ENJ Magazine Issue #3

WHERE ENTERTAINMENT GETS REVIEWED

ENTERTAINMENT NETWORKS JUSTIFIED

Pokemon Black & White Reviewed

PLUS:

TOP 5 PORTABLE GAMES

· · · · ·

Pokemon Black & White Transformers 3 Review AC : Brotherhood Explored ENJ Competition Announced Do you smell BurntToast?

Issue #3 Free Magazine

Issue #3

This months magazine we have tried to give you a shiver down your spine, 100% Guaranteed, as we review some of the gaming industries most violent, scary games - yes that is Pokemon!

Be afraid very afraid! Here is a question for you: Do you smell burnt toast?

Features 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

BurntToast Introduction?

Fear 3 Review Fear 3 Review Concluded Assassins Creed: Brotherhood Review Assassins Creed: Brotherhood Continued Pokemon Black & White Review Pokemon Review Continued ENJ News Round Exciting ENJ Competitions HOT Connor's Top 5 Portable Games Join the ENJ Forum ENJ Members Club Transformers 3 Review Follow us on Twitter

Welcome

ENJ is an online entertainment magazine based in Scotland, UK. Founded in 2011 by several enthusiastic students, the idea behind the magazine was really simple to provide entertainment news to the world in a short space of time. We currently provide news for gaming consoles and movies but as our empire expands we hope we can provide more content.

A new issue is released every month with action packed content ready for you to read. But we know we can do better. Please read the last page of this magazine to become a part of the crew.

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Addressing Displaying Faults: ENJ would like to address a displaying fault within our last 2 issues: making shadows and transparent views appear in an unacceptable manner. ENJ take great care in the quality they provide and will ensure that future issues never endure these faults. Sorry.

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Contents

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Where hot news gets CARBONIZED!

F3AR REVIEW

R3VIEWED When I think of the all time greatest first person shooters my mind trails back to 007 Golden Eye on the Nintendo 64. Likewise if I think of my favourite horror games I’m drawn towards the likes of Resident Evil or Silent Hill.

Now if I was to merge these two great genres into one game I would come up with a little something like F.E.A.R. Fast forward 2 sequels and we wind up with Day 1 Studio's thrilling F.3.A.R. While not as polished as say, a Modern Warfare or as creepy as Eternal Darkness, F.3.A.R essentially blends the two genres into one meshing moulding hump of unnerving, dark action-packed madness.

You are Point Man, who has been captured and is then rescued by your brother, Paxton Fettel. Yes you, the protagonist of the first game in the series, are rescued by the antagonist of the same game. You then are off to find Alma so you can finish your original mission. If a newcomer came to the series you can bet that they would be confused right off the bat.

There is no explanation for anything, you simply just dive into the unknown, and frankly, confusing story.

The game play is where the real deal is at however, with F.3.A.R delivering in spades.

The cover system, while implemented in earlier games these past years, is a great mechanic which is used well throughout the game.

Whether your hiding from a

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mech or in a dog fight with seven other guys, you really feel as if you are battling for dear life and the only thing protecting you from death is the crate from which you hide.

Of course this is due to the great AI who, unlike in other games in the same genre, move to a better vantage point or change tact completely depending on how you choose to attack, adding a sense of realism to a somewhat stagnant formula.

How you play a first person shooter is ingrained on any gamer familiar with the genre, it is a proven control scheme.

F.3.A.R does itself no harm in this department, creating clean crisp controls which we have become so accustomed to love. From looking down the scope with the left trigger to blasting the bullets into the skulls of enemies with the right, it feels almost natural now. While there isn't much innovation in the way you use F.3.A.R, there isn't much wrong with it either mind you.

Lighting is definitely a mammoth aspect which must be treated with utmost care by developers, especially when dealing with a horror themed game. The common terror of not being able to see what could hunt you from the dark is a feeling which many people (including me) can relate to. In the scenes when the effect is needed, F.3.A.R is superb, forcing you to use your flash light to see only a meter ahead. The implementation of this however is limited, and could have been used more.

Visually F.3.A.R is stunning, brimming with detail and awesome scenes which make

you froth at the mouth.

Whether it be escaping from an exploding prison or jumping aboard a leaving helicopter, the quality of the cut scenes will leave you astounded. They are let down, however by the text which connects each interval, explaining what has been happening, effectively destroying any immersion the player had in the game.

No horror, nay no game can ever be complete without a sound score that compliments the scenery. F.3.A.R's soundtrack succeeds in it's attempt to instil a sense of engrossing environment.

From being bombarded with soldier after soldier to stalking through a deserted mall, you can guarantee a fitting piece of music will be playing. succeeding in raising even the smallest moment into either an adrenalin fuelled raucous of mayhem or even a creepy crawl through the shadows. Add in the soldiers conversations before you show yourself or during the stand off and I dare say that without the score, the F.3.A.R experience would not be the same.

Included in F.3.A.R is the ability to play the campaign in a co-op environment, either by online of off-line. This feature, added in with the superb multi player modes, such as survivals or death matches, proves the point that this was the real focus for F.3.A.R. Multi-player is head and shoulders above the single player campaign, which is disappointing or exciting dependant on what you are looking for.

While yes, I must admit I have

praised F.3.A.R quite a bit, it does come with it's downsides. The story is near impossible to follow for a newcomer to the series, requiring them to have at least played a previous game in full to understand. The frights, while there, are too few and far between and it is hard to call this a horror/first person shooter for this reason. It seems as though the developers took maybe too much of a leaf out of call of duty's handbook.

If you are looking for an immersion, fear fuelled shooter, I would suggest holding onto your money. If, however you are looking for a solid shooter, with horror elements that holds it's own as a stand alone multi player game I highly recommend buying

Game Ratings Story: 5 Gameplay: 8 Visuals: 8 Sound: 8 Multiplayer: 9 Overall: 7/10

Reviewed By Blake

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ASSASSIN'S CREED BROTHERHOOD REVIEW

The success of a franchise is dependant on the amount of improvement shown for each new addition. If there is no improvement there can be no immersion, basically the franchise or series will fail. Allowing oneself to fall into the world of Ubisoft Montreal's Assassins Creed Brotherhood can be compared to waking up in the morning for work.

You can't not do it, and believe me you don't want to sleep through this Renaissance classic.

You revisit the role of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, dashing to women, deadly to any who cross his path, picking up right where Assassins Creed 2 finished. You find Ezio under covers, no seriously he is in bed with another woman.

Sadly life decides to throw a curve ball at Ezio, one thing leads to another and suddenly he is taking revenge on the rulers of Rome and the whole corruption of Catholic church. The Templars versus Assassins template is still in the background, but the forefront of evil is

shown in the persona of the Borja army and its leader , Cesare Borja.

While the story is not as strong as Assassins Creed 2, it's written well enough to keep you ploughing through the missions like butter.

Assassins Creed's gameplay is overhauled with each addition to the series, Brotherhood proudly flying the flag above it's predecessors.

Ezio seems to be gaining agility with age as he completes feats which would be deemed impossible by any normal standard. Free running from building to building over the rooftops has been made to feel even more flowing as you move swiftly around Rome with ease. Cutting down enemies fast is clearly now the focus of the series, unlike in previous instalments which required you to counter at the right time for a kill. Now you are given the tools to mow down large groups of enemies quicker than a poloticians twist of tongue. The developers have even gone so far as to let you build your own assassin army,

comprising of citizens that you liberate from the Borja reign. You can then send the recruits out to various missions, or keep around, to dispatch of unwanted attention. Of course the number of assassins available for use depend on your influence on the city.

Much like Grand Theft Auto San Andreas you raise your reputation by taking out enemy strongholds, Assassins Creed Brotherhood's version being the many Borja towers spread through the vicinity.

Graphics have been upgraded ever so slightly on the last game, now showing the aging Ezio with every wrinkle and grey hair standing out from the rest. The scenery is beautifully perfected, from the bricks and pavement of Rome to the outlying farming regions. Rome itself will grow from a decrepit city to a flourishing populous if certain requirements are met by the player. It is clear that much work has gone into the creation of such a visually stunning world in which the player can fully interact with. It is a

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pleasure to stand atop one of the towers and look out upon the skyline in all in all it's glory, or to ride through the farming communities surrounding the populous.

Completely engrossing the player into the Renaissance period is complete in Brotherhood.

Each character is voiced superbly from the main characters doen to the most miniscule citzen.

Ezio Auditore da Firenze comes alive with his suave persona being conveyed just as well, if not better, than the previous installment.

Even the less important sounds such as the pedestrians walking around the city and its outlying regions are given the full treatment through to the very small one liner parts. It's hard not to immerse yourself in Ezio's quest for revenge when it feels so alive.

If killing the CPU is starting to bore your assassin nerves Ubisoft have the perfect solution for you. New to the series is an online multiplayer option which allows the player the

opportunity to act out their murderous desires in games of cat and mouse. it is Implemented well, as you are given a target to assassinate, while simultaneously being targetted by another player. You are given the chance to break the chase using objects such as massive gates which actually are very effective. For the thrill seekers however you are still able to free run the rooftops to find your escape.

Ubisoft Mobtreal have made it a habit to improve their mechanics with each release. This principle is especially true with Assassins Creed Brotherhood, it is an improvement on essentially every aspect, save for maybe the narrative, and is especially enjoyable. The sounds, however well enacted, tend to wear thin nearing the end game through the limited in-game script, although do not detract from the experience. The facial effects tend to be overshadowed only by games such as Rockstars very recent LA Noire, which is nothing to

detract from the total playing experience.

With the quality of game Ubisoft Montreal have churned out of the factory lately, expectations are high for the new installment, Assassin's Creed: Revelations. If you are an avid follower of the historically epic series Assassin's Creed, this game is a must have. If you tend to play games casually, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood creates quite a case for itself to slide it's way into your personal collection.

Either way this game is a must play for anyone and stands on it's own as much as a singular game in addition to Ubisofts epic adventure series.

Score: Story: 8 Gameplay:9 Visual:8 Audio: 8 Multiplayer: 7 Overall: 8/10 Reviewed By Blake

POKEMON BLACK AND WHITE REVIEW

I remember the year 1998. I was young and naive, combing through my local Toys R Us store, contemplating what I was going to experience if I found the awesome new game I had heard all about. The original Pokemon Blue version, which totally blew me away. So much so that I now to this day still like to insert the old and dusty cartridge into my ancient Gameboy Pocket. The feeling I got when I played the night away catching monsters of all sorts was rivalled by any other game. Pokemon had me hooked like a Magikarp on land, I couldn't leave. Fast track to the present day and the Pokemon series has enjoyed a healthy growth, spawning 4 more generations of games and entertaining millions the world over. While past iterations were always good, they never captured the spark that the originals had.

That is, until the latest instalment, Pokemon Black and White on the Nintendo DS. The template for a Pokemon game is simple, you are a teenager whom sets out on an adventure into the wilderness, proving your mettle by earning Pokemon League badges. Along the way an organisation is disrupted in their evil ways by your journey, fortunately you are the hero of the day in these games. While generic, it works.

The fifth generation, however, actually has a story, while not true RPG quality it is a step forward. I won't give any spoilers, but I will say that there are darker, more mature themes involved than in previous games.

Any Pokemon trainer will gladly admit that story is not where the addiction lies.

The game play itself is an upgrade on Diamond, Pearl and Emerald, with new additions to the battle mechanics, such as new moves and abilities which allow

for a wider range in strategies. In truth, the series is built upon “if it aint broke, don't fix it.” the simple control scheme allows veterans to jump right back in yet it's a simple enough for all newcomers to pick-up and play.

The visuals remind me of stepping into that sand dune on a hot summers day overlooking the ocean. I can see where they are headed but they aren't quite there yet and right now they are suffering for it, much like my red raw feet that day. While it is nice to see the attempts at bringing the series into a true 3d environment, unless pre-rendered, it creates scenes in which you can't help but notice each singular pixel. An example of this is the revamped battle sequences. While the camera is zooming in and out with each attack, it can cause the action to become a blur of pixels.

Instead of clear avatars of each Pokemon, we are given what sometimes looks amazing, and other times looks like a heap of watermarked garbage. The over world, however is something to behold, from the 3d sky scrapers of Hiun City to the unpredictably rain drenched lands of Route 7, the environment is colourful and full of life.

The vibrant sounds of a Pokemon game always delivers, engrossing the player into the universe, Black and White being no exception. From the frenetic chorus of battle through to the peaceful town ambience the music captures each situation.

Never mind the fact that there's over five hundred different Pokemon cries heard throughout the game. There isn't much I can say to fault the music, however, some may take the sudden change of the usual battle tune with a grain of salt once your Pokemon's health becomes critical. It is a feature I really enjoyed though as it created a

sense of urgency through the fights.

The main draw-card of the series over the years has been the implementation and improvement of connectivity and multi player aspects. While the ability to communicate over WiFi was introduced in the previous set of games, it was limited to scrolling through forum after forum for a persons friend code unless you knew them in real life. With the introduction of random battling, the casual gamer is now able to sign onto Wi-Fi and easily start a battle against someone living in Japan for instance. The Global Trade System returns, but is still plagued by people asking for impossible trades. There is also a new feature called “Dream World” where you place one of your Pokemon to “sleep” and play various mini-games for special abilities or items.

Gamefreak pioneered this subgenre in RPG gaming and have become fluent in the creation of their games. The positives far outweigh the negatives. The multi player aspect has been taken to a new level as has the graphical aspect of the games. If I was to point out a certain aspect which does need work on it would be the pixelated game play through the battles. Being such a minor problem in such a beautifully polished game though, we can let it slide.

What Gamefreak have done superb with the fifth generation of Pokemon games is add just enough nuances to recapture the original feel of the games. I enjoyed my journey earning my badges, and I plan to do even more adventuring as I discover what might be awaiting me. For a Pokemon fan I strongly recommend that you give this game a chance.

Reviewed By Blake

Pokemon Black & White Review

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ENJ NEWS ROUND

U.S

Virtual Gaming?

Sony have announced pretty weird and crazy ideas such as a standalone 3D TV for their Playstation Console - but nothing beats this... a Virtual Reality headset Sony previewed a prototype at the recent E3 Expo. Now in a interview, Sony's Mick Hocking is saying that Sony has been experimenting with games that use Virtual Reality.

Whether this type of gaming will take off we don't know but this isn't new technology.

Spotify U.S Appears!

Spotify - a free internet music program vendor has finally launched in the US. After years being live in Europe.

US users can eventually enjoy the music that Europe loves!

Google+ Games?

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Amazon Game Forest Amazon Inc. will apparently be entering the gaming world, after reports that it had hired a famous Video Game developer.

?

The man hired is supposed to be Jonathan Tweet his name inspired by the famous Social Network Twitter.

Xbox 720 Speculation

Social Media games have really taken off and is now a Multi-Million Pound/Dollar industry.

Most people in the gaming world are speculating that Microsoft will show off the Xbox720 at E3 2012, months after Nintendo announced there Wii U.

Engadget spotted Google Help pages for Google+ Games. - which have all since been deleted for Google's Help Pages.

Experts in the gaming field are saying that if the XBOX brand is going to live on it needs something new, as the Wii U has shown.

Gaming Experts are predicting the Xbox720 will host graphics like CGI films such as Avatar - as modern technology has gotten so advanced.

FarmVille anybody?

This type of technology was up until now classed as Retro Gaming - yes you ENJ's Readers Double heard correctly!

Since the last issue ENJ has managed to double the amount of Although Virtual Reality readers. would come in handy when you are playing ENJ will continue to give you the something like Call Of content you love and more. In the Duty, so this might just future we look to expand our empire. catch on with some Look out for BurntToast... (See Pg3) developers - even though and more in the next batch of it has it's critics. issues! You can't miss one.

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CONNOR'S TOP 10 PORTABLE GAMES

TOP 5 PORTABLE GAMES 5.

Nintendogs – Nintendo DS

By Connor Hall

The love it or hate it game of the decade, Nintendogs was full of sickeningly cute dogs and a crappy microphone that swore when you said 'sit' how AWESOME.

6.

Ridge Racer 3D - Nintendo 3DS

3.

Sega Mega Drive Collection - PSP

2.

My first 3D game and a real eye-opener in handheld technology for me. As Nintendo had always concentrated on fun, and not graphics, the fact this game had the ability to be fun and add awesome graphics blew me away.

Those games that everyone loved – that people remember as better than they actually were. These fantasticly frustrating games – Sonic, Alex Kidd, the first Bejeweled... They're classics, respect them.

Mario 64 & Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D - DS Hailed as one of the best remakes ever, this remake – purely graphical – was at the top of the Amazon best-sellers list for months.

All of the above, except it was a remake of possibly the best game for the N64 ever, with graphics equal to that of the Wii at the very least! An amazing game, amazing remake

1.

Any gaming franchise that can last fifteen years is fine by me (1996 – 2011) and Pokemon will carry on for many years to come. It saved the GameBoy as it was failing, and with a game soon coming out for 3DS, who can guess the future of Pokemon? It has spawned sequels, prequels, spinoffs, a TV series, manga and thousands of homebrew hacks. Even Pokemon haters love Pokemon in some way There was my top 5 (or six) portable games ever. I'm sure one of these days another game might take the crown in my list and put Pokemon to shame, but until then, all these games stand proud.

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HARRY POTTER 7 3P2 TRANSFORMERS

Transformer's 3 is a hard hitting action with fast cars, fighting robots, annoying parents, government cover-ups, soldiers, a hot girl, bad guys and Sam Witwicky (Shia La Beouf) still struggling for employment after saving the world twice. What's not to love about it?

In this brilliant sequel The Decepticons are more ruthless than ever, invading the homes of their human allies to carry out a series of brutal assassinations.

And with more human destruction than in any Transformer's prequel, we really feel a sense of urgency for the human race.

Also, Dark of The Moon has a stronger plot than it's predecessors, featuring the discovery of a crashed alien spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and a struggle between Autobots and Decepticons to obtain its world altering powers - which for spoiler purposes I won't explain.

But, after The Autobots successfully infiltrate the alien spacecraft and rescue the previous Autobots leader - Optimus Prime's mentor, Sentinel Prime - all is not quite as it seems, and the The Autobots

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efforts only help in wreaking havoc upon earth.

Meanwhile, Sam Whitwicky (La Boeuf), - struggling for a job after finishing college, and considered by the government as nothing more than a “messenger,� - is the first to discover The Decepticons evil plan. But will anyone listen to him before it's too late? And when his new girlfriend Carly (Rosie Huntington-Whitely) is captured, will Sam betray the Autobots to keep her alive?

In short, this is a film that features a struggle of the human race against a powerful evil, and a powerful evil that is perhaps not so evil after all, but just homesick and robot-proud.

Verdict: The introduction of Carla, Sam's new girlfriend, seems awkward and a little forced, and at times it is tough to tell Decepticons apart from Autobots during battle, but overall the film is a brilliant adventure. Goofy humour is applied effectively throughout to allow breathing spaces between destruction and chaos, and if you enjoyed the first two Transformer's movies then the third is a must see, especially in 3D where the action scenes can really reach out and grab you.

If you are not a fan of action and if you hated the prequels, then Dark of The Moon featuring it's big and brutal fight scenes with some very unrealistic sky scrapper toppling, is a must to avoid.

Personally I give this film two thumbs up. It's was epically entertaining.

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