Gamecca Magazine April 2016

ISSUE 82 / Vol.7 April 2016

www.gameccamag.com

Acer’s G17 Notebook

Hitman Reviewed

Dark Zone

The Division Reviewed

Nostalgia Rules

The Kill

Revisit the Mega Drive

New Player

Quantum Break The Division Hitman Trackmania Turbo and more...

About Time!

Quantum Shift breaks barriers...

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Bronze Award

Silver Award

Gold Award

Platinum Award

Ed’s Choice Award

Given to games & hardware that score 80-84

Given to games & hardware that score 85-90

Given to games & hardware that score 90-94

Given to games & hardware that score 95-100

Editor’s Choice Award for products that make an impression

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h yes, April is here, and it brings all its silliness with it. There were a number of great hoaxes that flew around the internet on April Fool’s Day, ranging from political chicanery through to spoofs of really great internet connection offers (which were particularly cruel when you consider that data and connectivity in South Africa are expensive things).

It also means that we’re two months away from E3 2016, the show at which much of the end of year gaming landscape will be defined. It’s almost difficult to believe that 206 is four months old already, and that in sixty days or so we will be seriously considering the end of the year once again. And in just a little longer than that, we will be celebrating Gamecca’s seventh birthday with the publishing of issue 85.

They have been an interesting seven years, marked with moments both great and not-so-great. Part of the success of Gamecca has been an ability to get through those times and consistently deliver the kind of magazine you, the readers, enjoy. Another part has been the strength, professionalism and dedication of our crew. It is with great sadness that we bid farewell to our longest standing crew member, Charlie Fripp. Charlie has been with Gamecca from the start, and has always delivered not only great content for us to include in the magazine, but also valuable opinions and ideas that have benefitted Gamecca’s growth greatly through the years. But

From the Editor

Unusual

by Walt Pretorius

the time has come for Charlie to move his focus elsewhere, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

On to happier matters – the releases that are coming up. This year seems to be – for the moment, at least – a little different to others in that we still have a number of strong titles making an appearance rather close to E3. Titles like Dark Souls III, Total War: Warhammer, DOOM, Battleborn, Overwatch, Homefront: The Revolution, Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst and Umbrella Corps are releasing right up until E3 2016 happens, which is an unusual state of affairs. And while there are some that say the fact that numerous of the show’s big exhibitors will apparently not be part of the show floor this year is a bad sign, the rumours about what’s coming are already flowing thick and fast.

I have learned over the years not to predict or speculate about what’s going to happen in terms of game releases. It simply doesn’t work, because it’s a fickle industry that is constantly full of surprises. But as long as those surprises are the good kind, personally, I don’t mind.

In an industry full of ups and downs, all we really need is for the games to keep flowing in. And that looks likely to be the case this year, with a second half that already includes titles like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, The Technomancer, Dead Island 2, Halo Wars 2, Mafia III, Sniper Elite 4 and Scalebound. And let’s not even talk about the whole VR thing…

Right, that’s enough from me: you’ve got a magazine to get to, and I need to get some gaming done to celebrate yet another issue of Gamecca Magazine done and dusted.…g mgeect 2 c7a 8 2 ggl a ad

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THIS MONTH’S COVER

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Feature: Go retro Celebrating the Sega Mega Drive

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reviews: Hardware Seven tech devices inspected

Smashing time with Quantum Break

Publisher Walt Pretorius walt@novamentis.co.za

Publisher Katia Taliadoros

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Regular: Internet Not like in the movies...

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Regular: Did you know More great gaming factoids

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Feature: About Time Combining gaming and film

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PReviews: Games 9 titles coming up

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Reviews: games 9 games dissected

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Regular: IndieView Axon in motion

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Regular: Legacy To be a Thief...

katia@novamentis.co.za

Writers: Alex Scanlon Clive Burmeister Lein Baart Katia Taliadoros Nthato Morakabi Rob Edwards Sibonisile Motha Suvesh Arumugam Walt Pretorius Letters: letters@gameccamag.com

Competition Entries: competitions@gameccamag.com

Newsletter Subscriptions: www.gameccamag.com

Marketing Contact:

Copyright Š 1337 Media CC 2009 - 2014

walt@novamentis.co.za katia@novamentis.co.za

Taking fun seriously!

All rights reserved. No content may be reproduced, copied or transmitted without the express permission of the publishers. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editors and publishers. All Trademarks and Registered Trademarks are the sole property of the respective owners.

GAMECCA is published by 1337 MEDIA

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Feature: Bump in the Night The World of Darkness Beckons...

Comics Four bits of Excellent artistic reading

Gamecca Vol. 7 Issue 82 April 2016

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Ed’s Note An Unusual Year Ramjet’s Rantality Who to trust?

The Time Betwixt Flash in the pan?

The Last Word A New World

Kraken Mobile Headset

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“Quantum Break is a great game for those who enjoy an entertaining narrative combined with competent cover-based action.”

Quantum Break

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Go retro

HARDWARE Reviews 16 18 20 22 24 26 28

Razer Kraken Mobile Stereo Headset Acer C205 LED Projector Roccat Ryos TKL Pro Keyboard Acer Predator 17 Gaming Notebook Cooler Master Masterkeys Pro L Mechanical Keyboard Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset Razer Blackwidow Ultimate 2016 Edition Mechanical Keyboard

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Celebrating the

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Sega Mega Drive Classic Game Console

Retro

Sega Mega Drive

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he video game industry is a fickle one – the tastes and habits of consumers change relatively quickly, and the march of technology constantly pushes boundaries that hardware manufacturers need to keep up with. This is perhaps even more true of console manufacturers. PC hardware can constantly be upgraded, meaning that new hardware is easily integrated into existing ecosystems, and new ideas are easily absorbed into the market.

But consoles work in terms of generations. Aside from facing stiff competition, console manufacturers need to build systems that will last for at least a few years in terms of technology, without biting off more than they can chew.

Sega was, for around 18 years, a prominent console manufacturer, but strong competition from companies like Nintendo and Sony (in the form of the PlayStation) as well as internal desires within Sega to move away from the console business and focus solely on software saw the company abandon their console efforts in the early 2000s. Just before that happened, though, Sega released a video game console that many considered revolutionary and ahead of its time – the Sega Dreamcast.

It was the first video game console to offer internet connectivity, and featured (at the time) extremely powerful hardware at a very reasonable price. But the question of whether the public was ready for some of the ideas that the Dreamcast brought with it has been raised more than once, and rather than becoming the powerhouse it should have, its

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Sega Mega Drive Classic Game Console

sales flagged. It became more of a trailblazer for consoles like the PlayStation 2 than a success in its own right. Poor fiscal performance of Sega on the whole, as well as the lacklustre performance of the Dreamcast at checkout counters saw the company abandon console efforts once and for all, taking its strong software line-up on as third party offerings instead.

But the Dreamcast was not the only console that Sega manufactured that received high praise. In truth, one of the best video game consoles ever produced came from the same company, but unlike the Dreamcast’s poor performance, it enjoyed great success: the Sega Genesis.

Also known as the Sega Mega Drive, the Genesis received praise for numerous factors, including its six button controller, backwards compatibility, aim at an older demographic, excellent third party support and great game library.

Initially released as the Mega Drive in Japan in 1988, it saw US release (as the Genesis) in 1989 and further global release (one again as the Mega Drive) in 1990. It marked a change in home video gaming, bringing a more adult feel to the idea of console gaming, and establishing an extremely solid base of games to play – more than 900 in total, excluding the Master System backward compatibility. While it didn’t fare as well in Japan, the Mega Drive became an iconic game console in the rest of the world.

The timing of the Mega Drive was interesting. It was at the cusp of major breakthroughs in console technology, like the advent of 32 bit processing

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and the use of CDs as storage media. Sega produced add-ons for both ideas, as well as an initial foray into online gaming – in Japan at least. A special modem and cartridge allowed users to play 17 games online.

The Sega Mega Drive did a great many things to improve and develop video gaming.

Aside from taking a more “mature” approach to video games (and being one of the reasons why video game age rating systems became necessary) it introduced the idea of consoles to the entire world in a more progressive way. Additionally, third party game developers benefitted from less restrictive licensing terms that Sega made use of, and numerous massive franchises had their roots right there, on a Mega Drive cartridge.

So impactful and popular was the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis that numerous emulators are available today.

And one such device has recently become available in South Africa. Licensed from Sega, AtGames’ Sega Mega Drive Classic Game Console offers users the ability to reexperience the golden age of console gaming – or experience it for the first time.

Distributed by Apex Interactive, this diminutive device comes pre-loaded with 80 classics, including Altered Beast, Alien Storm, Columns, Ecco, ESWAT, Golden Axe (1, 2 and 3) Shinobi III, Streets of Rage (1, 2 and 3) Sonic the Hedgehog, Virtua Fighter II and Mortal Kombat (1, 2 and 3).

In this collection are some of the most recognisable classic franchises that are only really eclipsed by titles like Mario Bros., making this product not gamecca82

Sega Mega Drive Classic Game Console

only great fun, but a fantastic homage to one of the greatest and most successful game consoles that ever existed.

The device also includes a port for Sega Mega Drive cartridges, of which there are still a few floating around, eagerly sought out by collectors and retro gamers alike.

And that’s another area in which this AtGames version of the Mega Drive is great – it allows those who are into retro gaming to build a quick, reliable and diverse library of Sega Mega Drive games, without the need to hunt all over the place or make use of PC emulators.

The console can be used with any TV that has RCA ports, and comes with two wireless, battery operated controllers (and yes, they have six buttons).

Yes, the video game industry is fickle, as we said at the beginning of this article. And the march of technology often leaves many casualties in its wake, as the changeable market and unpredictable trends sweep through everything. So while Sega may no longer be a console producer, and while their Dreamcast may have suffered a demise that was far too sudden, there is still the chance to celebrate one of their greatest influences on video gaming, in the form of the Sega Mega Drive Classic Game Console. And let’s be honest – we love the flashy new games powered by topnotch technology, but the games of yesteryear delivered experiences that were rich, deep and engaging, and deserve to be celebrated even as we steam ahead into brave new worlds of gaming. g gamecca82

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Razer

H C EW E T VI E R

Kraken Mobil

TECHNOLOGY

Bold colours for Apple users

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by Walt Pretorius

AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY

TECH SPECS

While this is a great headset, making it Apple-compatible only, and not offering an easy solution for Android users, may well harm it in the long run.

Ma nuf a c t ure r D i s t ri but e r: Onl i ne :

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In-line control In-line mic 40mm neodymium drivers 3.5mm jack Stereo

SCORE

Razer A pe x I nt e ra c t i v e w w w . a pe xi nt . c o . z a

AWARDS

he Kraken range from Razer is an extremely popular headset brand, and Razer have shown their realisation of this fact by producing more than a few variants of the Kraken. At this time, there are six different headsets in the Kraken range, varying from 7.1 surround sound, chroma enabled devices through to the Kraken Forged edition for music lovers. Within that range is the Kraken Mobile, a headset specifically designed for use with mobile devices . Apple devices, specifically – out of the box, the Kraken Mobile comes with an in-line microphone and controller that works with iOS devices. You can adjust volume, accept or reject calls, and even control music playback with the simple, three button remote. But if your device doesn’t have an “I” in the name, you’re out of luck; the Android compatible cable is available, yes, but it is sold separately, and is exclusively available via the RazerStore.

While it may have been a good idea to have a readily available Android compatible option of this brightly coloured headset on shelf, it is what it is. And for those using an iPad, iPod or iPhone, the Kraken Mobile will prove to be a comfortable, reliable and great sounding headset. Naturally, the 3.5mm jack means it can be used with virtually any device that has a compatible port, but the inline controls are Apple devices only.

In terms of being a headset, the Kraken Mobile delivers exactly what is expected of this popular and effective brand. It features the same familiar structure, with large round ear-cups featuring generous padding. The headband is also well padded, and the overall unit is fairly light. As part of the Neon Series, this headset is extremely brightly coloured (we got a blue one to take a look at) and the usual striking Kraken looks are made even bolder by the addition of colour.

And then, of course, there’s the matter of audio.

Like pretty much every Kraken out there, the Kraken Mobile I a great option for those looking for excellent personal audio, with 40mm neodymium drivers delivering sound of great quality across the whole audio spectrum.

The real question, then, is if you have a compatible device. Sure, the iPhone and other Apple devices are still wildly popular, but in a market where Android is growing from strength to strength, perhaps Razer would have been wiser to make getting an Android compatible cable just a little easier. While the device still works perfectly with virtually anything that can handle a 3.5mm jack, it’s full functionality is restricted, much like a console specific headset, and that quite frankly isn’t doing this otherwise great device any favours. g

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

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Acer

H C EW E T VI E R

C205

LED Projector

Pretty bright for a little guy…

TECHNOLOGY

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ED lights are something that we are almost taking for granted these days, but it wasn’t all that long ago that they were the next best thing. These diminutive light sources could burn brighter, and consume less power than incandescent and fluorescent bulbs. And they have a fantastic life-span.

And then there’s the matter of size… LED lights have allowed all kinds of miniaturisation to take place, in numerous devices. That includes the massive old projector that used to sit on the conference table and only get used if someone was brave enough to struggle to get it to work.

Acer’s C205 LED projector, for example, is literally a fraction of the size of those that came before. It’s small enough to fit in a bag or brief case, and has added portability thanks to an internal battery that will

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deliver up to two hours of performance. In addition, it features an easy-to-use HDMI port that makes plugging it into a whole lot of different devices a breeze. It even has a thread mounted at the bottom, meaning it can be used with a standard photographic tripod, should it be needed.

It delivers 200 ANSI lumens of light, which makes it great for smaller rooms and low light conditions. It won’t do as well in brighter light or larger rooms, particularly when considering that it’s maximum diagonal projection size is 2540mm. That’s a pretty decent size, as long as the room isn’t too big. The maximum image resolution 1280 x 800, which isn’t too shabby.

The built in 2W speakers are not quite on par, though, considering that the image quality is pretty good. They really don’t do the image justice, and are more functional than anything else. Using additional audio is not a bad idea is audio is something that you need.

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Acer C205 LED Projector

by Rob Edwards

AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY

TECH SPECS

It’ small, versatile and highly portable, but it won’t serve the needs of those who want an extremely powerful projector.

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200 ANSI Lumens 30000 hour lamp life Rechargeable battery HDMI port USB port 2W speakers

SCORE

Acer Acer w w w . a c e r. c o m

AWARDS

Still, for those that want a very portable projector, for either work or leisure, the C205 certainly does the trick.

The rechargeable battery is a great idea, because it frees the user of even more wires – or the need for an extra power point – and the image is surprisingly large, and pretty good, for such a small device.

The controls are extremely simple, with only brightness, mode (of which there are few) and volume available to the user. Additionally, the lens doesn’t have a built-in cap, although the C205 ships with a handy protective soft carry case.

Those that want a massive home entertainment set up based around a projector, or who want to lecture in an auditorium, won’t find much use here. But that’s not the market that the C205 plays in. Rather, it offers high portability and versatility as it’s selling points, with a side order of no mess, no fuss. g

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

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Roccat

H C EW E T VI E R

Ryos

A compact performer

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compact keyboard certainly is a great way to save space, particularly for PC gamers who have to consider the area they have to work with. And you don’t get much more compact that Roccat’s Ryos TKL Pro. The TKL indicates what Roccat call a “tenkeyless” design, presumably referring to the fact that the keyboard has been kept smaller by leaving the numpad out of the overall design.

The compact nature of the Ryos TKL Pro has allowed the designers of the device to take some liberties in other areas. For example, the keyboard has a rather generous wrist rest. At the top of this rest are three thumb-activated macro keys, which constitute the total offering of extra keys that the Ryos TKL Pro offers.

They’re pretty smartly placed, though, and when combined with the Easy-Shift [+] system and the fully programmable nature of the keys, you end up with around 470 macros that can be recorded and stored to the keyboard, without the need for additional software.

The customisation goes even further – each key is individually backlit, allowing for massive amounts of visual customisation. Taking a leaf out of the Chrma playbook, Roccat have also included numerous lighting effects and presets for the Ryos TKL Pro. The Ryos TKL Pro also

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makes use of the Roccat Talk system, which means that it can pair with a similarly endowed Roccat mouse to add even more options for the user. As far as customisation goes, a Roccat desktop is an excellent option.

The ruggedly constructed Ryos TKL Pro makes use of Cherry MX switches with a 50 million keystroke lifespan.

It also features a sturdy exterior finish, complete with a smudge proof glossy feel. It has five rubber feet, as well as cable channels to help keep clutter down and stability high.

Performance, of course, is extremely important in a keyboard, and the Ryos TKL Pro certainly delivers. The keys have the great tactile feel we so often get with mechanical keyboards, and the key stroke response is excellent. Additionally, the Ryos TKL Pro features a 30 key rollover for extreme anti ghosting.

If you’re after a keyboard that is effective, comfortable to use and doesn’t take up a lot of space, you can do far worse that this one. The lack of the numpad is necessary to keep the size small, and those that can do without it will find that the Ryos TKL Pro is a comfortable, responsive keyboard with lots of customisation options, as well as some nifty design ideas. With devices like this, as well as the Roccat Talk system, this peripheral manufacturer is likely to go very far. g

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Roccat Ryos TKL Pro Keyboard

Keyboard

SUMMARY With tons of options, great performance and a compact build, the Ryos TKL Pro is great for those wanting to save a bit of space.

TECH SPECS • • • • • •

MX Cherry switches Three macro keys Individual backlighting Roccat Talk 30 key rollover M A NUFA CT UR E R Ro cca t

DISTRIB UTOR TV R C o m p u ter s

AWARDS

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Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

SCORE

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by Alex Scanlon

AT A GLANCE:

Acer

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Predator

TECHNOLOGY

Ice cold killer

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With exceptional cooling technology and an excellent build, The G17 looks set to take on the gaming notebook arena.

AWARDS

AT A GLANCE:

SUMMARY

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

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backlit keyboard has individual backlighting zones, which is great for customisation. The keyboard is also has all the key’s you’d expect, including a number pad. Additional input (if you want to use it) comes in the form of a generously sized track pad.

Naturally, this is a big notebook (all gaming notebooks are) and it can generate quite a lot of heat during hectic gaming sessions. To this end it features massive rear ports for ventilation, which add to the apt predatory look that the device has. But if the heat gets too much, and we love this feature, the optical drive (a super-multi DVD drive) can be swapped out with an additional cooling unit.

It’s a fantastic idea, allowing you to really push the notebook if you can do without your optical drive. And it’s easy to do.

The Predator also features Acer’s SoundPound system, which incorporates four speakers and two subwoofers for surprising good audio (by notebook standards).

The Predator 17 has numerous other bells and whistles too, like an integrated card reader and four USB 3.0 ports, among others. But what’s most important here is the performance – the Predator 17 does really well under strain, and delivers exactly what it is supposed to… a great gaming experience. It’s a fantastic first outing from Acer in this valuable space, and we’re keen to see what they come up with next! g

SCORE

93

Ma nuf a c t ure r: D i s t ri but e r: Onl i ne :

Acer Acer w w w . a c e r. c o m

TECH SPECS • • • • • • • • •

3.5GHz CPU 8GB RAM 128GB SSD 1TB HDD GTX 980M GPU 17 inch screen

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by Walt Pretorius

hile companies like MSI and Asus have been playing in the gaming notebook arena for some time, some of the more “traditional” manufacturers – names you would very easily associate with notebooks – haven’t seemed to give gaming the time of day. But when it comes to PC usage, gaming is way up there.

Component manufacturers (which is maybe why names like MSI and Asus have entered the fray) know this. So it’s really not much of a surprise that a company like Acer, with many years of experience in making notebooks, should follow a similar route.

They have called their gaming products the Predator range and, so far, we here at Gamecca have seen a tablet and a massive monitor from that series. Now, though, we get to see a more focussed, dedicated product, in the form of the Predator 17 gaming notebook.

This monster is powered by an Intel i7 CPU that churns out up to 3.5GHz of performance.

A fairly decent 8GB of DDR4 RAM provides memory, while storage comes in the form of a 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD. Visuals are provided by a 17 inch monitor, powered by a rather chunky GeForce GTX 980M graphics chip.

Acer have introduced some really great ideas to the Predator 17. First off, it features five macro keys and a profile switching key. Additionally, the

Acer Predator 17 Gaming Notebook

Gaming Notebook

Cooler Master

H C EW E T VI E R

Masterkeys Smart light and super switches…

TECHNOLOGY

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ooler Master is a company that tries to put as much control in the hands of the end user as they can – at least, that’s their philosophy behind their Maker product range. But, quite honestly, some products are more customisable than others. The Master case, for example, has lots of opportunities to take advantage of a modular design.

But when you get to a keyboard, the opportunities for making things what you want them to be diminish significantly.

Well, in terms of structure, anyway. You cannot really get away with an overly modular keyboard structure, because it is a fairly complicated bit of tech. However, there are certain things that can be structurally changed, like wrist rests. Cooler Master’s Masterkeys Pro L doesn’t feature any of those possibilities, though – essentially, it is a pretty functional keyboard, in the

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sense that it is devoid of bells and whistles like macro keys.

It is, in a word, a minimalist design. Naturally, as a gaming keyboard, it does support macro recording, and it has five different profile settings built in, but the profile keys are the only extras here, and their positioning above the numpad keeps the overall build sleeker and smaller.

Those macros are the first part of the customisation, but what Cooler Master were really after with the Masterkeys Pro L was creating a “best of both worlds” scenario in combining cherry switches (yes, it’s a mechanical keyboard) with bright backlighting. See, mechanical keyboards sometimes don’t have the best backlighting, but by redesigning the switch structure and PCB board, as well as by using larger, brighter LEDs, Cooler Master have managed to make a keyboard that features bright lights as well as mechanical reliability and performance.

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Cooler Master Masterkeys Pro L Mechanical Keyboard

Mechanical Keyboard

by Alex Scanlon

AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY

TECH SPECS • • • • • • •

Although it’s a pretty minimalist keyboard, the Masterkeys Pro L has a great lighting system and delivers excellent performance.

Ma nuf a c t ure r D i s t ri but e r: Onl i ne :

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Cherry MX Switches 5 profiles On-the-fly macro recording Individually backlit keys 100% anti-ghosting

Co o l e r Ma s t e r Co o l e r Ma s t e r w w w . c o o l e rma s t e r. c o m

AWARDS

On top of that, the backlighting in key specific, which means that you can trim it up to be exactly what you want it to be. Like Razer’s Chroma range, this device also include lighting effect presets, but those that really want to draw advantage from the advanced system will want to sit down and take the time to carefully program their backlighting for the best effect.

What is perhaps most important here (it should be) is the fact that the Masterkeys Pro L is quite the performer when it comes to response. It might not have all those added extras that can make other keyboards attractive, but any gamer worth his salt knows that extra buttons and blinking lights don’t trump performance. And that’s what you’ll get here: a no nonsense keyboard with a great lighting system that does exactly what you need it to, when you need it to. Fans of mechanical keyboards will be thoroughly chuffed with it. g

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

SCORE

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Kave

Control your surround‌

TECHNOLOGY

Roccat

H C EW E T VI E R

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Although it lacks versatility, the Kave XTD is a highly tweakable headset that will serve its users well.

AWARDS

AT A GLANCE:

SUMMARY

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

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Separate controls for centre, front, rear and sub volume levels allow careful tweaking, while an overall volume control placed well away from those helps prevent accidental changes. The remote also features a mic mute switch, and a toggle between the Roccat Kave XTD’s two preset modes (game and movie).

Additionally, a handy remote stand can be used to make it a desktop remote (although you’ll need to play with positioning) while a clip on the back of the remote means you can stop it from swinging around (because it is relatively heavy) be securing it to your clothing.

The removable boom mic can also be positioned in virtually any spot, as it uses it’s connector as an axis. This gives it an unusual 360 degrees of rotation, but it’s pretty handy if you want to reverse your stereo and have it on the other side of your head.

While the Roccat Kave XTD is stereo compatible, the need for USB power pretty much precludes any use other than with a PC. That’s fine and well if you want a dedicated, PC based virtual surround sound headset (it does that job really well) but it does rob the Roccat Kave XTD of the versatility that many people look for in a headset. Still, with good audio and a highly tweakable surround sound system, it serves its intended purpose very well, and is lightweight and comfortable to boot, thanks to generous padding. g

SCORE

90

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TECH SPECS • • • • • • • • •

40mm drivers Analogue 5.1 virtual surround sound In-line remote Removable mic Game and movie modes

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by Rob Edwards

occat are producing some really nice peripherals, and those that enjoy a “themed” desktop – you know, the kind where everything comes from the same manufacturer – will be able to draw some advantages from the Roccat range, thanks to selected peripherals working in tandem for added benefits.

That’s not the case with all their peripherals, though, and the Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 gaming headset is an example of a device that doesn’t interface with others. Then again, how exactly does a headset interface with a mouse and keyboard set up? And it still looks good when put next to other Roccat peripherals.

The Roccat Kave XTD uses an analogue connection to deliver its audio. In other words, it makes use of four 3.5mm jacks (as well as a USB jack for power) to connect to your computer, necessitating a connection at the back of the motherboard in most cases.

That said, it has a long cord, so most users won’t notice a real difference between a front side or rear connection, save for the fact that it makes virtual surround sound possible.

The sound quality is very good, and is delivered by 40mm neodymium drivers. In addition, a fully functional inline control means that the user can trim up the sound levels to get the surround experience they want.

Roccat Kave XTD 5.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset

Surround Sound Gaming Headset

Razer

H C EW E T VI E R

Blackwidow Ultimate The next iteration…

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t’s not only video game companies that produce regular iterations of their products. While the practice is not common yet, we are seeing hardware manufacturers moving in this direction, too. And Razer are leading the charge.

So much so, in fact, that they are quite plain about it: this reworked Blackwidow Ultimate keyboard, for example, is called the 2016 Edition, bold as brass on the packaging. Does this mean that everyone who owns a Blackwidow Ultimate should now rush out and buy this newer version? No, we don’t think so.

And that really doesn’t seem to be the intention from Razer’s side, either. It looks like the 2016 Edition label is merely there to identify it as the latest hardware. After all, unlike some hardware manufacturers, Razer pride themselves on the durability of their products. Why throw that claim away if you’re going to try and foist a new product on your loyal consumers regularly?

So what sets this updated version of the Blackwidow Ultimate apart from the slightly older one we reviewed not that long ago? Not all that much, to be honest. Visually, the keyboards are pretty much identical, with the same key configuration and functions. It isn’t a macrobased keyboard either, so there aren’t any extra keys… just like before.

In fact, the only real difference, it appears, is that the lighting system for

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the backlit keys has been overhauled and improved.

Perhaps the switches have been upgraded a bit, too, but there was nothing wrong with the Razer switches that came with the previous version.

So there really isn’t a need to rush out and buy the Blackwidow Ultimate 2016 Edition, if you already own one. If you don’t, however, there are a number of reasons to do so. First off, it’s a tough and robust keyboard, built to take all kinds of punishment. It makes use of excellent switches which not only provide great response, but also deliver that “clicky” tactile feel that makes mechanical keyboards so popular. And, of course, it has an awesome lighting system which allows the customisation of individual keys. It also offers a 10 key rollover to combat antighosting, which never hurts.

So while the 2016 Edition of the Blackwidow Ultimate may not be a massive step up from the previous edition, it is still a great keyboard. Yes, it has less bells and whistles than other gaming keyboards (even from the Razer stable) but it is a great compact size, and offers excellent performance. Razer have obviously taken an approach of not fixing what isn’t broken here, and the Blackwidow Ultimate was certainly not in need of repair.

So if you’re in the market for a new mechanical keyboard and you would like it in a Razer flavour, this updated Blackwidow Ultimate is a solid option. g

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SUMMARY It may not have a lot that’s been changed from the previous Blackwidow Ultimate, but the 2016 Edition is a great keyboard none-the-less.

TECH SPECS • • • • • • •

4 ink cartridge system Wireless function Print, scan, copy Double sided printing ePrinting Web connected

M A NUFA CT UR E R Ra zer

DISTRIB UTOR Ap ex I n ter a cti ve

AWARDS

w w w. a p ex i n t . c o. z a

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

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by Walt Pretorius

AT A GLANCE:

NAME Blackwidow Razer OF THE PRODUCT Ultimate 2016 Edition Mechanical Keyboard

Mechanical Keyboard

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Keep Your Privates TECHNOLOGY

Private

It’s not like in the movies…

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mgeect 2 c4a 8 2 ggl a ad

by Suvesh Arumugam

password and - SHAZAM - he’s in. Well, we all know what he saw. Bruce had been a naughty boy. Gregory goes to civil court and sues Bruce.

Bruce thinks he’s safe because Gregory has violated his privacy to get the incriminating information. Fruit from the poisoned tree (right, didn’t I see that in an episode of CSI?) Section 86 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (The ECT Act) provides that access or interception of data without authority or permission is a criminal act and involves up to 12 months in prison.

Bruce was wrong. The judge ruled in favour of Gregory and found that, although Gregory’s actions in hacking Bruce’s Facebook account were possibly criminal, the evidence gathered was admissible and on that basis proved Gregory’s case that Bruce had acted inappropriately. Bruce has to pay Gregory quite a lot of money (as well as his own lawyers).

Panicking yet?

OK, let’s tell the story of Isparta, Richter and Oosthuizen.

Isparta and Oosthuizen used to be married, but they got divorced (as married couples do these days). It was a rather acrimonious divorce, so basically nobody was friendly afterwards, but there were kids (aged 4 and 6) involved so everyone did their best to get along. Isparta remarried to someone with a 16 year old son and Oosthuizen got married to Richter. Isparta had custody of the kids and had a somewhat amicable correspondence with Oosthuizen regarding the kids. Some of this involved sharing photos (by email) of the kids. One of the photos was of the younger kids taking a bath and splashing their older step brother.

Richter made a post on Facebook which, roughly translated from Afrikaans, states “To all mums and dads, what do you think of people who allow teenage stepbrothers to bathe their small sisters every night? And only because it makes the mother’s life convenient” The post was sent out to her network of friends and her husband, Oosthuizen was tagged in it. The post was followed by comments, mostly negative, in relation to the mother and her parenting. It was also in the context of several other posts seemingly directed at Isparta, in which Oosthuizen was also tagged.

Isparta sued Richter in court for defamation and damages. Richter probably thought she was safe. Facebook is a public platform and

Social means being friends, not enemies.

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his column is going to be a little different from others. First I am going to tell you a couple of stories. Then I’m going to tell you why you should panic. Then (if I’ve done my job) you will panic. Then I’m going to tell you not to panic (but hopefully this won’t work).

Then I’ll give you a few practical steps to follow to (hopefully) reduce your panic. Ready?

Let’s start with the sad tale of Bruce. Bruce is a professional hunter and safari guide. He didn’t shoot a famous lion in Zimbabwe (in case you thought that’s where this story was going), but he probably helped his customers (to their delight) shoot some wildlife and survive in the bush. Bruce went into business with Gregory and they formed a CC (Closed Corporation) called Huntershill. Bruce was employed by Huntershill, as well as being a partner in the CC. Things were great between Bruce and Gregory. Until they weren’t. Bruce decided to leave the employ of the company. Bruce decided to remain a partner in the CC, so as not to enact a restraint of trade clause in his contract. But Bruce didn’t stop there. Starting a new job was tough, and Bruce needed more clients. He thought to himself “Why not approach some of my old Huntershill clients?” Now I know what you’re thinking - “Don’t do it, Bruce!” Most employment contracts have a non-disclosure clause, restraint clauses and to steal business from your former employer is unethical (and just downright nasty). Bruce decides to approach his former clients using his personal Facebook account, which is password protected and his own private channel (which is protected under the Constitution, isn’t it? Section 14 of the Constitution guarantees a fundamental right to privacy which includes the right not to have your communications infringed). Bruce reckons this is a safe bet and goes for it.

Gregory suspects that something is up.

He and Bruce aren’t friendly anymore, and he’s heard some rumblings that make him suspicious. But how will he catch Bruce in the act? So Gregory goes to Bruce’s Facebook account and looks for clues. Hmmm, nothing on the wall, if only he could see his private messages. Why not log in as Bruce? Remember that they used to be besties - like Sonny and Cher, Simon and Garfunkel, Frodo and Sam. With a little effort, Gregory hacks Bruce’s

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this is a Freedom of Speech issue, right? In Chapter 2 of the Constitution, Section 16 of the Bill of Rights outlines the right to freedom of expression, including the right to receive or impart information or ideas. Richter had not named Isparta specifically either. Oosthuizen may have been worried for his new wife, but not concerned for himself as he had not commented or posted at all.

Richter was ordered to pay damages of R40 000 and court costs. However, she was not alone. Oosthuizen was found equally culpable and liable, as he had been tagged in the post and failed to take any steps to address what amounted to defamation or (at the very least) to distance himself from it. The court found that the comments, while they did not name Isparta specifically, were clearly in reference to her and would also lead anyone who knew her to conclude that they about her. It also found that the comment above was vexatious and

Stop getting legal advice from movies

TECHNOLOGY

suggested that she encourages sexual deviance or pedophilia.

So let’s recap: Bruce sent private messages (albeit naughty ones) on his personal Facebook account. His hacked communications were admitted in court and led to him being found guilty and liable.

Richter posted a comment on her personal Facebook message, without mentioning Isparta by name. Oosthuizen never posted a comment and was only tagged in a post. Both Richter and Oosthuizen were liable for costs in excess of R40 000. Judging by legal costs today, they could well be higher than the defamation award.

So this is the part where I say you shouldn’t panic, but I’ll understand if you don’t believe me. Many of us would look at these two case studies and imagine they are similar to situations we’ve been in and actions we’ve been party to. Would I get fired for tweeting that my boss is a fat loser? Could I be sued by someone if I make a meme using their face and post it on Facebook? The answer is clearly yes.

In another case, Judge Nigel Willis says “Those who make postings about others on the social media would be well advised to remove

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such postings immediately upon the request of an offended party. It will seldom be worth contesting one’s obligation to do so. After all, the social media is about building friendships around the world, rather than offending fellow human beings. Affirming bonds of affinity is what being ‘social’ is all about.”

Basically, social means being friends, not enemies. If you hurt someone’s feelings, say sorry and, for the love of Pete, take down the offensive post.

I promised some practical steps to not getting into trouble (I think the sentence above is the best I can offer for getting out of trouble).

Practical steps: 1. Stop watching American movies! Okay, let me explain - what I mean is stop getting legal advice from movies. I hear people talking all the time about Freedom of Speech and Class Action lawsuits, the way they talk about them in the movies. South African law doesn’t work like American law. Our bill of rights and constitution are very different (and in many senses more modern). Long story short - you can’t do what they do in America and get away with it!

2. Stop thinking of the constitution as absolute. OK, again, let me explain, the constitution is absolutely the final authority on law and order in South Africa. But constitutional laws must be viewed. For example, the right to freedom of expression has to be balanced with the right to dignity and privacy. All constitutional rights are equal and therefore have to be weighed against each other.

3. Read Emma Sadleir and Tamsyn de Beer’s book. A big chunk of this article was inspired by reading “Don’t Film Yourself Having Sex - and other legal advice for the social media age”.

It’s an excellent guideline to what will get you into trouble (and how to avoid it). At just over 180 pages it’s an easy read even for the most parchment absorption challenged. And I’m sure it’s available on e-readers for the digitally addicted.

The big take away here is that nothing in the law separates what you do in real life to what you do in the digital world. While we may have had something of a free for all while the world got used to the idea of social, the honeymoon is over and the law is finding its feet to make sure that we can’t trample on the rights of others.

So if you wouldn’t call someone a particular name in real life, if you wouldn’t post a certain picture of your boss on your cubicle wall and if you wouldn’t send your mom certain pics of you and your girlfriend - please don’t do it on social media! g

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Features 38

About Time

PReviews 44 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55

Doom Dèsirè Good Robot Lifestream MOP: Operation Cleanup Dead Hand One Piece: Burning Blood Red Awakening A Quiver of Crows

Reviews 58 64 68 74 76 77 78 80 81

Quantum Break Hitman Episode 1: Paris Tom Clancy’s The Division Trackmania Turbo Flame Over Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition System Crash Galak Z: The Dimensional Broforce

RegularS 36 82 88

Did you know Indie View Legacy

COLUMN 92

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Ramjet’s Rantality

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GAMING

Did You

Know?

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1…

that Your Xbox One can become a dev kit?

Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, has announced that the Xbox One development kit is now available to everyone. A simple download can turn any Xbox One into a development kit, an unprecedented move in the video game industry. Traditionally dev kit consoles costs huge amount of money, but Xbox want everyone to be able to make games for their latest console.

“Our commitment to turn every Xbox One into a dev kit isn’t a hobby, it’s a commitment to empower every developer on the planet to reach the largest addressable TV audience on one open app platform,” he told attendees of the Microsoft Build conference

2…

that Blizzard changed an Overwatch victory animation?

Blizzard’s upcoming FPS, Overwatch, has also fallen victim to a gender equality issue. The victory animation for the character named Tracer has been removed after feedback that it “just reduces Tracer to another bland female sex symbol.”

The animation, which shows Tracer from behind, had been taken out of the game. “We understand that not everyone will agree with our decision, and that’s okay,” said game director Jeff Kaplan. “That’s what these kinds of public tests are for. This wasn’t pandering or caving, though. This was the right call from our perspective, and we think the game will be just as fun the next time you play it.”

3…

that EA got into hot water with a Muslim UFC fighter?

There has been quite a bit of noise with regards to how the video game industry depicts Muslim characters, with the latest being a protest from Muslim UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Russian fighter is seen performing a Christian gesture as part of his victory celebration in the game.

Nurmagomedov tweeted his displeasure, and stated that they would change the gesture in the game’s next update. Nurmagomedov accepted the apology, and stated that anyone can make mistakes.

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DID YOU KNOW

Special controllers, sexism and US Politics...

4…

that Donald Trump was inserted into the Mass Effect 2 trailer?

US politician Donald Trump tweeted a video that overlays video and audio footage of him on the Mass Effect 2 trailer. EA, the publisher of the game, issued a DMCA takedown order of the video, which appears to be a fan mash up, rather than having originated from Turmp campaign headquarters.

“The video was an unauthorized use of our IP” EA told Game Informer, “ We do not support our assets being used in political campaigns.”

Electronics Frontier Foundation attorney Daniel Nazer believes that the video doesn’t violate Fair Use laws, however. “EA may be more sensitive here because they don’t want to appear to support a candidate but I don’t think there is any real risk of that,” he told GamesPolitics.

5…

that Sony has a heart?

Peter Byrne, a 21-year-old with cerebral palsy, reached out to Sony about the problems his disability cause with the DualShock 4 controller. His condition would cause him to accidentally hit the touch pad, creating unwanted inputs and pausing of games.

Sony employee Alex Nawabi went beyond the call of duty, creating a custom controller for Byrne, complete with a modified button for touch pad function.

6…

That A fan is trying to fund a Life is Strange Sequel?

Kickstarter has managed to get a great many games developed, but it’s normally game developers that are asking for financial support. However, Scott Ashby, a fan of the game Life is Strange, is attempting to raise $20 000 dollars to help fund a sequel.

Ashby plans to give the money to developer Dontnod, or to another developer to acquire the rights for Life is Strange, as long as they use the same voice actors, writers and artists that worked on the original.

We’re not sure that $20 000 dollars would cut it to create a sequel, but it’s great to see the passion that Ashby has for the game. g

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Quantum Break manages to mesh g

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gaming and film like never before.

by: Walt Pretorius

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Quantum Break

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he idea of blending entertainment formats – most notably movies and video games – is hardly new. There have been numerous attempts at making it work, ranging from games that use full live video to tell their tale (like Sierra’s Phantasmagoria in 1995) to interactive movies using computer graphics instead of live actors (titles like Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls fall into this category, but it even dates back to arcade classics like 1983’s Dragon’s Lair).

In fact, the idea of a strong narrative influenced by a user or player is still very popular. Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls are certainly not old games, and titles like Life Is Strange, released last year, still use the principles.

So does Quantum Break.

This Xbox One Exclusive also uses the idea of player influence over a story, but it does it in very different ways. Instead of being a game that is an interactive movie, Quantum Break is a game and an interactive movie. Confused? Let me explain.

The idea behind an interactive movie is that the player influences a broad narrative that starts at point A, but has numerous possible outcomes. However, it’s generally told from one side, much like a “normal” movie is. Many games that are not considered interactive movies also have a strong player influence over narrative – the distinction here, though, is the narrative itself. In an interactive movie, although the player has great

influence, the actions the player takes tend to be far more simplistic. Attention is moved away from elements like game dynamics in favour of the story that the experience tells.

On the other hand, no matter how strong the narrative of a game may be, focus always tends to be at least split among several elements, with game dynamics and other considerations taking more prominence. A game, by its very nature, needs to be more flexible – while an interactive movie may be more tightly scripted, a game needs to allow the player more freedom. A greater degree of freedom may seem like a great idea, but it can cause issues with the overall narrative, with a potentially wider degree of options affecting the plot.

And so game developers need to reign in narrative elements for the plot to remain believable.

Quite honestly, the line between the two is very fine, and more often than not blurred. While it is easy to see extremes, most will play in the middle ground.

Quantum Break, however, does less meddling in the middle ground and more presenting slightly more extreme examples of either case, all wrapped up in one package.

And it does so using a very simple, but clever approach.

See, while the whole of Quantum Break really is one big story, there are two sides to the tale. By creating a distinction between the two sides, Remedy Entertainment have created an entertainment experience that really is part game and part movie (or series,

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more accurately) without compromising either.

The overall tale tells of Jack Joyce, a man who returns to his home town of Riverport after a six year absence. There he meets his old friend, Paul Serene, who unwittingly sets events in motion that fracture time and imbue Jack with the ability to manipulate time.

They also lead to the rise of a big, bad corporation, led by a “future” version of Serene, Monarch Solutions.

The tale unfolds as Joyce sets off on a action-packed journey to put paid to the plans of Serene and Monarch.

And that’s where the split occurs. The game itself tells Jack’s side of the story, with the player in control of Joyce and his growing, time-bending powers. The series episodes tell the story of Monarch Solutions and Serene’s plans. But what makes it all really come together is the way in which the player’s actions change not only the game, but the series episodes as well.

At the end of each of the game’s chapters, the player takes on a very short mission as Serene, at which point a decision needs to be made. These are generally two extreme options (like using a witness to an event to create a PR spin, or eliminating the witness and taking a hard-line approach).

Right after this decision is made, a roughly 22 minute full motion video will start – the episode of the series.

This episode will reflect the decision that the player made as Serene.

But there’s more than that… playing the game, the player will be able to collect information as collectible

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items throughout the levels.

Some of these will affect the contents of each episode.

While they won’t change the overall story, or hide relevant information from the player, extra scenes will be added by some information that is gathered, giving more depth and colour to the narrative.

The importance of these episodes is obvious when watching them, based purely on the quality of actors and production values that they espouse. Actors like Shawn Ashmore (X-Men), Dominic Monaghan (Lost, Lord of the Rings), Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) and Lance Reddick (Fringe, The Wire) not only add their voices and likenesses to the video game, but also their acting abilities to the series.

And in keeping with these great production values, Remedy Entertainment have faithfully recreated each character within the video game too.

In creating Quantum Break, Remedy undertook an ambitious project that is arguably one of the most successful integrations of two popular entertainment forms. The player never feels isolated, even if they do not touch the controller during the episodes, and the narrative is never compromised in favour of the game dynamics. The elements combined have created an interesting way of approaching modern entertainment, and we would be surprised if we didn’t see more projects like Quantum Break surfacing in the future. And with the rise of VR technology, who can say what the next step will be? But we’re certain it will be an exciting one. g

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Doom GAMING

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Doom

by Lein Baart

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early years of the FPS. This wasn’t always the case however. Initially announced in 2008 by legendary developer John Carmack, Doom has been stuck in development hell for over eight years now. Part of this was due to id and Bethesda’s decision in 2011 to scrap the then current version of the game, which apparently was little more than a CoD/Battlefield clone with a Doom skin, and begin completely anew with a release that would resemble the original games far more closely.

As such, Doom should be a game far more cognisant of its heritage, and will this hopefully translate into gameplay that will be more than just cowering beneath chest-high walls waiting for your

GAMING

d Software is not a name that carries the weight it did before, at least if you’re under 25 I imagine. The once-darlings of the gaming world have surreptitiously allowed themselves to fade into the annals of history, with 2011’s Rage being the only real attempt at a full-fledged release in over a decade by a studio that used to be the very definition of prolific in the nineties. This hasn’t stopped older gamers however from gushing over the eons-awaited next entry in the Doom franchise, and while the name probably doesn’t carry the same clout as it used to, the faithful can at least be assured that Doom is looking to bring back the same frenetic shooter action that hallmarked the

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Doom

face to grow back. The release will actively promote a run-and-gun approach to its gameplay, in what id Software is calling “push forward combat” but the rest of us will recognise as the way shooters are meant to be played, with neither a cover system or health regeneration in sight, and an emphasis on speed in both shooting and movement. The singleplayer campaign, which according to id should clock in at around thirteen hours, will once again see players returning to Mars to battle the legions of hell, though the focus on combat will mean that those hoping for a deep narrative should probably be looking elsewhere.

By far the most exciting aspect though will be the

multiplayer, and in this Doom looks to be channelling the spirit of Unreal Tournament and Quake 3: Team Arena (albeit with a decidedly hellish tint), replete with powerups, including one that will allow players to transform into a demon, double-jumping and weapon pickups. Doom will ship with nine maps and all the standard modes such as deathmatch and domination, as well as a built-in level editor called Snapmap that will not only allow players to create their own levels, but entirely new modes as well as edit enemy AI. It’s all looking like a fantastic return to form for the franchise that started the shooter craze, and one that should be heartily welcomed by those longing for the days of frantic action. g

AT A GLANCE First-Person Shooter

Doom looks to be a welcome return to the classic days of FPS Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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May 2016

Platforms

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Sylvian Seccia Sylvian Seccia Online

PLATFORMS

In living black and white

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

AT A GLANCE Point-click

A great way to use our own perspective to tell a warming story to meet and hopefully exceed expectations.

gamecca82

by Sibonisile Motha

Dèsirè

ver heard the saying “not everything is black and white?”, well this is not the case with this game. Meet Dèsirè, a young boy with a unique life condition- he is colour-blind and thus can only see the world around him in black and white. This monochromatic scene sets the tone for a much bigger and more profound story that can only be told without the colour that we admire so much.

We go on this interesting journey with Dèsirè as he grows from a young boy to a man in a world full of colour but not in his. He interacts with various characters that, as in real life, can impact his perspective on life and his surroundings. Each interaction can have rather surprising consequences.

Despite this being a pointclick game, the approach to the plot and character development has the potential to make it feel much more than just a point and click as it gets the player emotionally involved with our protagonist Dèsirè. Because you see what he sees, you want to see what will happen and how his story will pan out. Is there really colour at the end of this road?

It’s not very often where a game’s developer creates a title almost with a sole aim to send a bigger message to the players. In this case, Sylvian Seccia has made it very clear that he aims to show his critique view of this modern world we live in full and corrupted by consumerism and profit. He has my full admiration for this. He chose an ironic platform to bring across this message, an industry that is at most times driven by exactly that. g

Dèsirè

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Good Robot

E M W A VIE G E R P

Good Robot The last good robot

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Pyrodactyl Pyrodactyl Online

PLATFORMS

GAMING

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the robots completely eradicated humanity from Earth. PyroCorp, hoping to rid any and all evidence that they were responsible, have employed the Last Good Robot, to ensure their reputation is restored. To whom… no one knows.

Good Robot is all about action packed underground city flying, taking on hordes of bad robots; the thorns in PyroCorp’s PR and Stock Market side. All incriminating evidence must be destroyed for the sake of PyroCorp’s illustrious reputation!

Players will take control of the Good Robot with the intention of making

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

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it a top-notch killer bot. Traversing procedurally generated labyrinths crawling with virus infected bots is to be the order of the day, while purchasing weapons and upgrades will ensure that the Good Robot is the most badass good bot on the planet.

Traced with Dystopian humour, Good Robot seems to be a fun, intense side scroller with a Global Leaderboard catered for players hoping to climb the ranks… and a wide selection of hats purchasable by players willing to dress their bot up, for some zealous bad robot killing - if that’s your kind of thing. g

AT A GLANCE Side-Scroller / Action

2031 has seen the human race wiped from Earth thanks to PyroCorp’s clean up robot. Now the remaining Good Robot must restore PyroCorps corporate image.

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by Nthato Morakabi

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n the year 2031, the world has become a convoluted, polluted mess, rendering it completely useless to the human race. Thankfully for humankind, a massive initiative

by PyroCorp saw humanity saved from certain death, in the building of massive underground cities. PyroCorp also saw it fit to build an army of intelligent robots to keep humanity safe, because, hey robots right?

Wrong! After a period of relative peace, the robots went completely berserk - and all very suddenly.

In a Skynet type of attack, that was actually far more successful,

Lifestream

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Lifestream F

ather Randolph Holton is a priest of a local parish, obsessed with a mysterious realm known only as The Lifestream. In his quest to find out this ancient secret, he suddenly disappears from the face of the earth and with him, his secrets. Years later, John Holton sets off on his own journey in search of his missing father. As he uncovers the events leading up to his father’s disappearance, he stumbles upon the Lifestream and its intricately woven tentacles tied to his father. What unfolds is an enigmatic tale of a father’s journey towards superstitious obsession and a son’s search for his missing father.

Lifestream is a remake of the 2004 title of the same name, developed by Unimatrix once again as they improve on their Storycentric Worlds game engine. This engine is the foundation behind Lifestream, built to cater for interactive fiction games which Unimatrix will be releasing during the course of the year too.

This tile is currently on Steam Greenlight with voting open to get it available on Steam. A demo is also available for download on their website, which also works as platform for Storycentric Worlds.

Players can expect to be engaged in an interactive story with over eight hours of content.

Told through the perspective of Father Randolph Holton and his son John Holton, players will move through the story as either of the characters, playing chapter by chapter like one would read a novel.

A series of challenging and diverse puzzles await, exploration of detailed locations with secrets hidden within, over 150 pieces of original artwork, and an emotional soundtrack encompassing the telling of this interactive tale. g

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Apr 2016 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Unimatrix Productions Unimatrix Productions Online

PLATFORMS

by Nthato Morakabi

A haunting tale of past and present

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

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AT A GLANCE Text-Based Adventure

Lifestream is an adventure that promises in-depth storytelling, enigmatic puzzles and fascinating characters in this remake.

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Q1/Q2 2016 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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MOP-ing the world towards salvation.

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

AT A GLANCE Action/Platformer

In a world enveloped by pollution, MOP the robot is tasked with cleaning up the worlds and restoring cleanliness to all.

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by Nthato Morakabi

MOP: Operation Cleanup

he world has become a dark, grimy cityscape; engulfed by fetid slime that pools over the streets and has festered over the creatures that roam the alleys and byways.

Who can save the planet from this pollution and contamination?

Only one; an engineered creation built on simple parts, a metallic golem tasked with this arduous task - and his name‌ is MOP. Seems there are a lot of these titles out at the moment focussing on pollution and environmental restoration with a robot tasked to clean up.

One title that comes to mind, also in this issue of Gamecca, is Good Robot. Both of these side-scrolling titles see players become the only robot capable of cleaning up humanities mess in an effort to save the world from pollution.

In MOP, players will traverse five different worlds, each challenging in their own way, with a series of infested creatures as obstacles preventing MOP from progressing. Like any other platformer, players will move from left to right, collecting trash as they move and defeating enemies by stepping on them in a Mario-esque way. The different creatures players can expect include grumpy bears, electric toasters, zombie turtles and mutated socks - EnsenaSoft’s sense of humour on a contentious topic.

Humour will play a big role in MOP, as in-game animations and actual gameplay will feature this quite a bit. The worlds themselves have been created to be tricky, the ingenuous levels littered with traps and secret areas, and 50 missions full of pixel-perfect fun.

MOP is available on PS3, PS4 and PS Vita with a PC version in the pipelines which was on Steam Greenlight, and an Xbox One version also for a 2016 release. g

MOP: Operation Cleanup

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Dead Hand

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Dead Hand

It’s you versus rogue machines

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blowing every dang thing in up in there, you may want to make sure you think it through as you are not alone in this cave.

You will face off with rogue autonomous robots that really have no desire to be your friend or see you live. Along with those enemies, you have boss fights in this one. I will tell no lies, the thought of a boss fight (which may most likely be a superrobot that has, by default, a higher IQ than yours) in a turnbased scenario didn’t sound delightful at first, but as with

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most good games, the challenge of calculating your moves like a chess game in order to win is one that is difficult to turn down.

As you make your way through the cave, you can scavenge for parts that you can use to upgrade your weapons platform. There are no XP and there are no levels in this game, your platform is it.

You also have the added bonus of freeform movement. There are no square of hexagonal tiles that shape the way you can move.

You just have to play your game smart. g

AT A GLANCE Turn-based strategy

Mario and Donkey Kong return to bout it puzzle style. Create, edit and share your created levels cross-platform for hours of puzzle fun.

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ne Army Games Ltd. has brought to us their take on a turn-based tactical game. Your location: a multiple level underground cave. You are to get control of an autonomous weapons platform where you have to fight your way through this cave. And because there is never aimless wandering in a turn-based game, you will have directives that you need to make sure are fulfilled along the way.

Your environment in this title is one that is fully destructible, but before you start thinking of

One Piece: Burning Blood

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One Piece: Burning Blood O

ne Piece. A 1997 Japanese manga that was serialized in the popular magazine Weekly Shonen Jump with eighty volumes to date. The popularity of this manga lead to the Original Video Animation (OVA) and an anime with over 700 episodes, thirteen movies and at least thirty video game adaptations.

The story follows Monkey D. Luffy, a lovable, young man with an insatiable appetite for food, and his search for the ultimate pirate treasure known as One Piece. In his adventure, he eats a mysterious fruit known as a Devil’s Fruit, which alters his body to have the properties of rubber. As he continues on his adventures, he meets a host of allies and enemies, all travelling the Grand Line in search of One Piece and each with their own varying agendas. It becomes obvious that there is more than one Devil Fruit, and the zany, spectacular and downright weird set of characters with Devil Fruit powers, clashing across the high seas.

One Piece: Burning Blood is the latest videogame adaptation with a major focus on the DevilFruit users. The following three types of Devil-Fruit manifestations will be the key-feature of Burning Blood: Paramecia, the most common Devil-Fruit have varying abilities such as Luffy’s elasticity and Bartolomeo who can create barriers: Zoan class Devil-Fruit allow the eater to transform into another species: the rarest of Devil-Fruit is the Logia, allowing the eater to transform into a natural element or harness the forces of nature.

The 3v3 battles will expect players to combine Devil-Fruit fighters that complement each other’s abilities for effective team battles, utilizing special attacks and reinforced special attacks across iconic environments that One Piece fans are sure to enjoy. g

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Q2 2016 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Spike Chunsoft Namco Bandai Megarom

PLATFORMS

by Nthato Morakabi

One Piece of the high-seas.

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AT A GLANCE Fighting

The battle of the Devil Fruit fighters escalates in this epic fighter, from the classic pirate anime One Piece.

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Domino Effect Ltd. Domino Effect Ltd. Online

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Those reds must go…

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AT A GLANCE Survival Horror

After much delay and challenges faced, the Red Awakening program will see the light of play and may just impress you.

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Red Awakening

fter the Cold War, America still faces the threat of unrelenting Communists (“Reds”) and will stop at nothing to protect their land and people from this redcloaked enemy. For anyone who has watched enough movies knows that in order to best destroy an organization one must break it down from the inside. Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the Red Awakening Program - a CIA initiative to combat communism on both fronts, East and West, from the inside.

Groups of corrupt and out-ofhand youths along with captured Soviets are “publically executed” only to have themselves shipped off to various locations around the globe in order that they be trained to be the perfect stealth weapons in their respective home territories.

Only the best can be the chosen because only the best will survive being faced-off against each other to the death. Choose your side, choose your player and survive.

The design of this game has stayed true to it’s 80s inspired slasher-horror movie titles. Certain footage resembles that of your VHS (as this is what the CIA uses as a means to funding their RA program) and even locations look like landmarks from those classic horrors, like the hotel in “The Shining”. Attention to inspired detail.

You have 10 options of characters to choose from, 5 from the East and 5 West. Each character has their own backstory, skill and mission.

Weapons are classed by colour: Pink (primary), Blue (Secondary), White (Stealthiest), Purple (Explosives) and Green (Chemicals). Choose your weapons and master them.

The look of the game with its neon colours aids in achieving the feel of a unique title – a multiplayer online action slasher survival horror stealth game. g

Red Awakening

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A Quiver of Crows

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A Quiver of Crows Artful chaos

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Sheado.net Sheado.net Online

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GAMING

Jun 2016

thing, as indie is often where the most experimentation takes place, and A Quiver of Crows does not appear short on ideas, at least relative to what is ultimately a very simple genre.

Set in a “grim world cursed by demons and ghouls”, this highly stylised game will let players take control of a crow, either by themselves or in co-op, to battle through various levels themed by the time of day.

Any twin stick shooter will have plenty of action on hand, and A Quiver of Crows does

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not look set to disappoint here, with a variety of somewhat odd attacks, including sine wave and plasma weapons, that will vary in effect. One of game’s central mechanics will be the use of physics, including ragdoll physics for dead enemies, which can impede not only your ability to navigate the environments but aiming as well. This will feed into what the developers have stated will be a game that is meant to be challenging, and gameplay footage is certainly looking to back this promise up. g

AT A GLANCE Twin Stick Shooter

Stylised and beautifully imagined, A Quiver of Crows is hoping to enthral those looking a hefty challenge.

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by Lein Baart

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win stick shooters are not a common sight into today’s markets. For those who don’t know, the term denotes to a specific type of shoot ‘em up, commonly known as shmups, in which one joystick (or controller) is dedicated to movement with the second being used for aiming.

While this could technically refer to all FPS’ and most third-person shooters, the name is most often applied to 2D games, and as such tends to be more of an indie genre than anything else.

Of course this is not a bad

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Quantum Break GAMING

The battle at the end of time

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Quantum Break

by Walt Pretorius

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Break follows a path more like Alan Wake in tying a central concept to the action. In Alan Wake, it was all about light… Quantum Break is all about time. But unlike Alan Wake, it’s more of an action title, with the player spraying bullets and bending time as groups of enemies try to stop him in his tracks.

At the centre of the tale is Jack Joyce, a young man returning to his home town after a long absence.

Played by Shawn Ashmore (who played Bobby Drake, aka Iceman, in the X-Men movies), Jack comes back home to visit with a friend, Paul Serene (played by Aiden Gillen, Game of Thrones’ Littlefinger) who is about to make a scientific breakthrough. But everything goes wrong when Jack’s brother, William (Dominic Monaghan, Lost’s Charlie) shows up to stop him. All hell pretty much breaks loose, time gets all

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here have long been all kinds of flirtations between gaming and movies or TV series.

Games based on movies and movies based on games are not something that is new to the entertainment world. But when a game and a series work together… well, that’s an ambitious, interesting idea, and it sits at the heart of Remedy Entertainment’s Xbox One exclusive, Quantum Break.

Remedy is the crew responsible for the first two Max Payne games, as well as the survival horror Alan Wake. And in the vein of these titles, Quantum Break takes on a third-person action mode, with a healthy dose of cover for good measure. But instead of investigating the seedy underbelly of crime with a hail of bullets and almost acrobatic action, Quantum

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screwy and Jack develops the ability to manipulate time.

We’re not about spoilers here at Gamecca, but suffice to say that Jack embarks on a journey to stop a bunch of nefarious people from destroying time… and there’s lots of shooting, time bending and traversal puzzles along the way. And it’s all handled quite elegantly.

First off, there are the graphics, which are really rather good. They need to be – aside from Ashmore, Gillen and Monaghan, Quantum Break features a number of familiar faces, and because of the live-motion series tie in, those faces and characters need to be highly recognisable in the game world., even though the series is looking at the narrative from a different angle. The tie in is also well handled. Without going

into too much detail, (because our feature in this issue does that) the player needs to find certain collectibles to get the full picture. Through clever editing and the like, if a player misses something, they don’t see a part of the relevant episode related to it. So to get the full story, you need to scour every level for intel. It’s an elegant way to get people to find those sometimes ignored collectible items, and those concerned about the story will likely do just that. The fact that the production values of the series are very high helps; the acting, cinematography, script and everything else are great.

Playing as Jack, the other thing that the player will be looking for is chronon sources. Chronon is a “time particle” for want of a better description, and finding them will allow the player to upgrade their abilities.

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example, a collapsed walkway can be “rebuilt” using this ability, for just long enough to let Jack across before time resumes and it collapses again.

In terms of weapons, Quantum Break offers more than you might expect. It follows the stock standard idea of pistol, SMG, shotgun and assault rifle for the most part, with the player being able to carry a maximum of three weapons. But there are one or two modified versions of these weapons floating around, as well as a nice long range carbine and a heavy machine gun that works really well when combined with stasis bubbles. Sadly you lose all your weapons between levels, but they’re fairly easy to find again, so it’s little more than an annoyance.

What can be more frustrating from time to time is the fact that Quantum Break does very little to drop hints.

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It’s not quite an RPG, but each ability has two or three upgrades that can be game changers. The abilities are fairly varied, too, including a stasis field to trap enemies (and shoot lots of bullets into… when time starts again, the poor dude gets severely blasted), a high speed dodge-dash, handy shield and a few others.

Another ability that Jack has is less useful in combat – the ability to resist the time stutters that freeze time at certain points in the game. These often lead to some interesting and even surreal traversal moments, like crossing an area on the now-frozen debris from a massive accident. Also important to traversal is Jack’s ability to reverse time in a localised area. The use of this ability is scripted, unfortunately, but it is still pretty cool. For

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Every now and then you may find yourself wandering around slightly aimlessly, trying to figure out what to do next. When the solution presents itself, it is a face-palm moment more often than not, but it can still be aggravating. Additionally, one or two bugs pop up every now and then, but nothing that ruins the overall experience.

Thankfully the controls are great, and the cover system is made even easier by Jack automatically taking cover behind items when he can. It’s well handled, and never interferes with the overall feel of the game dynamics, while remaining effective and reliable.

While the majority of Quantum Break runs as a linear narrative, there are moments in the game where crucial decisions can change the course of events to

come. In fact, the game emphasises this, and aside from turning some narrative control over to the player, it also adds a sense of replayability to Quantum Break. To get the full experience, every choice combination needs to be explored – even the live action episodes change to some degree according to the choices made. You can also go back and find the things you missed by replaying previously completed levels or get to crucial choice points easily.

On the whole, Quantum Break is a great game for those who enjoy an entertaining (if not necessarily twist-filled) narrative combined with competent coverbased action. The controls are steady and reliable for the most part, and the game is consistent in all aspects. It’s a good start for what will likely become a whole new franchise for Remedy and Microsoft. g

AT A GLANCE Action

REVIEWED ON

With a great development team and strong ideas behind it, Quantum Break is an entertaining action shooter, complete with a decent plot.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Remedy Entertainment Microsoft Microsoft

PARENTAL ADVISORY

16+ gamecca82

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

XO PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

88 63

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Hitman Episode GAMING

Slowly slowly catchy monkey‌

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by Alex Scanlon

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kinds of intriguing details, making it a very pretty thing to behold. But unless you’re really going to work at it, it might not be enough to start off with. Sure, you can replay the mission several times, but that won’t really fly with more goal oriented players. Additionally, the massive environment and lots of details equate to long load times, whether you’re just starting out or going back to the last save before you made a hash of things.

In fact, Hitman manages to deliver long loading times pretty consistently, which certainly becomes one of the weaker aspects of the game. Another thing that really could use a bit of work is the AI. It has been improved a bit, but it still doesn’t feel as authentic as it should.

Repeatedly luring victims into a room with an ever growing stack of unconscious (or dead) bodies, for example, feels really old-fashioned, because they simply

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pisodic game releases are something that works for some titles, and then not for others.

And they also appeal to some gamers, while not to others. The decision to go episodic with this latest Hitman title, which is something of a reboot for the series, will work for those that enjoy digging into a particular mission and exploring the various ways in which it can be completed. For those that want to plough through the story and stack up the bodies in short order, though, it may prove somewhat frustrating.

What you get with this initial Hitman episode is a number of training levels (complete with hastily constructed sets and an assurance that the people you “service” are actors who won’t be harmed by your actions) as well as a single contract based in Paris.

The Paris setting is massive and crammed with all

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don’t react in the way that they should. With that said, however, aspect like the game’s disguise system have been reworked really well, turning using disguises from a hit-and-miss affair into something far more sensible. The player can finally wear someone else’s clothes confident in the fact that it will deliver the desired results.

The first episode also features a lot of replayability for those so inclined. Not only can you dig through various ways of going about the Paris contract, but successful playthroughs unlock things like new equipment that you can try out on subsequent runs.

Additionally, a revamped Contracts Mode has been included, meaning that players can set their own challenges for others in pre-existing settings. Thing is, though, that until there are more episodes available, people will really only be dealing with the Paris stage,

and the setting itself may wear a little thin. Once more episodes have been released, though, the more robust system should prove very popular.

The long and the short of it is that this latest instalment of Hitman really is a great game. It allows pedantic players to really delve into things and experiment with the way they finish their tasks. But it doesn’t only reward that kind of approach – it almost requires it. In fact, unless you’re going to approach it in that way, you may well feel that the episodic approach of the release doesn’t justify the amount you spent on it.

Whatever the case may be, fans of Agent 47 will be able to dig into the experience at a very deep level, thanks to this highly replayable game, and their patience will likely be rewarded… just as patience in missions is. g

AT A GLANCE Action

REVIEWED ON

Although some may not like its episodic nature, there are many reasons why this latest instalment of Hitman is a great game… although the AI and loading times aren’t Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Io Interactive Square Enix Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

18+ gamecca82

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

PS4 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

79 67

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Tom Clancy’s

The Division GAMING

Bringing order to the Big Apple

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Tom Clancy’s The Division

by Walt Pretorius

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of criminals roam the almost desolate streets.

Desperate civilians wander about almost aimlessly as they search for food and supplies, while the ruthless gangs set up strongholds and take whatever they can by force.

That brings up something that has been criticised by some; the empty feeling of the streets. But The Division is not about crowds of enemies that fall upon you in waves. It is not about rolling gun-battles that see you inch your way from one city block to another.

Rather, the desolation of the setting plays into the bigger, harsher reality of this game world. They didn’t choose New York City for fun – the bustling images we have of this giant community stand in a stark contrast to what we see in The Division, and that helps to drive the impact of the situation home. In just

GAMING

hat would you do if society suddenly came crashing down? Well, if you were a member of The Division, you would spring into action. This latest addition to Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy library of games sees the player take on the role of a sleeper agent called on in times of crisis, with the task of helping to restore law and order.

The city of New York has fallen victim to a biologically engineered virus released on Black Friday, and the once bustling metropolis has become almost a ghost town in its wake. The Division doesn’t take you to streets filled with rioters and looters, but rather visits the situation some time after the initial outbreak, when most of the population has died and rogue gangs

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a few short weeks, the planet’s biggest city has been laid to near-waste. The really scary part is that it could happen – The Division is a well-researched title, and its plot and messages carry with them the gravity that this is something that really could take place.

Keeping that in mind makes the setting seem not only haunting and a little disturbing, but also perfect for the overall concept of the game.

But the streets aren’t really deserted, as anyone who played the game in the first few days of release will attest. The Division quickly became Ubisoft’s most successful game launch, and millions of players streamed onto the servers. And while you don’t see them in the “every day” part of the game, there are two areas in which playing with (or against) other players become vital. But more about that later.

After a short few missions in the Bronx (which serves as the tutorial and allows the player to set up their character’s looks from a lamentably small number of presets) the player heads to Manhattan, where the main body of the game takes place. Here the player is tasked with setting up a base of operations in an old post office, an activity which is vital to their progression through the game. See, the base has three wings which loosely cover medical, security and utility services. Each upgrade made to these wings adds new skills, talents and abilities to the player’s character, which in turn forms the basis for a surprisingly robust (if somewhat simplified) RPG element in the game.

Upgrades are done to these wings by finding specific resources. These, in turn, are found in either side

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(providing they have a little tactical knowledge, of course). The AI will try to take advantage of situations and settings, too, using flanking tactics and suppressive fire to gain the upper hand. Faced with that, a team works better. The fact that enemies have different difficulty ranks and tend to be bullet sponges more often than not also makes team play a much better idea.

Resources for upgrading the wings form part of the game’s currency system, which also includes cash for buying equipment, and parts for crafting equipment (and there is a wide range of equipment to choose from, suiting almost every play style from long range to up-close). As the player’s level increases, so does the quality of the equipment they can carry, and the crafting and economy systems of the game play

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missions or main missions. Main mission give more resources, but they are also the spot in which playing with others becomes important. Sure, you can finish a main mission on your own, but you may well battle more than you’d like to. Instead, teaming up with friends or forming an impromptu party via The Division’s pretty sensible matchmaking system will see you get through the main missions much more quickly.

The way that the game’s combat is structured lends itself to this, too. It’s a cover based shooter that places a fairly heavy reliance on supportive tactics from time to time. The ideal is a group of friends who arrange complimentary abilities and skills, of course, but even teaming up with a bunch of complete strangers can have the desired results

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an important part in getting better stuff to shoot bad guys with. Improved equipment also ties into the RPG side of things, with equipment affecting the three player stats (weapons, electronics and stamina). Changing one piece of equipment can make a massive difference to the way the game plays, so carefully balancing things to get them just the way you like them is not only important, but also highly possible using these ideas. But it also means a bit of grinding to get the tools and resources you need.

And then there’s the Dark Zone. These areas have been cordoned off, and are the most dangerous parts of New York, where the infection has run rampant and the most powerful gangs reside. It also is the game’s PvPvE area, with the possibility of “going rogue” and shooting other Division agents (as well as the AI

bad guys) making it a dangerous place. Of course, the loot is better here, but anything collected in the Dark Zone needs to be extracted by helicopter and decontaminated before the player can equip it. The result is a tense, sometimes chaotic environment that will have you constantly looking over your shoulder.

With good graphics and competent controls, not to mention haunting atmospheric sound effects, The Division looks and feels good. And while it still has a few issues that the developers are diligently ironing out, the interesting blend of action, RPG and MMO elements make for an addictive and enjoyable experience overall, with tons of replayability thanks to the Dark Zone and upcoming DLC. It’s a solid start for this new IP, and we wouldn’t be surprised if we see a sequel fairly soon. g

AT A GLANCE Action

REVIEWED ON

The Division is a sprawling title, with a massive play area and tons to do – including paranoid PvPvE action in the Dark Zone.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Massive Entertainment Ubisoft Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

18+ gamecca82

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

PS4 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

87 73

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Trackmania Turbo Going around the bend

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within the world. And they’re consistent. So while you might be getting air or sliding around tight curves in ways that real world cars can only dream of, you’re doing it in the same way every time… the weird physics have no surprises, and once you get your head around them, you’ll always get what you expect.

In terms of controls, things couldn’t be simpler. There’s accelerate, brake, and steer. Oh, and the all-important reset buttons, which reset you to the last checkpoint (of which there are many on each of the tracks) or restart the race.

No mess, no fuss. And, quite frankly, that’s all that a game of this nature needs. You’ll be resetting regularly if you’re trying to beat the clock for a gold medal, as the exacting precision demanded by this kind of play is extremely demanding.

Perhaps the real stars of the show here are the tracks.

GAMING

any people balk at the idea of an arcade style driving game, but they certainly have their place. Trackmania Turbo stands testament to this, with its outlandish tracks, simple controls and pick-up-and-play nature all supporting a more casual approach to slinging a motorised vehicle around a track.

And sling you will – almost all of the surprisingly chunky single player “campaign” is based on time trials. You’ll have the only car on the track, but that’s a good thing – the game challenges you to complete the more than 200 tracks with a combination of speed and precision.

That statement may seem odd to make about a game that takes real world physics and throws them out the window. But while Trackmania Turbo might have Newton spinning in his grave, the physics of the world make sense

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multiplayer is even better. There are several modes available, like competing with ghosts of other players (who are live, but won’t get in your way) repeatedly on the same track until an overall timer counts down. There are some great local modes as well, but the one that stands out the most is the one that will probably get the least play: two drivers, one car. It’s hilarious and will strain any friendship.

If you accept Trackmania Turbo for what it is – a crazy, offthe-wall arcade racer that’s about beating obstacles through perseverance – you’ll do just fine with it. If you’re expecting a more traditional driving simulator, look elsewhere.

It’s also good to note that this is the first Trackmania game to hit consoles since the Wii version several years ago. And it’s a great fit; the bright visuals, simple controls and arcade nature make it fun for casual and more serious console gamers alike. g

AT A GLANCE Arcade Racing

It’s easy-going nature, simple controls and challenging tracks make Trackmania Turbo a fun (if unrealistic) time-trial based racer.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Nadeo Ubisoft Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

3+ gamecca82

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

REVIEWED ON

PS4 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

80 75

by Alex Scanlon

They’re incredible, gravity defying affairs crammed with hairpin turns, massive jumps and loop-the-loops; they may generally be pretty short point-to-point affairs, but the short time you spend on each one will be pulse-pounding.

The same cannot really be said for the cars. They’re pretty low detail in terms of graphics, and there only a handful of cars available. In fact, you will start with all of them, and end with the same cars - Trackmania Turbo levels the playing field. It’s a game about skill and precision, not buying more horsepower at a virtual dealership.

The looks, overall, suit the game, but they’re not of the best sort. That said, once again, they’re not really what Trackmania Turbo is about, and they more than serve the function that they need to across the four environmental themes of the game.

While the single payer is a fun, quick hit affair, the

F

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The initial learning curve is intense, but once you get to grips with the way Flame Over thinks, it is a fairly enjoyable rogue-like, complete with permanent upgrades.

REVIEWED ON

PS4

PLATFORMS

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Laughing Jackal Laughing Jackal Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

7+ gamecca82

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

Rogue-like

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

AT A GLANCE

GAMING Bound of flame

Getting toasted rogue-like style

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by Rob Edwards

Flame Over

lame Over made its first appearance on the PS Vita last year, and it managed to do some pretty impressive things on the handheld. With its jump to the PS4, it is perhaps less impressive than it could be, but it will still be the kind of game that fans of rogue-like titles will simply have to best.

In Flame Over, you take control of Blaze, a Londonbased fireman who has to – you guessed it – put out fires, rescue civilians and carry cats to safety.

And it’s all against the clock.

Saving civilians will add a little time to the countdown, though, and bringing kitties to safety will regenerate life.

Each level is randomly generated, and also hold the all-important breaker-switch to turn off the electricity and hamper the spread of the fire.

Blaze is armed with a hose, a fire extinguisher and a few once-off items that can be bought between missions. Like any good rogue-like, Flame Over will see you lose almost everything when you die, but in a progressive move (similar to Rogue Legacy) upgrades that are bought between levels are permanent. This means that after the initially very steep hump, the game becomes much more enjoyable and strategic.

Getting to that point, though, can feel like a Herculean feat.

Frustration aside, Flame Over is fairly easy to pick up and play, although a little more tutorial wouldn’t have gone amiss. You’ll spend a few fatal attempts trying to get behind the game’s thinking. Quite simply put, getting maximum enjoyment out of Flame Over will take perseverance and dedication… once you get your mind around the game and have a few upgrades stowed away, it’s pretty enjoyable. g

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Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition

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Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition S

The handful of tweaks and additions in the Definitive Edition have improved Ori and the Blind Forest a

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XO PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

Platform

whole lot.

PLATFORMS

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Moon Studios Microsoft Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

7+ gamecca82

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

ometimes adding new content is just that – new things to do and see.

But at others, like in the case of Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition, these additions take an already great game and improve on it in a number of ways.

The Definitive Edition adds very little to the game in terms of new content – there is a fairly exciting (and very dark) new area to explore, but that’s about it. Where it does add in some changes are in the ways that the game plays… and this was done through adding just a handful of new concepts to the original.

The player can now take advantage of two new abilities. The first is a dash ability, which can be upgraded to an air dash. It really makes traversal a lot more fun, and works well through the whole game. There is also a new, grenadelike light bomb that helps take foes out more quickly.

But perhaps the best additions to the game are less flashy. The first is multiple difficulty levels, with the developers having added an easy and a hard mode, as well as a challenging One Life mode, which tasks you with finishing the game without dying.

The second, perhaps best addition, is the ability to fast travel between light wells. This makes going over the same (sometimes tough) old ground over and over again a non-issue.

Quite frankly, not much had to be done to Ori and the Blind Forest – it was already a remarkable game to begin with. But these new additions are really good at taking this unique and surreal title another few steps closer to being the definitive Xbox One platforming experience. g

AT A GLANCE

GAMING Bound of flame

by Walt Pretorius

Travelling just got a whole lot easier…

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System Crash GAMING

The cyber-side of collectible card gam

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System Crash

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A great first effort from

by Walt Pretorius

Rogue Moon, System Crash is an addictive, engaging and fast paced card game against a well-written

AI

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Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

TBC AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

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AT A GLANCE

PARENTAL ADVISORY

REVIEWED ON

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opponent.

Developer Publisher Distributer

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Collectible Card

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

(a great source of income and a brilliant way to test decks).

There are one or two cards that seem a little overpowered, but nothing is unstoppable in System Crash, which uses a lanebased system for its dynamic – in other words, an agent card will only be able to attack an enemy that it directly in front of it. If it not blocked by an enemy, it attacks the player’s opponent directly, earning points needed for a win. There are also support cards, which effect the overall game for a number of turns, agent buffs (like armour and weapons) and instant actions that can target agents or players.

Decks of up to 40 cards can be constructed and modified easily from the player’s collection, and trimming up a deck with a newly acquired card is a simple affair. In fact, pretty much everything in System Crash is about getting the job done simply and effectively, and the neat coding keeps things flowing fast.

System Crash is fastpaced, engaging and thoroughly addictive. While digital card games are a little niche, it is the kind of game that can draw genre veterans and newcomers in with its pacey, pick-up-andplay approach and wellconstructed AI. It’s great for a quick hit, but also serves well for protracted play sessions. Some games will be over in moments, while others will turn into high-end card struggles for domination.

Rogue Moon have also said that there will be additional content for System Crash – new cards, new missions and the like – coming in the future, adding longevity to this already addictive title.

It really is great to see a game like System Crash coming from a local developer. It makes use of sound principles and ideas to deliver an experience that is, ultimately, great fun. g

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ystem Crash is a game that we’ve been following for a while now, due to the fact that it is the first project from South African based Rogue Moon Studios. And as a first release by a very small crew, it’s really rather impressive.

System Crash is a virtual collectible card game that comes crammed with strategic options and deck-building strategies.

It places the player in the role of a hacker in a cyberpunk world that smacks of William Gibson’s influences.

Authentic feeling slang and artwork complements this, although the dialogue is all text based. That’s a small matter, though – even giants like Nintendo still turn to text for dialogue options in titles these days, and the writing here does more than just impart the narrative – it adds massive amounts of colour and flavour to the title.

Card games, life the massively popular Hearthstone, need two things at their core: correct balance and an AI that understands the finer points and strategies of the game’s paradigm. Rogue Moon have managed to impress on both, particularly in terms of the AI – and seeing as how (for the time being at least) System Crash is a single player game, having a strong AI opponent is vital.

System Crash’s AI is smart and sneaky, and will use the cards in its deck to maximum effect. It’s basically like going up against a sharp-witted player in a game of Magic: The Gathering.

This means, essentially, that a successful game of System Crash depends on two things – the luck of the draw (which you cannot control) and a well-constructed deck.

New cards are earned by completing missions or by buying them on the game’s black market with credits that are earned from missions or by competing in tournaments

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There’s a lot of repetition here, but great controls and replayability make Galak Z a great time-

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burner.

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17-bit 17-bit Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

12+ gamecca82

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

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Shooter

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

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AT A GLANCE

GAMING Bound of flame

Attacks from all sides

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by Alex Scanlon

Galak Z: The Dimensional

alak Z is a game that simultaneously reminds one of a simpler time and manages to take advantage of some very new ideas. It’s a little like a revamped version of Asteroids, one of the first video games to ever be made, with the player flying around procedurally generated levels in a space ship that is subject to the varied effects of thrust and drift.

Mastering the controls, and understanding how they will affect the ship’s movement even after they are deactivated, is key to successfully playing this game. It’s also what makes it enjoyable, and the player can truly revel in an opportunity to display skill here. There are various upgrades and the like, and Galak Z has some roguelike elements to it, but it never really takes itself that seriously.

It comes down to being an often-challenging space shooter in which the player can whirl around like a dervish, dealing damage and dodging fire in 2D. On the weaker side, the levels and enemies, though slightly varied, do eventually start feeling a little “samey”. In addition, the types of mission that the player will undertake will, before long, start feeling like rinse-and-repeat affairs, with little variation in goals and objectives.

The game is crammed with personality, none-theless, and players will get a lot of enjoyment out of blasting their enemies if they ignore the flat narrative and undeniable repetition. It has an upgrade system, too, and the procedurally generated levels (a system that even randomises power-ups) makes it more than a little replayable. It isn’t really very serious, but it certainly is a lot of fun, and well worth the time if you’re after a fun and challenging distraction. g

Galak Z: The Dimensional

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Broforce

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Broforce Gung-ho, bro!

awesome movies of your childhood, and gives you tons of ways to cause

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total havoc.

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It also features some exciting multiplayer modes, although they’re more about blowing stuff up in big ways than true co-operation, and they turn into joyful laughter-fests more often than not.

While Broforce is a great game, it does suffer from a handful of technical problems that, while not ruinous, do hamper the overall experience a little.

If you haven’t played Broforce yet, you really should. It’s gung-ho, testosterone driven overtones and subtle commentaries are great fun, and the mindless violence and fast-pace makes it an exciting game overall. g

Free Lives Devolver Digital Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

16+ gamecca82

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

It pokes fun at all those

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AT A GLANCE

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character. There is a cast of more than 30 of these characters, including fun pokes at iconic heroes both male and female. Each character has their own form of attack and special abilities, lending surprising depth to this pixelated gun fest.

The developers have kept the game neat and tight, as well as extremely fast paced and utterly chaotic. If you consider that one hit kills your character, virtually everything on screen can be destroyed and that explosions seem to be a firm favourite with Free Lives, you can well imagine how crazy the on-screen action gets in Broforce.

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by Rob Edwards

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roforce is a game that has been around for a while, and it has now made a fairly successful leap to PS4. And for us South African’s it’s yet another reason to be proud – Broforce was developed by the local developer, Free Lives.

The premise is simple, and it pays homage to all those overly patriotic American action films of the ‘80s and ‘90s.

The player starts with a single character – a parody of a movie hero – and then blasts his way through a side-scrolling level.

Each POW he rescues along the way adds another life, in the form of a new, random

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xon Games is an independent game development company that was founded by its four directors: Eugene Albasini, Nico Fourie, Aletius Botha and

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Indie View

ty with Axon Games.

By Nthato Morakabi

ULSE Gerhard Botha on 9 March 2015. Axon Games is based in Pretoria, South Africa and is currently developing their first game called Kronostasis.

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Eugene Albasini - Technical Manager

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GM: Greetings guys, it’s a real pleasure to get to chat to you fully, following the mini-interview at the rAge Expo 2015. So can you give us a quick intro as to who Axon Games is and why the name Axon?

AG: We are those four guys from in and around Pretoria that is giving a 100% to churn out a high quality indie game.

Passionate game lovers and never afraid of challenging our abilities.

As for the company name, we had a few suggestions for the company name, but we had a vote once we had collected a few names that we felt was really nice. And from that we choose the name that suited the company the best.

The axon is the long and slender part of a nerve cell that transmits information within a biological organism by conducting electrical impulses.

We thought these axons to be similar to the conductive tracks found in various computer components, such as the motherboard and other PCB’s that link a computer’s components together. This to us symbolizes the harmony of the thought process we undertake as developers and the computing that needs to be done in order to express

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Gerhard Botha - Design Manager

our creations. Bringing life and gaming together under one symbol.

GM: How did you decide you would go into game development?

AG: One night at a party Eugene mentioned the idea of making a game, we all seemed to like the idea, and immediately started pitching concepts. A few weeks later we decided to start Axon Games.

GM: And was there a particular game or idea that drove you towards development?

AG: We had a lot of ideas, and started working on a different project initially. That project was temporarily halted for various reasons, mostly because we bit off more than we can chew. Kronostasis was born and implemented because it was an excellent idea that made a lot of sense out of a design point of view.

GM: What did each of you study and was it geared specifically towards going into game development?

If not, would you go study game development?

AG: I (Eugene) studied computer science, and I feel gamecca82

Nico Fourie - Business Manager

this has helped me a lot with developing games, and no I always had a passion for programming. Since I was very young I started playing with GameMaker making games. I think personally this not only sparked my interest in programming but also my interest in creating games.

Gerhard and Aletius studied BSc in Microbiology Physiology and Nico Studied Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. Eugene was the one who inspired us to go into it together because what we lacked in studies of the field, we made up in creativity, imagination and market skills.

We would definitely study game development, but growing up here in south Africa there was not a lot of proper study courses for it at the time, but if proper professional courses start to emerge in south Africa I would definitely consider furthering my knowledge.

GM: Industry-wise, how difficult is it?

AG: Extremely difficult, especially here in South Africa.

But we are actually a lot better off these days than that of the old days, seeing as it is a lot easier for us to release games globally thanks to gaming

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GM: Do you have any advice? Share any struggles, victories or challenges faced as a company?

AG: We are still fairly new to this ourselves. I guess from what we have learned thus far I would say to never give up, don’t be afraid to learn new things even if it seems overwhelming at first and try to express yourself as creatively as possible.

GM: And would you care to give your foresight for next 5 years regarding the indie industry?

AG: We personally believe that the gaming industry is busy growing and expanding at an increasing rate, this is very good news for indie developers as the indie scene is also growing at a very fast pace.

GM: What does being a Game Developer mean to you both as a gamer and as a developer?

AG: We have learned a lot more about how the games actually work in the background. How they are able to achieve what they can.

As well as how ridiculously hard it is to create a game that you are proud of. This is partially because of my gamer childhood where I have gotten used to very good titles like Diablo and the likes of Doom and many more.

GM: Inspiration comes in many forms, we have seen in our previous issues. What inspires you both in gaming and outside of gaming?

AG: There are so many sources of inspiration within gaming that it is difficult to name all off them. I guess we all have a soft spot for the games we grew up playing which include titles from developers such as Blizzard Entertainment, Id software, Valve and BioWare.

As for inspiration outside of gaming, we all like comics and movies, you might even find us reading the occasional fantasy book or Japanese manga. We are all somewhat of science geeks also.

10. GM: Are there any other Indie Developers you look up to, refer to or have mad respect for?

Indie View

platforms like Steam and GoG.

where we can within each of our individual skill sets.

GM: Now, can you tell us about the game you are currently developing?

AG: Kronostasis is a fast paced, time trial based FPS game that focuses not only on a deep and rich story but on a more competitive side as well. Making use of a leader board system as well as some extremely hard to obtain achievements. Leader board scores are obtained by completing the chapters of the game in the shortest possible time.

GM: What is the key feature that makes your game different from others?

AG: Yes, Free Lives Games with Broforce‌ those local guys surely showed us what is possible. I guess it is hard not to mention Phil Fish the maker of FEZ and Frictional games the makers of Amnesia.

AG: The leader board system is one of the core aspects of our game. As well as the achievement system in our game.

GM: Those are well known developers for sure. So are you part of a game developer community?

AG: We wanted to recreate a fast paced and fun old school type shooter, of course we threw in our own little twists that focus mostly on the fast paced aspect.

AG: We do follow the MakeGamesSA forum to see what the other local devs are up to and we also took part in rAge 2015 Homecoded, but mostly we work in the shadows and behind the scenes trying to release our brand and game to the world.

Axon Games is our community.

GM: What inspired you to develop Kronostasis?

GM: What platform are you looking to release it on?

AG: PC

GM: Is there a release date?

AG: Q4 2016

GM: How has it helped you shape your development?

AG: We encourage each other at every programaton.

Always helping each other gamecca82

Well it has been a great pleasure chatting to you at Axon games. We here at Gamecca hope you continue to grow in the years to follow. g 87

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Legacy GAMING

Stealth

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Legacy: Thief

y: Thief distilled

By Lein Baart

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Why was it created?

Considering how different and focussed Thief was for the time, it’s amazing to consider that a dedicated stealth game was a far cry from the original concept that Looking Glass began working on in 1996. Titled Dark Camelot, the game was meant to be “a first-person sword fighting simulator” with a plot that featured Guinevere as a lesbian and Arthur as a tyrannical despot. It took some time, but eventually the team realised that the most interesting gameplay lay with its thieving aspects, and by mid-1997 the design was overhauled in favour of a game that emphasised stealth above everything else.

Looking Glass faced a number of serious challenges along the way however. Due to past partnerships having fallen flat the studio was in dire financial straits, and during its development Thief: The Dark Project lost a number of key personnel including its lead programmer, project manager and lead designer.

This was only exacerbated by Eidos’ scepticism regarding the gamecca82

appeal of a game focussed around deliberately avoiding conflict, and it was only within the last three months before its due date that Thief’s various systems began to fully gel, necessitating more than a few sleepless nights in the office.

Why do we care?

Looking Glass Studios’ design was built around the concept of organic, emergent gameplay, one in which the player created memorable moments rather than the designer, and from the get-go this was immediately apparent in Thief. With vast, sprawling levels that encouraged exploration, a likeable and truly witty protagonist and gameplay that was utterly unique for the time, it wasn’t long before The Dark Project proved a critical success. The game was lauded for its use of ambience and sound effects (indeed it was one of the first to make audio a core gameplay component), and while some criticism was levelled against forced combat against zombies and monsters, Thief 2: The Metal Age paid actual heed to feedback and created the most focussed stealth experience gaming has seen to date.

What truly separated Thief from its contemporaries, and indeed against all claimants since, was the dedication to making players feel vulnerable whenever they so much as glanced at even murky lighting. Its uncompromising design could create moments of pure terror in which you would find yourself backed against a wall within sniffing distance of a suspicious guard’s crotch, while at the same time foster a sense of unbridled superiority whenever you fleeced an arrogant nobleman for everything he was worth. It’s an experience that has yet to be recreated, and while titles like Dishonored have come close, Thief has never stopped being the measure against which all stealth games come up against. g

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here are few studios, if any, that can claim to not have only invented a genre but perfected it within two years and just as many releases.

Looking Glass Studios, undoubtedly one of the most influential developers in gaming history, accomplished such a feat, and with the creation of Thief set a bar for stealth games that many argue has never been reached again, despite the numerous attempts over the years. While 2014’s reboot may have tarnished the franchise’s reputation somewhat (and for the purpose of this article I’m simply going to pretend that it doesn’t exist), to this day it inspires games that still hope to capture some of its magic.

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Ramjet’s rantality

I have a brand new problem.

I always have a brand new problem, of course, but there are some that I nurture and grow like a tumour. In fact, this idea isn’t all that new, this problem that I have… I have given it a little time to mature.

And now that it has festered to a level that I am really rather impressed with, it’s time to spew it out here like a bucketload of stinking pus. Because that’s what it is.

The internet has ruined game journalism. There, I said it. Now let me tell you why.

The entire problem with the internet is that anyone – and I mean anyone – can have a website. And because the internet is like some unpredictable mass of primordial chaos, even people that shouldn’t have websites can succeed.

Maybe I come from a different era, a time when journalism had ethics and unspoken rules. A time when printing an opinion meant that your opinion could be validated with supporting arguments. A time when what you published could mean that you would

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have to be taken to task for it, when you needed to be prepared to stand behind what you said and were willing to defend every word to the death (of your career, possibly).

The internet has changed that, thanks to mass hysteria, cronyism and stupidity. Now it’s not about what you say, or if you are willing to stand behind your statements with your head held high. Now it’s just about attracting readers, and anyone who can click-bait or make sweeping, controversial comments can get readers. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a sad state of affairs for readers, because the competition in gaming journalism seems to have forgotten the fact that it’s supposed to be for the readers.

How can you trust a review written by someone rushing to get the first review out?

Sure, there are websites and other online sources that get early access to review copies of games but, trust me, they are far less numerous than you might be lead to believe.

gamecca82

BY rAMJET

Internet Issues...

And yet some guy will have a review of a massive game out literally hours after his review copy arrived. Did that reviewer really put the time in to do the best he possibly could to get an accurate, fair and well-researched opinion formulated? I don’t think so.

These things take time and consideration, but when you’re racing to be first out with a review, there isn’t time for consideration or, er… time.

The issue goes even deeper than that, I am afraid, and I don’t have the space to go into ideas like the fact that no journalist should be a platform, genre or franchise fan-boy (and a lot of them are) or things like that. But maybe, just maybe, this little bit of bile has got you thinking just enough to carefully consider your information sources.

Sure, reading a review nice and early is nice, but is it the best information you can find? Do a little research, look at tons of sources to make your decision and remember that just because it’s on the internet doesn’t mean that it’s reliable. g

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Bump in the Night

COLUMN 102

The Time Betwixt

Cool stuff 104 106 108 110

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A&A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong #1 Black Widow #1 Predator: Life and Death #1 Superman: The Coming of the Supermen #1

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The World of Darkness pu

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By Walt Pretorius

the Night

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adult colouring for now…

Perhaps the biggest draw card to role playing is the fact that it allows groups of friends to come together and craft tales full of imagination and wonder, working together to create a full and engaging narrative that isn’t dictated to them by computer code, but is rather only restricted by the imagination and the rules (although most are treated more as guidelines) of the games they are playing.

While the most obvious of the successful role playing games is Dungeons & Dragons, and the brand is seeing a big upswing, there are a great many options available

LIFESTYLE

here are a great many “traditional” or penciland-paper role playing games on the market, and the activity is undergoing a renewed phase of interest in current times. With a resurgence in board gaming, it isn’t surprising to see that many people are making a return to role-playing as well.

There are many reasons why this activity, which has been around for more than four decades, is once again enjoying renewed interest. In fact, like board gaming and role playing, numerous activities that allow people to ‘unplug’ are seeing growth – even things like adult colouring. But we’re not talking about

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to players who want to explore their inner worlds. While D&D offers massive fantasy potential, not everyone wants to enter it’s realms of magic, strange creatures and, of course, dragons. What if you and your friends want to try something a little darker, a little more serious? What if you and your friends want to play the bad guys for a change?

Enter the World of Darkness games. With these titles, players get to explore a deeper, darker side of their psyche as they take on the roles of the creatures that go bump in the night – vampires, werewolves and more.

But the World of Darkness is more complex than that.

It’s not just about donning a cape and wandering the streets of the imagination in search of blood. Rather, White Wolf – the publishers of the World of Darkness games – have created a complex tapestry of games that go beyond the obvious. What goes on in the mind of a vampire who still intimately remembers what it was like to be human? Or the werewolf who is persecuted by his own kind simply because of his birth-species? Or the mage trying to fight against the forces of paradox and evil all at the same time?

The World of Darkness games allow for a deeper exploration of these themes, themes that are perfectly

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games are Vampire, Werewolf and Mage, each detailing those specific classes of character.

In association with these are several sub-games, including Promethean, Changeling, Hunter and Geist, each bringing a new class of supernatural creature to the world. Changeling, with its angst ridden fae characters, is arguably the most popular of the subgames, while Hunter allows players to switch sides again, taking on the creatures detailed in the other rule sets.

The real beauty of these games is that they all belong to a carefully constructed cycle. They can (with the

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at home in the gothic horror that the World of Darkness finds its roots embedded in. And although the idea of playing a vampire might initially seem like a cool one, purely because you get to be a badass, it soon becomes apparent that the complexities of this existence go far beyond avoiding sunlight and luring victims into dark alleyways.

The World of Darkness games are divided into clusters. At the heart of it lies the core World of Darkness rule set, which outlines existence of humans and ghosts in a world very much like our own, but with a deeper, darker underbelly. The other “main�

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exception of the core, essential World of Darkness book) be used in tandem, or separately. What that means is that any particular set of rules can be used on its own, or with any of the others, in any particular combination. If the game master decides he wants a world in which werewolves and fae are at war, that’s possible. If a world with just vampires is required, that’s fine too.

The World of Darkness games use a very simple game dynamic, largely because the spirit of the game is to move away from rules that may bog things down.

Rather, the World of Darkness RPGs promote role

playing at the highest levels, and even if the mechanics of the games are relatively simple, the overall effect can be extremely enticing and impressive. These are games in which drama trumps rules, and where angst and deep character-on-character role playing is as rewarding as a fire fight is.

The World of Darkness games have been around for some time – they are relative newcomers when compared to titles like D&D and Call of Cthulhu) but over the two-or-so decades that they have been around, they certainly have risen to be extremely popular, as well as made their mark on the world of role playing. g

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hen Nintendo first announced the Wii, way back in 2005, the gaming community practically exploded. We were promised a whole new method of interaction, a control system that had never been see before and that the Wii would forever alter the way we play games. They were right (except for the last bit), but what they forgot to tell us, and what we quickly figured out afterwards, was that whole motion control concept was a load of crap, and it didn’t take long for everyone to relegate the Wii to the paddling pool.

Then along came Microsoft in 2009 and announced the Kinect (or rather Project Natal as it was known at first), and once again everyone lost their shit. We all envisioned an age in which controllers were banished, were we would game as if in the Minority Report and that the Kinect would forever alter the way we play games (déjà vu anyone?).

Well this fall flatter than even Nintendo’s attempts, and now most Kinects sit forlornly by their owners’ screens, brought out when everyone gets

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pissed enough to think that drunken flailing is a good party game.

I could name other instances (data gloves or the Nintendo Virtual Boy for example) when the reality of new tech hitting the shelves failed to live up to the wild imaginings of gamers, but the point is that with the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive launch dates just around the corner, we’re all being told that VR gaming is about to become the next big thing.

In the interests of full disclosure, I must admit that I have not yet had a chance to play with either of these devices or their related peripherals, so this is most certainly not an informed opinion. What this is though is a cautionary tale, as the promises that we’re hearing from the tech manufactures are nothing new, most especially president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment. Andrew House’s statement that VR is the future of gaming.

Now to begin with, I’m not asserting that VR is a gimmick or that it is going to end up in the same dark

gamecca82

BY Lein Baart

There & Back Again... and forgotten corners that most experimental gaming tech eventually finds itself.

However it seems that when most people imagine VR gaming inevitably it’s something along the lines of FPS’, with flight sims (a far more natural fit for these devices I would imagine) coming in a distant second.

The problem is that FPS’ as we know them just aren’t designed with VR in mind, and this leads to a whole bunch of unforeseen issues like motion sickness and awkward controls. If you read reports and forums on the subject, most people will tell you that a game that was not designed to accommodate VR will never play as well as their purpose-built counterparts, and you can bet your arse that you will not be able to compete against players using gamepads or keyboards and mice. So while in time the industry may gravitate towards VR gaming, I wouldn’t be getting ready to burn more traditional controllers any time soon, nor would I say that gaming as you know it is about to change forever. g

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Title:

A&A: The Adventures of Archer & Armstrong #1

Writer:

Rafer Roberts

Artist:

David Lafuente

Publisher: Rated:

Valiant Teen

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by Clive Burmeister

Armstrong is an immortal, who has been around for about six thousand years. He’s a rough and raunchy fellow, who takes his trouble making almost as seriously as he takes his drinking. Archer is a young combat expert, trained in all sorts of martial arts and marksmanship.

He was originally trained to take out none other than Armstrong, but that went sideways and they became fast friends instead.

But one thing that Archer has learnt about his partner, is that trouble follows him like the smell of sweaty socks, so when Archer discovers his friend missing from his room, and in his place some giant lizard creatures, he knows that the adventure is only getting started. A&A is a fun and light hearted adventure story in the Valiant Universe.

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Title: Writer: Artist:

Black Widow #1 Chris Samnee & Mark Waid Chris Samnee

Publisher:

Marvel

Rated:

Teen +

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by Clive Burmeister

This is one of those fast paced, adrenaline fuelled, balls to the wall, hard hitting and explosive first issues.

From the get go Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, is in a desperate escape attempt from S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, with some vital information which has now labelled her as a traitor, to what were moments before her comrades.

But what has she stolen, and why such extremes to take it, surely she could have done something less drastic than turning on her own people and devastating their operatives in her crazy break for freedom. All will be revealed in time, but this first issue of Black Widow sets a pace that will be hard to keep up with.

But Waid and Samnee make a great team, and seem very much up to the task.

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Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher: Rated:

Predator: Life and Death #1 Dan Abnett Brian Albert Thies Dark Horse Teen

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by Clive Burmeister

As the USCM (United States Colonial Marine Corps) escort an executive from the Weyland corporation to a remote planet to investigate a case of unlicensed prospecting, they find a little more than they bargained for with the discovery of a massive space craft of unknown origin which they should have been able to see from orbit, but couldn’t. Just before they can explore this strange occurrence further, a group of deadly Predators strike, causing mayhem within the ranks of the startled marines. Dan Abnett is an experienced and skilled sciencefiction author, and this experience in story telling is quite evident as the comic quickly builds momentum, gathering all the background while building anticipation for what comes next.

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110

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Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher: Rated:

The Coming of the Supermen #1 Neal Adams & Tony Bedard Neal Adams DC Teen

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by Clive Burmeister

In this day and age we all know violence is funny, sex sells, and you need a pretty wacky and kind of insane story to keep people’s attention. In this light, something like The Auteur was inevitable. Well, maybe not something quite as good as The Auteur, but something similar at least. Luckily the talented (if somewhat disturbed and probably drug induced) team of Rick Spears and James Callahan filled that inevitability before someone else (less disturbed and drug induced). I think if Hunter S. Thompson wrote a comic it would be something like this.

Excellent writing, great story, twisted plot, and featuring Hollywood, gore, babes, drugs, serial killers, movies, love, murder, explosions, and money. This book is nuts!

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Last word

echnology is always providing us with exciting ideas and sometimes even brave new worlds. We stand at the brink of such a new existence as virtual reality finally becomes something that everyone can access. The Oculus Rift is making waves in the bigger technology-tsunami, with everyone getting excited about what new experiences it can deliver. Sony is getting ready to release the PlayStation VR system, and other companies, like HTC, are preparing to meet the market with their own additions to the VR craze. As with every new technology, however, virtual reality can be a double-edged sword… and we don’t know how sharp it is yet.

The very idea is exhilarating.

Being able to step into a virtual world that dominates almost all of our senses, of experiencing a reality that is purely digital, yet very real to those that experience it, is an exciting idea, and one that will be the focus of numerous new breakthroughs in the coming months and years.

The potential for virtual reality goes beyond just entertainment. Some time ago I spoke about the benefits of gaming discovered

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by numerous researchers and scientists, including increased cognitive function and improved eye-hand co-ordination. Who can say how immersing someone in a virtual world may benefit them? It is quite possible that a deeper immersion in a gaming environment may have a more profound positive effect on elements where we have already seen benefits. And the potential for improvements and therapies extend far beyond gaming, as do many other potential uses for virtual reality.

As with any new technology, there is a lot of excitement for VR. Potential users and fans are clamouring to get their hands on the expensive headsets that form the core of the experience. But new technologies that are very quickly adopted run certain risks, most importantly the fact that we have no long term data on how these new innovations affect us, either mentally or physically. In the case of virtual reality, some concern has already been expressed as to how these systems will affect our brain’s understanding of what we perceive visually.

While the brain can tell, for example, that we are looking at something up close due to the

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BY Katia Taliadoros

New Worlds...

eye position, the images sent to it by the eyes are for things much further away. While something like this is unlikely to have serious effects with reasonable amounts of use, what will happen if someone spends several hours a day in a VR game or experience? We simply don’t know.

Similarly, how will virtual reality change a user’s socialisation? As with so many things, a way to sexualise VR has already been developed, with virtual sex simulation software and devices already available. Will we develop a case of people preferring virtual interactions over real ones, simply because they are controllable?

There are many unanswered questions surrounding the exciting worlds of virtual reality, and many of those will only be answered in time.

Until we have more clarity and data about VR, it is best to approach it like we should any new technology: with excitement and caution.

Treated correctly, there is little doubt that VR will be beneficial, not only as a form of entertainment. But it will also be very easy to over-use, or even abuse. A careful approach will be best. g

a Razer Kraken Mobile Headset!

Courtesy of Apex Interactive & Razer.

TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us which mobile OS this device is compatible with Insert “Kraken” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gamecca.com (Optional) Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page (Optional) Competition closes 30 April 2016. South African residents only.

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