Gamecca Magazine October 2009

i s s u e 4 / vo l u m e 1 - O c t o b e r 2 0 0 9

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ga reviemes wed !

Get Dirty

Colin McRae’s DiRT is back

Rocking Out

Guitar Hero 5 reviewed

Civil War

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

The Other Fight Halo ODST reviewed

Going Crazy! in Arkham Asylum

Need for Speed: SHIFT • Guitar Hero 5 • Risen • Batman: Arkham Asylum • Rock Band:The Beatles • Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 • Colin McRae’s DiRT 2 • Madden 10 • Aion • Wet • Halo ODST • Mini Ninjas • Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs • Up • Velvet Assassin • NHL 2K10 • Heroes Over Europe • Academy of Champions • Monster Hunters • Star Ocean:The Last Hope • Cursed Mountain • Puzzle Kingdoms • Tropico Reloaded • East India Company •

rAge 2009

read our report!

PGV

Inside 6 From the Editor On this month’s cover:

A new development team means a new approach to the Need for Speed franchise...

See the review on page 50

8 News 12 Unstuck Should games be as violent as they sometimes are?

14 Geekology It seems that some people are just too picky 16 On the Fast Track SA’s Stephen Viljoen talks about Need for Speed: Shift 22 Previews A dozen games to look forward to 42 PS Zealot Who are the winners in the Console Wars?

44 Xbox Beat All it takes is one big-mouth...

46 House of Mario Getting more from your games... literally...

48 Reviews Twenty five glorious game reviews 98 rAge 2009 What we thought of this year’s show...

102 Hardware Three essential products 104 Showdown Single vs Multiplayer...

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issue 4 • october 2009

Previews Reviews

24 25 26 28 30 31 32 34 36 38 39 40

Lost Planet 2 TMNT Smash Up Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes Mass Effect 2 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Brink StarCraft 2 Dark Void Bioshock 2 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Bakugan: Battle Brawlers

50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96

Need for Speed: Shift Guitar Hero 5 Batman: Arkham Asylum Rock Band: The Beatles Risen Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Colin McRae’s DiRT 2 Madden NFL 10 Aion Wet Halo 3: ODST Mini Ninjas Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Up Velvet Assassin NHL 2K10 Heroes Over Europe Academy of Champions Monster Hunter: Freedom Unite Star Ocean: The Last Hope Cursed Mountain Puzzle Kingdoms Tropico Reloaded East India Company

GAMECCA Volume 1 Issue 4 October 2009 Editor: Walt Pretorius Writers: Walt Pretorius Matthew Vice Jimmy Glue Brian Murdoch Bryan Banfield Andre van der Westhuizen Dion Scotten Suvesh Arumugam Photography: Walt Pretorius Axel Buhrmann Letters: letters@gamecca.co.za Competition entries: competitions@gamecca.co.za Newsletter subscriptions: www.gamecca.co.za GAMECCA is published by 1337 Media CC GAMECCA is powered by ISSUU

Copyright © 1337 Media CC 2009

issue 4 • october 2009

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gamecca • from the editor

Still with the changes...

T

his past month has been rather exciting. Apart from watching reader numbers grow (which I am personally very grateful for) and being able to publish our first special edition, there has been a sudden influx of video games. This is, quite honestly, my favourite and least favourite part of the year, all at the same time.

The best part is that a huge number of games we have been waiting for are arriving. That’s also the worst, because there just isn’t enough time in the day to play everything that’s awesome and demands playing.

Still, we shouldn’t complain.

The video game industry is weathering the various storms around the globe admirably, and we should be happy that our beloved hobby (and passion) is not being hit by massive economic problems.

And, of course, the month has been building up to rAge 2009, South Africa’s premier video game expo. rAge took place over the first weekend of October, and is the reason why this issue was delayed by a few days - covering this event is important to us. We’re sure you’ll understand. Of course, if you had subscribed to our newsletter (at www.gamecca. co.za) you would have known that already.

You may notice a few changes to the mag once again this month. We have started including handheld gaming devices, like the PSP, NDS and mobile phones. This

by Walt Pretorius

will be a regular thing - we don’t have a bias towards (or against) any video games here at Gamecca, after all.

Also, you may notice a few shifts in the layout - we’re still trying to nail down the perfect presentation for the magazine. Hopefully this won’t prove harmful or invasive in any way... we just want to deliver the best product we can to our readers.

Speaking of which... where are our letters?

Many may believe that the few letters we get is actually a good thing, what with the tendency of people to only speak out when they have something negative to say, but we really would like to hear from our readers, both in terms of views and opinions, as well as suggestions and criticisms.

In the end we are producing this magazine for your enjoyment, and need your feedback to make it the best read possible.

The same counts for competition entries. Why not try your luck? Our sponsors very generously put up prizes for you to win. It just takes a few moments to send us an entry - you have nothing to lose. Right, that’s enough from me this month - yes, I know, my usual verbosity has flown out of the window this time around. Let’s get on with the fourth issue, crammed full of gaming goodness. g

Gamecca’s PC requirements powered by

www.pinnacle.co.za CPU: Intel Core I7 920; MB: MSI X58 Pro E; RAM: 6GB Apacer DDR3 1333mhz; GPU: MSI N260GTX OC Edition; PSU: In Win Commander 80+ 850W ATX2.3 EPS 12V; HDD: Western Digital Black 1TB; Chassis: Sigma Metal Storm Unicorn; Mouse: SteelSeries Ikari Laser Gaming Mouse; Keyboard: Steelseries 7G Gaming Keyboard

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issue 4 • october 2009

gamecca • news

news news news All I Want for Christmas is a

PS3

The PlayStation 3 will be a great deal this Christmas for South Africans. Starting in October, the console will be available as a bundle deal, which will include a PS3 with a 250GB hard drive and one of a number of games, which include Need for Speed: Shift, FIFA 10, Uncharted 2, GT5 and a host of others. The official press release reads: “Following the great success of the new, smaller, 120GB PS3, which sold over 1m units worldwide in its first three weeks on sale, the PS3 model with 250 HDD has the same hardware specifications as the current model, but with greater storage space, to offer consumers even more choice. ThePS3 system with 250GB HDD, with its larger storage capacity, will allow owners to take full advantage of the incredible software line-up and the many multimedia functions available on PS3, whether that is storing and viewing your family photographs, listening to your entire music collection in crisp quality, or watching your favourite home videos or TV shows. More storage allows you to download more of the latest games and add-ons from PlayStation Store, as well as movies in both HD and SD from the PlayStation®Network video delivery service when it launches later this year, without worrying about running out of space.

“Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. announced that retail sales of its new PlayStation 3 (PS3) (CECH-2000A) computer entertainment system achieved a total of 1 million units worldwide in the 3 weeks since its launch on September 1, 2009. The expansion of the PS3 platform is being accelerated along with the introduction of more and more new and exciting software titles as well as the enhancement of PlayStation Network.

“While maintaining cutting-edge features and functions, such as the ability to enjoy high quality interactive entertainment content including Blu-ray Disc games and movies as well as various content and services downloadable through PlayStation Network, the new PS3 is available at a highly attractive recommended retail price of R4199, with an extremely streamlined form factor and a pre-installed 120GB Hard Disk Drive. Furthermore, the reduction of power consumption and fan noise as well as the casual appearance have also become drivers in attracting a larger and broader range of users.

“Along with the vast line-up of attractive and exciting entertainment content to be released this holiday season from third-party game developers and publishers as well as from SCE Worldwide Studios, SCE will continue to further expand the PS3 platform and create a new world of computer entertainment.”

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issue 4 • october 2009

gamecca • news

news news news RTS and FPS Combine in Raven SQuad

Ster Kinekor Games will be bringing Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger to shop shelves around South Africa shortly.

It will be released for Xbox 360 and PC this quarter, adding another title to the already heaving end-of-year release lists.

This is what the press release had to say: ”Published by Evolved Games, Raven Squad is set in the near future. The game is a unique blending of real-time strategy and first-person shooter genres.

“Developed by Atomic Motion, Raven Squad puts players in control of two groups of mercenary squads who crash land behind enemy lines in the Amazonian jungles. It will require tactical planning and a liberal amount of brute force to escape to safety. Each of the eight squad members possesses distinctive skills and weaponry that the player will have to use wisely to progress through the game’s story driven objectives.

Raven Squad sets itself apart by allowing players to switch freely between real-time strategy and first-person shooter gameplay. Only by mastering both of these modes of play, and becoming adept at switching between the two, will players make it out of the jungle alive. “‘Raven Squad combines two extremely popular genres into a single robust experience where either gameplay mode could stand on its own merits,” said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games. “Atomic Motion is creating something that’s visually compelling and building new boundaries in what a military title can accomplish. Fans of both RTS and FPS games are going to love it, as will anyone who enjoys intense, action titles.’”

Conviction Date

Ubisoft have announced a street date for the much anticipated Splinter Cell: Conviction. The game, which has seen a few delays, will be available on the 26th of February, 2010, for Xbox 360 and PC. The company line is as follows: “Combining innovative gameplay features with a highoctane, no-holds barred storyline, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction arms the player with the lethal skills of an elite operative, and invites them into a dangerous world where justice means making your own rules. “ For more information about Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction, please visit www.splintercell.com

issue 4 • october 2009

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gamecca • news

news news news More Assassin’s Creed on DS The second outing of the Assassin’s Creed franchine on the Nintendo DS platform has been announced. Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery will hit shelves on the 2oth of November, 2009. The official release had the following to say: “Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery takes players through an untold chapter from the Assassin’s Creed® II console storyline utilizing the unique strengths of the Nintendo DS platform. In this new adventure, Ezio travels to Spain to rescue fellow assassins being held under the guise of the Inquisition, only to uncover a Templar plot to sail west and discover the New World.

“The game takes platforming into the next generation with an emphasis on exhilarating speed and breathtaking acrobatics. The in-game animations provide players with a true visceral experience and the intuitive controls enable players to easily execute assassinations and nimbly navigate obstacles or reaching daredevil speeds. Nintendo DSi owners will be able to take pictures of themselves and put them directly into the game as “WANTED!” posters. ““Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery is a great way for fans to experience a new chapter of the Assassin’s Creed II storyline,” shared John Parkes, EMEA marketing director at Ubisoft. “We think Nintendo fans will be impressed with all the unique features in the game designed specifically for Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DS.” “Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery is being developed by Griptonite Games.

More details on Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery can be found at www.assassinscreed.com. And no, these aren’t DS screenshots.

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issue 4 • october 2009

gamecca • unstuck

Desensitised

H

by Jimmy Glue

ave we, as a society, become so desensitized to violent games that we fail to notice the quality of a truly good and educational game?

Without beating the “too violent” drum, I present you with the following scenario: take any violent game, like Mad World or Man Hunt, replace the blood and gore with something less brutal. Would you still play that game?

I recently asked myself the same question while playing the utterly cute and enjoyable Mini Ninjas. For centuries, the ninja culture has been steeped in mysticism and it’s no secret that their methods were somewhat violent. But, as you slash your way through the enemy, their last breath transforms them into woodland creatures.

I’m not saying that flowers should sprout out of a Big Daddy’s head, but would Bio Shock have had such a huge impact in the gaming market if the violence was turned down a notch? I still haven’t reached my own conclusion on the matter, but I do understand that sometimes it adds more depth to a title.

Have we become so hooked on Games like Mafia and The Godfather have some violent violence that it’s a selling point? I don’t believe that elements to them, but those are necessary as the mafia violence should be gratuitous. Take Ninja Gaiden, for really used those techniques… but games like Man Hunt example. Would it have hurt the developers to scale down just take the cake. I still think Australia bans games too on the amount of body parts fast, but scale down on the blood and guts, and they lying around? I’m not trying can enjoy some of the world’s best games.

“Have we become tooUnderage to be an advocate for less children getting their hands on R-18 so hooked on violent games, I’m merely games is a whole different kettle of fish, but what violence that it’s if the same game was developed specifically for trying to shift the focus from violence to enjoyment. a selling point? ” them? To close, I present a different question: Will I know a few people that will less violent games make us a less violent society? argue that some of the most [Good question, Jimmy, and one that has been violent games have been the most enjoyable they have bandied about for years. As with any debate, there are two every played, and I might agree, but what if developers sides to this story... but we at Gamecca will always believe took a conscious step to tone it down a bit. Would that in freedom of expression and choice... as long as it is done make us less as gamers? Will that take away anything from responsibly. And no, this isn’t a response to your questions the quality of the title?

- I just had to put my two cents worth in! - Ed] g

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issue 4 • october 2009

GET READY for the

MIND-BLOWING INSANITY, as one of FOUR TRIGGER-HAPPY G MERCENARIES,TAKING OUT EVERYTHIN THAT STANDS IN YOUR WAY.

18V © 2009 Gearbox Software, LLC. All rights reserved. Published and distributed by 2K Games under license from Gearbox Software, LLC. Borderlands is a trademark of Gearbox Software and used under license. 2K Games and the 2K Games logo are trademarks of 2K Games in the U.S. and/or other countries. Gearbox Software and the Gearbox logo are registered trademarks of Gearbox Software, LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. “PlayStation”, “PLAYSTATION” and “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, and The Way It’s Meant To Be Played are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

gamecca • geekology

Picky, picky...

I

by Matthew Vice

’ll go on record he can check out and say that the screenshots it’s no secret on the back, at that, in my which point he career as a video suddenly says, game journalist, I have “Whoa, whoa, occasionally been wait! Is this one accused of lenience. of those games Once or twice I’ve where you can see had cause to argue your character in with a reader about a front of you the game which I dared whole time?” And to score a bit higher upon learning than most other that, despite liking reviewers in the world. the sound of the I usually don’t give game, it was them the satisfaction a third person of a reply if they can’t shooter instead of give me a better a first person, he reason for bringing it returned it saying, to my attention than “Aw, that sucks!” “the other reviewers and didn’t even rated it lower”. Every consider it again. time I’ve checked the Naturally I was other reviews to see if, just maybe, I might have missed quite astounded by this. To not even give a game a chance something critical, I have come away only more convinced based on something as trivial as the viewpoint seems, of my opinion. Some of the criticisms levelled at these I don’t know... short-sighted? Self-impairing? Just plain games by some other reviewers occasionally seem to be stupid? It’s not the first time I’ve come across that kind nitpicky and sometimes just plain anal-retentive. critical selection, either. Another case I can recall quite Mind you, I have sometimes had cause to wonder about clearly was a guy walking in to return a game he’d bought the Average Joe’s gaming tastes too. Here comes another the day before because it had “those controls where you one of my “I was standing in a videogame store” examples. push up to walk forward” and he didn’t like it. In this case, You’ll get quite used to these (my friends work in the store, he was referring to 3D (tank) style movement in the thirdso I hang out there often to person game he had bought, “To not even give a chat with them). Anyway, in and he wanted 2D (pointgame a chance based on walks this guy who says he’s and-go) style controls. I can’t looking for a good shooter. something as trivial as the remember exactly which game My friend behind the counter it was, some good survival viewpoint seems, I don’t runs through the list of recent horror I think, but I still had to know... short-sighted? shooters with him to discover shake my head in despair. that he’d played most of them, Self-impairing? Just plain Most of my friends are avid stupid? ” so he suggests some older gamers, and none of them stuff. When they got to Lost would dismiss a game so Planet his interest was piqued, as well it should have been, easily, so perhaps I’m just too used to a kind of all-round and he became quite enthusiastic after hearing more attitude. But I wonder how widespread that kind of nit-picky about the game. So my buddy hands him the box so that attitude actually is? g

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issue 4 • october 2009

gamecca • feature

On the Fast Track

South Africa’s Stephen Viljoen talks about his involvement in the creation of Need for Speed: Shift

by Walt Pretorius

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issue 4 • october 2009

gamecca • feature

N

eed for Speed: Shift is one of the most anticipated games of the year. Now that it is finally on the shelves, and those that are playing it are loving it (check out our review on page 50) the development team have the opportunity to take a well deserved break.

One of the members of the development team - the COO of Slightly Mad Studios - is South Africa’s own Stephen Viljoen. Stephen is no new-comer to the world of racing simulations, but the chance to work on so highly recognised a franchise has shown that South Africans certainly have the goods when it comes to making games.

Stephen took some time out of his vacation (for which we will be eternally grateful) to answer our questions about his work on Need for Speed: Shift.

issue 4 • october 2009

15 17

Gamecca: Need for Speed is a massive franchise globally. What did it feel like to be working on the development of such a prominent title?

Stephen: It felt great! NFS is currently the biggest racing franchise worldwide, and it is an extreme honour for us to have been selected by EA to take this on and be trusted by them to produce the next big game in the franchise. Based on initial reviews, I must say it’s a huge relief to see the gaming media feel that we’ve pulled it off!

Gamecca: What were your main areas of input in the development process?

Stephen: My personal hands-on input on the project – Core game design; Track design; Scripting for the career events (Eliminator, Hot Lap, Time Attack, etc); creating the cameras used during the replay sequences; and then there was the day-to-day testing/ feedback/tuning routine.

Gamecca: How long did the project take, and how many people worked on it?

Stephen: Roughly 2 years, with around 90 people on the project. The amount of people working on it varied during the different phases of the project.

Gamecca: What were the main goals the team wanted to achieve with Need for Speed: SHIFT? Stephen: We wanted to create a truly immersive drivers experience that would pull the player totally into the racing world, feeling as if you’re sitting right in the cockpit of the car.

Gamecca: There is a big move away from the illegal street racing feel first introduced by Need for Speed

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Underground. What were the main reasons for this?

Stephen: SHIFT is intended to be a real-world circuit racing game. The illegal street racing culture doesn’t fit into this vision at all, so yes, as far as SHIFT goes, it’s pretty much a complete move away from that. I can’t speak for the sub-genre as a whole though. I’m sure there are people who are still into that and there are games that cater to that audience.

Gamecca: Tell us a little about the ideas behind, and the implementation of, the true driving experience.

Stephen: We took a multi-tiered approach to this – Visuals, audio, and physics. We made sure that all the cars, inside and out, and all the tracks look, sound and feel real. We then placed a fully articulated, physics-enabled driver model in the cockpit of the car and attached the player’s viewpoint camera to this model’s head. The player now visually experiences what it is like to sit in the cockpit. Brake or accelerate hard and your view will move forward and back as in real life. Take corners fast and the view leans left and right just like it would if you were really in the car.

Crashes will cause your view to shake violently, and you’ll even hear the driver’s heartbeat. This creates what we call “perception-based G-forces”, giving the player a convincing visual and aural representation of the effects that G-forces have on a driver during highspeed racing.

Gamecca: The idea that experience is gained regardless of winning or losing races is quite new to the genre. What motivated this feature being included in the game?

Stephen: The primary goal with this approach was to negate the problem that you find in most racing

issue 4 • october 2009

gamecca • feature

games – If you’re not 1st or top 3 at the end of the race then may as well restart as you won’t get anything out of it and all that times is lost and wasted. With our approach, you gain something no matter where you finish, but you only get to bank these experience points if you finish the race. This means that it’s worthwhile finishing the race, no matter how far behind you are. This works for all races, not only Career events. So whether you’re in Quick Race or racing Online, you’re still being rewarded, advancing your driver’s profile, levelling up, etc. No time wasted.

Gamecca: Rewarding players for differing driving styles is quite unique. Normally, players tend to be punished when they are overly aggressive in driving games. What prompted the inclusion of this system?

Stephen: We feel that you should be free to play the game in the driving style that you want. If you prefer to be Mr. Aggressive, then go for it; we’ll even give you rewards for being good at it.

Gamecca: What is your personal favourite aspect of Need for Speed SHIFT? Stephen: It’s really hard to pick a single favourite aspect, as there’s so many little things (some discussed here already) that make the game a lot of fun. I guess personally I’m totally loving the online racing. The races I’ve had online have consistently been very smooth (playing here from South Africa, that’s quite something), and when you find a server with good racers, well, there’s just nothing like it for me. I’m extremely competitive though, so these sessions normally sees me crawling to bed during the early hours of the morning.

Gamecca: How closely did you work (if at all) with previous Need for Speed development teams?

Stephen: We worked pretty closely with BlackBox on a few aspects of the game, most notable the GUI where they brought a lot of experience to the table.

Gamecca: In the past, you have worked on some rather hard-core driving games. Did the move to a more accessible title require a different approach?

Stephen: Very much so yes. The amount of playtesting, balancing, retesting, repeat, goes through the roof when you target such a diverse audience.

It’s all good fun though as it is so much more of a challenge to nail than when you cater to only a niche audience.

Gamecca: The cars are very accurately modelled, both inside and out. What process was involved in attaining this accuracy?

Stephen: Key was working very closely with the original manufacturers. They are very keen to see their cars accurately represented in the game, and will typically go out of their way to provide us with all the reference materials we need. From there on it’s just a matter of using these references properly and having highly skilled modellers then recreate these cars in the game.

Gamecca: Similarly, the tracks are also very detailed – what was involved in creating them?

Stephen: Lots of walking around the tracks, taking

20

thousands of photos, collecting CAD files from the track managers, and then having the track modellers recreate them in game through a iterative process.

The modellers would create the initial base track, we’d playtest it, give them feedback, they’d rework the model, and this would continue until we’re all happy that we’ve nailed the accuracy.

Gamecca: Need for Speed: SHIFT allows for a wide degree of player skill. How does building such a large degree of difficulty adjustment into the game affect the development process?

Stephen: The game balancing process takes a whole lot longer, simply because there are so many more iterations to test and tune. For example, each of the Hotlap events have different target times based on the difficulty level selected. Each of these have to be carefully play-balanced to ensure that they’re not too easy nor too hard for the typical player who would be playing at the specific difficulty level.

Gamecca: What kind of research goes into the physics for the development process?

Stephen: The “thorough” kind of research. Seriously though, it is an incredibly detailed process that our

gamecca • feature

physics engineers go through to ensure that each car provides the player with a convincing experience.

The player should feel how each car has its own personality in the way that it handles. This takes an immense amount of time and skill to get it right. One of our physics engineers is an accomplished race driver with multiple championships under his belt. He spends all his time on this one aspect alone. Too many “simulation” racing games end up with each car simply feeling like a faster or slower version of the other cars in the game, instead of really showing it’s real-world driving characteristics. We wanted SHIFT to get this right and we believe we’ve nailed it.

Gamecca: There is obviously a lot of passion injected into a project like this. Would you consider yourself to be a petrol-head?

Stephen: It’s so relative really. I guess I am a petrolhead compared to your average gamer, but my knowledge of cars is dwarfed by that of some of the people that I get to work with. I do love cars and the whole car culture. I love driving in real life, even if it’s just a cruise in the country.

Gamecca: The title is getting some rave reviews.

What are your personal favourite aspects of the game?

Stephen: I love how immersive the cockpit driving experience is – the visuals, sounds, and motion. It really pulls you into the world and makes you feel like you’re in there. I love the way the cars drive – some you like, some you don’t, just like in real life. I love the AI system – they’re not mindless drones just circling around the track; they actually have a coded desire to win and show different personalities on the track. They’ll make mistakes and this can sometimes involve crashing into you. This happens in real life and

it happens in SHIFT, and all adds to that true drivers experience.

Gamecca: Working on a project like this would be a dream come true for many people out there. Any advice on being a game developer for the aspirants out there?

Stephen: There’s so much that’s been said about this by so many talented developers already. The one thing I continue to stress is that it takes an immense amount of passion, dedication, and hard work. It’s an extremely competitive industry and you will simply fail if you don’t pour everything into it. Developing games is a world apart from playing games. Don’t think because you like to play games that you’d automatically like to make games. Your desire must first and foremost be towards the creation process. I play far less games now than what I used to before I became a professional game developer. It has its fun times, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s all fun and games. It’s not – that’s why it’s called a job.

Gamecca: Finally, the burning question on the forefront of everyone’s minds… what car do you drive, and do you get a lot of speeding fines?

Stephen: Moment of truth – I live out my car fantasies in games. True sportscars and supercars are so stupidly expensive to own in South Africa (purchase, maintenance and insurance), that it really is very difficult to justify. My real-world car is a Honda Civic VXi (5 door hatch), and I love it. Great road manners, extremely light on fuel, and has a nice bit of sci-fi look to it. I try to drive responsibly and stick to the speed limit as much as possible, but sometimes the temptation is just too strong…only a few speeding fines so far though. g

issue 4 • october 2009

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gamecca • preview

Previews

The crystal ball... sometimes it’s a bit cracked.

Previews 24 Lost Planet 2

25 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash Up 26 Battlefield: Bad Company 2 28 Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes 30 Mass Effect 2 31 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 32 Brink 34 StarCraft 2 36 Dark Void 38 Bioshock 2 39 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games 40 Bakugan

W A B C D E F 22

good above average average below average poor terrible

e’ve calmed down. In our last issue, the awesome power of upcoming cool swept us away, and we produced a vast number of previews - but then, you already know that.

This month, we’ve cooled our jets just a little, at least in terms of previews. Still, there is a lot of gaming goodness on the way in the first few months of 2010, and beyond. So we will keep bringing you previews to whet your appetite and give you reasons to save that hard earned cash.

This month’s previews include the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - a game that many people thought we missed in our previous issue. To be honest, we were ready to stick it in to the mammoth preview section, but couldn’t secure online assets to use with the preview in time... and a preview without pictures is pointless.

However, it’s in this month, so check it out - it’s bound to be a great game! g Genre: What kind of game is it?

P l at fo r m s : Wh at c a n i t b e p l aye d o n ?

Dev: Who is making it?

Pub: Who will release it?

Release Date: When will it hit shelves?

issue 4 • october 2009

Lost Planet 2

Battling the Bug Trade ice for the tropics

by Bryan Banfield

T

Welcome to Bob’s Bug Barbeque...

he story takes place back on E.D.N. III, 10 years after the events of the first game. Humanity has been able to melt down the snow to reveal jungles and tropical areas.

Lost Planet 2 centers on the fictional corporation known as NEVEC (NEo-VEnus Construction) and their ongoing war to gain T-ENG (Thermal-ENerGy), those wonderful orange puddles from the first Lost Planet.

The player will be required to assume control of a group of soldiers battling the Akrid, a race of large insects native to E.D.N. III. The Akrid have expanded their armies and return much stronger in Lost Planet 2.

Lost Planet 2 will be a third-person shooter with a small RPG element built in.

Some of the favourite features will be returning, namely: the VSs (Vital Suits), major boss battles and grappling with some extreme terrain.

One of the new features will allow players to create their own characters, with the ability to customise all features.

Genre: Action Platforms: X360, PS3 Dev: Capcom Pub: Capcom Release Date: Q4 2009

As game-play progresses, the player will be able to unlock and equip additional items of armour and gear.

The single player campaign will allow for up to 4 player co-operative play. If you are feeling lonely you will also be able to play through with AI bots.

Multiplayer sports a 16 player versus mode, with all the game play modes from titles Lost Planet: Extreme Condition and Lost Planet: Colonies Edition included. g

Anticipation:

Hardcore < > Casual

A

It’s back to the action, but leaving the ice behind... Lost Planet 2 will allow the player to continue their battle against those nasty bugs in a lush tropical jungle.

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issue 4 • october 2009

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash Up

Cowabunga x4 Beat down your buddies in this Turtle based brawler

by Brian Murdoch

U

bisoft has partnered with the long lived, pizza guzzling heroes introduced more than 25 years ago to bring TMNT: Smash Up to the market.

The true gem of the game is that Peter Laird, the co-creator of the Turtles, wrote the single-player story so you know it should have all the TMNT goodness it needs.

The game will offer brawling action for up to four players, locally or via network connections. The game modes will feature a long list of customisable options, ranging from 1on-1 eliminations to group time-limited battles.

The customisation goes all the way down to trophies that can be created and posted online for tournament winners to keep. The player can fight with any character, against any other character, and develop new moves and combos, picking up a range of special ninja powers to aid in battle.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave this title off your Christmas list. g

Genre: Action P l a t f o r m s : Wi i Dev: Ubisoft Pub: Ubisoft Release Date: October 2009

Anticipation:

Hardcore < > Casual

A+

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (who have been teenagers for 25 years) will be getting their own brawling title, for up to four players to enjoy. issue 4 â&#x20AC;˘ october 2009

25

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Bad Apples...

Being bad is so much more fun...

by Jimmy Glue

T

he Battlefield franchise has definitely stood the test of time, and although there have been many follow-ups and sequels in the series, the highly anticipated sequel for Battlefield: Bad Company will usher soldiers and mercenaries alike into warfare in March 2010.

Being a direct sequel to the first title, players of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will duke it out in many varied locations, including Russia and its neighbouring countries. What makes this one so great is that the player will be able to completely raze a building, instead of just making holes in it.

New vehicles, like a quadbike, twoman patrol boat and the awesome UH-60 Black Hawk will also be available for battle.

The circle of life was the main theme for the first trailer, in which it was demonstrated that no one unit is superior.

This concept, coupled with updated graphics, a modified Frostbite Engine and a great story line, is sure to make for one of the best shooters for 2010. g Genre: First Person Shooter Platforms: X360, PS3, PC Dev: EA Digital Illusion Pub: Electronic Arts Release Date: March 2010

Anticipation:

Hardcore < > Casual

B+

A vast number of enhancements should result in a top not sequel to the original... being able to completely destroy buildings is a good reason to play this all on itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own.

26

issue 4 â&#x20AC;˘ october 2009

Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes

Little Big Adventure Might & Magic on the DS could be better than other standard RPGs.

by Brian Murdoch

U

bisoft is bringing the Might & Magic franchise to the DS, and it looks set to be a great RPG. In the game, the player will embody 5 heroes from the land of Ashan, ready to fight off demonic chaos… Elves, Knights, Wizards and Necromancers were allies in the land, preserving the peace. Then, during a blood moon eclipse the walls of a very powerful daemon’s prison are weakened… it will take all the courage of these heroes to stand against him.

During their adventure, the player will be able to upgrade heroes’ skills and find unique and powerful items to do battle with. They will also command unstoppable armies in epic, turn-based battles, unleashing devastating combos.

This game will feature numerous innovations, as well as features that were popular in previous Might & Magic Genre: RPG games, and will Platforms: DS sport a new animeD ev : C a py b a r a G a m e s inspired look. g Pub: Ubisoft Release Date: October 2009

Anticipation:

Hardcore < > Casual

A

It might be on a small platform, but the potential for this particular game is huge. Players will be able to undertake a massive RPG style adventure on the DS with this one.

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issue 4 • october 2009

16V

Š 2009 NCsoft Europe Ltd. All rights reserved. NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, Aion and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Mass Effect 2

Back with a Bang Mass Effect 2 will pick up where the first game left off

by Bryan Banfield

W

Genre: RPG Platforms: X360, PC D e v : B i o Wa r e Pub: Electronic Arts Release Date: Q1 2010

hile at GamesCom in Germany, we were able to get a hands-on look at the new sci-fi title, Mass Effect 2. From the developers at BioWare, who are truly at the height of the RGP genre at the moment, comes a very clean and refined sequel to the November 2007 (Xbox360) and May 2008 (PC) hit, Mass Effect.

The player again takes on the role of the dashingly debonair Commander Shepard (no, he didn’t die.) The game begins with investigating the mysterious disappearances of human colonies throughout free space.

Game-play has been radically revamped to offer an even more immersive game dynamic, and new weapons have been added to the player’s arsenal. Rocket launchers now allow players to blow things to tiny bits as they move through the coverdriven combat sequences.

In Mass Effect the characters had roughly 20 animations… in Mass Effect 2, characters have close on 200 animations, offering a higher emotional connection to them.

Mass Effect save games will also affect Mass Effect 2, adding continuity to the tale. g

Anticipation:

Hardcore < > Casual

A

Mass Effect 2 will take players back to the compelling tale that began in the first game, and will even take action performed and decisions made in the original into account...

30

issue 4 • october 2009

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Reporting for Duty Back to the battlefield

by Jimmy Glue

C

all of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the umpteenth title in the Call Of Duty franchise, and fans have been waiting for this second instalment of Modern Warfare for almost two years.

Modern Warfare 2 has been slated to follow directly on from the storyline of the first title, albeit a couple of years later. In short, after the death Imran Zakhaev, his former associate Vladimir Makarov brings the Russian Ultra nationalist organisation back to its feet. That doesn’t sit too well with the global community, and they establish Task Force 141 to deal with the threat.

It’s no doubt going to be one of the best shooters we have seen this decade, but I’m just a bit worried about the single-player campaign. It’s rumoured to be shorter that CoD4, but we’ll have too wait and see.

The game’s engine has been given an overhaul, and will now be utilising the IW4.0 engine, which will now make for smarter and dynamic AI. There isn’t much that one can say about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 that most people don’t already know, but the game locations will include Russia, a military base in Kazakhstan, a desert area in Afghanistan, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

What can we say? Guns, explosions, tanks and heated action. Sounds like fun! g

Genre: FPS Platforms: X360, PS3, PC D e v : I n f i n i t y Wa r d Pub: Activision R e l e a s e D at e : N ove m b e r 2 0 0 9

Anticipation:

Hardcore < > Casual

A

The second instalment of Modern Combat will thrust players into the belly of the Russian beast. It’s no doubt going to be one of the best shooters we have seen this decade. issue 4 • october 2009

31

Brink

Livin’ on the Edge Humanity’s last hope is about

to get a lot more interesting...

M

by Walt Pretorius

ankind’s last hope, a floating city called the Ark, is on the brink of disaster. People fleeing the rapidly rising oceans are putting pressure on the city’s careful balance, and civil war looks certain That’s the story behind Brink, a new action shooter from Splash Damage and Bethesda. The game will feature a few nice new ideas, including character levelling across all modes of game play, a ‘smart’ button that will eliminate a lot of potential frustration, and a cutting edge engine to deliver the goods like never before. It looks pretty exciting, and the low-grade RPG elements that are promised in this title will likely be a breath of fresh air for the genre. g

Genre: Action Platforms: X360, PS3 Dev: Splash Damage Pub: Bethesda Release Date: Q1 2010

Anticipation:

Hardcore < > Casual

B

Brink looks like it may well offer players a massive amount of action-shooter based fun, as the remnants of humanity slip into civil war in a floating city...

32

issue 4 • october 2009

ROCK ANY WAY YOU WANT with Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay, The Killers, Kings Of Leon, Muse, The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, plus 76 other iconic artists.

ANY INSTRUMENT* YOU CHOOSE

PLAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS

TRY THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE

Shred with 4 guitars or any combination of

All-New Party Play mode allows you to easily jump in/jump out of songs at any time.

New RockFest mode tests your skills with 4 players locally, or up to 8 players online.

instruments, you choose.

Download over 200 tracks direct to your console, visit

for details

13V © 2009 Activision Publishing, Inc. Guitar Hero and Activision are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. Patents pending. ‘2’ , ‘PlayStation’, ‘PLAYSTATION’ and ‘ ’ are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

ACTIVISION AUTHORIZES USE OF THIS GUITAR HERO GAME ONLY IN COMBINATION WITH GUITAR HERO CONTROLLERS PROVIDED BY ACTIVISION OR OTHER AUTHORIZED CONTROLLERS OR, IF APPLICABLE, STANDARD GAMEPAD CONTROLLERS PROVIDED WITH THE GAME CONSOLE. ANY OTHER USE IS PROHIBITED AND NO OTHER LICENSE, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IS GRANTED. *Any reference to instruments - Guitars, Drums, or Microphones - refers to Guitar Hero controllers. Online features not available on PlayStation®2

activision.com

StarCraft II

Almost There...

The second longest wait in video gaming is almost over...

by Walt Pretorius

W

e have been fairly resolute in avoiding writing anything much about StarCraft II. The reason is simple - we’re not sure when it’s going to come out. Blizzard, the developers behind this highly anticipated title, have a general policy of releasing games ‘when they are ready’, and the same attitude is being applied here.

However, the end is almost in sight for fans of the game. Current predictions put the updated return to the war between the Terrans, Zerg and Protoss at around the second quarter of next year, but everyone is hoping for a surprise.

One thing that will not be a surprise is the level of quality action that this game will undoubtedly offer. Blizzard manage to blow us away with virtually every release, and this one will probably be no different. And with code being showed at various trade events (like GamesCom) the gaming press are going bananas over the game.

This sequel to one of the best loved PC games of all time will certainly thrill fans. Vast improvements and new ideas have been introduced to the product, not least of which is a complete 3D graphics overhaul.

We could say more, but the excitement may make our heads explode. g Genre: Real Time Strategy Platforms: PC Dev: Blizzard Pub: Activision Blizzard Release Date: ‘When it’s ready’

Anticipation:

Hardcore < > Casual

A+

StarCraft II... need we say more? Oh, alright... it’s shaping up to be one of the best real-time strategy releases of all time, and is most certainly the most anticipated game of the moment.

34

issue 4 • october 2009

13V

activision.com

Marvel, and all related characters and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries, and are used with permission. Copyright © 2009 Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Licensed by Marvel Characters B.V. www.marvel.com. All rights reserved. Super Hero(es) is a co-owned registered trademark. Game © 2009 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. ‘ ’ , PLAYSTATION, PlayStation, ' ‘ and PSP are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Nintendo DS and Wii are trademarks of Nintendo. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All RIghts Reserved.

Dark Void

Going Up...

Dark Void adds an extra dimension to action gaming

by Walt Pretorius

T

here is a simple lesson to be learned from Dark Void - don’t crash in the Bermuda Triangle. When Will, a hapless pilot, does just that, he is transported to an alternate reality called the Void, and joins a war between the humans that have disappeared in the mysterious bit of geography and an alien race bent on taking over the earth.

Dark Void promises to be crammed with high-adrenaline action, both on the ground and in the skies. The player will eventually gain access to a powerful rocket pack, which means that high-speed flying Genre: Action and mind-boggling aerial stunts will form part of this game’s action offering.

Platforms: X360, PS3, PC In addition to adding a new dimension to combat, Dark Void will also feature a grip Dev: Air tight Games system, allowing players to perform even more stunts - including sky-jacking UFOs. g P u b : C a p c o m Release Date: Q1 2010

Anticipation:

Hardcore < > Casual

B

Dark Void looks like it will be offering gamers something rather unique in it’s approach to aerial combat, and should be a rather exciting gaming experience overall.

36

issue 4 • october 2009

ADVERTISEMENT

Bioshock 2

Under the Sea Bioshock 2 will show players

what really happened in Rapture

by Walt Pretorius

B

ioshock was the game that convinced me of playing first person shooters on console. It was a ground breaking title, and one that was well loved by fans the world over. So itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no surprise that Bioshock 2 will be hitting the shelves soon.

Set before the events of the original game, Bioshock 2 will put the player in the shoes of a plasmid and tonic test subject during the fall of Rapture - the vast underwater city that added so much character to the original game. The player will be able to gather experience to unlock new weapons and abilities, allowing for hundred of different combinations to suit any play style.

In addition to excellent gaming, the player will also get to experience more of the rich, deep story surrounding Rapture, which is a big plus in my book.

Bioshock 2 will show the ten years of experience brought to the table by multiplayer developer Digital Extremes, and will offer the player a compelling and rewarding experience, no matter which game mode is employed. g Genre: First Person Shooter Platforms: X360, PS3, PC Dev: 2K Marin Pub: 2K Games Release Date: Q1 2010

Anticipation:

Hardcore < > Casual

A

Bioshock 2 looks like it is shaping up to be even creepier than the first game, and will be introducing a very solid multiplayer aspect to the franchise as well.

38

issue 4 â&#x20AC;˘ october 2009

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

Chilly Action And the award for longest game name goes to...

by Brian Murdoch

W

ith 4 teams and 20 characters, the next instalment of the Mario & Sonic series is a great competitive party game. Take on the snow and ice of Vancouver and Whistler in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

There are 16 standard events to compete in, with your choice of any of the characters. Sadly, there is no need to play events to unlock new characters… they are all available in the beginning. You do, however, need to unlock the “Dream Events”, which are ‘super events’.

The controls are a great improvement on other games featuring the same events. Take ski jumping as an example: the correct movements and actions are needed for each step or you might have your face in the snow.

Take off, balance to get speed, jump, balancing in the air, and landing are all very essential. g

Genre: Sports P l a t f o r m s : Wi i , D S Dev: Sega Pub: Sega Release Date: October 2009

Anticipation:

Hardcore < > Casual

A

Look forward to lots of zany winter fun as rivals Sonic and Mario take to a number of sports disciplines.There are lots of other characters to choose from, too... issue 4 • october 2009

39

Bakugan: Battle Brawlers

Go for a Spin Metal card gaming

comes to your console

by Brian Murdoch

B

akugan, like some other Japanese games, was an aime series, then a collectible card game, and is now getting the video game treatment.

In the game the player will throw ‘metal’ cards and round Bakugan spinners into the battle space, just like the card game. There will be a bit of a story to it, though. The player will also be able to create their own avatar. Single-player mode will feature the story-line, but multiplayer will be where the real fun is... and with up to 40 Bakugan and hundreds of cards, the experience should always be different. g

Genre: Action P l a t f o r m s : X 3 6 0 , P S 3 , Wi i , P S 2 , D S D ev : N ow P ro d u c t i o n Pub: Activision Release Date: October 2009

Anticipation:

Hardcore < > Casual

The Bakugan craze will be hitting consoles around the world shortly, bringing the fun of the card game to electronic fans the world over.

40

issue 4 • october 2009

B

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gamecca • ps zealot

F

The Real Winners

or years now there have been a few ongoing wars on the technology front. We have the “Processor War” between Intel and AMD, the “Graphics War” between ATi and NVidia and then the one you, the console owner, are either actively or passively involved in, the “Console War” between Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. In any war, as with most things in life, you have measureable ways of determining who’s leading and who’s getting owned. What’s that fanboy? What’s that I hear you say? You know exactly who’s winning the console war?! Oh, you only think you know, because the real winner is not Sony nor Microsoft, or even Nintendo… the winner in this war is you, the console gamer...

Yes you, my little fanboy friend, you are the winner in this war.

A bit of an anti-climax, I know, but hear me out. The product of war, death and destruction aside, has always been innovation. From the cave man that kept on getting his backside handed to him, eventually picking up a stick and returning the favour, to Genghis Kahn and the Mongols that ruled with an iron fist because they improved on the common bow being used in battle at the time, people had to invent new weapons or improve old ones to survive. Like the weapons of old, the consoles involved in this media named “Console War” and the games that go with them are constantly and consistently being improved upon.

At this stage there is no clear winner in the manufacturers’ battle for console supremacy. The consoles are different but equally effective and loved in their separate niches. Objectively, there isn’t much separating

by Andre van der Westhuizen the consoles from each other. There, I said it, and the PS3 gods didn’t strike me down. The Wii has the bigger fan base, but less impressive hardware and graphics, the XBox fans have more multiplayer functionality, but the console has a high failure rate. And then there’s us, the PS3 faithful, with a console that’s pricy, but has excellent extras.

There are, of course, people that will go out of their way to fan the flames, with articles or posts that have titles like “The X-Box 360 should win the consoles war” or “Why the PS3 is king and the X-Box 360 sucks!” Cheap shots like this guarantee a lot of hits for the writer’s article or post, because fanboys from both sides will want to read the article.

Both sides respond with their opinions and, hey presto, you have yourself a flame war. We need to start resisting the temptation to click and read stuff like this! You won’t gain anything from reading the biased opinions in these articles, trust me.

Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are involved in a battle, a battle where the best games, graphics and hardware mean more money for them. On the flip side, you the gamer get the best games and graphics to satisfy your gaming addiction.

Honestly, people need to get over themselves and realise that no matter what happens, or which manufacturer does what, gamers win and that’s all that matters! So take off the fanboy blinkers, bury the hatchet and just enjoy what you have… kick up your feet, go trophy hunting instead of posting a reply to the ludicrous post or article and let the manufacturers fight your battles for you... g

This page is provided by PlayStation Gamer www.playstationgamer.co.za

gamecca • xbox beat

Pwn Whore...

by Bryan Banfield ver met someone that is just so ‘good’ at gaming local multiplayer but will never venture onto Xbox Live for that they just can’t stop telling you about it? fear of being exposed for what they really are… all hot air!

Maybe you are that Sure, there is nothing like standing “ Oh no, this can’t person? as king among your friends, the Let me explain this hours you have pumped into a be. My electronic phenomenon. Every platform game finally paying off. Just don’t reputation is on the has them. Every platform ever fool yourself into thinking that just line! Let me retreat to follow will have them. I’m not because you beat your not-soback to where I know I gaming buddy that you automatically being funny when I say that they can win ” are a phenomenon, but most of become your lounge’s greatest us just don’t have time for them. gamer.

I’m not sure how many online lobbies I have been in Gaming is riddled with ego and pride. Sometimes I think where there is some moron mouthing off about how he lost the biggest challenge and most sought-after achievement this last game due to the fact that his team was just not as is not letting it go to your head. [Amen, brother… why do good as what he was. This is normally followed by a ban you think I avoid online gaming like the plague? – Ed] g against this player.

Sometimes these idiots come in communities. I can remember when Gears of War 2 first launched, everyone flocked to the online lobbies and we had (and still do have) TONS of fun. Shortly after that the lobbies died down a bit? Why you might ask? Because that part of the community had moved back to Gears of War, the first title in the series.

These gamers had their excuses. We saw right through these. All these gamers were the ones that were racking up all the kills in Gears of War. Now that I PWN when I shoot Gears 2 is out they are not n00bs in teh back! number one anymore. There are other gamers killing them.

“Oh no, this can’t be. My electronic reputation is on the line! Let me retreat back to where I know I can win.”

These are also the gamers that will take you to pieces in

E

This page is provided by Xbox Gamer www.xboxgamer.co.za

13V LucasArts and the LucasArts logo are trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd. © 2008-2009 Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. or Lucasfilm Ltd. and TM as indicated. All rights reserved. ‘ ’, ‘PLAYSTATION’, ‘PSP’ and ‘ ’ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Windows, the Windows Vista Start button, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies, and ‘Games for Windows’ and the Windows Vista Start button logo are used under license from Microsoft. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Nintendo DS and Wii are trademarks of Nintendo. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

gamecca • the house of mario

W

Star Power

by Brian Murdoch backgrounds are easy to obtain and there is no funny security on them to hassle with.When ordering any of the physical items from this catalogue, you should be prepared for a long wait. Besides the fact that the postal address checker was broken for a long time, when they fixed it around four weeks ago I placed my order and am still waiting for the item.

Still, the Star system offers something extra in terms of value, and is a good reason to register. So go into your game collection, search for your Wii box, see how many Club Nintendo registration forms you have and earn some goodies. g

ith every game that you buy there is a sizable amount of gunk that has been crammed into the box; manuals, advertising for other games, registration details, and with Wii games a health and safety warning that no one reads. But the registration form enables you to register the game you just bough with the distributor.

We know that most of the gamers on this big blue planet never do this, so they can’t use it for sales figures or any noteworthy statistic and the only real use it offers is to give us more value to engender brand loyalty.

Some of the value you will get is in the form of a hint or a “cheat” code for a game. Nintendo went for something more, though… stars! For every Nintendo distributed [Not the actual product... Ed] game, there is a Club Nintendo game registration key. With a small amount of effort you can register yourself on www.nintendo.co.za and add your console(s) and games to your profile; this will give you stars.

Why would you want to register the game on the Nintendo site to get stars?

You can get Nintendo merchandise, like a Bowser on a Mario Kart, key rings with your favourite character on, Nintendo pencil holder and clock, ring tones, backgrounds and even more. I get a kick out of this stuff and most of the people that are true members of the House of Mario will have enough games and should get excited about this as well.

Unfortunately, the current South African catalogue of goodies is nothing on the UK and US one, but is still very cool none the less. One of the other more disappointing things with the South African catalogue is that we don’t have Wii24Connect yet. In the UK you can swap your Stars for Wii Points to buy games online.

The ring tones and desktop

This page is provided by Nintendo Gamer www.nintendogamer.co.za

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Reviews

Being all responsible, and stuff...

Highlights: 50 Need for Speed: Shift 52 Guitar Hero 5 54 Batman: Arkham Asylum 56 Rock Band: The Beatles 60 Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 62 Colin McRae’s DiRT 2 64 Madden 10 66 Aion 70 Halo ODST 72 Mini Ninjas 80 NHL 2K10 84 Academy of Champions 92 Cursed Mountain

A

t Gamecca, we believe in responsible gaming.

We hate seeing our beloved hobby being blamed for attrocities on any level. There is nothing worse than hearing video games being blamed for criminal activity, or even worse, for people being killed.

On the same good account, we think that above average these accusations are sometimes unfair.

We believe that average responsible parenting below average could go a long way to ending this kind of poor

A B C D E F

Hardcore < > Casual

terrible

Game: The name of the game Genre: What kind of game it is Platforms: Which machines it is made for Dev: Who made it Pub: Who sells it A g e R at i n g : Wh o s h o u l d p l ay i t Advisory: Themes in the game

48

thing, and so want to do our bit to make sure that parents stay informed. Many parents find video games to be a mysterious entity, or worse, assume that they are ‘just TV games.’

To try and help, we are now including advisory indicators for each game we review. These indicators are based on ratings assigned to games by PEGI, a trusted European body that regulates game ratings up north.

Hopefully the inclusion of these advisory indicators in our summary box will help parents make more informed decisions, and will help them understand the games that there kids are playing. This is a powerful medium, after all, and one that can be very beneficial, Awards: when approached Glorious Game responsibly. Please Star Award Given to the take a look at the cream of the Advisory Key on this video gaming page to see how we crop classify sensitive themes in games. g A dv i s o r y Key : V : Vi o l e n c e L : Bad Language S : S ex D: Drug Use P: Prejudice

issue 4 • october 2009

Editor’s ‘Right On’ Button Given to those games that the editor believes are really cool, although not necessarily the best of the bunch.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX? MEGAROM AREN’T SAYING. ALL WE KNOW IS THAT THE BOX CONTAINS SOME AWESOME PS3 GAMES, AND MAYBE A FEW OTHER GOODIES AS WELL...

?

...AND IT COULD BE YOURS! TO WIN THE MEGAROM MYSTERY BOX, SEND AN EMAIL TO COMPETITIONS@GAMECCA.CO.ZA. TELL US YOUR NAME, AND ONE OF THE GAMES YOU THINK MIGHT BE IN THIS MYSTERY HAMPER. (HERE’S A CLUE: MEGAROM DISTRIBUTE ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, ATARI, NC SOFT, TAKE 2, 2K AND UBISOFT GAMES...)

Competition closes 31 October 2009. South African residents only. The judges’ decision is final.

Prizes may not be excahnged for cash. Competition closed to employees (and employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC and Megarom Interactive. Games will be ‘white label’ products.

Need for Speed: Shift

A New Direction Need for Speed looks to its roots for the latest edition in the franchise

by Walt Pretorius

T

he Need for Speed franchise has been going for on. Now, rather, the attention of the gamer will a long time now, but it has steadily progressed be turned to the experience of driving really fast, of literally away from what it started out as. Originally, the feeling the speed as they blast around race tracks with the game was all about driving cars really fast but, as accelerator pressed flat. It’s more about the driving, and time wore on, it became about making cars look cool and less about the car. out-running the authorities. The Underground branch of the Because of this approach, the developers introduced game became all that Need for Speed was about, and its something that they call ‘true driving experience’. The arcade style racing mechanic quickly alienated many of the game is best played from the drivers point-of-view (a earlier fans of the franchise. mode that, up until playing Shift, I personally hated.) The Things have other view modes are available, of “The attention of the gamer changed, but the driver POV makes will be turned to the experience course, though; a new the game feel so much better – the of driving really fast, of development player will experience the driver’s literally feeling the speed as team, in the head movement as various forces form of Slightly come into play, and will even ‘feel’ the they blast around race tracks Mad Studios, effects of jarring impacts, with visual with the accelerator pressed was brought on flat. It’s more about the driving, blurring and colour distortion. board to work on While the game plays best with a and less about the car” the latest Need steering wheel set-up, the controls for Speed title. using a normal console controller are Because a number of that particular team have worked on responsive and pretty straight-forward. Not only that, but hard-core racing titles in the past, the influence of more the game retains a level of accessibility that could easily realistic driving experiences has returned to the game in have been lost due to the focus shift. While the game will Need for Speed: Shift. be appealing to hard-core genre fans, it is easy enough There are those that will be disappointed that the for someone with little virtual racing experience to play. It franchise has moved away from the world of illicit street features a very scalable set of difficulty modifiers, to this racing (and I think a good number of them live in my end, and a number of driving assistants. neighbourhood, judging by some of the idiots we have The stable of cars on offer is smaller than one might speeding by in their souped-up whips) but there are a great expect from such a title, but it does feature some of the many people who will enjoy the return to purity that the most impressive machines manufactured today. These game offers. It’s not about neon lights cars have been painstakingly Genre: Racing strapped to the bottom of the car, or recreated, both inside and out, to add Platforms: X360, PS3, PC, PSP good looking vinyls anymore. Sure, to the experience, and brilliant physics Dev: Slightly Mad Studios the player can modify the look of their and damage models have been Pub: Electronic Arts Age Rating:3 vehicle in this new edition, but that is applied to them.

Av d i s o r y : N o n e no longer what the game is focussed Similarly, the tracks are impressively

50

issue 4 • october 2009

created, with some real-world courses rubbing shoulders with ‘fictional’ locations. As the game progresses, the tracks get a lot more challenging, of course.

On the whole, Need for Speed: Shift is a great racing game, and one that will hook almost anyone who enjoys driving games. The impression of speed and other special effects built into the game make for a very believable experience, when all is said and done. The game is wonderfully addictive, and features a reward system that doesn’t require the player to finish first to advance through the driver experience levels. Additionally, drivers will be

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

A

rated on precision and aggressiveness, and rewarded for both.

It’s a realistic driving simulator that doesn’t strip the fun out of gaming. Although most of the game is based on very real world principles, some leeway is made here and there to let the player experience the game on their own terms, rather than the more draconian rules and regulations that may be found in some other, more hard-core titles.

As for taking the game off of the streets, ridding it of cops and putting it back on race tracks… I say bravo! The purity of the driving experience is much better for that decision, and while the visual customisation of the cars might not be as chunky as previous games in the franchise, the overall effect is far more satisfying. This is a great driving game. g

‘Underground’ fans may grumble, but a few minutes playing the track-based Need for Speed: Shift will have almost anyone completely addicted... it’s an awesome driving game.

Guitar Hero 5

Rockin’ Out! Guitar Hero returns with an

overall improved experience

G

In free-play mode, though, all the songs are available from the start. This mode is perhaps the coolest modification made to the game, because it turns it into more of an entertainment title than ever before. The reason for this is simple: The game can be left on in the background, and songs will continuously play. At any time, players can drop in and out of these songs without interrupting them. Difficulties and instruments can be changed on the fly, without a break in the music, and a ‘nofailure’ approach means that no-one will ever get annoyed when their favourite track is rudely interrupted.

Added to this is the fact that any combinations of drums, guitars and vocals can be used in this mode (or in career mode, for that matter.) Four guitar players can take on a song, or three vocalists and one drummer, or whatever.

It’s a brilliant amount of freedom injected into the title, and avoids all kinds of arguments and sulking.

Career mode also features a few sweet changes. While band play is still quite important, each band member is treated as an individual.

Star Power, for example, is earned and used individually. To reinforce band play, a ‘band moment’ system has been introduced to the title.

When the whole band gets through a certain song section perfectly, a band moment is triggered, adding a new modifier to the score.

Combined with Star Power, band moments can lead to very high Genre: Rhythm P l a t f o r m s : X 3 6 0 , P S 3 , P C , W i i , P S 2 bonuses indeed.

Dev: Neversoft Career mode also has various Pub: Activision challenges to be completed.

Age Rating: 12 These vary widely, and are often Advisory: None instrument specific. In one song, issue 4 • october 2009

uitar Hero, as a concept, is brilliant – and anyone that doesn’t agree merely has to look at the fact that the franchise has broken through the US$1 billion sales mark. Love it or hate it, this franchise is here to stay (and branch out, too, but that’s another story.) What we’re going to concentrate on now is the release of the latest in the Guitar Hero range… Guitar Hero 5.

This fifth instalment in the franchise (actually the seventh, but who’s counting) refines the ideas set out in the original game even more, and adds a few features that are really rather sweet. Like Guitar Hero: Metallica, it follows the idea that players can unlock new songs based on individual song performance, and not the completion of gigs. Earn enough stars, and more songs will be available to play in career mode.

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by Walt Pretorius

gamecca • review Even with improved graphics, Lars is still damned ugly...

the bass player might have to try and strike as many notes with an upward strumming motion as possible, while in another the guitarist might have to whammy as many sustained notes as he can. Some challenges are even for the whole band, and they all invariably unlock cool new stuff to be used during rocker creation.

On the downside, the freeform modification allowed during free-play doesn’t come in to Career mode. Songs can be failed here, and changing difficulties or instruments will result in a song restart.

Visually, things have been vastly improved in this version of the game. The characters look better, and lip-synching is more accurate than before. Visual effects like lighting have been improved, and depth-of-field ideas, like blurring in the distance, have also been added.

The biggest improvement is that the clutter has been cleared up. The user interface is much cleaner this time around, with most everything easy to see and centred around the action.

If I must level a criticism at the game – and as a reviewer, it’s part of my job – it’s that the track list isn’t the finest ever. Sure, there are some great tracks to be played, but many of them tend to be less known numbers. While it is understandable that the music industry will certainly try to use this medium to break new acts, I am a sucker for classic rock. While there was a lot of this in past games, this time around it has been kept to more of a minimum.

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

A

Still, it’s great fun, and tracks like Sex on Fire, Du Hast and Play That Funky Music are well worth trying out. Another new feature is a difficulty rating for each instrument, given on the intro screen of each song.

Drummers certainly draw the short straw in this instalment – there are more challenging drum tracks than any other instrument.

On the whole, it’s a nice progression for the franchise, and one that fans will likely enjoy. g

The track list may not be the best one ever in the GH series, but the overall improvements to this game make it a must-have title for fans of the franchise. issue 4 • october 2009

53

Batman: Arkham Asylum

A Bat in the Belfry The Joker’s biggest practical joke is yet to come.

by Matthew Vice

H

aving never been a Batman fan, my knowledge of Gotham’s caped crusader is a little limited, I must admit. But even someone with as little comic book savvy as me can appreciate just how good Batman: Arkham Asylum is. This is because, being more of a gamer than a comic-reader, I played the game with my expectations directed mostly toward the game-play, and was quite satisfied. After that I was quite happy to be lured in by the story and the whole Batman universe to discover that, to my delight, Arkham Asylum truly is a work of art.

The story is fairly simple. The Joker managed to escape Arkham Asylum, and Batman quickly hunted him down

and apprehended him. But upon escorting him back to the Asylum, Batman discovered that it was all a trick. The Joker escaped into the facility and took control of the security systems, releasing an army of crazy, bloodthirsty psychos and some of Batman’s former super-

“It’s robust and easy to work with, allowing players to kick the butts of entire groups of enemies without taking so much as a single hit – just like Batman is supposed to. ”

gamecca • review

villain enemies. Why did the Joker do this and what is his endgame? That’s for Batman to find out as he follows the Joker’s trail further into the Asylum, cleaning up the whole mess as he goes.

This is achieved by a combination of detective work, a little puzzle solving, and lots and lots of combat with armies of enemies. Batman has access to a special vision mode, Detective mode, which points out clues for him to follow as well as highlighting enemies through walls and identifying which enemies are armed and which aren’t. Enemies can be dispatched en-masse through melee combat, and the combat system is excellent. It’s simple, relying on only four buttons, but it’s also robust and easy to work with, allowing players to kick the butts of entire groups of enemies without taking so much as a single hit – just like Batman is supposed to.

Sometimes, however, a more subtle approach is necessary, and enemies must be taken down stealthily.

Again, Batman has a whole host of options to achieve this, and taking down an entire room full of foes without being discovered becomes quite an art. There are Genre: Action P l a t f o r m s : X 3 6 0 , P S 3 , P C also plenty of secrets to Dev: Rocksteady Studios find, including character Pub: Eidos Interactive profiles (even for Age Rating: 16 characters not featured Advisory: V

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

A

in the game) and challenges for players to play outside of the main game.

Graphically the game is superb. The characters, especially Batman and the various super-villains, look superb and have been exquisitely designed for the game.

The performances by the voice and motion actors are topnotch and worthy of a big budget Batman movie in their own right.

As I said before, I’ve never really been a Batman fan, but after playing through Arkham Asylum, I’m considering hitting my local comic store to check out which Batman comics they might have. Give it a shot. It’s a great action game in addition to being a great superhero game. g

Batman: Arkham Asylum delivers the goods for both fans of Batman and good action games. It offers a healthy blend of stealth gaming and all-out action. issue 4 • october 2009

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Rock Band:The Beatles

Twist and Shout Getting by with a little help from your friends...

by Jimmy Glue This mode chronicles the group’s rise and fall, from 1963 to 1969, and features all of the famous venues they played at.

Starting off in ‘63, players will have to play through hits like ‘Twist and Shout’, ‘Boys’, ‘Do You Want to Know a Secret’ and ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ in The Cavern Club, which is rather small, dank and dark.

Players familiar with the Rock Band series will find the notes easy to hit, but for a person who is used to playing other rhythm games, the notes might seem a bit small at first. But, as they say, practice make perfect.

The graphics could have been a bit better, but they’re by no means horrible. It’s a decent effort and all the musicians have been faithfully, and rather accurately, recreated. To give a good comparison, it’s slightly better than Rock Band 2 and a little more cartoony than Guitar Hero 5.

Once you have mastered a venue at your chosen difficulty level, you will be presented with a challenge. hythm games have been with us almost as long These challenges don’t have to be completed in order to of console gaming itself, and they’re not going progress, but just as a heads-up, you’ll have to play the to disappear any time soon. It seems as though whole set again without a break. every other band feels the need to bring out The star-rating system has also been employed, but a rhythm game specifically targeting their there is a small reward for each song. What fans, so it’s no surprise that we are playing “All the makes this title so great is that it contains musicians have rare and unseen photos, and if you achieve around with Rock Band:The Beatles.

Essentially it’s just another rhythm game, been faithfully, three stars on a song, you unlock one but with a few minor tweaks here and there. and rather photo, where five stars will give you two.

As per expectations, it features a Career These photos can be viewed later, along accurately, Mode and Quick Play, either of which are with short descriptions. recreated.” enjoyable. All of the tracks are unlocked Jetting off to a year later, The Beatles will from the start, so Quick Play is an option for find themselves on the Ed Sullivan Show, the time-conscious player. where they are expected to jam out ‘I Want to Hold Your Most fans will more Hand’, ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, and ‘I Genre: Rhythm than likely start with Wanna Be Your Man’. The set of the TV show does look P l a t f o r m s : X 3 6 0 , P S 3 , Wi i the career mode, Dev: Harmonix like the genuine article, which is always a good thing. which, once again, Pub: Electronic Arts The group will play at numerous other venues, ultimately Age Rating: 12 is no different to any ending with their iconic performance on top of the Apple Content: L / S other rhythm game.

Corp building in 1969. This was the group’s last public issue 4 • october 2009 56

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gamecca • review John, Paul George and...who the hell calls their kid Ringo, anyway?

performance, and it also served as publicity for the Let It Be film.

Some of the great songs like ‘Dig A Pony’, ‘I Me Mine’ and ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ all feature in this somewhat sombre setting, which is in contrast to the sunny sky and screaming fans below. It’s just a pity that popular tracks like ‘Elenor Rigby’ and ‘Hey Jude’ are nowhere to be found.

Culminating with the rooftop performance, players will unlock a song called ‘The End’, which is rather ironic, since it is, well... the end. The song isn’t very long, but it does make for some quick finger movements.

As mentioned before, some things have been changed slightly, compared to other rhythm games. The term Star Power has been given a Beatlemania overhaul and the fans no longer boo when the player is about to fail a song.

Using the whammy bar also won’t alter the sound of the note.

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

B+

Rock Band: The Beatles is a good game in general, as it features some of the most iconic songs from arguably (and the term is being used lightly) one of the best British bands in history. The only problem is that some of the in-game visuals might be seizure inducing, as they have been created in true psychedelic Beatles style. Sometimes it’s more interesting to watch a giant blue elephant walk up a hill with carny folk hot on its tail than actually completing the song.

Good thing it features automatic No-Fail then. g

The Beatles were one of the most loved groups of all time, so it was only natural for them to get their own rhythm game. issue 4 • october 2009

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Risen

Half-Baked Risen could have used a lot more time in development

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ole playing games are always popular, because they allow the player a form of self expression that other genres do not. We see this phenomenon creeping into other games too – visually customisable cars in racing games, new outfits in fighting games, and so on. But role playing games are still the kings of this idea, because they allow players to make their characters truly theirs. And not only that – they also let players change the course of the story (at least, the good ones do) by taking their actions and decisions into account.

Once again, it comes down to playing the game the way you want to play it.

But all the freedom in the world means nothing if the other aspects of the game are weaker. Sure, it’s great making choices, but if the graphics are nasty, it just feels off. Yes, it’s wonderful to customise your character and develop skills and abilities just the way you want, but if the controls are poor, the game is going to leave a sour taste in your mouth.

This is what Risen suffers from. The game allows all manner of customisation, and allows the player to create a unique character, but the actual mechanics of the game just don’t make the grade… at least not well enough. It’s like dropping the suspension and putting a racing exhaust on a small car. Looks good, but doesn’t perform.

Not that Risen looks particularly good. The graphics look dated, with characters that are a little too blocky, and are devoid of things like lip movement (never mind lipsynching.) The animations are stiff and repetitive, too. The environment doesn’t look too bad, but is still ‘old’ in many Genre: RPG Platforms: X360, PC Dev: Piranha Bytes Pub: Deep Silver Age Rating: 16 Advisory: V / L / D

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by Walt Pretorius ways. The lush density of an overgrown jungle or forest (which we have seen before in other games, even a few years ago) is absent, making even the wildest areas of the game look like a poorly tended park. Special plants that can be harvested stand out very prominently, removing something of the challenge in finding them. Worst of all, though, is that the foliage will turn when the player does, always presenting one side to the player. I have often said that graphics aren’t everything, but there is a strange middle-ground where poor graphics very definitely affect the experience. The screen shots shown on these pages look impressive enough - but this somehow doesn’t transfer into the game, not when things are moving and shifting.

The voice acting, similarly, is dull and flat, with a script that is full of inane and unimportant commentary. While the overall story isn’t bad, the plot contains hundreds of senseless little elements, and the non-player characters are largely lifeless, static virtual creatures. The story is set, incidentally, on a volcanic island that the player’s character (you can only play a male) is washed up on. The player’s character and a woman are the only survivors of a ship wreck, and they are left stranded on the island. It is set in a period of history that is difficult to define.

The island isn’t devoid of life, though - numerous wild beasts will attack the player at a moment’s notice, and previous inhabitants have left behind buildings and ruins to be investigated...

The worst element of the game is the control scheme.

The game is a little unclear about some of the controls in terms of tutorials, which is forgivable, but let’s take the example of combat; the poorly implemented controls don’t allow for locking on to an enemy, and the player will constantly have to manage the camera while trying to plan strategic attacks. The character can block, but many attacks punch right through that. And a lunge attack at an enemy may result in the character stepping past

issue 4 • october 2009

gamecca • review

the enemy, opening his flank for attacks while the player frantically tries to realign the finicky camera.

Additionally, the interface is unclear and rather clunky.

Some of the on-screen text is just too small, and the overall user interface needs a lot of work.

It seems like Risen was released half-baked. The game could have used a little more refinement. In fact, it could have used a lot. Risen might have been better if the developers held on to it for just a while longer, and created a more solid title. In its current state, it might have been good as a previous generation console game – but the power of the Xbox 360 is squandered by this title. g

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

D

Risen should not have been released when it was - the game is a great idea, but it comes across as being incomplete in many aspects. issue 4 • october 2009

59

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

Choosing Sides...

Video games can raise important questions, after all...

by Walt Pretorius

S

uperhero games are generally pretty hit or miss.

This decision forms part of a low grade role This is especially true when they are based on playing element to the game. The player can films (and they generally miss in that case.) aim responses, for example, to be aggressive, passive However, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is somewhat or diplomatic. Additionally, all of the wide range of different to the run-of-the-mill superhero game, for a superheroes and supervillains that can be controlled by the number of reasons. For example, like the original Ultimate player can be upgraded in terms of powers and abilities, Alliance, it brings teamwork to the fore, taking ideas through an experience gathering system. However, introduced in the original title even further. It’s also based depending on the players decisions, not all characters will on comics, rather than on movies. Wolverine, for example, be available all of the time. Iron Man is not available to the wears the yellow spandex from the X-Men comics, and player who decides against registration, for example.

Iron Man doesn’t look too much like he did in the film. The Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 has the potential to spark story line is also adapted from a comic series – the Civil some interesting thoughts and discussion. A multiplayer War alternate series, which was a cracking good read and session with an associate from the video gaming industry asked some pretty relevant questions, for a comic book. sparked a lengthy debate as to the topical questions So, in the end, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is a hit, rather raised by the game. Sure, in the cold light of day, whether than a miss, but it may superheroes should register only be so for a smaller “The ideas of morality, duty or not isn’t really a massively market – particularly and liberty that the game looks important discussion, but it was one that knows and us at the time. The ideas of at are important ones – and you to loves the Marvel comic morality, duty and liberty that thought a video game couldn’t the game looks at are important universe. be thought provoking…”

The story is quite ones – and you thought a simple – after a video game couldn’t be thought series of bad calls and nasty events, the US government provoking… instigates a new law that requires superheroes to register, The game is wonderfully accessible, with a sensible and act as agents of the government. While some welcome and complete control scheme combining with numerous this move, other balk against it, resulting in a conflict well-loved characters. Sure, there are some really obscure between superheroes. On the one side stands Iron man, names in the game that only hard-core Marvel fans would who is in favour of the act, while Captain America sits on recognise (as well as a ‘cameo’ appearance by Marvel the opposing side, preferring liberty and freedom. The founder Stan Lee) but the action is intense and exciting player gets to choose which side he supports. enough for anyone to enjoy, regardless of experience. The single player can quickly switch between characters, and Genre: Action co-op play allows for a similar system to be used. However, P l a t f o r m s : X 3 6 0 , P S 3 , W i i , P S 2 , P S P, D S D ev : Vi c a r i o u s Vi s i o n s co-op is far more fun, particularly when the players employ Pub: Activision that aforementioned teamwork aspect.

Age Rating: 12 It’s called fusion. When the players have earned enough Content: None of a particular kind of bonus, they can combine their issue 4 • october 2009 60

gamecca • review Isn’t using the power of a demi-god a bit unfair?

but these are little problems, in the greater scheme of things. The game has the odd clipping issue, and the AI can be very dense when it wants to (thankfully not all the time, though.) There are a few other bugs (levitating characters and enemies occurred once or twice in a particular level, for example). However, the overall game dynamic, supported by some really good voice acting and often screamingly funny comments (particularly from Deadpool, who seems to realise that he is a character in a video game) provides an enjoyable, accessible and – most importantly – fun gaming experience. This is one that you should definitely consider, particularly if you enjoy co-op games that aren’t too demanding, or are a fan of the Marvel universe. g

chosen character’s power with that of any other character, for a very powerful effect that generally wipes the battlefield clean. The visuals are awesome, and the effects are fun.

In fact, the whole game is fun. The player can choose a variety of heroes (four in the team at any time) with very varied abilities. Wolverine, for example, provides up-close and personal attention, while Storm specialises in ranged area effects. Deadpool and Gambit are good all-rounders (yes, I like the X-Men, ok?)

Sadly, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is not without its faults,

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

B

Not only is this game great fun to play, but it raises a few questions that may prove rather thought-provoking for those playing it. issue 4 • october 2009

61

Colin McRae’s DiRT 2

Dust Storm!

Getting messy has never been this much fun!

by Jimmy Glue

R

begins.

Heading into your trailer, tracks and venues can be selected from the map on the table, and the player is also semi-free to look around. A television in one corner shows some awesome music videos, while other options can be selected by moving around the ‘room’.

Taking a closer look at the rally map, races can be chosen from eight different countries, most of which need to be unlocked during the game. The first track available will be a stadium track in London, and it’s a decent track to learn the ropes on.

Each venue will also have three tiers, Rookie, Pro and All-Star. As usual, the difficulty will increase with the height the tier, but higher tiers also need to be “Adrenaline pumped through gamers’ of unlocked before use. veins recently when Codemasters After a track has been chosen and released the highly anticipated sequel the difficulty level set, the player will “walk” outside and select a vehicle. Now, to Colin McCrae Dirt” depending on what class of race it is, certain vehicles will be available. One can never go wrong with a Subaru WRX, but other makes like Dodge, BMW and Honda are all present.

Dirt 2 features several different event types; rally, rally cross, trailblazer, land rush and raid, but rally cross is by far the best. Another mode, Gate Crasher, has also been introduced.

The title also attracted the attention of real-life rally drivers like Ken Block and M Ben Genre: Racing P l a t f o r m s : X 3 6 0 , P S 3 , P C , W i i , P S P, D S Sulayem, and, while they are better known for their bmx racing, Dev: Codemasters Travis Pastrana and Dave Mirra Pub: Codemasters Age Rating: 12 also feature. During the game Advisory: None they will give you helpful hints

ally driving has always been a great spectator sport, and it’s been popularised over many years with events like the Dakar and the annual Sabie rally near Nelspruit.

The dust, the crowds and the roaring dirt machines all fuel the adrenaline. The same adrenaline pumped through gamers’ veins recently when Codemasters released the highly-anticipated sequel to Colin McCrae Dirt.

Right from the start, it’s clear that the player will be in for a wild ride, no pun intended. After selecting a name, nick name and home country, the setting changes to that of a staging area. This staging area, which kind of makes the player feel like a celebrity, is where the magic of the game

62

issue 4 • october 2009

and taunt you during races, but will eventually become your friends.

Ok, so you have selected your race, difficulty and vehicle, but now it’s time to customise. As the racing progress, the player will unlock more liveries, dash board ornaments and windscreen toys. These are really cool, as they bounce around in the cockpit during races. The best windscreen toy by far is the Xbox Avatar hanging by his foot from the rear-view mirror.

Once the liveries and toys have been selected, its time to

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

A

get dirty. During the loading period, useful statistics are displayed on screen, which will help you achieve some in-game goals.

As soon as the first car is displayed on the track, the player’s senses will be thrown into overdrive. The most striking thing about Dirt 2 is the really awesome graphics. The first game had some impressive looks, but number 2 is even prettier.

The venues and landscapes look realistic and the vehicle’s pre-race rumblings sound authentic. It is by far the most beautiful rally game on the market, as it truly conveys and feeling of being in the action. Even the cockpit looks as if you can reach out and shift gears yourself.

Spinning the wheels in the loose sand, it’s evident from the word “go” that controlling the mighty dirt-warrior is going to be no problem. The control scheme is as easy as ever, although the buggies tend to over-steer a bit, but one can compensate for that.

If the race allows for a co-driver, she will navigate and caution you along the way. It has happened during the review that she wasn’t as quick on the navigations as she could have been, but luckily an easy mini-map is always at hand.

The only real disappointment with Dirt 2 is that Codemasters decided to remove all the heavy trucks, like the Kamaz. It was something that made Dirt feel like a complete rally game, covering all aspects, but even though it’s gone, it doesn’t take away anything from Dirt 2.

Oh, and another disappointment is that it ends.

Unfortunately. g

Colin Mcrae’s DiRT 2 places the player at the centre of a massive, vehicle fuel;led dust storm, complete with jumps, spins, slides and crashes. issue 4 • october 2009

63

Madden NFL 10

Fight for Every Yard Madden 10 brings American Football to life like never before

by Suvesh Arumugam

M

adden NFL 10, one of the longest running sports franchises, received a lot of press attention at E3 in June, and the previews and first looks have been coming thick and fast ever since. There have been huge improvements since Madden 09, like the new ProTak animation system, enhanced player movements and more realistic simulations, like the Fight for Fumble and Chain Gang additions.

The game has several modes, including both a Franchise Mode, where you can progress with a team of your choice through several seasons, and a Superstar Mode, where you can build a career as a single player in any position (I prefer playing as the Quarterback). There are obviously instant play modes, and 10 also features minigames (which are essentially the same as the training in Superstar Mode). The game has extensive online play, including co-operative or competitive online games. You access an entire NFL league structure with your franchise and compete over the internet. Madden 10 is now more customisable, featuring the latest photo-mapping tech to get your face on your created player. You can also design your own teams, uniforms, signature styles and plays, which have never been this in-depth. The Madden IQ test Genre: Sports P l a t f o r m s : X 3 6 0 , P S 3 , P C , W i i , P S 2 , P S P, D S Dev: EA Tiburon Pub: Electronic Arts Age Rating: 3 Advisory: None

64

and Virtual Trainer make it easy enough to get the basics, and the rest is up to you!

The game play of Madden 10 is impressive, and you quickly understand why this is a best-selling franchise.

One of the biggest features of the real sport is tackling and running, both of which were the hardest aspects of the game for me. I found in previous titles that it was very difficult to target and connect defensively, and virtually impossible to make winning plays on harder levels because my quarterback would just get sacked repeatedly! 10 seems to have found a way to maintain realism, but has given players a little more to work with. You have more control over tackles and defense play, and the quarterback now also has basic evasive moves to make offense a little more challenging and fun. One irritation is that there are two sets of commentary, which sometimes overlap. Aside from the usual game commentary, you have Madden’s inside view of the game and various plays. Madden explains the nuances of each strategy, which helps for gamers like me who don’t really know a Blitz from Hail Mary.

10 features an impressive new set of intros and cut scenes preceding and in-between games, and a new half-time wrap up, similar to actual NFL live broadcasts.

At key games you have the full air show extravaganza with jets and mascots, the works! They’ve chosen to omit the rewind feature in this title, which previously allowed you to basically take a mulligan at any point in the game.

Nice for career mode, but I can understand how this was problematic. It was available in two player mode in 09, and

issue 4 • october 2009

gamecca • review

there was nothing worse than pulling off an 80 yard pass, and your opponent rewound the play while you gloated!

NFL player, coach, author and commentator, John Madden, announced his retirement from professional broadcasting this year. EA Sports have assured fans of the series that the games franchise will continue despite

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

A

Madden’s retirement.

Another continuation (for the trivia fans) is that the Madden Curse appears to have continued, as Troy Polamalu (Strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who features on the cover with Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals) sprained a ligament in his knee shortly before the game was released. Polamalu continues a long line of players who were injured shortly before or after appearing on the cover of one of the titles in the series.

Madden 10 has really improved on the basics, which (for me) makes it more playable and keeps me interested. They’ve captured the essence of the sport, whilst making it fun and challenging for newbies to American Football. I’ve also rarely been in love with in-game music, but the EA Tiburon team has really put together such a fantastic collection of tracks from Iron Maiden, 2 Pac, Black Sabbath, Slipknot and many other great bands, it’s hard to switch the game off. g

American Football may not be huge in South Africa, but the Madden NFL 10 experience is one well worth going through. issue 4 • october 2009

65

Aion

Take Flight Aion gives the MMORPG genre wings...

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by Walt Pretorius

didn’t chew through massive amounts of bandwidth and, C Soft are the team behind Guild Wars, one of above all, was free to play. Actually, it still is, but with Guild the only MMORPG titles to give the mammoth Wars 2 on the horizon, the past tense might become more World of WarCraft something even close to appropriate soon. a run for its money. Guild Wars was one of This wasn’t the only title that NC Soft brought out, of those titles that could be called genre-defining, and allowed course. Their other offerings include things like City of players to experience a massive world (particularly after Heroes and the ill-fated Tabula Rasa. And now their stable two expansions) full of adventure and other gamers. And is joined by Aion, an it was a very attractive “After a certain time spent MMORPG that offers proposition for local playing the game, the characters something quite different.

MMORPG enthusiasts: The MMORPG market Guild Wars offered solid in the fantasy world earn their performance on almost any wings… quite literally” is very competitive, kind of internet connection, and anyone that wants to take on WoW has their work cut out for them. New products must, out of necessity, have a certain degree of originality and freshness to them. To meet this challenge, the makers of Aion introduced a very clever idea to the game world – flight. After a certain time spent playing the game, the characters in the fantasy realm earn their wings… quite literally. This opens up a whole new dimension of play in the game, and one that is a very welcome breath of fresh air in the genre.

However, getting to that point will take dedication.

MMORPG fans are generally the kind of people that won’t mind putting in the effort, though. It’s a concept that’s called ‘grind’, and there is a lot of it in Aion. Grind means that the player will have to do a lot of work, generally in the form of smaller, less challenging quests right at the start of the game, to get to where they want to go. It’s not unusual in the genre, though.

Players will also have to specialise their characters fairly early in the title. The game offers a variety of character types, all suited to Aion’s fantasy setting, and the player will be able to grow and mould issue 4 • october 2009 66

gamecca • review A short skirt and wings aren’t necessarily the best combination...

their character fairly easily (although some of the choices are taken out of the player’s hands, which can be a little frustrating.)

Aion is one of the prettiest MMORPGs we’ve seen in a long time. Using a modified version of the CryEngine, the game delivers a graphical punch that is not often seen in the genre. The whole thing is very anime influenced (and seeing female fighters clad in an armoured mini-skirt with a garter belt is a fairly common thing) but lends itself towards a more realistic feel, rather than the slightly cartoonish approach taken with Guild Wars. The world itself is, for an MMORPG, breathtakingly beautiful, and the various characters are attractively designed.

Aion does face a few problems, but they’re relatively minor in terms of the genre. The first is that grind I spoke of earlier, but that’s a standard MMORPG feature when all is said and done.

The second is that the missions tend to be a little on the G e n r e : M M O R P G linear side. Once again, that’s pretty normal, but it can get a bit Platforms: PC much. Third, the interface is a little Dev: NC Soft Pub: NC Soft unfriendly. The game is crammed A g e R a t i n g : 1 2 full of tutorials to help the player Advisory: None

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

B

deal with the way the game works, and the overall control scheme is robust and simple, but the interface could have been a little less clunky. And lastly, you have to pay to play.

That’s also not unusual for MMO gaming, but memories of many hours mooching on the Guild Wars servers do leave a slightly sour taste in my mouth.

Aion offers a very solid MMORPG experience, with all the expected game modes, tons of socialisation, lots to do, and (of course) the new idea of fighting in mid-air. This game will likely fare better than some other titles in the MMORPG market, and is well worth taking a look at. Be warned, though – it will consume vast amounts of your time, free or otherwise. g

Aion stands out among run-of-the-mill MMORPGs, thanks largely to the inclusion of flight and aerial combat - but there’s a lot of grind before you earn your wings. issue 4 • october 2009

67

Wet

Too Cool for School Wet is a victim of its own hype...

L

by Walt Pretorius

she doesn’t have the long dirty beard and beer-gut) which, et’s talk about the idea of what is ‘cool.’ Some let’s face it, isn’t really cool at all. It’s annoying, abrasive people think that monster trucks are cool. Some people think that tattoos of flaming skulls are cool. and often offensive. This is not the kind of hero people can easily relate to, because her attitude is so bad that she just Some people think that being a bully is cool, or comes across as being nasty. Even Castor Troy (the bad getting falling-down drunk, or drugs, or driving too fast, guy in Face Off) had a soft spot for his brother. This lady or any of a number of other things like that. A lot of other people don’t think that any of these are cool at all. Opinions ain’t soft at all.

We’ll forgive that, considering vary, ranging from silly the fact that she kills lots of to downright stupid.

“It can deliver some fun people for a living – and that’s OK, that may be a experiences, but is, for the her role in the game. The player strange way to kick off most part, a frustrating and a video game review, takes control of Rubi in a series annoying attempt that doesn’t of brutally linear missions that but it is relevant. This live up to the mountain of hype require her making everything is mainly so because that moves on the screen as the developers of Wet created around it” dead as possible. To this end, were trying to make a she has a variety of weapons and a number of cool moves. game that is terminally cool, but the end result is more of a She can wall-run, jump, slide and do a number of other flat-line kind of terminal. acrobatics while dispatching her foes. Sound familiar? It Wet tells the story of Rubi, a chick with so much attitude would if you played John Woo’s Stranglehold, only that that she probably doesn’t get too many dates. That’s OK, game did it better. Still, the action is intense, and Rubi is a though, because Rubi gets her kicks doing ‘wet work’… little more capable than Stranglehold’s lead character – she shooting lots of people, in other words. Her character is modelled on that whole bad-ass biker kind of cool (although can target multiple opponents at the same time, and can string moves together, which racks up an impressive score Genre: Action for the player.

Platforms: X360, PS3 D ev : A r t i fi c i a l M i n d a n d M ove m e n t Every now and then the action is broken up by quick time Pub: Bethesda sequences, some of which are quite good, while others are Age Rating: 18 a little weak.

Advisory: V / L During the game, the player can improve Rubi’s abilities, issue 4 • october 2009 68

gamecca • review I guess there’s no point in hoping that she’ll fall and break her neck...

using a rather nice skill upgrade system based on score, and can unlock new weapons. The player will also be able to complete challenges… which lead to an incredibly annoying aspect of the game. Some of these challenges are linear, meaning that the player cannot progress through

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

D

the game unless they are completed. It’s all fine and well putting things like that in as optional missions, but making them mandatory is just plain nasty. Particularly if they are very tough challenges, which these tend to be.

To increase the cool factor, the graphics in the game (which aren’t bad, but are by no means revolutionary) have been overlaid with a scratchy film filter. The best option is to turn it off before the game even starts up – it is invasive and annoying.

Wet is an option if you have nothing else to play. It can deliver some fun experiences, but is, for the most part, a frustrating and annoying attempt that doesn’t live up to the mountain of hype created around it. It’s heavy handed attempts at cool (including the swig alcohol, throw bottle, shoot bottle sequence that plays each and every time the player heals Rubi up) are distressingly immature. The action in monotonous and uninspiring, for the most part.

The developers seem to have lost focus on what was important, producing a game that is all style over substance – and isn’t all that stylish in the first place. g

Wet is trhe video game version of that kid in the school-yard who thinks he’s ultra-cool, but is actually just an idiot that no-one wants to hang around with.Too much hype here... issue 4 • october 2009

69

Halo 3 ODST

The OtherHalo Guys ODST tells

a different story

by Walt Pretorius

S

outh Africa, to a degree, managed to escape the little on the short side, but when you consider the fact that initial insane fanboy rush stirred up by Halo. We the game was never meant to be a full product, it’s not bad caught up, though – we might not have had the at all. original Xbox released here, but the PC version I admit that I never got swept up in the Halo frenzy. I of the game went a long way to fan those particular flames. didn’t much like the universe provided by the game, and In fact, with Halo 3 released as an Xbox 360 exclusive, Master Chief just didn’t appeal. But there’s something I wouldn’t be surprised in a number of those ardent PC about ODST that I like. fans, who slavered at the idea of a new Halo, went out The game is a prequel to Halo 3, and takes place at and bought themselves the console. I can’t prove that, of roughly the same time that Halo 2 ends, if I have my course, but I wouldn’t be surprised. chronology right. The player takes the part of a rookie Halo 3 managed to be a smash hit right from the word go, Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, an elite group of soldiers breaking all kinds of records on its release. Although it was deployed to the battlefield via pods. They’re not as tough claimed that this would be the last Halo title, saying that it as Master Chief by any means, and can only hold single would be the last Halo game to feature the Master Chief weapons… none of that dual-wielding stuff here. Perhaps as the main character that’s what appeals. Master Chief would have been more “These new guys can die, felt a little too good to be true in my accurate – no-one is opinion. These new guys can die, and and quite easily at that. It dumb enough to kill a quite easily at that. It adds a level of adds a level of tension and franchise that is this tension and suspense to the game suspense to the game that popular. that was absent before. was absent before.”

And so, to keep During the drop into the warfans happy until the ravaged city of New Mombasa, release of Halo: Reach late next year, the developers something goes awry and the player’s squad is scattered announced a stop-gap expansion to Halo 3. However, Halo all over the town. This is how the story mode starts, with 3: ODST soon grew bigger than just an the player searching for his team mates G e n r e : F i r s t P e r s o n S h o o t e r in the darkened street of the city. expansion. The final delivery is a six Platforms: X360 hour single player campaign, along with D e v : B u n g i e The investigation is interspersed with a few new multiplayer ideas, as well retrospective story pieces, showing Pub: Microsoft as a bonus disc crammed full of extra what happened to the other characters Age Rating: 16 Advisory: V multiplayer maps. Sure, six hours is a (and letting the player control them, of

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issue 4 • october 2009

course.) It’s a nice combination of action and story, well handled and interesting.

ODST feels quite different to other Halo titles. This comes, at least in part, from the way the levels have been put together.

They’re tighter now, and allow for a greater degree of tactical exploitation. The wide open spaces of the previous games are replaced by alleys and streets, with the occasional open city square allowing larger battles to take place.

The player is also supported by an ODST visor, a handy viewing device that highlights enemies and acts as something of a nightvision support tool. The expected weapons are all present, with a few new ones to sweeten the deal.

While the single player game is enjoyable, although rather short, the true value of this title lies in the multiplayer modes it brings to the table. As with any Halo game, multiplayer is king, and servers around the world are buzzing with activity. Some new game modes have been included, as well as the fantastic Forge tools.

Halo ODST is a solid and enjoyable shooter but, as with any Halo game (in my humble opinion) has benefited from

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

B+

hype greater than it deserves. It’s good, but it’s hardly a gaming Holy Grail. The experience is fun, but unless you’re going to be playing against others, there is little point in the short single player campaign.

In the end, this one is all about fanboy status. If you love Halo, you’ll probably enjoy ODST… although the bold exclusion of the Master Chief will have some people whining, without a doubt. g

Halo ODST offers a fairly different experience to fans, with tighter environments and characters that are more vulnerable than the Master Chief issue 4 • october 2009

71

Mini Ninjas

Ninja!

Ninja!

Turning bad guys into bunnies

by Walt Pretorius

T

going on. When none of them return, he is left with only here are times when a game just strikes a chord.

Hiro and his tubby sidekick Futo. He sends the duo out to And these particular games are, more often find out what happened to the other ninjas, and what is than not, very unlikely candidates. Take, as an going on in the world at large. excellent example, Mini Ninjas from Eidos. The The two soon discover that an evil samurai warlord game should, for all intents and purposes, have any semihas returned to the land, and is turning innocent forest serious gamer outside of it’s intended market rolling his creatures into his evil minions. It is up to them to stop him, eyes, but it does everything but that. Makes you wonder and rescue their exactly who the intended market friends. is… And those who are nostalgic “There has probably never been a about the gaming industry will more solid children’s title, and just It sounds like a kids game be happy to see IO Interactive as likely never a children’s title and, quite bounce back with such a solid with so much appeal for adults” honestly, it is. title, after the terrible state that But the game Kane and Lynch was released in. offers a depth that is normally not present in children’s Mini-Ninjas is about… well, little ninja dudes. The player titles, making it very enjoyable for older gamers too. Don’t takes on the role of Hiro, the youngest of a group of ninja let the cute graphics fool you – this is a very good game. students under the tutelage of a wise master. When the Mini Ninjas is presented in a third person perspective, master notices that things seem to be wrong with the world, with the camera pulled back a little way, giving the player he sends out his students, one by one, to find out what is a wide field of view. The characters and the world are very well realised – the whole package works perfectly, in terms of looks, and the high grade voice acting is a perfect complement. The environments are vast and complex… while the story missions are a little linear, there is a lot to do off of the beaten path. There are things to collect – like potion ingredients – and new spells to learn. That’s what makes Hiro special, see; he is the only student capable of using natural Kuji magic. So, while the missions might be rather straight forward, the player will find lots of deviations and other nooks and crannies to keep them busy. And if he missed a few things in a level, he can go back and replay it without losing saved progress. This adds a wonderful degree of replayability to the game.

Although the game is violent, it features a brand of ‘kidfriendly’ violence. The enemies are all a little inept and rather cute (their cries of ‘NINJA! NINJA!’ when they spot the player’s character are so endearing) and when they issue 4 • october 2009 72

die, they disappear in a puff of greenery, leaving behind a slightly bewildered looking woodland creature. As the various characters are found, they can also be employed, but with the notable exception of Futo, there is little reason to use any character other than Hiro for the bulk of the game.

The Kuji spells add some depth to the game but, as I said before, the game is deceptively complex. The player can use several approached to any given situation, including stealth, all out combat, or even taking the form of a forest creature to avoid detection. The game also features special

power moves, a basic economic system and item creation tools (for potions).

There has probably never been a more solid children’s title, and just as likely never a children’s title with so much appeal for adults. The combat gets a little monotonous from time to time, but this is broken up a little by challenging boss battles, other various tasks and rather amusing cut scenes. The humour isn’t exactly high-brow (there are more than a few fart jokes) but it is still a title that assumes at least some intelligence in the user.

You could do worse than getting this one for the kids… although they might be upset with you when you start playing it more than they do. The robust controls, solid storyline and overall appeal of the game are irresistible. g Genre: Action P l a t f o r m s : X 3 6 0 , P S 3 , P C , Wi i , D S Dev: IO Interactive Pub: Eidos Age Rating: 7 Content: V

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

B+

Mini Ninjas may look like a kids game, but the big folks are going to love it too. It’s fun, addictive, very cute, and offers surprising depth and lots of things to do. issue 4 • october 2009

73

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Food Fight!

Weather so bad, you need to chew your way through it...

by Brian Murdoch

T

his is the story of Flint Lockwood, a talented scientist who’s dream is to make everyone’s life easier using great inventions. From an early age he created inventions and came up with some really good ideas. Unfortunately, he was unlucky, with most of his inventions turning bad and going crazy. This continued through his life until one day he came up with the idea to make a machine that makes food out of nothing but air... F.L.D.S.M.D.F.R. (Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator).

He got it right, and the food order was up. All kinds of food, as much as was needed. Flint made a castle out of nothing but jelly. No one would go hungry ever again. But then, just like most of Flint’s inventions, it went bad, and when food goes bad it’s just not very pleasant. Imagine a huge cumulonimbus thunder cloud throwing 5 meter wide meatballs down, and a range of other foods that make you go from famished to flattened with just one helping.

Because Flint made the monstrosity, Flint will have to stop it. You play as Flint, While a second player can join in Genre: Adventure P l a t f o r m s : X 3 6 0 , P S 3 , P C , W i i , P S 2 , P S P, D S Dev: Ubisoft Pub: Ubisoft Age Rating: 7 Content: V

74

for some co-op as Steve the Monkey.

Player one (as Flint) will always hold the centrestage, and player two may disappear off screen from time to time.

But he’ll reappear soon enough.

Flint starts off with his basic inventions to bash, pick, slice, fork, melt and jump his way to eliminating the mutated bad food. These inventions can be upgraded by collecting enough food essence. [That just sounds gross – Ed] Movie games are generally not the most stimulating titles, but this one still keeps you thinking and gives you more of a challenge in its puzzle solving parts. The player is thrown into the game without a tutorial and basics

issue 4 • october 2009

gamecca • review

explained [hence, there is a game manual, which explains the basics, no? –Ed], but after pushing a few buttons, you’ll find that B is attack, A is jump, and you use the analog stick to move the characters. Listen to what the characters say because they guide you in what you are supposed to do in each level. Each level has a task that you need to finish to advance, but you must also try eliminate all the

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

C

sub-foods in order to win a puzzle piece. These puzzle pieces are needed to unlock the ultimate weapon.

You can finish the whole game without getting these puzzle pieces, but the game does not really end. You are told that normal spray-on-shoes was not strong enough to destroy the F.L.D.S.M.D.F.R. and you need to unlock the secret weapon to destroy it. It’s a kind of forced longevity.

The graphics are appropriate to the film, and the downscale of the Wii visuals is hardly noticeable. With the quiet background music you are able to pick up the funny stuff Flint says, announcing his inventions or describing the food he is running on at the time. This keeps the game enjoyable. The cut scenes are amusing and something to watch out for. The game is not the best title out there, but is well worth playing – even if only to extend the experience of the movie. g

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is an ok experience, but it does little to elevate itself above the status of just another movie game. issue 4 • october 2009

75

Up

Up, up and away!

Drift into a jungle adventure with Carl and Russell

by Jimmy Glue

V

ideo game adaptations from films have a notorious reputation for being horrid, and only a handful of titles have managed to succeed.

Disney-Pixar’s Up is one such title, and it seems as though only animated films manage to spawn decent games.

The game follows the adventures for Carl and Russell, who, after a minor balloon incident, end up in the jungles of South America. As with most game adaptations, it isn’t necessary to have watched the film before playing the game, as everything gets explained in clever cut scenes.

What’s great about this game is that the player can swap between Carl and “It has the Russell at any time, correct balance although there are of action and some parts where the game-play will dictate adventure, for which character will little hands take the lead. It’s a and for older kids’ game in every sense of the word, as a players.” majority of the time the player will be chasing floating coins and navigating through the jungle, with a little bit of in-game help.

To navigate through the jungle, each character has a special set of actions and special abilities. Carl uses his walking stick to fend off dogs and hook onto ledges, while Genre: Adventure P l a t f o r m s : X 3 6 0 , P S 3 , P C , W i i , P S 2 , P S P, D S Dev:Heavy Iron Studios Pub: THQ Age Rating: 3 Advisory: None

76

Russell utilises a rope to pull Carl up to higher places, and shimmy across narrows spaces; and working together, the duo can push big objects out of the way.

Being an old, grumpy man, Carl can use is hearing-aid special ability to chase away bats with a sonic audio blast, while Russell blows on his bugle for the same effect. Each character has at least three different special abilities, but tokens need to be picked up in order to use them.

Together their actions provide for an exciting adventure, but they will encounter some friends and foes along the way. About a third into the game, they will meet Doug, a dog who has a special collar which enables him to talk, and Kevin, a strange multi-coloured Ostrich-type bird, who turns out to be a girl.

No jungle adventure is complete without danger, and in Up there is plenty. Bats, porcupines and spiders will hinder their way, but luckily each member can dispose of them quite easily. A giant crocodile and anaconda will also try to stop their progress, but with some clever thinking they can be disposed off through action sequences.

The graphics are of the standard ‘animated game adaptation’ quality, which is just good enough to make it enjoyable, but had it been any less, it would have taken away some of the excitement. It’s by no means the same quality of the film, but it’s a good effort.

The control scheme is also very easy to master as the player will only be asked to steer our adventurers in the right direction, and press the button displayed on screen to engage with an object. The first mission might be a bit tricky, as the player flies through the air in a bi-plane, protection a floating house and defeating other flying foes.

Combat, as with the control scheme, is very simple. At certain points the chosen character will need to fend off

issue 4 • october 2009

gamecca • review

a pack of dogs, easily done by pressing the prescribed button that flashes on-screen. The same button is also used repeatedly to hit snakes, bats and spiders.

During the various stages, players can also hunt for collectables and artefacts, something that makes the adventure just so much sweeter.

By collection all of the artefacts, a variety of multiplayer maps will be unlocked, as well as design art and videos, which can be viewed at any point in the game.

Completed levels can also be replayed without losing the data collected from them.

It’s truly an enjoyable title, as it has the correct balance of action and adventure, for little hands and for older players.

It’s not a terribly long game, as it can be completed in a

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

C+

couple of hours, but that is a good thing, as it stops short of being too repetitive.

If there is one game to be a learning curve for young players, Disney-Pixar’s Up is definitely it. It has the correct balance of team-work, quick-time events, light-hearted combat and quick thinking. It could be a great introduction for young minds into the world of adventure games. Who knows, after this they might be playing Tomb Raider? g

As one of the decent film-game adaptations this year, Disney-Pixar’s Up is chock full of adventure. It is great fun for the whole family, although it is a bit short. issue 4 • october 2009

77

Velvet Assassin

In the Shadows Fighting behind enemy lines

by Walt Pretorius

enjoyable enough at times, does have a few problems that prevent it from rising to the level it could potentially have achieved.

See, a sneaker is a different kind of beast, and one that requires a very careful approach from the developers – just like the approach it demands from players.

The AI has to be just right, and the player needs to be given enough opportunities for success without being spoon fed or guided through the experience. It has to be realistic in many ways, but it also needs to provide the player with a little leeway.

While most of the sneaking action in Velvet Assassin is pretty good, there are a few aspects that cause concern. The first is the AI implementation. The developers decided to use a varied AI, obviously, which is realistic enough – not everyone is a rocket scientist, after all. However, the gap between the smartest and the ’m all for innovation, particularly when that innovation dumbest AI is pretty vast here. There are some grunts breaks a stereotype. Take World War II games, for that don’t know they’re in trouble until the blade strikes example – they all tend to be first person shooters, home, while others are smarter than a fox on speed. And and they all tend to be in-your-face action titles. So the smart ones seem to have other superhuman abilities, when a game like Velvet Assassin appears, I get really too, like being able to see in pitch dark, and even through excited. Here’s a title that takes that particular period in generally obscuring objects like crates. It’s all good and history and does something different with it. well allowing the player to use distraction techniques and The story is that of Violette Summer, a spy operating letting them knock out lights, but if the AI is going to ignore behind enemy lines. In fact, the character is based on a those kinds of actions, what’s the point? real spy of the time, called Violette Szabo. She was one Violette does her job with a knife, more often than not, tough lady, apparently, decorated for her valuable work in which is a woefully the den of the enemy.

Genre: Stealth Platforms: X360, PC Velvet Assassin is a World War II sneaker. It requires the underpowered D ev : R e p l ay S t u d i o s weapon in the face player to employ stealth and guile in taking on enemies, Pub:South Peak Interactive of an MP 40.

Like rather than brute force and, as such, is a potential breath Age Rating: 18 most sneakers, she of fresh air in the rather stale genre. But the game, while Content: V \ L \ D is pretty useless in a issue 4 • october 2009 78

I

gamecca • review

toe to toe fight (and this is something that grinds me about stealth games in general.) She can make use of fire arms, but never seems to have one as part of her standard kit. Call me crazy, but if I was a spy, I would pack a silenced pistol amongst my underwear before I left for enemy territory, and I would carry more than a handful of bullets too. Violette relies purely on weapons she finds lying around on missions, which are rare, and on the scant amount of ammo that comes with each one. And using them is often pointless. Unless you get a pitch perfect head-shot in, you’re wasting ammo… which is a little silly, seeing as most people will go down like a pole-axed steer from just one 9mm parabellum round.

That’s Velvet Assassin’s biggest problem – inconsistency. For example, the player can make use of a morphine shot to slow down time and take out one enemy from any angle. Fair enough. But why?

The phenomenon is never properly explained, other than the fact that the story is a retrospective told while Violette lies wounded in a hospital bed… seems a little weak in

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

C

terms of qualification to me. This inconsistency means that the player never really knows what to expect. That’s fair enough, but there are certain fundamentals that should be consistent to provide balance in the title. The result is a lot of cheap deaths and a large amount of reloading.

When all is said and done, Velvet Assassin is not a bad game – it has good graphics, nice voice acting and decent controls, and is a solid idea overall. It’s just not a great game, and certainly not the title it should have been. It won’t hurt to give it a try. Just don’t expect too much from it, and you’ll be fine. g

Velvet Assassin has a few redeeming qualities, but also a number of issues that will lead to frustration, cheap deaths and lots of reloading issue 4 • october 2009

79

NHL 2K10

Pucking Around It’s a revamped NHL for fans of the sport

by Jimmy Glue

I

groups, besides MGMT. [Who? – Ed] ce hockey isn’t a very popular sport in South Africa, Music and menus aside, it has at least updated it’s but since I have played a fair amount over the last 10 graphics since the last effort. It’s something that has been years, it was only natural for me to review 2K’s NHL hammered on in the past, but 2K10. we have come to expect better As far as hockey “While listening to graphics from this generation’s titles go, they are commentators Randy Hahn titles… something which it all pretty much the and Drew Remenda, one gets a delivers. same. Granted, there feeling of being rink-side.”

It’s always been a difficult is only one variation task to make characters look of the game, but what like their real-life counterparts, but it’s an aspect that 2K else would you like it to do? And being a predominantly somewhat got right. Although they aren’t carbon-copies American sport, all the teams from their NHL League have of the real thing, the players are distinguishable and have been included. International teams are there too, but they realistic attitudes. not as exciting.

Speaking of players, why they chose Alex Ovechkin to The major thing that 2K changed, and it’s painfully feature on the box art is something that only 2K will know. ineffective, is the menu. It’s confusing to navigate, pops up He isn’t the sport’s most attractive player, to put it mildly. at any time and is just down right horrible. They went for a But it does feature all the other great players, together with sleeker look, but in doing so sacrificed functionality. their teams, with updated statistics.

While on a rolling rant, the music is great, but after Expected game modes like hearing the same MGMT song for the Genre: Sport Franchise, Season and Quick Play third time in 10 minutes, it got a bit P l a t f o r m s : X 3 6 0 , P S 3 , Wi i , P S 2 have all been included, but it might much. The game only has a selection D e v : V i s u a l C o n c e p t s of about 11 songs, but tracks from the P u b : 2 K S p o r t s take the player a while to navigate the Xbox hard drive can also be imported. A g e R a t i n g : 1 6 horrible menu to set up all the Season Advisory: None And it features mainly unknown settings.

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issue 4 • october 2009

gamecca • review

Once in a Franchise or Season, it’s all plain sailing.

Matches take place at real locations, and the number of fans who turn up to watch the game is all dependent on who is playing. The pre-match entertainment is rather amusing, and while listening to commentators Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda, one gets a feeling of being rink-side.

Once the puck drops, several improvements allow players to enjoy smoother puck handling and control.

Something that has featured in other NHL games, but a first for 2K, is the defensive stick lifts and stumble shots.

One thing that gamers should never complain about is the fact that the Achievements are ridiculously easy. Just by simulating a season, which takes about 3 minutes, the player can rack up about 270 gamer score. Create a team, a player and do the Zamboni Challenge, and you have yourself another 25 GS. Another thing that could be a curse or a blessing is that the player can set and change almost any aspect of the game. It’s as easy as going to your favourite team, and moving all the attribute sliders to 100%.

There you have yourself an unbeaten super-team.

Want a super-player? Same thing. While creating a skater, just move all the sliders. The same can be some for existing players.

Difficulty ratios aside, the game is, in general, an

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

C+

enjoyable title. It has some of the best graphics to feature in any NHL title, which is always welcome, and the players look and react like the real thing.

Besides for the atrocious menu and the repetitive music, it is still one of the best NHL games out there. Some players have complained about several clipping issues, but none of that crept up during the review. It’s really an enjoyable game, one which will have hours of replay value. g

NHL 2K10 celebrates their 10th anniversary with Alex Ovechkin as the cover athlete, and a nasty menu system... otherwise, it’s a fun title. issue 4 • october 2009

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Heroes Over Europe

Death from Above World War II action above (and below) the clouds

by Walt Pretorius

F

light simulations are fun. OK, the nuts-and-bolts flying modes, neither of which are particularly real in the ones get a bit much in my book, but those that serious, actual, keeping-a-few-tons-of-metal-off-the-ground allow the player to muck around in an aeroplane kind of way. But realistic controls do offer a bit more of a are awesome. They fall into the arcade side of challenge. things, the ones I am talking about, and offer little in terms Heroes Over Europe lends itself to action-style play, of realism. But they’re huge amounts of fun none the less, and to this end has one or two features that one wouldn’t and offer lots of action in every direction (quite literally). expect from a ‘normal’ flight simulator. The first is the Games like Tom Clancy’s HAWX fall into the category. ability to pull off an ‘Ace Shot’. This means taking out an So, when Heroes Over Europe enemy with a single arrived in my heaving review burst from the guns “Heroes Over Europe lends in-tray, I was well chuffed. The by targeting weak itself to action-style play, and game is the sequel to Heroes spots on their planes. to this end has one or two of the Pacific, which wasn’t an The game uses a sort features that one wouldn’t incredible title, but still one that of bullet-time, sniper expect from a ‘normal’ flight was fun to play. mode when using simulator” Heroes Over Europe, as the this ability, slowing name suggests, moves the battle down the action a bit to the skies over the core of World War II, and allows the and zooming in on the enemy plane. The weak spots are player to make use of a wide range of aircraft, modelled highlighted, and the player needs to align an aim reticule on World War II favourites. I say make use of because the with them before firing. game doesn’t really require the player to fly the plane as The game is fun, without a doubt, but it has a few much as steer it in the right direction. It’s not that kind of problems that plague it. The first is that the control scheme flight simulation. In fact, flight simulation is almost entirely features one or two control choices that are a little strange. the wrong term to apply here – aerial action game would This mainly comes down to the throttle, which is controlled probably be better. Sure, certain elements do need to by the right analogue stick. Not that there is much variation, be kept in mind, like stalls and the fact that the ground is mind you – you can fly faster, or slower, or at normal damned hard if you slam a plane into it, but the finer points speed. Fair enough, it is an arcade style title after all. of flying an aircraft aren’t around to interfere with the actual But it breaks away from that idea in terms of difficulty. point of the game: blasting lots of bad guys out of the skies. Not all the time, but just in certain mission sections. By the The control scheme offers either ‘realistic’ or arcade second mission, the player will have to shoot sea mines

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than anything, and with up to sixteen players dog fighting in a single battle, things can get pretty intense.

There is room for improvement in this title. While it’s fun to play, certain aspects of the experience tie it down to being a mediocre effort, at best. It does have moments when it shines, and it is a fun game, but it doesn’t offer the brilliance we’ve seen from similar titles in the Ubisoft stable (yes, I mean HAWX.) Still, if you need an arcade style flight sim fix, you could Genre: Flight Sim do worse than P l a t f o r m s : X 3 6 0 , P S 3 , P C Dev: Transmission Games this one. g Pub: Ubisoft Age Rating: 12 Advisory: V

to protect ships, for example… this is a very difficult prospect, because the mines are small, the ships are moving towards them and the player’s plane is invariably being shot to ribbons at the same time. The difficulty curve is not so much a curve as a bumpy road, with lots of ups and down.

The single player game looks and feels great, but there are very few missions, all told. Still, they’re fairly long, and well worth playing. But Heroes Over Europe was designed to be a multiplayer game, more

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

C

Heroes over Europe offers the player an enjoyable experience, but it doesn’t rise to greatness.The difficulty curve also gets a bit silly at times. issue 4 • october 2009

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Academy of Champions

Learn from the Best Soccer can be more than just scoring goals...

by Brian Murdoch

A

cademy of Champions is a soccer game, busy. These are generally opportunities to recruit players, there is not getting around that, but rather practise (which makes you try one of the mini games), than go with a straight simulation, Ubisoft did shop, or select skill improvements for your current players. more… and something I wish other soccer The team needs to win the game at the end of every week; games would do. if not, the week is reversed and you go at it again. This is It starts off like most games, asking for your name and not as bad as it sounds, but it does require some time to the gender you would get through… it’s not just a quick like to play as. Your “The controls are simple and start the match over again. dream has come The matches make use of a easy to get into, so not much true and you have unique simulation. The simulation is stopping your friend from been invited to study picking up the controller, hinges on talent. Talent gives at the Academy of every player the skill to run getting a quick tutorial and Champions, where faster, or dodge when required. the great Pele is the kicking your butt. ” Filling the talent bar is done by headmaster. You get Genre: Sports there only to find that the invitation that you have is forged and you are P l a t f o r m s : W i i Dev: Ubisoft not accepted. In desperation you Pub: Ubisoft quickly show off your skills, which Age Rating: 3 impress Pele, and you are accepted A d v i s o r y : N o n e anyway. In the background you see the headmaster of the Scythemore Academy laughing as he holds your actual invite.

You are in - now what? You need to learn more and prove yourself.

The story line leads you through training up your team’s skills and winning the different levels in the academy. Each day presents its self with tasks to do and sometimes a choice of things to keep you

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just playing the game; tackling, passing, shooting and, most important, scoring goals. When the talent bar is full you trigger the talent of the currently selected player by shaking the remote. Defenders generally have a form of unstoppable tackle, or shield, and your attackers have a power shot that goal keepers fear. Goal keepers’ talents are not activated, rather being passive (in the form of general team boosts).

The controls are simple and easy to get into, so not much is stopping your friend from picking up the controller, getting a quick tutorial and kicking your butt.

However, the game does not use enough of the Wii controller’s functionality. It’s the first game to be compatible with the MotionPlus and the Balance Board, but it under-utilises the MotionPlus completely.

Aside from the story mode, you can jump into a quick game and select a range of teams. There are standard teams, but don’t forget the unlockable ones that include favourite Ubisoft characters Altair the Assassin, Rayman, and his rabbids! These are unlocked by beating them in a match in story mode.

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

B+

I do not like the fact that two people can’t play in the story mode at the same time, with individual progress, as this is a standard for games now, but on the other side, how many people use this feature anyway? Online play could easily have been built in but it’s not really missed. All these negative points are wiped away if you think that this game is intended for the younger players… complications are not the best idea. They want to jump in and play something fun, which was achieved in this fun football game. g

It’s a soccer game for children that adults can enjoy as well. Academy of Champions is lots of fun, and features a few good challenges. issue 4 • october 2009

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Monster Hunter: Freedom Unite

A Big Job...

Fight monsters so big they wouldn’t notice if they sat on you...

by Brian Murdoch

F

reedom Unite is the expansion to Monster Hunter Freedom 2 and the third portable game in the series. All the monster hunter titles that have Freedom in their name were made for the portable console (PSP), giving you freedom to play where you want. True to the Monster Hunter franchise, Freedom Unite has the typical elements of an RPG ripped out, giving you a new type of RPG. The intro video is a complete run down of what the game is about. You are a monster hunter… you are not the only one and there is a good market for what you do, besides the great abundance of monsters around that require your skills. You go out and hunt monsters, killing or trapping them to bring back parts of their bodies to make armour and weapons to fight even bigger monsters. In this title when we say bigger monsters we mean it.

An example of scale can be seen in your character being the size of a match box, with the monster you start out fighting are the size of your cell phone… just a bit bigger than you. Move on to fighting a tissue box size monster (yet not as soft), and eventually fighting printer size monsters, scaled and display accurately on your small PSP screen.

When I say that the Genre: RPG Platforms: PSP Dev: Capcom Pub: Capcom Age Rating: 12 Advisory: V

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typical elements of an RPG are ripped out I am talking about the levelling of your character and the statistics (strength, dexterity, luck), which are missing from the game completely. All that matters is your armour, your current weapon and your talent at killing monsters. Cats are there as helpers. They cook for you and aid in fighting, although you use them more as a distraction while you beat the monster.

You have a range of different weapons to choose from but can only take one out at a time on a mission. You start with a normal sword and shield, allowing you to guard and attack at the same time. There is the Dual Blade, where you wield two blades (one on each arm); attacks are very flexible but you have no blocking ability. Long Swords and Hammers come with their own strengths and weakness.

The Hunting Horn is like the hammer with a little less power, but you are able to play music to give the group battle bonuses. The Gun Lance is a less powerful lance, but you can shoot with it as well. The Light and Heavy Bowgun are your main projectile weapons, with a range of ammunition types. Lastly there is a notso-standard bow, which folds up and delivers great, powerful shots. The weapon of choice needs to match one of the two different types allowed by your armour, or you will go out with no armour at all.

The real multiplayer comes through in ad hoc play; 4 players can link their PSPs together and hunt as a

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

pack.

In Japan, Monster Hunter Portable 2G was the bestselling game of Japan in 2008, 2.5 million units, beating Pokemon Platinum and Wii Fit. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite has sold +- 3.5 million units in Japan but only 180 000 in America and 180 000 in other areas. The game is difficult; at times it’s almost impossible, which is apparently the way the Japanese market likes it. When the game was first released they saw a sizable decrease in productivity in Japan for that day.

The theme of the Monster Hunter is sown into every element of the game; the “Now Loading” text is made-up of monster parts, teeth here, hide there. You are able to look closely at this because, if you don’t have the 580mb to install the game on your memory card, you have good long loading times. But the load is well worth it. Monster Hunter: Freedom Unite is a great hand-held game. g

A

It’s massive action on the small screen - Monster Hunter: Freedom Unite is a tough game, but one that’s well worth the effort. issue 4 • october 2009

87

Cursed Mountain

A Mountain of Fear Who said Wii games can’t be terrifying?

by Brian Murdoch

C

limber’s Log: [14000 feet] I’m here at Lhando, the only had cute and cuddly games made for it. Deep Silver has brought us the first Wii-exclusive thriller game, making nearly-deserted city at the base of Chamolonzo, full use oif the Wii’s dynamic, motiona mountain sacred to the “It is almost slow enough sensitive control functions.

The player plays as Eric Simmons, superstitious Sherpas. I’m to put one off initially, an experienced British mountain looking for my brother, but by the third or fourth climber in search of his brother. who was contracted to town the player will be climb this mountain to Although Eric begins his journey not fighting multiple ghosts believing in ghosts (or Buddhism) he return a sacred artefact. and experiencing some soon learns that he has to accept new The summit looming things, so that he doesn’t make the in the distance holds hair-raisingly intense same mistakes his brother did. questions, but hopefully moments” If you are expecting blood and guts the answer to my brother’s or zombies, you will be disappointed. Still, don’t think that disappearance as well. I’m setting off to bring him back because of the lack of violence the age restriction should dead or alive. not be followed… this is most definitely an adult title.

A thriller game for the Wii? Can this be? I thought the Wii

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The game meanders a little in the beginning, giving the player a great opportunity to learn the controls and what is expected of him. It is almost slow enough to put one off initially, but by the third or fourth town the player will be fighting multiple ghosts and experiencing some hair-raisingly intense moments. The game never truly gets fast, but the use of black-and-white graphics and brilliantly atmospheric music when the player is about to get into trouble provides a good, creepy experience. The levels are a bit linear, but this almost pushes the player along in the story line. And the player will likely be scared out of his wits for most of it.

The player will fight and release ghosts by using prayers and chants. The Wii remote controls are used to act these out. While the player does have a physical weapon (in the form of a climbing axe) the Genre: Thriller ghosts are more susceptible P l a t f o r m s : Wi i D e v : D e e p S i l v e r to the motions that the player P u b : D e e p S i l v e r makes. Prayer techniques change Age Rating: 16 for different types of ghosts and Advidsory: None

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

A

sometimes require more movements. Eric is grabbed by ghosts when they are close enough; a running motion with the Wii remote is required to fight the ghost off, or a lot of damage will be done to him.

Health is not really an issue if you take care of it, even during boss battles. Incense sticks lit at the right health shrines recharge a small amount of health, and the correct motions during the late stages of fights will do the same. There are some great boss battles, with complicated ways of winning the fights, which vary from boss to boss more often than not.

The game is full of extra information, and the player will likely spend a lot of time reading. These titbits are vital to success, and the player who takes the time to read the ‘research’ will fare better than those who try to rush the process. Your progress through the game can be measured by how many of these books you have collected, as the section that they file into has a limit displayed area.

The game doesn’t offer too much replay value, beyond going back to find items you have missed. However, a single play-through provides a fantastic experience – not to mention a very scary one. It only offers a single player campaign, but this just goes further to reinforce the creepiness of the title. g

Cursed Mountain isn’t a fast paced game, but it is a very scary, very intense adult title for the Wii.The unique ideas behind the game, along with an excellent story, make it well worth playing. issue 4 • october 2009

89

Star Ocean:The Last Hope

The Final Frontier Humanity’s hope rests with a guy called Edge Maverick...

G

by Bryan Banfield

amers Log: Star date A.D 2064. The world powers have lost it with each other and deployed almost every weapon of mass destruction known to man. In a game of BattleShips that has gone horribly wrong the world now looks like the surface of the moon.

In some turn of fate, part of the world population was able to survive while living in their underground cities. (Mental note – If this world is going to end in nuclear holocaust, now is the time to get the plans for your underground city into your local municipality for approval) They turn to space as mankind’s last hope for survival and succeed in creating warp-drive technology. The world powers now put a secret project know as the Space Reconnaissance Force or SRF in place. The player controls Edge Maverick, the son of an apparently hippieRPG titles allow you to queue up your squad’s attacks and Top-Gun-loving mom, charged with exploring space in then have you sit back while all the damage is dealt in a order to find a new home for our species. As any game turn based system. I have never enjoyed watching my team developer knows, this magnanimous task cannot be completed alone, and Edge is accompanied by a childhood take damage when they don’t even attempt to block.

This real-time combat system will take roughly 35 friend and possible love-interest, as well as a few other minutes to learn through a set of tutorials. Squads consist crew members. of four members, with a few able to sit as reserves for the Intro aside, the cut scenes are amazing and the player to swap between as they feel inclined. soundtrack is breathtaking, and very engaging. These are Each character has their own set of custom skills and the elements that have held Square Enix at the top of their spells, as well as a different way of fighting. This allows the game, setting the standard for J-RPGs (Japanese Roleplayer to choose the fighting style that best suits them.

Playing Games) Combo moves allow you to chain a few attacks together This is the seventh instalment in the Star Ocean series that, when delivered, allow for multiple attacks and higher and is set as the prequel to the entire franchise. Producer chances of delivering critical attacks.

Rush Moves allow Yoshinori Yamagishi announced at the 2008 Tokyo Game you to deliver multiple attacks that include attacks chained Show that it will also be the last in the series. together by other members of your squad.

For all of you Final Fantasy fans, Star Genre: RPG When Rush Moves are executed, huge Ocean: The Last Hope has a very FF8/9 Platforms: X360 amounts of damage are delivered to your Dev: Tri-Ace feel to it, what with its deep, immersive sci-fi enemies.

Pub: Square Enix background and story line.

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character. In certain instances you are able to pull off a blindside attack - this attack allows your player to move out of the enemy line of sight and delivery an attack from behind. On the flip side, some of your enemies have counters for blindside attacks, so timing is what keeps you alive.

As is customary with these J-RPGs, there is a certain skill level that is needed… it’s not a case of button mashing or getting lucky. This is one of the challenges and part of the excitement that comes with mastering the J-RPG genre.

The story line is very predictable, what with your need to save the world, and (while on your quest) coming in contact with a force set on destroying all life. One thing I still cannot understand is why the fate of the world is placed in the hands of children.

The in-game voice-overs do not work well with the character animations. However, if you simply love a sci-fi story line and levelling a squad through an awesome battle system, then this game is definitely for you.

Characters are allowed to hold a maximum of 20 items on their person, which forces the player to use the simple yet powerful crafting system, allowing for surprisingly powerful weapons and upgrades to your squad.

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

C+

One thing they still have not got right is the ability to assist players in knowing when to craft an item or not. I never know whether to hold onto an item or to craft it now. I have had too many situations where I have lost the chance for an amazing item just because there was no intuitive system allowing me to understand the true values of the items available to craft. This leaves the door of chance to wide open for me when it comes to crafting mechanics.

Still, the title is enjoyable enough, and has a few fresh ideas to keep the player going. g

This is pretty much a stock standard, predictable JRPG... but it does have some nice features, like a unique realtime combat system. issue 4 • october 2009

91

Puzzle Kingdoms

A Puzzling Fantasy Tale ...but not one that holds any mysteries.

by Walt Pretorius

I

t’s very easy to get swept away with concepts like great graphics. Games that look really good, and have incredible sound and astounding physics engines, easily impress us. Often, it seems that these aspects of video games can cloud judgement when considering the one fundamental aspect of video gaming that is more important that good looks, great sounds and impressive special effects: the game dynamic. If a game displays the most cutting edge graphics and sound, but doesn’t feel right, is it still a good game? Conversely, if a game has less that perfect graphics, but is fun to play, should it suffer because of its looks?

Puzzle Kingdoms falls into the latter category. It leaves behind 3D graphics for a 2D, sprite based system. Why? Because it can. The game is not about top notch looks… rather, it’s about fun. And it is rather enjoyable – not to mention hideously addictive.

The player’s warriors are The game makes use of an unnecessary story to lead by heroes, who can provide the player with tons of puzzle action. The player earn new skills, spells and items that affect the game in takes of the role of a new king who needs to find the source various ways. Each player takes a turn to try and match of the famine that has gripped his fantasy lands. The king some pieces, or use a special effect or an attack. As the journeys through, and conquers, several other kingdoms player conquers new lands, he can unlock stronger units, in his search for the secret behind the mystery. The story, new heroes and generally increase the power of his army. while it is fun, isn’t particularly original or deep, and it holds It sounds pretty complicated on some levels, but it’s no real ‘lessons’ or even value. It’s just an excuse to play not.

Once again, everything beyond the puzzle board is the game. decoration, there to bring a slightly new angle to an older The action takes place on a colour-matching puzzle concept and give the player an excuse to play. board. Match three of the same kind of coloured symbol, Not that a reason is necessary.

The four styles of puzzle, and a little power is gained. The trick is this – because the all based on the same board and dynamic, are thoroughly puzzles are ‘battles’, there are warriors involved. Different addictive and often very challenging.

The game is very kinds of warriors make use of different types of energy, forgiving, though… for example, unlocking new units will which is provided by matching the colour tiles. When a cost the player a certain amount of gold (which is earned group of warriors has collected enough energy, they can in battles, naturally). That investment, though, does not make an attack, and do a fixed amount of damage… the have to be made with every retry of the particular puzzle player who destroys his opponents warriors first wins the in question. If you fail to complete the puzzle, you can try battle. It’s Tetris with a twist, really. issue 4 • october 2009 92

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again – until you are blue in the face – without having to spend any additional money. The idea of paying is purely window dressing.

One aspect of the game that does bear mentioning is that some of the in-game music is absolutely brilliant.

So, back to the original Genre: Puzzler question. Does a game Platforms: PC need cutting-edge Dev: Infinite Interactive technology behind it to Pub: Zushi be a good game? No, it Age Rating: 3 doesn’t. It needs to have Advisory: None

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

C

a good game dynamic, and needs to be fun to play.

That said, there are a lot of games out there that have both great graphics and a good system backing them up.

So Puzzle Kingdoms doesn’t make it into the top echelon of games based on enjoyability alone. Still, it will work on virtually any PC (because it is far from demanding in terms of system specifications) and it is massively accessible to players of any gaming skill level. Not everyone will enjoy the game – some people don’t agree with me on the graphics thing, and others don’t like puzzlers. Still, if you enjoy a good mental challenge, it’s worth a look. Be warned, though… it’ll hook you very quickly. g

It’s not a complicated game, and it doesn’t make use of cutting edge technology... but Puzzle Kingdoms is fun and addictive none-the-less. issue 4 • october 2009

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Tropico Reloaded

Creative Politics Tropico is as fun today as it was when it was first released

I

by Walt Pretorius

spend a lot of time chatting with friends about the great games of a few years ago. Naturally, because the video game industry moves so fast, a game doesn’t have to be old in the greater scheme of things to be considered ancient by gamers. And so we reminisce about these ‘old’ games, talking about them as though they were good friends we have lost contact with. Once such game was Tropico, which we got to talking about recently because we heard about the upcoming release of the long overdue third instalment in the series. It was perhaps a coincidence that Tropico Reloaded arrived in my game review tray not long thereafter – or perhaps it was serendipity.

The biggest problem with older games is that they don’t original Tropico and its Paradise Island expansion, as well always date well. On console, these games are almost as Tropico 2: Pirate Cove. completely pointless – possible backward compatibility The premise to Tropico is quite simple: become the issues make playing them difficult, quite often, and there dictator of a Caribbean banana is just so much “The game dynamics are still republic and rule with an iron fist new stuff on (which might perhaps be hidden in a the market that as sound as they were when silk glove.) The player needs, as El playing them the games were first released, Presidente, to provide just enough to only seems to and the titles are as enjoyable his people to keep them fairly happy damage fond today as when they were first (happy enough to vote him back memories, installed on computers around into power whenever he decides to somehow. On have an election, of course) while PC, it’s generally the globe” sticking large sums of money is a a different story. retirement fund managed by a Swiss bank. It’s a devilishly Yes, sometimes new operating systems are incompatible simple idea, but one that is a little tougher in practice. For with older games, but a search around the right kind of example, there are numerous factions on the island that video game store will reveal a wealth of classic titles that have been spruced up, just a little, to deal G e n r e : M a n a g e m e n t the player needs to deal with, and appeasing one generally angers another. To successfully with that kind of issue. Tropico Reloaded is Platforms: PC D ev : Po p To p navigate the pitfalls of creative politics such a title, and a very welcome one at that.

Pub: Kalypso (complete with rigged elections) is a careful The disk actually holds three games.

Age Rating: 12 balancing act.

OK, to be more accurate, two games and Advisory: V / L With the Paradise Island expansion, the an expansion. These are in the form of the issue 4 • october 2009 94

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idea of tourism is injected into the game. The player can now rely on superpowers not just for foreign aid, but also for tourists willing to blow their cash on exotic holiday destinations. While there is more money to be made, the game becomes even more challenging… the player needs to turn his island into an attractive destination, in addition to passing underhanded edicts and generally enriching himself at the expense of his exploited populace.

Tropico 2: Pirate Cove takes a similar approach, but

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

C+

gives the franchise a different theme and an overhaul in terms of game mechanics. The game is set at the height of the pirate era, and the player assumes the role of one of the famous cutthroats that roamed the Caribbean and struck terror into the hearts of all who saw their dread flags. Other than that, it’s a very similar game experience, with the player balancing labour, income and loyalty to try and come out on top in money terms. While Tropico would allow a perpetual sandbox game to be played, Tropico 2 comes with a time limit, even in free-form sessions. The workings of the system are also more complicated in the latter game, with more to be taken into account to make sure the population of scurvy sea dogs don’t have their leader walking the plank.

The Tropico series is a classic management collection.

The systems aren’t overly complicated, but still prove challenging, and the heavy humour injected into the titles makes playing them worth it, if even for a nostalgic laugh.

Tropico Reloaded offers the player just that – a trip down memory lane, in preparation for the new game.

Sure, it doesn’t feature top-notch graphics, but the game dynamics are still as sound as they were when the games were first released, and the titles are as enjoyable today as when they were first installed on computers around the globe.

If you’re a management fan, and enjoy reliving past greats (and aren’t too hung up on the latest technology) then Tropico Reloaded is a great option. It is not very demanding on system resources, which makes its already great value even more appealing. Go on, be El Presidente.

You know you wanna. g

Tropico Reloaded provides management game fans with a very nice stroll down memory lane, with two games and one expansion that are mush fun to play now as they were when first released. issue 4 • october 2009

95

East India Company

Rule the Waves The first mega-corporations traded spice and silk...

F

by Walt Pretorius

rom around 1600 to 1750, various the form of combat. Pirates will prey on the European nations established player’s fleets, and other companies will what became known as East India eventually declare war on the player (or he Companies. These were arguably will declare war on them – it’s all the same). the first mega-corporations, and those that held their reigns Combat can either be automatically resolved, or can be became very wealthy, and incredibly powerful. These handled by the player personally, in a strategic view that is companies had quite an influence on the history of the fairly pretty but is also slow and cumbersome. world (and South Africa’s European colonisation started The main aim of the game is to hold the twelve Indian more-or-less because of them, as did that of many other ports in the game for ten years, at least in the longer countries.) When these companies grew large enough, campaigns. There are various missions and campaigns they started fighting amongst each other for control of the available, as well as a sandbox mode. lucrative trade routes that brought exotic items to Europe Taking and holding a port requires a strong fleet. New fro the Far East and Africa. And we though the idea of ships can be unlocked, according to how much money corporate wars was a modern one… the player is willing to spend, and what date it is in the How historically accurate the game East India Company game. The larger ships only become available later in the is… well, that’s a little beside the point. The above premise game’s timeline, of course. A powerful fleet is then sent to is what the game is based on, and it is up to the player to control such a company, grow it into a massive powerhouse, and claim domination of trade. It sounds like it could be a massively complex idea but, in truth, the game presents the player with an easy-to-understand and easy-to-play look at that period of history.

Naturally, this is a management game and, as such, requires a bit of thinking and a lot of work. The thinking that the game demands is not as involved as one might think, and the business model employed by the game is relatively simple. It is based on two major ideas; supply and demand, and income versus expenditure. As long as the player keeps those two aspects of the game in mind, they should do fine.

There are some other complications that arise in the game, particularly in issue 4 • october 2009 96

take over a port (something which is automatically resolved by the game.) The player can then upgrade the port facilities, in order to defend it and provide a safe harbour for fleets that need to restock and repair.

East India Company is by no means a ground breaking management game, but it does look at an interesting period of history, and it is fun to play. It offers the player a hell of a lot to do, too, and once the player starts making the big bucks, tons of missions and diplomatic missives flow in. In fact, it can get a bit overwhelming.

In terms of graphics, the title offers its best looks when the player engages in battles. The map overview and port interface (two areas that the player will be spending the most time in) are a little bland, but not awful by any measure.

East India Company has a few niggles, but nothing serious. The biggest problem is that the game does a short load between the map overview and port screens, and players that are actively building up trade routes and such will see this screen a lot. Once routes have been automated, G e n r e : M a n a g e m e n t though, the player won’t Platforms: PC have to jump back ands forth D ev : Pa r a d ox between the two screens quite Pub: Nitro Games as much.

Age Rating: 7 Also (and this is a pedantic Advisory: None

Reviewer’s Rating:

Hardcore < > Casual

C+

complaint) some of the translation into English that the game has undergone is less than perfect. It doesn’t ruin the experience… rather, it provides a few giggle opportunities.

The voice acting is also a bit bland, with the same voice providing most of the phrases (and these phrases are repeated over and over again.)

If you’re looking for a fun and fairly light management title, East India Company is not a bad option. Its replay value is based almost entirely on the player and their willingness to retry the game with different settings, but a single, full length campaign will take some time to finish. g

East India Company puts the player in control of a powerful trading firm during the 1600s, and tasks him with ruling the trade routes to the Far East... issue 4 • october 2009

97

A rAging Success...

Yet again, the rAge Expo manages to deliver the goods for South African gamers 98

by Walt Pretorius • photos by Axel Buhrmann issue 4 • october 2009

gamecca • feature

T

he dust has settled, and all who were involved have settled down for some much needed rest – visitors and exhibitors alike. rAge 2009 is done and dusted.

Held over the first weekend of October every year, at the Coca-Cola Dome in Northgate, Johannesburg, rAge is South Africa’s largest and most important video game expo. The show brings together game distributors, hardware companies and a host of other exhibitors who exist within the framework of a gaming lifestyle under one massive (and very curved) roof, and offers the public a one stop location to learn about upcoming titles and products – and get some great deals in the process.

Aside from all the stands and exhibits, rAge 2009 featured a number of other prominent events on the South African video gaming calendar. EA’s FIFA 10, as well as the MSI P55 motherboard, the MSI AE2200 and the PlayStation 3 Slim were all launched at the event, as well as LanGames TV. The expo also played host to the KULT Fusion Anime Lounge and exhibition games by the top Swedish team, Fnatic. Even the South African Pop Idols were present to try their hand at Microsoft’s karaoke game, Lips.

Additionally, rAge 2009 saw several competitions taking place. The Guitar Hero: World Tour SA National Championships, Telkom Do Gaming Championships and

Arena 77 Quake 3 Tournament all took place, among some others.

Visitors were also treated to on-stage presentations by the developers of Avatar, Assassin’s Creed II, Borderlands and Splinter Cell: Conviction, as well as several other games available for hands-on playing.

Last, but most certainly not least, the iconic NAG LAN saw 1822 eager gamers lugging their PCs to the venue to take part in 53 hours of massive, non-stop gaming.

nts tter eve he e b e t th f .T gh history ch e thou efinitely one o g w n t a lo h ’s W mu po sd 009 wa ded in the ex activities was s to 2 e g A r tten itor nal have a romotio e for vis that we f retail and p ow, with mor .) y mone eo ’s sh hough balanc tons of st year d n la e r p e oks. Alt been s v o o n b r a y e r th tt r be the histo ave d do (o s one for the s appear to h on the see an a e o w a d is 009 d w s, in yet, rAge 2 ars, an ’t e n y e r s a u fore. ures revio than be well done” e final fig ended than p c n ie r tt rty “ xpe better a much better e extend a hea to seeing to a r , a rw d like whole would look fo a e c w c e d n Gam ! am… a Age te e 2010 to the r again at rAg ne everyo

issue 4 • october 2009

99

gamecca • review

Borderlands

Borderlands promises the player a unique experience with every session.This action packed FPS will make use of a unique weapon generation system that will result in hundreds of thousands of different tools of the trade With so many games on display, it was hard to pick four favourites from the rAge 2009 line-up. However, the four titles that made the most impression on me (for various reasons, were Borderlands, Assassin’s Creed 2, Splinter

Cell: Conviction and Brutal Legend. These particular games got the most of my attention, but they weren’t the only great games on display. DJ Hero, Avatar, Tekken 6, Need for Speed Nitro, The Saboteur, Dragon Age: Origins,

Assassin’s Creed 2 moves the action from the Holy Land to Renaissance Italy as more of the franchise’s deep and compelling story is revealed. New systems and freedom mean the player can experience the game on their own terms.

Assassin’s Creed 2 100

issue 4 • october 2009

gamecca • review

Splinter Cell: Conviction

A whole new approach to the Splinter Cell franchise gives players more freedom and more action as Sam Fisher returns.This time around, Sam is on the run, and needs to use all his wits and skills to stay alive... and free.

Forza Motorsport 3 And Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising all got a lot of attention at the show as well, going a long way to reinforce the fact that 2009 still has a huge amount of top-notch gaming on offer.

As always, the gaming displays proved very popular this year, with literally thousands of people jostling to get their hands on the games that they are hoping to find under the Christmas tree. g

Jack Black’s looks, voice and unique comedic style are injected into a fantasy world, where the player must battle the forces of evil with the power of metal... this game promises to be a heavy-metal fan’s dream-come-true.

Brutal Legend

issue 4 • october 2009

101

gamecca • hardware

Western Digital Caviar Black Desktop HDD

Fast Paced Fast, quiet and oh-so-generous...

by Walt Pretorius

As a gamer, you want nothing less. Many people do not realise the importance of speed when it comes to harddrives, but a sluggish drive can slow even the punchiest system down to a crawl. These high performance SATA drives bring a combination of some very impressive numbers to the table: 7200 RPM spin speed, 32MB or 64MB cache and a data transfer speed (via the SATA interface, of course) of 3Gb per second. That, take it from me, is quick.

The performance is backed up by generous storage capacities. The top of the range will hold 2TB of data, which is quite impressive. estern Digital is not a newcomer to the Aside from speed and storage, the drives are quiet and hardware market, and their hard-drives very reliable, making them not only powerful, but also nonshow their experince. As the need for invasive... there’s nothing worse than a noisy hard-drive faster, more powerful hardware has clattering away while you’re trying to get some important increased, this veteran company has answered every gaming done. challenge with devices that are solid and reliable.

If you’re looking to squeeze every ounce of performance The Caviar Black range of hard drives are built out of your machine, this range is an excellent HDD option, specifically to deliver powerful performance. While other built specifically for the high demands of modern video drives may perform well, these are trimmed for fast speeds gamers and other power-users. g and absolute reliability. issue 4 • october 2009 102

W

gamecca • hardware

SteelSeries 7G Gaming Keyboard

Pushing the Limits Tweaker’s dream...

by Walt Pretorius

A

good graphics card isn’t a choice these days it is a necessity. In fact, even a great card isn’t enough. Nowadays, gamers want a graphics card that can be pushed to all kind of limits; a fact which the folks at Asus understand all to well The new Asus EAH5870 is an impressive graphics card, even unmodified. It sports an ATI radeon HD 5870 graphics engine, supported by 1GB of GDDR5 RAM. The 850 MHz engine clock speed and 480MHz memory clock speed deliver a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1600 of pacey, crisp graphics.

But for those that want a little extra out of this card’s already impressive performance, Asus have built a

Voltage Tweak system that makes overclocking the device easy.

While there are always dangers in overclocking hardware, the Voltage Tweak system allows users quick and effortless management of their card’s performance, allowing the EAH5870 to pack a massive graphic punch through a simple software interface. Performance can be increased by up to 17% over generic cards of the same specification.

And for those, like me, that want their desk to look like a monitor colony, this card supports three displays, to boot. g

issue 4 • october 2009

103

Teh n00b...

O

nce again, we have taken our inspiration from one of our columnsists... this time the intrepid Bryan Banfield.

Multiplayer gaming is a massive market at the moment, but servers aren’t all fun and games... not with big mouth louts proclaiming their brilliance to all and sundry.

So, we decided to get a multiplayer fan and a single player fan to have a bit of a chat for our Showdown...

typed words on a screen. In fact, I believe that, in itself, is antisocial.

Multi: Dude, you’re just afraid that you’ll be pwned.

Single: And that’s another thing. If I am going to socialise online, gaming or not, I prefer to do it with people that can spell.

Single: I love relaxing with my own thoughts and a good video game. Nothing better than some peace and quiet while blowing away virtual bad-guys.

Multi: Ha! N00b!

Multi: Man, you’re missing out. Nothing compares to the skill required in taking on actual human opponents.

Multi: N00B! You are just afraid that you’ll be pwned by someone with teh mad skllz!

Single: Sure, I hear you.

But I want to play my games for me.

Multiplayer is something I only get into on the rarest of occasions...

Multi: Ah. Fear. I can smell it.

Single: Um, no, it’s not fear. It’s got to do with the fact that I enjoy gaming without feeling the need to prove myself against other gamers.

Multi: But that’s what gaming is about, isn’t it? Proving you have better skills? Comeptition?

Single: Sure, why not? But I think that great skills and being able to show off to your friends should take second place to fun.

Multi: OK, so you’re afraid and anti-social?

Single: Well...

Multi: Admit it, man. You are anti-social!

Single: What, because I don’t play multiplayer games?

Actually, I am very social. I go out and meet real people on a regular basis. I don’t need to do my socialisation via

Single: No, not at all. I just...

Single: Dude, English, please...

Multi: You f33r teh m4d-h4x0r!

Single: What?

Multi: Lolz!

Single: OK, look, I am going to go visit my friends. Speak to some real people. In a real language. Later, man...

Multi: Hey! Wait! Who am I supposed to play against?

Multiplayer gaming is here to stay, like it or not. But the attitude taken by many gamers online is off-putting and thoroughly annoying - there is such a thing as a bad winner, and this behaviour dissuades many people from playing online. The culture surrounding the activity is also a bit of a tough nut to crack, particularly for the more casual gamer.

Sadly, the focus has shifted away from the single player experience, and towards the mulltiplayer one. This alienation will force people to play online, but gaming is meant to be fun... not about being forced to do stuff. Game developers surely must realise that there are gamers out there who value a single player experience more highly?

Either way, the argument is pretty inconclusive, yet again. I think we need better people discussing things... g

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