borderlands 2 about a self-involved, overly arrogant podcast host, and he opens every podcast by saying, ‘Welcome, welcome faithful listeners...’ The entire quest is basically about what a jerk I think I am.”

LEGAL EAGLES

While there are plenty of other Easter Eggs in Borderlands 2, some did get nixed by Gearbox’s legal department, including one that’s near and dear to Burch’s heart. “The challenge for getting a bunch of sniper kills was going to be called the ‘Wesley Sniper,’” he explains. “It was my proudest moment as a writer; I don’t think I’ve written anything as good, or ever will again. But our legal department said we couldn’t use someone’s full name, so we had to gut it.”

WELCOME...TO PANDORA PARK

While Gearbox’s legal department worked overtime on this game, not every nixed joke was their doing. For instance, the Wildlife Exploitation Preserve was originally going to be a big Jurassic Park spoof called Pandora Park. “But as the story morphed,” Burch admits, “we realized we didn’t want that park to be so jokey, so we took out most of the tongue-in-cheek parody stuff.”

FEATURE

CHANGING THE GAME... AGAIN

WGC DIGS DEEP INTO NINTENDO’S NEXT-GEN CONSOLE BY MATT CABRAL

efore Nintendo’s last console was named Wii, it was known as “Revolution.” Originally just a codename used by its developers, this early moniker ended up being an accurate prognosticator of the hardware’s affect on our favorite pastime. Presenting seasoned gamers with a fresh way to play, while introducing a brand new audience to gaming, the Wii literally revolutionized the medium, and with the Wii U hitting this holiday season, Nintendo again aims to change the way we play. The hardware’s most defining, potentially game-changing, feature is its controller. Aside from including all the expected inputs of a more traditional peripheral, the Wii U GamePad packs an impressive, 6.2-inch touchscreen. Beyond the obvious appeal of the new tech, the device’s motion control functionality, microphone, stereo speakers, and rumble features allow users to interact with games in a variety of new ways. Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition, for example, incorporates the motion-sensing device

directly into gameplay, allowing players to steer remote-controlled Batarangs with the GamePad. This mechanic barely scratches the surface of how the intuitive interface ultimately makes Arkham City a more immersive experience. On top of redefining how we interact with games, the controller also poses as a portable tablet of sorts. Whether playing a game or watching a movie, users can seamlessly stream content from their TV’s to the GamePad’s screen, allowing— at least within the living room— a more mobile experience. It can also be utilized as a stand-alone internet browser, complete with photo-sharing capabilities thanks to its front-facing camera. While the Wii U’s flashier features steal the spotlight, the hardware’s also taken subtler steps to keep pace with the console competition and win back core gamers Nintendo lost to casual audiences attracted to the Wii. Sporting high-definition graphics and plenty of horsepower under the hood, the Wii U delivers the same visually-stunning experiences Xbox 360

and PlayStation 3 owners currently enjoy. While this means Wii U exclusives are easy on the eyes, it also also ensures top-tier third-party titles will support it. Additionally, gaming purists can forgo the new peripheral entirely in favor of the more traditional Pro Controller. Nintendo’s also closing the next-gen gap with the hi-def big boys by embracing the online space. Wii U supports video chat and the new Miiverse network communication system; a Mii-driven, socially-focused portal that allows gamers around-the-globe to share experiences and extend challenges much in the way players do on Xbox Live and PSN. Of course, Nintendo’s also promising to evolve the current online experience even further by supporting Miiverse with Wii U-specific surprises. Nintendo’s new console is still in its infancy, but based on what we’ve seen, heard—and yes—played, it seems the Wii U’s well positioned to please existing, Wii-loving fans, while also luring back the core, controller-clutching masses.

WHAT TO PLAY ON LAUNCH DAY {or shortly thereafter}

NINTENDO LAND (NINTENDO) The Wii U’s answer to Wii Sports, Nintendo Land includes a variety of mini-games that introduce players to the ins and outs of the new console’s controls. Featuring a theme park setting, the title tasks players with tackling Nintendo-flavored attractions such as Donkey Kong’s Crash Course, and Luigi’s Ghost Mansion.

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. U (NINTENDO) There’s nothing like a trek through the Mushroom Kingdom to break in a new console; and this Wii U take on New Super Mario Bros, complements the princessrescuing, Koopa-crushing, coin collecting action, with the ability to share accomplishments through the Miiverse social network.

ZOMBIU (UBISOFT) This fresh take on the rottingcorpse genre pits players against swarms of fleshcraving freaks on the streets of modern-day London. The catch? The Wii U GamePad serves as your go-to survival pack, where weapons, ammo, and gear are managed, even as your brain’s about to become an appetizer on the TV.

FIFA 13 (ELECTRONIC ARTS) After suffering years of subpar ports for the Wii, Nintendo fans finally get a true FIFA experience. On top of sporting all the features of a next-gen soccer sim, FIFA 13 Wii U utilizes the controller in a variety of game-changing ways; whether coaching your team on the sidelines or tracing onfield passes on the pitch.

BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY ARMORED EDITION (WBIE) In Armored Edition, the Wii U GamePad basically becomes that crazy-cool, wrist-mounted computer the caped crusader uses in Batman: Arkham City. The device serves as an intuitive extension of Batman’s bad guy-thwarting arsenal of explosives and remotely maneuvered Batarangs.

he Wii U GamePad has garnered plenty of attention for it’s impressive, gaming-specific touch-screen motion-sensing tricks, but the powerful peripheral’s got more surprises tucked into its sleek design. Joystick jockeys can use its traditional inputs to play games the good old-fashioned way, while non-gamers can use the slick LCD screen, microphone,

speakers, and front-facing camera to take snaps, video chat, or just surf the web. Under-the-hood features, like gameenhancing rumble effects and Near Field Communication functionality—enabling it to communicate wirelessly with other devices—make the rechargeable controller almost as much a James Bond gadget as it is a gamepad.

MEET Wii U’s CLEVER CONTROLLER EYE-POPPING

IT TAKES TWO

IN MOTION

Sporting 6.2 inches of LCD goodness, the GamePad’s 16:19 aspect ratio touch-screen isn’t just any old display, but a game designer’s dream palette capable of producing colors that could shame a rainbow.

While Nintendo initially reported the Wii U would only be able to use one GamePad at a time, they’ve since appeased concerned couch co-op fans, saying future games will indeed support two peripherals.

Plenty of tech toys boast “motion-sensing” mechanics, but the Wii U GamePad ups the limb-flailing ante with built-in accelerometer, gyroscope and geomagnetic technology.

ON-THE-GO

MAGIC TOUCH

OLD SCHOOL

Mom, Dad, sibling, or significant other want to halt your game time so they can watch TV? No problem—simply stream the action directly to the GamePad’s screen for a more portable experience.

Whether thwarting the undead apocalypse in ZombiU or surfing Netflix, the Wii U’s tactile screen intuitively reads inputs from behind the included stylus or users’ twitchy digits.

Gaming purists who’d rather forgo the motion-sensing, screen-tapping shenanigans can rely solely on the GamePad’s more traditional analog sticks, face buttons, and shoulder triggers.

COVER STORY

Pre-order to receive the Walmart EXCLUSIVE Flintlock Musket and in-game mission “A Dangerous Secret,” while supplies last!

OCT PUBLISHER UBISOFT DEVELOPER UBISOFT MONTREAL PLATFORMS 360 / PS3 / WII U / PC

ASSASSIN’S

III

CREED

A REVOLUTIONARY TAKE ON THE FRANCHISE

BY RAY CARSILLO

COVER STORY

evelopers always face several challenges when it comes to creating sequels to well-established franchises. After all, each new entry needs to be bigger and better than the last, raising the bar by injecting fresh ideas that expand gameplay while simultaneously remaining true to the inspiration of the original. Confronting this challenge, Assassin’s Creed III aims to surpass past adventures—not only by embracing a new colonial America setting and Native American protagonist Connor Kenway, but also through the creative application of original gameplay mechanics never seen before in the franchise. Among the original features is a dual-handed combat system that allows Connor to transition certain weapons between hands in the midst of battle, providing more free-flowing counters and combos, as well as a more fluid free-running system that allows for an easy transition from jagged rocks and crooked tree branches to colonial rooftops.

TIMELINE ASSASSINS THROUGH THE YEARS

Darius, a Persian Assassin, assassinates King Xerxes the First of Persia. It is the earliest recorded ‘hit’ of the Assassin’s Guild and the first known use of the hidden blade.

Altair Ibn-La’Ahad attacks the Templar Grand Master in pursuit of the Second Apple of Eden, resulting in the death of one of his allies and the maiming of another. Although ultimately successful in the mission, Altair is demoted to novice. This is Desmond’s first memory in the Animus.

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1191 AD

But the most significant piece of new gameplay may be the naval battles. Usually a forgotten aspect of the Revolutionary War, these sea-based encounters—pitting the British fleet against Colonial ships, primarily supplied and staffed by the French—proved pivotal to American success. Whether wreaking havoc on enemy coastal encampments or cutting off supplies to the Redcoats from merry ol’ England, the naval front was just as important to the tides of war as the Battle of Bunker Hill. “Our goal was to build a believable, exciting action simulation of the historical naval experience,” explains Assassin’s Creed III creative director Alex Hutchinson. “As Connor, you’re simultaneously in control of navigation and your crew, so you must balance steering the ship away from obstacles or other vessels, while commanding your men to raise or lower the sails and to fire the cannons. It’s exciting, intense, and players will experience the

“OUR GOAL WAS TO BUILD A BELIEVABLE SIMULATION OF THE NAVAL EXPERIENCE.” – ALEX HUTCHINSON, CREATIVE DIRECTOR

READY FOR WAR

hether it’s hidden blades or small explosives, Assassins’ tools of the trade typically blend stealth, speed, and lethality. Although Connor boasts the traditional hidden blade, custom to the Assassins, he’ll also take advantage of weapons that stem from his Native American heritage. Connor’s primary weapon is his tomahawk. Light and fast, this weapon gives Connor a whole slew of attacks we haven’t seen from an Assassin before, taking full advantage of the new dual-handed combat features in the game. Also at the ready is a bow and arrow, something that Assassin’s Creed III creative director Alex Hutchinson reveals almost didn’t make it into the game. “At first, we thought we couldn’t add a bow as a weapon, as most people had switched to rifles and pistols in this period,” he says. “But with further research, we found that many tribes were still using a bow and arrow to hunt from horseback, as they were faster and more accurate on the move. So, luckily, we managed to justify it and add a really iconic weapon for Connor.” Connor’s final new weapon is the rope dart. Although the developers may stretch its uses to the extreme, it was indeed a weapon accurate to the time—and was definitely strong enough to take a man down.

Altair leaves Masyaf for the first time to try to spread the word of the Assassins and heads to Constantinople. Due to the ongoing Fourth Crusade, he fails and must return to Masyaf.

Niccolo and Maffeo Polo fulfill Altair’s wish to finally found an Assassin’s Guild in Constantinople. They take many of his writings with them to help educate new recruits.

Ezio Auditore da Firenze takes up his father’s mantle as an assassin after avenging him and his brothers who were falsely accused of treason by the Templars and their Grand Master, Rodrigo Borgia.

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COVER STORY

NATURE BOY: Assassin’s Creed III will often stray away from the hustle and bustle of the city, instead focusing on the untamed wilds.

biggest action set pieces we’ve ever produced in the franchise. We think we’ve preserved the open-world feeling of the game and provided a truly unique experience.” The other major aspect that drives the Assassin’s Creed series is its conspiracy-laden storyline centered around the TemplarAssassin war. While tying the naval battles into the Revolutionary War setting might not be the hardest story beat to hit, connecting it into Connor and his adventures is another challenge altogether. “In terms of missions,” Hutchinson says, “we have some that are related to the core story, as well as a unique side narrative that deals with a specific Templar, and then a set of Privateer missions which let players just enjoy taking on an assortment of enemy ships under different conditions. How Connor finds and becomes captain of the Aquila is part of our overall narrative, though, and we don’t want to spoil anything. But his goals are, as always, to further the aims of the Assassins in the New World, a quest that takes him in many directions simultaneously. He tries to preserve his people’s place in the New World and to help anyone in search of freedom against tyranny, which often finds him either hunting

Templars amidst the opposing captains or aiding those who would wish to free themselves.” So, even though there’s clearly a challenge to going bigger and better in comparison to previous games, the main task with an established, successful franchise like Assassin’s Creed may be more about finding a balance between injecting a healthy dose of change to keep it enticing, yet still maintaining the core of what made it a success in the first place. “We’ve been working on ACIII for a couple of years already, and it’ll be three years when we finally ship,” Hutchinson says. “We had the time to experiment, and we’ve tried a lot of different things in terms of characters and mission ideas and location ideas. We had Philadelphia in the game at one point, but we couldn’t make the gridlike streets work with our gameplay. We had a multitude of Connors, and we went through a half dozen full story revisions. In the end, we broke down the challenges we wanted to tackle: establishing villains and making you care about them more than any game before, building a believable Native American hero, creating true variety between missions, and building a beautiful re-creation of 18th-century America. You guys can be the judge of whether we succeeded or not.”

TIMELINE (cont.) Cesare Borgia attacks Monteriggioni, the Italian Assassin Headquarters, in retaliation for the events in Rome. The city is overwhelmed and Mario Auditore is executed, making Ezio the family patriarch. With Machiavelli, Ezio moves the Assassin’s Guild to Rome.

Ezio heads to Masyaf on pilgrimage to hopefully learn more of Altair’s teachings. Masyaf is a Templar stronghold now though, but Ezio learns enough to head to Constantinople.

The Battle of Bunker Hill takes place during the American Revolution and Assassin Connor Kenway, an ally to the Assassinaffiliated George Washington, inserts the Assassin’s Guild directly into the war when he kills John Pitcarin.

1500 AD

1511 AD

1775 AD

A TIME FOR REVOLUTION

hough the actual years of the Revolutionary War have been getting the bulk of the spotlight when it comes to Assassin’s Creed III’s time period, the game will actually encompass a full 30 years of Connor Kenway’s life, ranging from 1753 to 1783. This slice of American history will not only allow gamers to see how the Assassin-Templar war played an integral part in the development of our nation—as Assassins helped swing key battles—but also allow them to play through many of the events leading up to the War for Independence, and how the U.S. struggled as a fledgling nation in the years immediately after the war’s end. You’ll also see how different real-life characters, like George Washington, grew and matured during those years, along with Connor himself, as Washington in 1753 will be quite different from the mature leader of 1783. The game also offers different vantage points of historic moments that you normally wouldn’t see, like the Battles of Lexington and Concord, or Washington crossing the Delaware. After all, it’s a well-known fact that only the winners write the history books. And, as an Assassin, your hidden blade may as well be the tip of history’s pen.

Nikolai Orelov fails to assassinate Tsar Alexander III. After a fight between him and the Tsar broke out, Alexander revealed he had the Staff of Eden and in the ensuing fight, the train derailed with only Orelov and Alexander surviving.

Daniel Cross is retrieved from his sleeper cell assignment and drugged by Abstergo. This forces him to reveal all Assassin hideouts he ever visited and begins ‘The Great Purge.’

Desmond Miles is abducted and forced to use the Animus for the first time to relieve Altair’s life in the hopes he will reveal to Abstergo the location of the Pieces of Eden. This is where Assassin’s Creed franchise begins.

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COVER STORY

A former British soldier turned American general—second only to Washington himself—Charles Lee works with Connor during the years of the Revolutionary War after Connor aligns himself with George Washington and Ben Franklin.

CHARLES LEE Militiamen-turned-soldiers made many a sacrifice in the fight for American independence. These single-player NPCs serve mostly as cannon fodder, but you can also play as one in multiplayer and show why these volunteer soldiers were a force to be reckoned with.

BLUECOATS

Leader of the Continental Army, first President of the United States, and a key figure in ACIII’s Colonial America, Mr. Washington is a critical ally for Connor—and even possesses an Apple of Eden himself at one point.

GEORGE WASHINGTON

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GHOST WARRIOR 2 LOOKING THROUGH A NEW SCOPE BY McKINLEY NOBLE

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ity Interactive’s return to the firstperson shooter is focusing on that one itch most titles barely scratch: highlevel sniper combat. Where other games use it as a complement to a battlefield filled with tanks, rocket launchers, and close-quarters shoot-outs, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 is once again aiming for something a bit more refined. “Fans didn’t really want assault missions or ‘run-and-gun’ sections of the game,” says producer Michael Sroczynski. “We made sure

that, in this sequel, we have more long sniper duels where you can take on enemies from a kilometer away. We rebuilt the AI from scratch, and that changed the gameplay quite a bit.” At a glance, it’s obvious that more than just the AI was rebuilt. Vastly improved urban environments, lifelike lighting, and advanced physics all come into play with the second Sniper: Ghost Warrior title, showcasing how far the development on this sequel has come over the last few years.

JAN PUBLISHER CITY INTERACTIVE DEVELOPER CITY INTERACTIVE PLATFORMS 360 / PS3 / PC / Wii U / Vita

MEET COLE ANDERSON Cole “Sandman”Anderson is as elite as an Elite Forces Sniper can get, having a history of adapting to harsh environmental conditions. Growing up in the Arctic and being raised by

Any sniper worth his salt needs a spotter, and Sniper 2’s Maddox is as capable as they come.

Thanks to CryEngine 3, taking your shots will force you to factor in wind resistance, bullet drop, and other elements. This added tech requires far more precision and substance than many FPS games attempt, much less offer. “Each game since Modern Warfare has a sniper mission in it, and sniper missions are the ones that all my friends remember the best,” says Sroczynski. “We get that there’s something about being the predator, being better and stronger than the enemy.”

Native Americans made him a special kind of survivor, and that background makes him uniquely qualified to tackle Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2’s war-torn battlefields.

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JAN PUBLISHER CAPCOM DEVELOPER NINJA THEORY PLATFORMS 360, PS3, PC

DmC

DEVIL MAY CRY A DEVILISH NEW BEGINNING BY MARC CAMRON

hat do you do when a series gets stale? Do you try to take things in a fresh direction, maybe add a new character like they do on TV shows? These days, one popular option is rebooting the whole thing, starting over fresh and giving fans a new-ish version of familiar events to chew on.

DANTE THROUGH THE YEARS

f ever a series deserved a do-over, it’s Devil May Cry. Alternately brilliant and confusing, the franchise has been a heck of a rush since its 2001 debut. But its biggest flaw has been the timeline, which jumps around from game to game, requiring players to remember and try to keep up. The story starts with Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening and moves back to the first game, Devil May Cry. It then jumps to Devil May Cry 4—the only original installment on current-generation systems—and finally Devil May Cry 2. There’s even an anime series that takes place between DMC and DMC4, for those who really want to dig into Dante’s story. The most important points remain the same, though. Dante fights demons. He has a twin brother named Vergil, whom we get to play as once in a while, and he frequently clashes with the powerful demon Mundus. Other characters come and go, but Dante’s hatred of demons always remains. With flashing swords and blazing guns, the Devil May Cry series always brings the action.

Ninja Theory follows in the footsteps of action icon Hideki Kamiya —a tough task.

ALTHOUGH THE GAME MIGHT PLAY SIMILARLY TO PREVIOUS DEVIL MAY CRY ENTRIES, THE VISUALS HAVE BEEN UPGRADED...

DmC Devil May Cry retells the origin of Dante, the unholy offspring of a demon and an angel, an angry man looking for his place in the world. Fortunately, Dante’s brother, Vergil, might have a place for the outcast within The Order, a group of freedom fighters standing between the innocent humans and the demons who have set their sights on the planet. With The Order, Dante must wage war on demon hordes while coming to grips with his dual existence. In keeping with the series’ tradition, Dante will have plenty of weapons at his disposal. In addition to ingrained angel and demon powers, the game’s arsenal includes a sword, Rebellion; twin pistols, Ebony and Ivory; Arbiter, the demonic ax powerful enough to decimate enemy shields; Osiris, his angelic scythe; and Eryx, demonic gauntlets for when the action gets up close and personal. Of course all the weapons in Heaven or Hades don’t do much good if the game doesn’t play well. Developer Ninja Theory promises to have fans covered there as well. The group behind critically acclaimed games Heavenly

Sword and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West crafted Limbo, DmC’s demonically infested world, to feature plenty of puzzles to accompany the quick and fluid action. All of this might seem overwhelming for one hero to deal with, even if that hero’s imbued with otherworldly powers. Luckily, Dante will have Vergil to watch his back, as well as Kat, a medium with particular insight into the demon realm. Although the game plays similarly to previous Devil May Cry entries, the visuals have definitely been upgraded. Taking inspiration from fare such as Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight films, the characters appear younger and more realistic than old-school Dante and company. Though the initial reception of Dante’s youthful good looks was overwhelmingly negative, the new vibe started to grow on much of the Walmart GameCenter staff after spending some time with the game. Now, we can’t wait until January 15 rolls around for a chance to play though DmC Devil May Cry in its entirety.

PREVIEWS

FEB

DEAD SPACE w

TERROR IS ALIVE AND WELL BY BRANDON JUSTICE

hen Dead Space 3 debuted earlier this year at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles, a focus on co-op and frigid outdoor environments left many longtime fans wondering if this was the same sort of hair-raising adventure they’d grown accustomed to. After an extended sitdown with the campaign’s darker side, we’re happy to report that the latest chapter in Isaac Clarke’s fright-filled fight against the Necromorph horde is as haunting as ever. “While we evolved the game in a lot of ways,” explains producer Jesse Abney, “we still know how to make a Dead Space game.” And, at its core, that means creating an environment that channels all the dread and determination

PUBLISHER ELECTRONIC ARTS DEVELOPER VISCERAL GAMES PLATFORMS 360 / PS3 / PC

that made the series famous, starting with a focus on the one thing Abney promises Visceral Games will never abandon: the big payoff. Says Abney, “Those epic moments, we love to craft. They’re the big beats that stitch together the tense, methodically placed beats, and we like that. It’s the big relief. It’s the big breath. You made it. You got the eye poke. You drilled the brain. You blew up the ship. Those big moments are the payoff for us.” And while Dead Space 3 definitely represents a major evolution for the series, Abney’s convinced that sweet spot will come with a familiar outcry from the players. “Even without a single thing anywhere nearby, we’ve gone to great lengths to make people scream,” he says. Here’s hoping you’re not afraid of the dark.

“WE’VE GONE TO GREAT LENGTHS TO MAKE PEOPLE SCREAM.”

– JESSE ABNEY, PRODUCER

CO-OP PLAY

ot everyone has the nerve needed to get past a Necro infestation, but luckily, the folks at Visceral haven’t forgotten about the less-hardened horror fans out there, and they’ve made a handful of calculated decisions dedicated to making Dead Space 3 a bit more approachable. As game producer Jesse Abney tells it, “[Dead Space games] have an effect on people, and we have to manage that effect.

A HELPING HAND

It’s really limiting when we hear from so many people, team members included, that can’t sit home alone and play the finished product.” So, how exactly did they curtail the horror? By allowing fans to play with a friend. “We changed some of the ways that we choose to evolve the game to address what this kind of game does to people,” says Abney, “and co-op was one way that we broke down walls a bit.”

PREVIEWS

MAR PUBLISHER THQ DEVELOPER OBSIDIAN ENTERTAINMENT PLATFORMS 360, PS3, PC

SOUTH PARK THE STICK OF TRUTH NO, KITTY! THIS IS MY RPG!

BY RAY CARSILLO

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or years, South Park fans have longed for a game that would finally capture the raunchy, over-the-top humor of the TV show while still giving us a crisp, gaming experience. And now, after 16 seasons and more than 200 episodes, the wait for a worthy counterpart to the series may finally be over. South Park: The Stick of Truth is an oldschool, turn-based RPG done in the show’s classic cutout animation style and written by show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, ensuring that the humor and essence of the show is maintained. Stick of Truth casts you as the “New Kid,” a fully customizable character inserted directly into the show’s lore, joining Cartman, Kyle, Stan, and Kenny on an important quest. Various powers and abilities fit each of the boys’ personalities—like Cartman shooting fire as only he can do—and their classes and costumes draw direct inspiration from the classic episode “The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers.” Now, it’s just a matter of waiting until we can finally start this epic quest, slated to begin March 2013.

43 2013

TBD PUBLISHER UBISOFT DEVELOPER UBISOFT MONTREAL PLATFORMS 360, PS3, PC

hese days, you can’t chuck a copy of San Andreas out the window without hitting a half-dozen openworld action games, but Ubisoft Montreal’s Watch_Dogs aims to keep the genre fresh by offering a much brainier experience than your standard GTA clone. Players will step into the

shoes of Aiden Pearce, an elite hacker with the ability to break into any electronic device in the game’s sprawling rendition of Chicago. By using a nifty gadget known as the Profiler, Aiden can instantly gather personal info on the NPCs he encounters, jam cellphone signals, and even take control of the countless

WATCH DOGS HACK THE PLANET! BY JOSH HARMON

bridges and traffic lights that dot the city. “We’re all so dependent on connectivity,” explains producer Dominic Guay. “We’re all so dependent on being hooked up to the Internet, to our car, to our house. Aiden’s able to play with that because he has this power.” Still, just because he prefers to tackle his problems with technological finesse, don’t assume Aiden’s afraid to get his hands dirty. He’ll also be able to fight anyone who stands in his way, but the real fun will come in mixing and matching all the tools at your disposal—hightech or otherwise—to solve your problems in clever ways.

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reVIewS 25

FIFA 13

SEP DEVELOPER EA CANADA PUBLISHER EA SPORTS PLATFORMS 360 / PS3 / Wii / Wii U / PC / Vita / PSP / 3DS

NHL 13

SEP DEVELOPER EA CANADA PUBLISHER EA SPORTS PLATFORMS 360 / PS3

LITTLE BIG PLANET PS VITA

SEP DEVELOPER DOUBLE ELEVEN/ TARSIER STUDIOS PUBLISHER SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT PLATFORMS VITA

SEP DEVELOPER TEAM NINJA PUBLISHER TECMO KOEI PLATFORMS 360 / PS3

DEAD OR ALIVE 5

After EA Canada overhauled this soccer sim’s physics engine last year, expectations were high that this was 40% the year FIFA would finally take that gameplay leap and achieve the quality reached by Pro Evolution Soccer on the PS2. But this entry screams “Roster Update” almost from the moment you turn on the game. Play-by-play man Martin Tyler breathlessly tells you about how you can “get into EA Sports Football Club... in FIFA 12.” Even though the on-pitch action is still serviceable, the rest of the experience deserves to ride the pine. The menus are an absolute mess—did any human being with two eyes look at them?—and tutorials are unhelpful jokes in the guise of minigames. FIFA 13 is like that seconddivision European club who nearly reaches the top flight one year... then crashes and burns and gets relegated to the third division the next season.

Like a fresh sheet of ice, NHL 13 marks a major transitional year for the NHL franchise. The new skating 83% physics are the most realistic yet and offer layers of nuance, and when you consider the improved opponent AI, you likely have the most authentic hockey experience ever produced. Improved netminding means that soft goals are cut to a minimum, and the “wraparound” glitch from a year ago has been eliminated completely. When it comes to the action on the ice, this is easily the most realistic gameplay EA has ever offered up. Some aspects still deserve time in the sin bin, though, including a couple of presentation problems and less-than-savvy computer-controlled GMs in “Be a GM” mode. But these complaints are minor in the grand scheme of things and shouldn’t stop you from lacing up your virtual skates as soon as you can.

The platforming we’ve all come to know and love from LittleBigPlanet is back—and tight as ever— 78% spread across almost 50 stages in this tuned-up version for the Vita. A new class of puzzle takes advantage of the device’s touchscreens and doesn’t feel like a gimmick. Mind you, having to stretch your hands across the screen while holding buttons or pushing joysticks can be uncomfortable at times, but that doesn’t limit the fun. The only aspect that truly holds this game back are the unnecessarily long tutorials. Platformers aren’t the most complex of genres, and we don’t need more than 20 percent of the game devoted to teaching basics like how to jump. Still, if you love Sackboy, this title features everything we’ve come to expect from him in terms of both single-player and content creation, in a nice portable package.

Dead or Alive 5 is, hands down, one of the most visually impressive fighting games in the genre. Unlike its previ74% ous installment, however, this sequel feels like a tune-up rather than an expansive overhaul. That impression is due in large part to the dramatic improvements introduced in 2005’s Dead or Alive 4. Though overshadowed by that earlier entry, DOA5 does offer some new tricks to master in Power Blows, counter-focused Expert Holds, and updated combo strings. They’re not groundbreaking alterations for the series, but they do give the action a necessary shot in the arm. Graphically, developer Team Ninja continues to refine the brilliant character models with a more lifelike appeal, and adding small touches like progressive sweat and grime help, but Dead or Alive 5 needed more modes and single-player variety. It remains a proven franchise, but falls a bit short of expectations.

Uncensored Evaluations From the GameCenter Experts WGC’s Game Of the Month

BORDERLANDS 2

espite complaints that it was a bit on the shallow side, the original Border96% lands offered fans a lot. It featured vast, engaging, and flat-out wacky new lands to explore, plenty of loot to nab, and a plethora of angry alien wildlife to eliminate. Thanks to a solid co-op experience, the original became an unquestionable phenomenon. So, how could developer Gearbox Software manage to top a game that exceeded expectations at almost every level? By offering a souped-up sequel with brilliant writing, a host of intelligent enhancements, and—importantly—a mind-boggling, greed-inducing flood of über-awesome guns. All this adds up to a hysterical, addictive experience that’s built for blasting up the landscape with three of your friends-list favorites, delivering enough personality and punch to easily recommend it to first-person-shooter fans everywhere, regardless of their allegiance to the original. One of this year’s best releases.

SEP DEVELOPER GEARBOX SOFTWARE PUBLISHER 2K GAMES PLATFORMS 360 / PS3 / PC

TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT 2  BROUGHT TO YOU BY PRIMA GAMES

JUN

TAG PARTNERS

strategy center

Jun relies heavily on chipping away at an opponent’s life bar with many different pokes and move combinations. Against opponents who attack recklessly, Jun has several counter hit moves that allow her to start a damaging juggle, as well as moves that evade enemy attacks and launch them into the air. This defensive play style allows her to attempt to control opponents and kill any momentum they try to generate.

Asuka can be a good choice for new players to partner with Jun since these two characters have similar moves. Asuka has more offensive options than Jun does, including faster launchers and a sweeping low that knocks down opponents.

In general, Jun can be paired with an aggressive partner such as Lars, or with a Mishima like Heihachi in order to provide a contrast to her defensive play style. If your opponent gains a life advantage on you, it can often be difficult to fight back with Jun’s pokes and punishable launchers. At that point, tagging Jun out for a character that can more easily gain ground back is a good option.

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strategy center PRESENTED BY This two-hit move is Jun’s fastest normal hit launcher. The first hit will crush low, and the second hit will bound them for a aerial combo. As the first hit cannot juggle on its own, and you must bound with the second hit to do so, the potential damage for this launcher is low. Even so, its speed and crushing properties will be very useful to you. This move is also guaranteed after connecting a fully crouched + on a counter hit.

KEY MOVES

+ ,

The key to successfully landing counter hits is to place your opponent in situations where they think they can attack, but you have the advantage. If you poke away at them, most opponents will become frustrated and try to do something to keep you off of them. Gauge their reactions carefully. Once they try to challenge you, make them pay for it.

CRUSH MOVES

WHAT TO PRACTICE The first hit of this mid string has homing properties, so it will track your opponent if they try to sidestep around you. The second hit can bound an airborne opponent, making it useful for aerial combos. The range is short, so be sure to use it early in a an aerial combo before the enemy gets pushed too far away or up against a wall. The second hit is guaranteed if the first connects, and the combo can be hit-confirmed with practice. This is important because the second hit is punishable on block, but the damage this string doles out makes it worth it.

+ ,

COUNTER HITS

Jun has several moves that launch or allow her to launch an opponent on counter hit. Her standing can keep away opponents trying rush in with highs, and her + will go under low attacks and launch opponents on counter hit. is a fast mid poke that will put Jun’s opponent in a doubled-over stunned state that, while breakable, can lead to a full launch with + or + , . Her FC + is a low that knocks opponents off their feet and can be followed up with + , for an aerial combo.

AVAILABLE SEP 11th!

Download a FREE digital preview guide featuring full Detailed Character Strategy at http://walmartgamecenter. screenpapermedia.com/prima/ tekkentagtournament2.pdf

Quite a few of Jun’s moves have crush properties that allow you to evade or avoid an opponent’s attack while potentially striking them with your own. Along with her + and + , , her + is an incredibly good low crush that is fast (14 frames), can launch on counter hit, and is safe on block if the opponent does not duck the first hit. Her + is similar to Asuka’s in that it can crush lows and sometimes evade high moves for a launch. Use the threat of these crush moves, along with the rest of Jun’s move set, to make your opponent think twice about closing in on you.

HOW TO DEFEAT JUN Since Jun is a defensive character that excels at punishing reckless opponents, one of the best ways to deal with her is to be very cautious with your offense. If you do not give her an opportunity to punish you with her + , or low crush you with her + , then you limit her ability to deal damage. Similarly, not attacking when you are at a disadvantage will keep you from getting counter hit and keep your attacks from getting reversed. Let her make a mistake, and punish her when she attempts to close in. As long as you are careful, you should be able to handle her.

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NEW SUPER MARIO BROS.™ 2  BROUGHT TO YOU BY PRIMA GAMES

Coin Rush and New Features GOLD MARIO

GOLD BLOCK

COIN RUSH TIPS Each Gold Mushroom you collect is worth 50 coins. Reach the top of a Goal Pole to double the amount of coins you’ve collected. Grab all 3 Star Coins in each level for a huge coin bonus.

When Mario uses a Gold Flower, he transforms into Gold Mario. Gold Mario is an extremely powerful transformation. While in this form, Mario can throw explosive gold fireballs that are not only capable of defeating nearly any foe, they’re also able to transform Blocks into coins. If Gold Mario takes damage, he reverts to Super Mario.

The Gold Block lasts until you take damage, complete the level, or use it to generate 100 coins—whichever comes first.

strategy center

COIN RUSH

When you pass through a Gold Ring, enemies within the area transform into gold versions of themselves. While a Gold Ring is active, you earn coins for each enemy you defeat.

In the Coin Rush Game Mode, you must collect as many coins as possible while you play through three randomly selected levels. These levels are identical to those found in Solo Play and Co-op Play, but all 1-Up Mushrooms are replaced with Gold Mushrooms, and you have much less time to reach the Goal Pole.

AVAILABLE AUGUST 19

GOLD RING

Hit a Gold Block from above or below to equip it. After you do, you’ll generate coins as you move around the level.

These Guides are available at Walmart and Walmart.com.

strategy center PRESENTED BY

THE SIMS 3 SUPERNATURAL  BROUGHT TO YOU BY PRIMA GAMES

Werewolf Behavior & Benefits Werewolves are powerful beings and, as such, their behaviors are often dictated by either thirst for exploring the limits of this power or attempting to temper it with self-control. Your narratives will likely deal with the careful balance between the two. It’s fun to give in to the beast, but this can negatively impact relationships or needs.

TRANSFORMATION

of the full moon phase. Mood also triggers autotransformation. If your Sim’s mood just tanks out, there is a chance they will switch into wolf form. Like the full moon-inspired transformation, this cannot be undone with a self-interaction. You must either reverse the terrible mood or just wait it out.

CAUTION

As a werewolf, you are not required to wait for a full moon to transform into a wolf-beast. You may do so at any time with the Transform self-interaction. In a flash, your Sim explodes into wolf form. When in wolf form, your movements are low and exaggerated, just as you would expect from a werewolf. You hunt and stalk just like a wild animal, sniffing out danger in the night. When you Transform into a wolf at your own discretion, you may also revert to human form at will—unless you happened to transform during a full moon. Sometimes, transforming back into human form results in the What Just Happened moodlet, which indicates disorientation.

Stress can also trigger transformation. If your Sim has the Stressed Out moodlet, get them happy and relaxed soon or you risk an unintended transformation.

LYCANTHROPY SKILLS

However, sometimes you have no control over werewolf transformation. If you are caught out in human form when the lunar cycle goes into its full moon phase, you are automatically transformed into wolf form. During this time, you may not revert back to human form until the end

At level 3 of this skill, you unlock the Cursed Bite interaction. This is a social that werewolves can use on other Sims. It is not a friendly social—it has the Steamed STC and results in lost LTR. In fact, it plays out not unlike a fight. During the scuffle there is a chance you indeed sink your canines

CAUTION

AVAILABLE SEPT. 4

Transformation takes a real hit on the Hunger need, so watch out. However, Transforming will never drop Hunger into the death range.

Sims enjoy many perks while in werewolf form, such as decreased Bladder and Fun decay.

If the social is rejected and your werewolf loses the fight, the target Sim actually bops your Sim on the nose with a rolled up newspaper. This also reduces LTR because the swat has the Insulting STC. So, though you cannot “see” the skill as it develops, there are rewards for each level. For example, hitting level 10 is great because the decreased decay in needs your werewolf experiences while in beast form are transferred over to human.

Werewolves have a hidden skill: Lycanthropy. Like visible skills, Lycanthropy has 10 levels. The more time you spend in werewolf form and perform werewolf-specific interactions, the more you raise this hidden skill. Developing Lycanthropy has several benefits, especially related to transformation. The higher the skill level, the lower the chance of auto-transforming when mood is low or when the Sim has the Stressed Out moodlet. Raising this skill also increases your chance of finding collectibles while out gathering. (Pair the Gatherer trait with a werewolf Sim and you’ll sniff out the best ingredients!)

TIP

into your target Sim. The target then receives the Once Bitten, Twice Shy moodlet... and the target Sim becomes a werewolf on the next full moon.

These Guides are available at Walmart and Walmart.com.

PARTING SHOTS ONE-ON-ONE WITH

KEVIN FRANKLIN LEAD MULTIPLAYER DESIGNER, HALO 4

Walmart GameCenter: Halo’s single-player campaigns have always impressed, but it was really multiplayer that turned the series into a cultural icon. Why do you think that is and how do you capture that in Halo 4?

WGC: One of the biggest additions to Halo 4’s multiplayer is Regicide, a twist on the standard Free for All formula. What can we expect from this new game mode?

Kevin Franklin: It goes right back to the first Halo, when you were on the couch with your buddies. It was that way that you could fight each other without the physical violence. During one of our playtests, for the first time in 10 years, I got that feeling of wanting to call a bunch of buddies and play on one big screen again. One of our goals with Halo 4 was to recreate that experience, not just for the guy who goes online and tries to get up to the top of the leaderboard, but also for the people who bring over their friends or play against their siblings.

KF: We wanted Free for All to be an awesome experience again, since it’s something we felt had been neglected across the board. We tried all sorts of scoring things, and the one we settled on was getting everyone to go after the player in first place, the king. We balanced the scoring to award more points for king kills, and if you manage to assassinate him, you’ll get an even bigger bonus. If you were down by five kills in an old Rumble or Slayer game, you’d pretty much lost, because that gap was almost insurmountable. Now, with Regicide, if you get a couple of lucky king kills, you can make that up really quickly.

WGC: For the first time, Halo 4’s multiplayer will tie into the game’s story, with Spartans duking it out with each other in VR training aboard the UNSC Infinity. Why was that so important to you guys?

WGC: Team Slayer has long been a favorite among Halo fans. What are some of the changes we’ll be seeing there?

KF: We wanted to set the tone so that the multiplayer didn’t feel like a tack-on or a separate entity. Early on in the process, we said, “Why are the Spartans killing Spartans?” We’d never asked that question to ourselves before. When we started looking really in-depth at the Infinity, we thought, “Well, it could have a sim theater on it. Maybe this is a battle simulation.” When that idea evolved, it was like Christmas for us.

VITAL SIGNS

KF: Our big new addition is Infinity Slayer. Just like classic Slayer, you’re still getting kills to help your team, but all those medals you’re earning will now fill your ordnance meter. Once this meter fills, you’ll be able to call down weapons from the Infinity, anything from a rocket launcher to grenades to power ups. We found in our early playtests that players were making strategic decisions about what to call in based on what they were holding. “Do I get stuff just to get kills? Do I get stuff to support my teammates?” It’s been great seeing what they’re coming up with.

Name Kevin Franklin Occupation Lead Multiplayer Designer, 343 Industries Development Highlights Halo 4 / Need for Speed: Most Wanted / SOCOM: Confrontation

Pre-order Halo 4 to receive the Walmart EXCLUSIVE Customizable Circuit Armor Skin bonus, while supplies last!

s the first major entry in the franchise to be developed by 343 Industries, Halo 4 has a lot to prove to longtime fans, and no one’s feeling that pressure more than lead multiplayer designer Kevin Franklin. He recently sat down with Walmart GameCenter to talk about some of the new features and improvements we can expect when the game launches this November.

WGC: What was the multiplayer experience that made you want to focus your design skills in that area of gaming? KF: Counter-Strike, for sure. I think that was the game that first perfected the balance between how many shots it takes you to kill someone versus how many shots it takes for you to die.

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