Gamecca Magazine August 2013

I S S U E 5 0 / Vo l . 5 August 2013

w w w. g a m e c c a m ag . c o m

Deadpool Pikmin 3 MotoGP13 and more...

At War...

Company of Heroes makes a welcome return...

Chimichangas!

A New World

Deadpool isn’t much of a hero...

Puzzling to survive with Pikmin 3

In the Shadows Sam Fisher is back in Splinter Cell: Blacklist

Free Online Mag

Inside 6 From the Editor 8 Got Mail Letters from our readers 10 IDoubleDQD No time, no energy...

12 Back in Black The return of Sam Fisher...

18 Previews Ten new games to look forward to 40 The Soapbox Sounding like an old guy!

42 Console General Is the damage done?

44 Reviews Six games disected 64 Ramjet’s Rantality Have we come to this?

66 A Year in Games Gaming like it’s 1999!

68 Hardware Some awesome tech goodness...

90 From the Basement Give the little guys a break!

THIS MONTH’S COVER Sam Fisher will be back soon in Splinter Cell: Blacklist.

See our feature on page 12.

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Competitions 39 Saint’s Row IV 65 Razer Ferox Portable Speakers

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Previews

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The Bureau: XCOM Declassified

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Call of Duty: Ghosts

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Payday 2

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Battlefield 4

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Disney Planes

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Need for Speed: Rivals

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How To Survive

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Killzone: Mercenary

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Wolfenstein: The New Order

Writers: Alex Scanlon Charlie Fripp James Francis Lein Baart Nthato Morakabi Pippa Tshabalala Rob Edwards Sarah Snyman Suvesh Arumugam Walt Pretorius

Just Dance 2014

Letters: letters@gameccamag.com

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GAMECCA Vol. 5 Issue 50 August 2013

Editor: Walt Pretorius walt@1337-media.com

Competition Entries: competitions@gameccamag.com

Reviews

Newsletter Subscriptions: www.gameccamag.com

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Design & Photography: 1337 Media cc

Deadpool

Marketing Contact: Katia Taliadoros katia@1337-media.com

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Pikmin 3

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Company of Heroes 2

58

MotoGP 13

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Le Tour de France 2013: 100th Edition

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Quadropus Rampage

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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Copyright Š 1337 Media CC 2009 - 2013

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Idealism...

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From the Editor

This issue of Gamecca is a milestone. Sure, last month we had our fourth birthday issue, but this one is our fiftieth. We have published this magazine fifty times. That is, if I say so myself, something of an achievement.

But it’s a bitter-sweet achievement in some ways, because I would have liked to see a huge number of reviews go in to our fiftieth issue. That just couldn’t happen, because the video game market, at present, is almost completely dead.

I have been doing this video game journalism thing for a long time, and I have grown used to the quiet period that comes in the middle of every year. It’s part of the yearly cycle of game releases. Some years are quieter than others (there are bigger cycles at play, which are far less obvious) but this year… I cannot recall a quieter one, to be honest. And that’s likely because the end of 2013 is going to be nothing short of insane, with tons of new

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games and two new consoles hitting the shelves (well, one here in South Africa, with the other probably materialising in early 2014).

I find it a little reminiscent of a year that a number of game journalists speak of with some reverence: 2008. Five years ago, we also had a rather quiet middle year, only to be inundated by a huge number of games in the closing months of the year. It was truly spectacular to behold the sheer number of games that flooded on to shelves that year. The difference between now and then is that they didn’t release new consoles in 2008. The potential for this year, then, is even bigger.

But it also brings to mind the after-effects of the crazy 2008 Festive Season release schedule. With so many games flooding the market, consumers were overwhelmed. They only had a certain amount of money to spend on games, and opted for sequels to well-known franchises, letting numerous new IPs perform far more

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by Walt Pretorius

poorly than they should have.

Some of those disappeared entirely, which is a great pity.

And yet this cycle repeats itself every few years – one massive year in which too much gets released at the same time, resulting in titles under-performing and falling by the wayside. It’s almost as though game publishers simply don’t learn. And game prices will likely be going up, thanks to the new hardware.

In a way we are fortunate that both the Xbox One and PS4 won’t be here for this year. One is really enough, thanks… it will give us a bit of time to save up some cash for when the next one arrives (I firmly believe that gamers should own, and play on, all platforms, but I am an idealist).

Whatever the case may be, this is going to be an interesting year. There are some very hot titles on the horizon, with a number of them arriving as early as mid to late August already. Gird your loins. Oil your wallets.

This is going to get crazy. g

Got Mail Send us a letter and let us know what’s happening in your head, your games or your community.

What’s Going On?!

To the Editor What’s going on with Xbox One? Some people tell me that it will have lots of restrictions, other people tell me there won’t be any. And now I hear that the new boss at Xbox is a woman?!

It seems that Xbox is in trouble after Sony made their reveal at E3, and like nobody actually knows what is going on. I have been an Xbox fan since the 360 was released, but all this confusion is making the PS4 look a lot better.

various restrictions, like DRM and daily online requirements from the Xbox One. That is very likely due to what was announced at the PS4 press conference at E3.

Don Mattrick, the former head of Xbox, headed over to Zynga (although that might not have been the best move) and has been replaced by Julie Larson-Green. She is a 20 year veteran over at Microsoft, so she should do very well.

As to the PS4 looking better... still too early to tell for sure, I am afraid.

Ed

Nasty!

Kind regards Glen

Hey Ed!

Hi there Glen,

Have you been following the Phil Fish story online? I find it quite entertaining.

From what I have read, Phil Fish (the guy who made the indie game Fez) has decided to stop making games because people are being nasty to him. After he was nasty online to others.

It seems to me that Mr Fish is a bit of a crybaby. Some reports say he made $20 million from Fez, but now that people are smack-talking about him, he has thrown in the towel.

People really should learn to take life a lot less seriously, don’t you think? Or is this maybe a publicity stunt so that people will rush out and buy Fez II when it gets made? Sometimes I think

Letters

There seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding the Xbox One these days. I don’t know whether it is because the press are doing a really poor job in keeping the public informed, or if the public are not paying attention. Or perhaps members of the public haven’t yet learned that they should do research, and not believe what their buddies say... just in case their friends don’t know what they’re talking about.

In an effort to help out, here’s the lowdown as things stand... Microsoft have announced that they will be dropping the

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Send your mail to letters@gamecca.co.za.

Letter of the Month writer will win a prize

Letter of the Month Hi Gamecca I see you guys liked The Simpsons: Tapped Out. So did I, until EA lost my save game. I queried and there is nothing they can - or actually will - do to fix the problem. Then I found several people on the official forums who not only lost their games, but also lost the donut currency they bought with real money. And EA’s position? It doesn’t care. So keep that in mind when playing Tapped Out: if EA loses any of your stuff, even that which you paid cash for, it won’t take any responsibility for it.

Best, Unhappy Gamer

Hey there Unhappy Gamer,

Sponsored by Gioteck & Apex Interactive.

the video game industry has more drama than Days of Our Lives.

Thanks for a great mag, by the way, and happy 4th birthday!

Thanks Tracy McCullum

Hi Tracy, I have also been reading the Phil Fish saga with great interest, although maybe the word saga is a bit of an overstatement.

One thing I did come across is that Phil Fish may be suffering from depression, in which case his actions are, if not justifiable, at least kind of understandable.

The distressing thing is that the gaming industry is - or has become - a nasty place. People have become more vocal and much more savage in their criticisms, and I am not just talking about journalists! For example, there were numerous comments that seemed to indicate that Fish didn’t deserve the money he made from Fez. That, really, is preposterous! People make games to make money, after all. Expecting game makers to give everything away for free (or next to nothing) is unreasonably idealistic and illogical. People should just chill out, and stop being so nasty, simply because they can.

Ed

I am sad to say that this isn’t the first time I have heard this kind of thing. And it is not the first time that it’s been for an EA game. Even I ran into a problem with my SimCity Social game on Facebook. The problem came up often so much so that I eventually gave up and never player again.

There really isn’t any kind of excuse for EA’s reaction, either. A similar thing happened with SimCity Social - there were many complaints and queries on the official forum, and yet there were no responses from anyone even mildly associated with the game.

We all know that games are big business, but the attitude that some companies take - that they no longer seem to care once they have your money - really is not on at all.

Our Letter of the Month writer will be recieiving a set of Gioteck X 05 Multi Wireless Headphones, courtesy of Gioteck and Apex Interactive.

Ed

* Prizes for South African residents only. gamecca50

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Crossing Over IDoubleDQD

by Sarah Snyman

D

espite what the media and my dreams told me, blogging doesn’t pay the rent. Writing, blogging and reviewing currently fall into this area of my life that I politely refer to as “fun work”. Although I thoroughly enjoy indulging in games, technology and a work in progress novel, the whole job thing does take priority.

This is a horrible realisation for two reasons: 1) I have an extremely stressful, high-pace, highpressure job.

2) The need to turn my brain off completely, and the games I once adored don’t turn me off, they turn all my senses on and make my brain work at full pace!

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This means that most evenings are spent draping myself across the couch and watching stuff on the gigantic TV that was purely a gaming investment. To make matters worse, there is an Xbox, a PlayStation, a 3DS and piles upon piles of games that are jumping out of their little green cases screaming “Why don’t you love me anymore!?”

I do love you. I love you with all my heart and soul!

My GuildWars character has probably let himself go by now from neglect. His armour is probably rusted, he’s probably been brutally murdered multiple times because I left his standing near a group of aggressive mole rat things, he’s probably put on weight

and he probably won’t even recognise my shouts of encouragement blaring across Tyria anymore.

I recently found myself reviewing a game that does allow my brain to switch off, but I am not proud of this at all. Animal Crossing is like The Sims, but with fewer requirements from the user and more cheesy music. I spent an hour recently with this game on 3DS. I just walked around shaking trees, collecting money and apples until my pockets were full, selling them for dolla-dolla and then returning to where I left off in search of more apples. This is a child’s game. I am not a child, nor do I have any spawn. But still, I am among thousands

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of adults having a play-play adventure as “Mayor” of their own little town.

I don’t want to be one of those people who play meaningless games that require no skill or experience! I want to be the girl who plays MMORPGs all night, I want my beautiful SteelSeries mouse to look worn in and battle-scarred, I want to have the energy to stay awake past the cinematic at 9pm!

I’m going to rediscover GuildWars 2 and I’m going to finish Skyrim! Just after I get this proposal out, and then I have to reply to this mail, and I also have to do this cost estimate, and that meeting… maybe next month? g

SNAG YOUR PREORDER BONUS NOW!

23.08.2013

www.saintsrow.com 18 © 2013 by Koch Media GmbH, Gewerbegebiet 1, 6604 Höfen, Austria. Deep Silver is a division of Koch Media GmbH. Developed by Deep Silver Volition, LLC. Saints Row, Deep Silver and their respective logos are trademarks of Koch Media. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. KINECT,Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft.. “PS3”,“Ô, and “À” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Distributed Exclusively by Apex Interactive Tel: (011) 796 5040 www.apexinteractive.co.za Email: sales@apexinteractive.co.za All rights and trademarks and logos are copyright of their respective owners.

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Feature

Back in The Shadows Be 12

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by Lein Baart

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in 2002, didn’t revolutionise stealth gaming so much as brilliantly adapt it for a modern spy setting. It introduced us to Sam Fischer, the protagonist of the franchise, and Third Echelon, a branch of the NSA (National Security Agency) for whom he works. A veritable feast of graphics, audio and gadgetry, what made Splinter Cell truly stand out (despite a relatively standard plot) was that it demanded patience and consideration from the player, as a run and gun approach was a sure path to a quick death. Having Sam hug a shadow like it was his firstborn, calculating every move to eke every possible advantage from a scenario, was a necessity. It was not a game for everyone, but for those that loved the gameplay of Thief and the like, Splinter Cell was an orgy of self-restraint.

Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, released in 2004, called for much the same style of play. Again hitting

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he stealth game has been rather neglected over the past decade, seemingly relegated to an afterthought element of titles that favour a more direct approach. It wasn’t until last year, with the release of games like Dishonored and Hitman: Absolution, that stealth genre corpse began to take its first sputtering breaths again, and with the release of Thief soon to come, it certainly seems set for a comeback. There is one series, however, that has the kept the torch burning bright through these dark times. With a blend of fantastically implemented gameplay and consistently gorgeous visuals, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell has kept the stealth genre alive and kicking almost singlehandedly, and with the near imminent release of Blacklist, Sam Fischer will once again be donning the black suit and goggles.

The first Splinter Cell, released over a decade ago

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all the marks technically, Pandora Tomorrow was more a refinement of the first game than anything else, and actually managed to accomplish the supremely rare feat of being at least as good as the original.

What it did bring to the party though was a superbly realised multiplayer element in the form of Spies vs.

Mercenaries, which actually changed the gameplay completely for those that played as the mercs, resembling nothing so much as the Rainbow Six series.

It was a hugely popular addition to the franchise, and turned what could have been a one-hit-wonder into a respected name.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory continued in much the same vein, though it did feature several new fancy technologies such HDR lighting. The stealth gameplay likewise received tweaks, such as new moves and equipment, as well as the inclusion of an audio meter

that measured the noise Sam was making in comparison to the ambient noise of his environment. This, coupled with the improvements to the game’s AI, meant that Chaos Theory was a much more challenging and thoughtful experience, and considered by some to be the height of Splinter Cell’s stealth gameplay. Like its predecessor though, Chaos Theory’s true contribution to the series lay in its multiplayer, this time with the inclusion of seven specifically designed co-op levels, along with two later levels released as DLC. 2006 saw the release of a somewhat ill-considered expansion in the form of Splinter Cell: Essentials. A PSP exclusive, Essentials was plagued by a plethora of problems, most notably with its control scheme and stuttering frame-rate. The idea behind it was sound, being a both a recon and recap of Sam Fischer’s story as well as a tie-in to the then upcoming Double Agent,

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emotional investment.

If Double Agent had changed the feel of the franchise, Splinter Cell: Conviction managed to change just about everything else. Gone was the silent, patient snooping of the series, replaced instead with a much more aggressive, gung-ho approach that saw Sam out for rivers of blood. This was highlighted by the Mark and Execute system which allowed players to wade through enemies with relative impunity, transforming Sam from spy to hunter. Following on from Double Agent, the plot was convoluted at times but still superbly told, showing Sam as a wrathful renegade against a corrupt Third Echelon, desperately seeking answers to his daughter’s murder.

With Blacklist’s release just around the corner, longtime fans of the series will rejoice to learn that Splinter Cell will once again be returning to its roots. Somewhat.

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however poor implementation meant that the game was destined for the realms of the mediocre, with its potential never realised.

Splinter Cell: Double Agent also released that year, and it was a vastly different story, both to Essentials and the all the titles that preceded it. While the previous titles all had a rather linear and episodic attitude towards the plot, Double Agent changed the franchise completely by introducing a narrative with multiple endings depending on choices made at key points in the game. It also changed the feel of Splinter Cell, with Sam Fischer, angry and grief-stricken over the loss of his daughter, infiltrating an American terrorist organisation. It was still a stealth game, make no mistake, but for the first time missions no longer seemed like random locations pulled out of a hat, and Double Agent managed to incorporate a rare quality:

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In the recent tradition of all long running stealth franchises, Blacklist will allow the player to choose to his style, be it a master of shadows or frothing mass murderer. Specifically each mission will have three different kits to choose from, namely stealth, assault or recommended, which is a balance of the two. For those that are worried that the stealth elements will take a backseat to the aggressive approach, rest assured as the gameplay videos have shown that Blacklist should be every bit the equal of its ancestors. Likewise, going in guns blazing will be equally viable, especially with the new “Killing in Motion” system that will allow players to “Mark and Execute” foes on the move. Ubisoft Toronto will have to walk on a razor’s edge to balance the two, but from what has been seen, Blacklist is shaping up to be a magnificent affair.

It hasn’t been without its controversy however, as

the announcement that Michael Ironside, voice of Sam Fischer for the entire series thus far, would not be reprising his role upset many. Replaced by the somewhat unknown Eric Johnson (from Smallville and Rookie Blue), Ubisoft have claimed that the demands of performance capture, which is designed to capture the body, face and voice of an actor, required someone physically up to the task.

With a series that has had such a consistent standard of stunning releases, the pressure is no doubt on new developers Ubisoft Toronto to deliver a title worthy of the Splinter Cell name. The return to true stealth will be welcomed among the fans, though Blacklist is looking to cater to everyone regardless of taste, and from what has been shown they certainly look set to deliver. Be you phantom or stalker, this is not a game you’re going to want to miss. g

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Previews Highlights 20 The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Something different from XCOM...

22 Call of Duty: Ghosts The franchise goes next-gen 26 Battlefield 4 A more realistic war?

30 Need for Speed: Rivals High speed streets...

36 Wolfenstein: The New Order Revisiting the original

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ith the Festive Season fast approaching, more and more game announcements and confirmed release dates are coming up. Even better - we have new consoles coming, and when there are new consoles, there are always lots of launch titles. We’re finally moving back into the busy period, and 2013 is going to get even more awesome! g

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The Bureau: XCOM Declassified

Unexpected But it might pleasantly surprise you

by Pippa Tshabalala

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Bureau is not a traditional XCOM game. It is a prequel to the XCOM games.

Set in the 1960’s, around the time of the Cold War and rumours of the Roswell incident, The Bureau is a third person squad based shooter.

It’s evolved a great deal over the years based on critical feedback, from a first person affair that received a fair amount of bad press, but looking at it now, it might just manage to overcome the negative impressions it’s generated prior to it’s release.

Visually it’s looking pretty decent, and although the combat might seem complicated at first (more on that later), it’s actually relatively easy to get into.

You play as William Carter, a former military and former

Preview

he Bureau: XCOM Declassified is not what you were expecting.

After the release of the re-imagined XCOM: Enemy Unknown late last year, which received good reviews, many of us have perhaps positioned the XCOM series in our heads as a turn based tactical RPG. The Bureau, while still technically holding the XCOM name, is really not the same at all.

Think Mafia, crossed with Rainbow Six crossed with Mass Effect. Or something like that.

The game is brought to you by 2K Marin, and has gone through numerous iterations, both in name and in format, but what you need to understand is that The

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intelligence officer who has been recruited to lead a squad of agents against the greatest foe the US has ever faced - aliens. Aliens that seek to enslave and conquer.

Although you’re generally a loner, you now have to command a team of agents, who all have different skills including a run and gunner Commando, a Saboteur and a Reconnaissance agent. Each member of your team levels up individually, which sounds great, but is made more tricky by the introduction of Permadeath.

Yup. If your agent dies in combat, he’s dead. No coming back to life at the end of the mission. That’s it. Which means if you’ve invested all your time and energy into making three kick ass agents a part of your crew, you’re going to have to rely on a newbie when one of them dies.

Luckily you can send the agents you’re not quite as keen on out on side missions so they gain experience and if (or should we say when) one of your favourites dies, you have a replacement on hand to step in.

In terms of combat, each time you enter a battle, time slows down (but doesn’t stop) and goes into Battle Mode, in which you must make quick decisions about how to deploy your agents in battle. Quick thinking and snappy decision making are absolutely essential in this game!

The Bureau is shaping up rather nicely indeed, and with it’s release just around the corner, with any luck it will be one of the games to tide you over the rather dry gaming spell that’s approaching. g

AT A GLANCE: Action

The Bureau introduces a new element to the XCOM series, moving away from turn based strategy to a third person action game.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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2K Marin 2K Games Megarom

Aug 2013 PC X360

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Genre:

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Call of Duty: Ghosts

Dancing with the Devil You don’t want to come face-to-face with a ghost

by Charlie Fripp

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What promises to be another exciting addition to the collection, the plot will take on a bit of a “what if” scenario, where the once-mighty United States are no longer recognised as a superpower following a catastrophic event that changed the political landscape.

As the world starts to shift towards different superpowers, a new enemy makes its appearance, and it’s here where the last remnants of very branch of the US Special Forces come together to eradicate them – to protect what has remained of the US. While it will be a completely new story, it will not include the branching missions seen in Black Ops 2, but Infinity Ward’s Mark Rubin added that some actions will have consequences.

Preview

ogether with the Battlefield franchise, Call of Duty has enjoyed massive success since the launch of their first title in 2003. As recent as March last year, it was calculated that there are at least 40 million monthly active players across all of the Call of Duty titles, with 10 million Call of Duty: Elite users.

While the various versions have gone through a number of development studios, Call of Duty: Ghosts will be the sixth instalment developed by Infinity Ward, while Treyarch will be handling the Wii conversion.

While it will be available on the traditional platforms, it will also mark the first Call of Duty title to be released on the next-gen consoles.

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“We don’t have the same branching system (Treyarch) do, obviously. But there is basically this way that, when you are in a mission, you might find something, if you grab it, then something opens up later in a different mission, or something happens later in that mission, that wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t do them,” he said.

Just as with the Battlefield franchise, the multiplayer aspect of Call of Duty is a major draw card for many players. Countless hours have been spent hiding, sniping, stabbing and shooting millions of players worldwide, and players can ready themselves for a number of changes.

Activision revealed that players will be able to customize their character, the mode will feature dynamic

maps, and that gamers will be able to slide, lean around corners and interact with the environment in a new way.

Infinity Ward’s community coordinator Candice Capen has also somewhat confirmed that the title will a co-op mode. “We’ll have a cooperative mode of sort, but we’re not announcing it yet and I’ve no clue when/if we will,” she posted on her Twitter feed in the beginning of July.

Fans of the Call of Duty franchise will love what Infinity Ward has done with this title, and newcomers to the title might be pleasantly surprised. The game promises to be one of the best CoD titles, and even though it’s opening up the franchise in a third branch, gamers can still be assured that there will be tons of action. g

AT A GLANCE: First-person Shooter

Taking the franchise in a new direction, it promises to be even better than before.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Infinity Ward Activision Megarom

Nov 2013 PC X360

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Payday 2

Seen That Before?

Bank robbers wearing clown masks

by Pippa Tshabalala

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Action

Perhaps not the highlight of this month’s gaming calendar but possibly better than twiddling your thumbs.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Overkill Software 505 Games

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Aug 2013 PC X360

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ayday 2 is, predictably, the sequel to Payday: The Heist, which was released exclusively online via PSN and XBL. Payday 2, is making its way as a full release (but still available via digital download) to a console near you in August.

You and your team are required to pull off a number of bank jobs and heists and the gameplay has been substantially improved (or so we’ve been told) since the first game.

It does however look very similar in style, but aims to deliver a slightly more polished experience to the player than its predecessor.

Gun combat and stealth have been substantially improved however, and you are now forced to carry an actual loot bag which adds additional weight. You can however throw the bag to one of the other team members, I’m assuming when you’re trying to get away and don’t want the loot to be compromised.

In Payday 1, loot was a substitution for experience points, but not so in Payday 2. It’s now used as actual cash which you can use to purchase upgrades and the like. Much more sensible overall if you ask me.

The game isn’t just a series of revisions however, there are a couple of new features, one of which is Crime Net, although not much indication of the functionality of this new interface has been given. Apparently it will indicate the progression and unlocking of different missions, referred to by the developers as phases. How a mission is completed will dictate how the next mission unfolds.

I can’t say I’m really looking forward to this game, but the first one wasn’t too bad, so it might pleasantly surprise us. g

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MANAGE YOUR OWN FARM!

BREED YOUR CATTLE

100+ AUTHENTIC VEHICLES

WELCOME TO THE GREATEST FARMING SIMULATION EVER MADE! 3

© 2013 GIANTS Software GmbH. Published and distributed by Focus Home Interactive under license of Giants Software. Farming Simulator, Giants Software and its logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Giants Software. Focus, Focus Home Interactive its logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Focus Home Interactive. All rights reserved. All other names, trademarks and logos are property of their respective owners. Kinect, Xbox, Xbox LIVE and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. “2”, “PlayStation”, “Ô and “À” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Distributed Exclusively by Apex Interactive - Tel: (011) 796 5040 www.apexinteractive.co.za Email: sales@apexint.co.za All rights and trademarks and logos are copyright of the respective owners.

Battlefield 4

Back to the Battlefield Fourth time is the charm

by Charlie Fripp

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In terms of plot, not much has been revealed thus far, but it’s a safe bet to say that the over-arching theme surrounds the U.S and their involvement in the assassination of a Chinese politician. A number of trailers have also been released, which saw Tombstone members locked in gun battles in Azerbaijan, China and Singapore.

While the graphics have naturally be updated to enhance the mechanics, a number of small changes have been made to the overall experience. Most of the changes have been made to the player’s heads-up display, such as the addition of a better mini-map and compass; a compact ammo counter; and smaller objective notice. Some changes have also been made to the way in which players navigate the battlefield and engage with enemies. Most gamers have

Preview

here is no doubt that Electronic Arts’ Battlefield franchise is one of the most popular shooters of all time. As of 2012, around 50 million players have taken to the various battlefields across the 11 games and 12 expansion packs – which all started way back in 2002 with Battlefield 1942.

In what has become a bit of an annual release, EA will be rushing players once again into the fray, with the release of Battlefield 4 in November this year.

For the upcoming first-person shooter, it will take place six years after its predecessor (Battlefield 3) in the year 2020. Players will assume the role of Sergeant Daniel Recker, a member of a US special operations squad called Tombstone.

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experienced the agony of traversing a water body, hoping not to get noticed. In Battlefield 4, players will be able to dive underwater to avoid detection, and firing a sidearm while swimming will also be possible.

While it can happen incredibly quickly during multiplayer matches, gamers will also be able to counter melee attacks from the front or the rear – which is going to leave at least one gamer in a slightly awkward position.

As with any Battlefield title, there will once again be a heavy focus on multiplayer combat. For many players of the franchise, it’s the only aspect that they are truly interested in – and EA took notice. When the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 rolls around, Battlefield 4 on the respective platforms will support up to 64 players in one match.

EA also confirmed that players will be able to choose one of three playable factions within the multiplayer - U.S., China and Russia, each with its own weapons and skills.

But something that some gamers aren’t ecstatic about, is the return of Commander Mode, which was last seen in Battlefield 2142 from 2006. Commander Mode gives certain players a tactical overview of the battlefield, which enables them to give orders to other players.

If EA delivers on everything that they have been touting about Battlefield 4, then there shouldn’t be any worry that it won’t preform. The Battlefield franchise has always been a source of great gameplay, frantic multiplayer and actionpacked sequences – and Battlefield 4 shouldn’t be any different. g

AT A GLANCE: First Person Shooter

With 64-players on Xbox One, it will be the biggest Battlefield title to date Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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EA Digital Illusions CE Electronic Arts EA South Africa

Nov 2013 PC X360

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Disney Planes

What? Another Franchise Game?

There’s a surprise…

by Pippa Tshabalala

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Action

Seems like your typical franchise game. If you’re ‘‘hardcore’’ steer clear. Probably one for the kids Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Disney Interactive Disney

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hat a surprise! Disney is releasing a game to coincide with the release of the latest Pixar film! I totally didn’t see that one coming...

Jokes aside, it looks like a fairly run of the mill kids franchise game. I’m not one to think that animation is just for kids, but this is not a game that’s aimed at adults although as is often the case with high profile animated features it does feature a high profile cast including Val Kilmer.

It aims to expand on the storyline of the film by letting the player take to the skies as the game follows the adventures of Dusty the likeable, crop-dusting plane, voiced by comedian Dane Cook. He dreams of being a racing plane, but he faces some obstacles. Quite atypically for a plane he’s afraid of heights but his aim is to compete in a very special air race. Hilarity ensues. Or something.

Players will fly as Dusty as well as a host of other characters. In fact, you can play as ten different characters from the Planes movie, in ten different breath-taking locations.

There is a narrative based story mode, as well as a drop-in, drop-out 2-player option. A score based mini game called Balloon Pop, a Free Flight mode and an Air Rally mode also make an appearance.

While it might not be on your “must buy” list, it’s likely your kids will love it if they’re fans of the Pixar movies.

The game is set for release on the Wii, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS, with an exclusive Challenge mode only available on the handhelds. g

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Need for Speed: Rivals

Have a rival?

Taking the fight back to the streets

by Charlie Fripp

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officer hunting down illegal racers, or a fast-and-furious driver who has to battle the cops, as well as other racers.

The title will once again feature a number of gadgets that drivers can employ in order to stay one bend ahead of their competition, as a well-placed EMP, shockwave or roadblocks can mean the difference between losing and winning the grand prize.

Apart from the racing in the fictional Redview County, Ghost Games decided to include another fan-favourite from previous title Underground. Vehicle customisation will return, with players able to change performance upgrades, paint jobs, decals, rims and license plates and a number of other aspects.

But another aspect that should rev the engines of

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ast cars, fast tracks and even faster drivers – what more game virtual drivers ask for? Electronic Arts is once again heeding the call to put gamers behind the wheel of some of the fastest and most expensive cars in the world.

The Need for Speed franchise has been entertaining gamers for over twenty years, and at the end of 2013 players will become Rivals more than ever before.

Taking a few pointers from 1999’s Need for Speed: High Stakes and 2010’s Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, developer Ghost Games will aim to mesh to two titles into a new game.

Just as in Hot Pursuit, players will be able to choose what side of the law they wish to race on – as a police

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petrol-heads, is the fact that Ferrari will once again be featured in the high-stakes racers. This will mark the first time that Ferrari will be included in a Need for Speed title in eleven years – not counting the Xbox360’s F12berlinetta DLC that was made available for 2009’s Shift.

As racers can play as the police, the Koenigsegg Agrea R, Nissan GT-R Black Edition, Aston Martin Vanquish, Aston Martin One-77 and Lexus LFA have all been confirmed to be available to chase down those pesky racers.

Naturally, the title will also feature a multiplayer mode, although not a lot is known at this stage. It is expected that all the regular mode will return, where racers can

chose to be either cops or racers -and have to stop each other from reaching the finish line.

The Need for Speed franchise is one of the longestrunning racing titles in the modern gaming scenario, and there seems to be no stopping it. While not all titles have been positively received over the year, the franchise is still as influential as ever.

And Rivals aim to be no different. While they are borrowing some elements from previous titles, the updated graphics and better physics engine is sure to make this one of the hottest arcade racing titles this year.

Whether players choose to be lead-footed illegal racers speeding around a turn, or the cops hot on their heels, Rivals is sure to entertain until the last battle. g

AT A GLANCE: Racing

Whether playing as cops or racers, it will definitely be action-packed.

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Ghost Games Electronic Arts EA South Africa

Nov 2013 PC X360

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How To Survive

Minecraft: The Zombie Edition Or perhaps something more

by Lein Baart

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Survival Horror

How To Survive is enigma right now, but hopefully it can bring something fresh to a somewhat tired genre Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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EKO Studios 505 Games Apex Interactive

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Q4 2013 PC X360

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ombie games have become something of a plague in modern gaming (ironically), with seemingly every second title scrambling to include some variant of the living dead in their gameplay, be it a core mechanic or side feature. You would think that at this point the genre is completely saturated, with still more zombie games on the horizon, so the question remains, what could anyone possibly bring to the table that hasn’t be done before?

Well 505 Games, publisher of Sniper Elite V2, and EKO Studios believe they’ve solved the riddle by making word survival in “survival horror” actually mean something more than simply “don’t die”. Set on an island off the coast of Columbia, How To Survive will have you play a character desperately trying to survive against not only against shambling hordes of undead, but mother nature herself.

The key to this will lie in the crafting system, as while an assortment of weapons can built, these will be no defence against the ravages of hunger and exhaustion that will plague the character during his exploits. Tools, supplies and shelter will play just as pivotal a role as weaponry, meaning that this game should be more about fine balancing activities than mashing your mouse or controller.

This all vaguely smacks of Minecraft, and so far so little information has been released that there’s not much to distinguish the two beyond the isometric perspective that How To Survive will utilise. It does sound intriguing however, and if EKO Studios can get the balance between combat and survival right, this might be a far more cerebral challenge than the usual mindless splatterfest we have come to know. g

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Killzone: Mercenary

War is Business The mercenaries invade your handheld console.

by Nthato Morakabi

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dark, seedy world of mercenaries; soldiers with no loyalty but to money. Experiencing this world through the wearied boots of Arran Danner a former UCA soldier, players will see both sides of the war, fighting alongside both the Helghast forces as well as the ISA specialists, on missions that require the special talents of mercenaries.

Various game modes will be available in both Single Player and Multiplayer flavours. The main campaign will span over nine missions, with a separate Contracts mode that will offer 27 additional objectives each based on either Precision, Demolition or Covert play-styles. The Multiplayer game modes will allow up to eight players to participate, battling in 6 unique maps that will feature key events from the Killzone universe. Mercenary Warefare,

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hat is a mercenary but a soldier without a conscience, whose interest lies solely in himself and the pay cheque waiting at the end of the mission? What is war but their livelihood, their means to living the “good” life… but at what cost? One must always ask; is the pay cheque worth the mission or is there more to each assignment than the money? What then is loyalty, but a price? So when a seemingly routine evacuation mission, involving the Vektan Ambassador and his family, goes wrong, the repercussions of the mission cause mercenary Arran Danner, to question the price of victory and the impact it will have on the war at hand…regardless of his pay cheque.

Killzone: Mercenary seeks to drag players through the

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is a free-for-all mode that pits players against each other in an effort earn the most Vektan Dollars and be crowned best of the best in a heated free-for-all. Guerrilla Warefare is a faction based death match that sees the ISA and Helghast go head-to-head in an intense team skirmish.

Warzone, requires team-work, tactics and strategy, as the two opposing factions face off against each other in 5 separate missions, each mission with its own rules.

The title has been said to boast a comprehensive weapon load-out, unseen on other Killzone titles. As clients offer mission objectives, it will be up to players to utilize whatever weapons, tactics and tech they can, to reach their objectives. Players can also anticipate the latest combat gear the VAN-Guard which is a unique, powerful,

weapon system that will offer players a wide range of tactics.

This PS Vita exclusive, packs quite a punch for a handheld console, running on a modified render engine utilized for Killzone 3. Players can then look forward to amazing hi-res graphics with realistic looking shadows, smoke and lighting. The title will also exploit the front and back touch capabilities of the Vita for gameplay purposes, such as swiping the screen to perform a knife kill on an enemy.

Killzone: Mercenary looks to be a fantastic PS Vita title, showcasing the potential of the console as well as bringing a fun, in-depth first-person shooter for handheld owners to enjoy. g

AT A GLANCE: First-person shooter

Hardened mercenary, Arran Danner is forced to question whether the price of victory is too high, in this PS Vita first person shooter exclusive.

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Guerrilla Cambridge Sony Computer Entertainment Ster Kinekor

Sep 2013 PC X360

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Wolfenstein: The New Order

The Nazi Death Machine Your favourite villains are back for the slaughter

by Lein Baart

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war through the use of the Deathshead super weapon, Wolfenstein: The New Order will once more task players with saving the world from the tyranny of the Nazi regime.

Developed by Swedish studio MachineGames (whose founders worked on both the Chronicles of Riddick franchise and the original The Darkness), this will be the first time since 1992 that id Software will not be involved in a Wolfenstein game. Fear not though, as The New Order looks to be exactly the sort of insane shooter experience that the series made its name on. From dual wielding assault rifles to firing off automatic energy weapons, the gameplay videos shows a title that seems unrelenting in its pace and uncaring of modern attitudes to “realistic” shooters.

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s far gaming goes, the Wolfenstein series is practically royalty. Originating in 1981 as Castle Wolfenstein, the series rocketed to fame when it was released as Castle Wolfstein 3D by id Software, essentially creating FPS’s as we know it today. Since then, through all its various incarnations, the franchise has never strayed far from public consciousness, and to this day many older games still get maniacal grins whenever they relive destroying MechHitler and his band of murderous men.

So yet again we are to be placed in the shoes of William “B.J.” Blazkowicz, the Allied war hero famed for his war exploits and Nazi death count. Set in the 1960’s in an alternate timeline, in which the Nazi’s won the

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All this craziness will be brought to life with the id Tech 5 engine, first seen in Rage and put to dazzling effect in The New Order, despite being developed for both current and new generation hardware. Visuals look to be crisp and vibrant, in spite of the inevitable preponderance of red, black and white overtones, and what few set pieces have been shown are ridiculously (and suitably) outrageous.

MachineGames are not only after the spectacle however. Strong emphasis has been placed on creating a dramatic entry into the franchise, with the developers taking care to note that while gleefully righteous Nazi slaying is all well and good, anything approaching the horrors of the regime needs to be treated with respect.

How well this sentiment will actually translate into

the game remains to be seen, but the trailers have at least shown an effort to incorporate it. The real evidence though of what the developers are calling their “commitment to a kick ass single player experience” is the fact that MachineGames will be completely eschewing multiplayer, a risky move in today’s gaming world.

Wolfenstein: The New Order may perhaps be a game out of time, a throwback to the age of the gloriously unrestrained FPS of yesteryear. MachineGames are playing their cards close to their chest, particularly with regards to plot, but what they have shown is sure to have old and new gamers alike itching to take up the mantle of saviour of the free world. g

AT A GLANCE: First Person Shooter

Looking as mad and addictive as ever, The New Order is looking to marry the traditional action of the series with a serious plot Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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MachineGames Bethesda Softworks Ster Kinekor

Q4 2013 PC X360

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Just Dance 2014

Get your Groove Back Breaking down and breaking a sweat in 2014.

by Nthato Morakabi

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Rhythm

Bring out you inner diva and showcase your singing and dancing talents, with over 40 new tracks and entertaining new game modes.

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Ubisoft Ubisoft Megarom

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op, lock and drop it like it’s hot to the latest and hottest songs on the circuit, bringing the party back into your home with Just Dance 2014. Custom made for a variety of gaming consoles, Just Dance 2014 looks to appeal to gamers across platforms from current gen gamers to those looking to get a next-gen console; the title will have a unique game mode for each of the consoles to match that specific console’s strength.

The game will allow up to six players to dance at once, opening play up for great party-play with either friends or family. An assortment of game modes are also available to play such as the “Classic” free dance mode that allows players the opportunity to freely dance through selected songs without the pressure of competition. A new game mode to feature is the “On Stage” mode that will have a single player take centre stage while others strut in the background as back-up dancers. The Wii U will have its own game mode, Party Master, that allows a player using the Wii U game pad to alter game rules, currently songs and specific moves while the dancers attempt to keep up –similar to the Wii’s Puppet Master game mode. The Xbox One will have its own exclusive feature, Just Dance DJ, which will let players shape the music with their dancing and be able to switch between songs.

Just Dance 2014 will spice things up with its Karaoke mode – now aspiring performers can have their own platform, to sing and dance with over 40 new tracks. If that isn’t enough, players can compete online in the World Dance Floor mode. g

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a copy Saint’s Row IV Courtesy of Apex Interactive TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us the name of the gang in the game.

Tell us which platform you would prefer (PC, PS3 or Xbox 360) Insert “Saints” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page Competition closes 31 August 2013. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only.

Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC and Apex Interactive. The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •

com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com petition • c omp et itio n • c ompetition • co mpetition

WIN

The Last of Us The Soapbox

by Suvesh Arumugam

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s much as I wish the title of this column referred to the fastest selling game title on PlayStation, it’s more about a gaming generation gap that I’m starting to notice more and more. It all started back when I got onto 5 Fact’s YouTube channel, where they showcased video game facts that most people (including me) don’t really know about.

One was that the most installed software in 1995 was not Windows 95, it was Doom. I don’t think I would have guessed that, since I had both installed, but honestly only really fell in love with Doom once it hit the PSOne (or simply PlayStation in those days).

The other fact was that Mortal Kombat made more money in 1994 that any Hollywood blockbuster that year, including Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction and others. Of course Midway Games, the developers behind Mortal Kombat, are

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long since bankrupt, with Mortal Kombat’s future uncertain with new owner’s Warner, who also own DC Comics and related franchises. This incidentally is in stark contrast to recent news that Activision Blizzard will buy themselves out of Vivendi for a little over 8 million dollars.

With all this money and hype around gaming, it makes me think back to when video games were considered cult and niche.

Along with the Dungeons & Dragons players and Maths Olympians, we were the outcasts of our generation, comforted only by the soft glow of CGA monitors, 32KB of RAM and movies like WarGames and Revenge of the Nerds.

Nowadays, gamers are hardly underground; in fact it’s far more mainstream then us misfits could ever have imagined.

From my early days on arcade machines playing Yie Are Kung Fu, the first PC game I ever played

was on a black and green monochromatic screen called Bushido. I never quite got the hang of the side scroller, but still played hours of it. At school we had colour screens, and there we could play games like Bugs, Zork and Prince of Persia. You could tell who to sit next to in computer class, we all had 8” floppy disk carry cases, installing games from multiple disks that took hours to copy and install (using DOS commands).

Eventually, the Commodore 64 became the gaming standard, and home consoles were born. We were teased, pranked and generally looked down upon by the rest of our classmates, but we still preferred to sit in the school computer room while the rest of the school were out playing sports, feeling each other up or practicing cool poses against walls while smoking without inhaling. We had parties at each others

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houses that had no music or strobe lights, just a few guys sitting around a PC, installing games, and taking turns clocking levels and beating high scores. There was no LAN play in those days … there were no home networks!

Seeing everyone and their dog gaming online and claiming gaming cred is at the same time gratifying and saddening. I doubt very much that most of the gamers today would have the perseverance to play video games under the conditions that we did. While it’s great to see mainstream gaming reach the stage where there are several game stores in every mall, and multiple platforms and consoles to choose from, I can’t help but think back nostalgically to the camaraderie and covert awesomeness that I experienced back in the day. Here’s hoping that there are still a few (sentimental) others out there like me! g

Damage Done?

Console General

by Montgommery Paton

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he end of the year creeps ever closer, bringing with it not only a massive amount of games that look pretty impressive, but also two new consoles. Yes, I know that you know that already.

It’s going to be interesting, to say the very least. But one cannot help but wonder if there is any truth in the belief that many gamers have that the war was over before it started.

The nest generation will be made up of the Wii U, PS4 and Xbox One. But there are many that feel the PS4 has already gained the crucial domination of the hearts and minds of consumers… the exact place where the war will be won or lost.

Wii U, despite what Nintendo seem to believe, appears dead in the water.

Global sales for the unit

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are extremely low, and it might just be a matter of time before the crucial third party support for the platform disappears.

If there are no third party publishers releasing games for it, the Wii U will have to rely purely on Nintendo for its games. They make great games, yes, and possess some excellent franchises, but it may not be enough to ensure the Wii U’s survival.

What’s going to happen there will play out towards the Festive Season. If Wii U sales are already very low, two new consoles hitting the shelves may just be twin nails sealing its coffin. A great tragedy – not assured, of course, but not impossible either.

And then there are the Microsoft and Sony offerings. The strange thing is this: after their disastrous

initial announcement, it seems that Microsoft simply cannot do anything right. They announced that they would drop DRM and internet connection policies not long after Sony blew them out of the water with the PS4 announcements at E3, and yet the public still seems securely canted against the Xbox One. Many people don’t even know that these policies have changed.

Perhaps they stopped listening after that first, horrible bungle. If that’s the case, there’s very little hope for Microsoft to gain the dominance they want in the market, and that might even extend to their most values territory - the USA. Realistically, Microsoft aren’t done. They still have time to pull off a number of moves that may see them gain traction in the

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market again, and Sony are well aware of this. As things stand, though, they still have a major price disadvantage on the PS4, with the Xbox One being US$100 cheaper. That could easily translate to a R1500 difference here in South Africa.

Speaking of local matters, Xbox One will face another struggle here; while it is unlikely that we will see the Xbox One here until 2014, the PS4 should land on our shores in time to be under Christmas trees this year.

That’s a massive blow for the Xbox.

But nothing is set in stone just yet, and at this point everything is still theoretical. One thing is for certain, however… it’s going to get really interesting.. g

Reviews Highlights 18 Deadpool The quirkiest hero...

20 Pikmin 3 The return of the favourite...

22 Company of Heroes 2 Back to war!

23 MotoGP 13 Track racing that feels real

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e have officially had enough of the 2013 doldrums!

This has been one of the slowest slow seasons ever, and the Gamecca Crew are starving for games...

The good news is that August sees the releases start rolling, and they’ll keep coming thick and fast until a few months in to 2014. The thought is making us salivate... new games, new consoles...

Until then, though, we have a handful of reviews for you. g

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Distributed Exclusively by Apex Interactive Tel: (011) 796 5040 www.apexinteractive.co.za Email: sales@apexinteractive.co.za All rights and trademarks and logos are copyright of their respective owners.

www.apexactive.co.za

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Deadpool

No Promises… … just narcissism and violence.

by Alex Scanlon

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because this review has already become derailed…

What I was trying to get at is wondering whether games are more enjoyable because of a drought.

Because I suspect that some of them might well be.

Case in point: Deadpool. But let’s not start in the middle…

Deadpool is based on the Marvel comic character of the same name. For those that don’t know, Deadpool was given an accelerated healing factor by Weapon X – the same nice folks that infused Wolverine’s skeleton with adamantium. The process drove Deadpool incurably insane… and the result is that he is fully aware of the fact that he is a comic book character. This makes him one of the most interesting and entertaining characters in the X-Men universe.

By extension, Deadpool starts the game off

Review

hen there aren’t many new game releases, virtually any game can look much better than it really is. This is something that needs to be kept in mind when reviewing titles during the dead times of the year – the desperation in dying of thirst can make even brackish water taste like sweet nectar, right?

Perhaps game developers and publishers have realised this, and aim their weaker releases for times when games aren’t thick on the ground.

Actually, that argument is moderately invalid.

We have seen some excellent titles released during slow periods. Things like Diablo 3, or a few years back, Doom 3. There are actually a number of examples of great games released during the doldrums. I am not going to start listing them,

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knowing that he is in a game. In fact, the plot starts off with how he has conned High Moon studios into making a game for him… which the player is playing.

It’s quirky and quite funny to be honest, and it makes way for a number of gags and jokes that High Moon take advantage of. Having Nolan North as Deadpool swear at Nolan North on the phone is perhaps silly, but it is funny.

In fact, High Moon take advantage of every gag they can in the game. There are levels, for example, where Deadpool’s exuberant and wantonly destructive nature drains the budget, and the designers have to resort to 8-bit graphics. There are side scroller levels. There are quips about repetition and various other gaming ideas. Deadpool makes fun of itself, and of gaming in general, and that is

something that adds a lot of charm to it.

Which it needs. Because without the gags and the character of Deadpool (who also adds a lot to the experience, although one could hardly call it charm) this game would be a rather mediocre third person button masher. It relies heavily on the humour inherent in the character of Deadpool to pull things off.

There are other characters, too, of course, particularly a number of X-men babes in scanty super heroine cladding. The humour within the game often delves way below the belt, but anyone who knows the lecherous Deadpool would expect nothing less. In fact, people that are familiar with the comic character will appreciate the way that High Moon have portrayed him here. It’s all sex, narcissism and

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and parry mechanic, Deadpool is armed with a short range teleporter, which can be added into combos for even more variety. And variety is a good thing, because the combat can get pretty repetitive before long.

The control scheme is simple enough to master, using the basic kinds of ideas that most third person action games do. There is nothing really original in this aspect of the game either.

The levels, too, aren’t the most imaginative.

They look good – as do the character models and animations – but they aren’t p[particularly interesting.

There aren’t many hidden areas to explore, for example, and even when they are there, they don’t contain collectables. The only thing the player can pick up in this game is ammo and upgrade points.

Review

ultra-violence with Deadpool, and the developers bring that across pitch perfect (unlike the guys who wrote him for the Wolverine movie… they made a complete mess of the character).

The game dynamic suits the character well, too – although, as said before, it’s hardly revolutionary.

Deadpool takes on his foes with a combination of melee weapons and firearms in the game, which can be used to string together rather satisfying combos. That said, senseless button mashing will get you through just as well, because the foes (with a few exceptions) are not particularly challenging.

The player can unlock a variety of upgradeable weapons, as well as being able to upgrade Deadpool himself.

The action can get pretty frantic. As a dodge

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That limits replayability rather savagely; you probably won’t want to go through the single player campaign more than once. There are challenge levels, which have leader boards and stuff, but they aren’t all that exciting either. That means that Deadpool may end up left on the shelf once you’re done with it. And that’s a bit sad, for a number of reasons -not least of which the price of games.

But there is a chance that fans may want to revisit Deadpool. The reason for that is a little unclear… but the truth is that Deadpool provides an experience that adds up to far more than the sum of its parts.

And that’s what I was trying to get at in the beginning. See, despite the fact that there are no factors (except maybe for the character of Deadpool) that really make this game stand out, it is really

rather enjoyable. Perhaps it is because the game doesn’t pretend to be something that it is not. It never claims to be anything more than a mindless, often funny action romp – in fact, it revels in it. And that unpretentious nature of the game makes it so much more enjoyable. Deadpool doesn’t make promises that it cannot keep, and never tries to reach beyond its own scope. With so many games out there trying to be so much more, pretending to be more important and relevant than they really are, it’s quite refreshing to see a game that doesn’t try to be something it is not, and doesn’t apologise for it either.

So if you’re after some pretty mindless fun, Deadpool is a good way to go. If it doesn’t live up to your expectations, that isn’t because the game promised too much. g

AT A GLANCE: Third-person action

Reviewed on:

It’s not the greatest game ever made, but it is a lot of addictive fun.

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Wolverine, Darksiders 1 Local

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Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

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Pikmin 3

Little Helpers The Pikmin return after almost a decade…

by Walt Pretorius

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a decade to arrive, and those that remember the previous games are justifiably excited about it.

Three explorers (Captain Charlie, Brittany and Alph) are sent out from their home planet of Koppai to find the natural resources and food sources their home world has used up. But things go wrong, and they crash land on a mysterious planet. The good news is that the planet has a massive amount of resources… the bad is that it is full of dangers and challenges.

The three hapless explorers, resplendent I their bubble-helmet space suits, can’t do much on their own, particularly not initially when they are separated. But they are assisted (for reasons unknown) by a local race of creatures called the Pikmin.

Review

ou’re marooned on a strange planet. The two other members of your crew are missing, and you’re not entirely sure where your space ship crash-landed. All around you are strange sights and sounds; giant foliage and odd constructions, enormous creatures that obviously mean you harm. It’s a situation that even the most hardened warrior could use some help in… and you’re no warrior. But salvation is at hand in the form of a race of strange creatures that seem to be part animal, part plant. With their help, you might just survive this alien world…

It sounds like a plot for a movie starring Will and Jayden Smith. But it is actually part of the idea behind the long awaited Pikmin 3, the latest instalment of the franchise. It has taken almost

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The Pikmin will do whatever is required of them; fighting, breaking, building, fetching and carrying according to the explorers’ needs. So when one of the planet’s giant fruits are found, it’s the Pikmin that carry it back for analysis and juicing (it seems the explorers live off of fruity liquids). When an indigenous creature needs beating, it’s the Pikmin that fight it.

The player, who is in control of the explorers, directs the Pikmin where they need to go.

The idea is simple – Pikmin are sent where they need to go by throwing them. They are called back with a whistle built into the explorer’s helmet. It’s simple, but it does work, once you get used to the way that they game wants you to aim. Sometimes getting Pikmin in the right spot can get a bit tricky,

particularly if you’re dealing with a hostile, moving target.

But the Pikmin are not just about fighting. Puzzle solving is a major – perhaps the biggest part – of the game.

The player is given four fairly large areas to explore, but not all areas are immediately accessible.

Certain types of Pikmin are needed to access some areas, thanks to their inherent powers. Yellow Pikmin are electricity resistant and can create power conducting bridges; blue Pikmin can traverse water, rock Pikmin can smash glass and crystal, and so on.

The player is limited to having 100 Pikmin on hand at a time, so choosing the right kind of creatures (out of the different varieties) can be tricky.

In addition, once the three explorers are united,

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and even those who have ‘grown up’ (they have a flower on top of their heads instead of a leaf) can die quite easily. But it’s easy to generate more Pikmin, and the biggest problem the player faces when losing them is feeling guilty at their mournful death noises. Watching them scurry up, only to miss the space ship as it launches to safety at dusk (with hungry creatures close on their heels) is a little heart-wrenching.

The other time limit imposed on the player comes in the form of rations. This is a limit that the player has some control over, though; each day, a bottle of juice is consumed. Always being on the lookout for fruit means that the player will constantly replenish, and even grow, their juice supply. A good supply of juice means that the rations limit is basically a non-

Review

they can act in concert, or be split into groups so that the player can perform up to three tasks at once. There’s still only a total of 100 Pikmin allowed in the field, tough, so that adds another level of strategy to the game.

That said, Pikmin 3 isn’t a particularly challenging game. The toughest thing to get right is doing everything within the time limits the game imposes. There is a daily limit, first of all. Being out at night is dangerous for the Pikmin, because there are several predators that want to eat them.

So the player needs to get all the Pikmin they can back to a safe zone by the end of the ‘work’ day.

Those left behind are eaten.

That’s not the only way Pikmin die… the world is harsh for the useful but not very tough creatures,

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event.

In truth, Pikmin 3 is not really extremely challenging. But that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment that the title offers. Pikmin 3 manages to present the player with a charming, engrossing world that is captivating and complex, despite the overall simplicity of the game.

There will be moments when you need to scratch your head, or face-palm at an easy solution you just couldn’t see before. There will be times when you need to run for cover during boss fights, or need to carefully strategise getting at that all-important, juicy piece of fruit that appears to be just out of reach. There will be times when you rush to beat the sunset, or need to plan to recover lost Pikmin forces.

But there will never be times when you are bored.

The only real problems are the need to get aiming right, and the fact that the single player campaign is lamentably short, weighing in at around ten hours (depending on how much pottering around you’re going to do).

There are multiplayer modes, in the form of missions and Bingo Bash, but that means one player may need the disadvantage of using the Wii remote and nunchuk.

Still, these can be played single player, too, and add even more enjoyment to an otherwise already addictive title.

Pikmin 3 goes a long way to show that games don’t need to be all sex, violence and bad language to be great, and it stands as an excellent addition to a beloved franchise. g

AT A GLANCE: Puzzle adventure

Reviewed on:

Utpatum vel et, vent ad ming ent nulla faccumm olessisl et, cortion sequamcoreet volore tismodolenit wis nosto dolorer aut nulputpat, Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Pikmin 2 Local

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Network

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Nintendo Nintendo Core Group

Parental Advisory

7+ gamecca50

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Wii U Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

87 53

Company of Heroes 2

Not A Step Back!

Tactics and brutality on the Eastern Front

by Lein Baart

I

subtlety. There is very little in Company of Heroes 2 that drastically alters the conventions established in the original. Those that played the first title will find themselves instantly at ease in the second, as CoH2 can sometimes feel more like an expansion than a true sequel.

On the other hand though, those that are new to the series or the genre as a whole are likely to find themselves bewildered initially. There’s a dazzling array of options available, with nearly every unit equipped with a unique ability of some sort, and in the midst of the chaos of battle it can be challenging in the extreme to come to grips with the system. This isn’t helped by a lack of an in-game tutorial, with only a short series of videos to teach you the basics before you are let loose upon the foes of the Motherland.

The game, which starts with the launch of Operation

Review

n the dark covens where RTS gamers gather, the name Company of Heroes is spoken in the most reverential of whispers. Released in 2006, Company of Heroes may not be quite the behemoth that StarCraft is, but even seven years later the game still has a huge following. Relic Entertainment, developers of Homeworld and Dawn of War (among others), have proudly touted the game as the highest rated RTS in history, and with its stunning blend of tactical and traditional strategy, beautiful looks and close attention to detail, it’s little wonder it is still considered a benchmark in the genre. All this considered, the pressure on Relic to deliver a first class follow up must have been astronomical, as after all how does one improve upon perfection (or at least as close as gaming is going to get)?

The answer according to Relic, it seems, is with

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Barbarossa and runs through to the Battle of Berlin, will see players take control of Red Army in one of history’s most tragic and devastating, yet heroic, conflicts. The majority of the campaign will seem more than familiar to returning players, with the same basic design that propelled the original to glorious heights still firmly in place. Players are still required to capture points on the map to provide one of three resources, namely fuel, munitions and manpower, in order to build structures and train units. Likewise, the focus of combat remains squarely on the tactical, with careful manoeuvring and planning required to see the Soviets to success. In short, everything that made Company of Heroes great has made the transition, and Company of Heroes 2 is a challenging and cerebral experience, if not entirely unique.

Those changes that have been made to the basic

mechanics are not exactly revolutionary. The much vaunted ColdTech system, used to simulate the effects of the dreaded Russian winter, does little to actually alter the gameplay of the series. That’s not to say the effect is negligible however, as those missions that do take place during the winter are subject to blizzards that can freeze armies in their tracks. Units will have to take shelter or huddle around a fire in order to stave off frostbite, and during these blizzards any movement of your forces is a risky gamble. TruSight, the other game mechanic introduced, aims to replicate the actual line-of-sight of your troops, and placing the right unit in the right location can yield valuable intelligence on your opponent. Both of these systems are handled by the new Essence Engine 3.0, which also brings the battlefields of the Eastern Front to life in a magnificent display of visual prowess. Coupled with the

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die in battle, the quicker the quality of conscripts becomes until you can eventually field penal battalions. Added to this is the game’s implementation of the infamous Order 227 (“Not a step back!”), which sees a commissar emerge during deployment to shoot any retreating units. The outcry against the depiction of the brutality of the Soviet Arm is understandable, however as far as gameplay goes the tactical considerations of these mechanics are fairly straightforward, allowing you swarm over enemy positions with little worry over the losses incurred.

In stark contrast to the campaign, Theatre of War provides 18 single player and co-op missions (with more to be released) that truly showcase the inventiveness of Relic and the possibilities inherent in the game. From scorching the earth to deny the Nazi invaders supplies to assassinating a general with a sniper, the missions

Review

fantastic audio that comes with the game, CoH2 is a technical masterpiece.

While the overall campaign may offer very little in the way of new content, with generally the same objectives as CoH, the Soviet army plays vastly differently compared to any other faction seen thus far. Central to the army are the conscripts, the rank and file drawn into the conflict in order to repel the German invasion.

Company of Heroes 2 has provoked outrage in Eastern nations for its portrayal of the Soviet Army tactics during this period, as a core strategy of the army is to throw away as many lives as necessary in order to achieve victory. In game terms, this translates to a squad of conscripts that can be deployed every 30 seconds in order to replace men lost in combat. What has stirred the hornet’s nest though is that the more conscripts that

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contained within are brilliantly designed and can add genuine longevity to an already lengthy title.

A review of Company of Heroes 2 would not be complete without a look at the multiplayer. It is here that things really come to life, with human opponents providing a vastly increased challenge over the somewhat idiocy-prone A.I. of the game. It’s a frenetic and desperate experience, and tactics that worked in the campaign can quickly be nullified.

This is enhanced by the Commander Abilities system, which allows you to select a particular set of abilities for use in battle. Added to this though is the fact that each campaign and Theatre mission you complete feeds into your avatar, allowing you to grant bonuses to specific units.

For those worried about the potential balance issues this might present, the bonuses are relatively weak, meaning that no one should be drastically overpowered and you

should always be facing someone who is of comparable strength.

Company of Heroes 2 then is more about refinement than revolution. Criticism can be levelled against the game for numerous small issues, most noticeably its rather obvious lack of originality, and what changes have been made might not please everyone. What this also means, however, is that it still features the same spellbinding gameplay of its predecessor, and thus the same potential to completely immerse you in the tribulations and sufferings of the men who fought World War 2. For an RTS enthusiast, CoH2 is still a riveting experience, and even for newcomers to the genre there is plenty on offer. Make no mistake, if you have ever even slightly enjoyed a strategy game of any type, Company of Heroes 2 is not a game you should pass up. g

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Tactical RTS

Reviewed on:

PC

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Network

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Relic Entertainment SEGA Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory

18+ gamecca50

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

This may not be a game for everyone, but there is more than enough here to keep you glued to your seat for hours

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

79 57

MotoGP 13

Back on Track!

Great physics, pity about the looks…

by Walt Pretorius

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balanced breaking, for example, is important: too much at the back, and the rear wheel starts misbehaving. Too much in the front, and the hurt is immense. Similarly, cornering speed and angle are also extremely tricky at higher difficulty levels. And that’s exactly what true enthusiasts will be after.

At lower levels, anyone can have fun with a bike that needs a hell of a lot of mishandling to fall over. It’s not very real, but it does allow for a more arcade-style experience.

Effectively, this means that MotoGP 13 manages to deliver nuts-and-bolts realism and an arcade experience, depending on where you pitch the difficulty settings. Not too many games get that right.

While the controls and simulation side of things are actually pretty good, the presentation of MotoGP 13 leaves a bit to be desired. The bikes themselves are well modelled, although the MotoGP class bikes have

Review

otorcycle simulators are often a mixed bag.

There are those off-road ones that sometimes feel like the real thing, but often get far too over the top to actually realistically recreate the feeling of riding a bike. And then there are the track ones, most notably in the MotoGP and SBK franchises, that score a series of hits and misses in recreating the fast paced world of motorcycle racing.

This year, Milestone’s MotoGP 13 manages to get a lot of things right. The game remains accessible, while still offering the high challenge and complexity inherent in riding a two-wheeled vehicle at high speed – thanks to a rather robust and variable difficulty setting system, complete with numerous assists that can be turned on or off individually. At higher difficulty levels, the physics of bike handling become very similar to the real thing. Well

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benefitted from the most attention. Playing through the Moto 3 and Moto 2 classes in the very long career mode (because you can keep playing as long as you like, basically) will show a few chinks in the game’s visuals.

These extend into the replays, too… more than once I saw my bike – without a rider – steering itself to a nail-biting victory. These visual aspects can be forgiven, biut a little more polish would have gone a long way to improving the overall experience, particularly in the lacklustre menus. And as for the tracks – sadly, they are lifeless and lacking in detail, making the bikes feel like they don’t really belong.

The impression of speed is not too bad, although it has a much better effect when using first person views.

And, thankfully, the developers managed to get the head movement of the rider more or less right this time around.

It can get quite nauseating, but it’s more realistic, at the

very least.

The sound, too could have used a bit of work, although it’s not quite as desperately in need of tweaks as the graphics. The bikes of the lower classes once again suffer, with more attention to audio detail having been poured into the bigger machines.

Players will get the opportunity to take part in races across a generous number of tracks around the world, either in multiplayer games, or against the rather challenging AI. On the whole, Milestone have produced one of the best MotoGP titles to date with this one… in terms of physics and handling. But they let the presentation ball drop, which keeps this title from reaching truly new heights.

Still, motorcycle racing enthusiasts will find a lot to be impressed about here. g

AT A GLANCE: Racing

Reviewed on:

With a great set of physics, enthusiasts should be able to look past MotoGP 13’s weaker visuals to the game behind them.

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

SBK, MotoGP Local

2

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Milestone Milestone Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory

3+ gamecca50

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

80 59

Le Tour de France 2013: 100th Edition

Another Cycle Wash. Rinse. Repeat

by Rob Edwards

S

ports games tend to be a little niche. At least, many of them do. And within that niche, there are games that are even more niche. Take cycling, for example. Sure, lots of people are cyclists – it’s possibly one of the most popular fitness and sporting exercises that happens the world over, simply because it can pretty much be done anywhere, and it is incredibly effective.

But even if every person that ever rode a bicycle was keen on competing in big name races, titles like Focus Home Interactive’s Le Tour De France 2013 would still be niche, because this game is for the true, dyed-inthe-wool, eat-sleep-breathe cycling fans. One would have to be to draw huge enjoyment from a title that is, quite essentially, extremely detailed and pedantic. Not to say that the title isn’t enjoyable, but the developers

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Cyanide Studios built in a “skip to the end of the stage” idea most likely because they knew that the long stretched between start and finish of any cycling event can be not only painful for the riders, but also viewers and, in this case, players.

People who will want this title, which is a pretty detailed recreation of the world’s most famous cycling race, want that complexity and depth in their game, without a doubt.

Because this isn’t an impulse purchase title… it is one that people will specifically go out and look for, either on the recommendation of an equally enthusiastic friend, or because they have been playing the franchise for years.

And it is for this latter group that the latest iteration will prove to be something of a let down. See, this franchise was originally called Pro Cycling Manager. In fact, in some territories it still carried that preface. But the game has

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next to no management in it, aside from managing the rider’s energy levels… and I submit that someone very keen on that kind of management would rather be riding in a race than simulating one.

Those that do want to get hold of this one should be satisfied with its levels of quality and realism. The controls take a bit of getting used to, but once you have it down, trekking through the French countryside on a bicycle becomes a whole different kind of challenge. Players will need to carefully manage their rider during stages, and the kind of patience that this requires may not necessarily be present in the majority of instant-gratification oriented gamers… which counts for almost everyone that plays games.

Graphically, the game presents itself well, although don’t expect mind-blowing visuals. Once again, that’s

not really what this title is about. The same goes for the audio, which serves its purpose well (but does get a little repetitive before long).

That’s the thing with this game. It’s almost on the same level of a deep, complex flight simulator. It’s less about the things that we normally expect from games, and more about building a simulated experience for those that wish to experience it. And because of that, rating this game gets tricky, because those that want to play it will value it far more than others.

As long as you know what you’re getting in to, Le Tour de France 2013 will prove to be rewarding. Oh, before I forget… the name. It’s not the 100th edition of the game (and if you couldn’t figure that out all by yourself, you really, really need to have your IQ checked.) It’s all about the 100th Tour de France event. g

AT A GLANCE: Sports simulation

Reviewed on:

The small niche market that will want to get this game will enjoy it. It’s not advised for impulsepurchase, however...

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Pro Cycling Manager Local

2

Network

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0

Cyanide Studios Focus Home Interactive Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory

3+ gamecca50

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

65 61

Quadropus Rampage

Tentacle Power Life is more violent under the sea

by James Francis

Review

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Adventure

Reviewed on:

An addictive dungeon crawler that you can just keep playing and playing.

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Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Android Platforms

ablets are perfect for dungeon crawling. A four-tentacled octopus makes this pretty obvious. Why does he have four legs? No time to explain - we have to start hitting things.

Okay, Quadropus’ missing digits never really came up. And it’s not as if they actually ARE missing - he’s a quadropus, so that’s four.

Hexapus is six. Centumpus and we’re all gonna die. Quadropus is a hero and as such summoned to take care of King Pete’s world-domination ambitions. As mentioned, it’s a dungeon crawler - clear a baddie-filled level - from laser-toting anglerfish to body-slamming hammerhead sharks - and you can descend to the next level.

You can also simply fall off, but that takes a bite out of your health, plus you miss the bonus chest at the end.

Along the way Quadro becomes stronger as he levels, picks up new weapons and find special artifacts that grant him and his pet sidekick Bingo special powers. The goal is to reach 300 meters and fight the king, but you can go further from there on. Though there is a monetary system, it is very subtle. Doubloons are the currency of choice and can be purchased with real cash, while gold is earned in-game.

Doubloons provide shortcuts, like reviving Quadro or buying access to special skills. But those same skills can be unlocked if you have done enough of a certain thing, like smash a 1,000 enemies or take 50,000 points damage.

Nothing is essentially out of reach, but the lazy will benefit by swiping their credit card.

Quadropus Rampage is extremely addictive, despite its repetition. Each level is randomly generated, though the parameters are limited.

It makes for the perfect pick-up-and-play action fix. g

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS Android

Score

90

g a m e c c a r ev i ew • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

Listening to Sheep

by Ramjet

Ramjet’s Rantality

The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of 1337 Media or Gamecca Magazine... or even those of a sane, rational human.

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ou know, I try extremely hard to avoid topical things. Because, well, they’re topical. That means everyone is putting their opinion in and needing to be heard, and that’s just annoying.

So I avoid topical stuff as much as possible, unless it’s a cream. But recently something caught my interest, and I must say that what I discovered while digging around not only shocked me with regards to the attitudes of gamers, but horrified me with men in general.

I took the probably quite common attitude towards the whole sexism in gaming debate, which is to say that I assumed that the noise was being made by a bunch of militant feminists with crew-cuts who burned men in effigy every weekend (when they couldn’t find actual men to burn, that is). I have nothing against feminism, mind you, but anything

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taken to extremes is bad.

And then I heard about these two idiots who got fired from FHM magazine for cracking a joke about corrective rape. I realise that FHM has very little to do with gaming – or journalism, for that matter – but jokes about corrective rape? Really?

So I started digging, and the stuff I found was utterly, totally disgusting.

“Jokes” and memes about rape. The belittling of women, purely based on their sex. The debasement and objectification of those same women, by men from all walks of life.

Gamers, too. Especially, in fact.

The irony of gamers objectifying and debasing women is not beyond me; after all, the closest the majority of gamers come to a real woman is gluing a picture from a magazine to their hand. But apparently attitude towards women, among gamers, are shifting. I had a long

chat with a female game journalist colleague who told me that E3 was ultracreepy in that respect this year. And I must admit, I am shocked.

Gamers always used to stereotypically be the geeky shy guys who watched girls from afar.

Now they seem to have evolved into the creep stalker guys who would harm women as soon as look at them, and consider women to be nothing more than sexual objects. Well, I am so appalled by this that I cannot think of a single slightly amusing thing to say about it.

This is so, so, SO not OK. Is this what we are becoming? Has the Internet desensitised us to such a degree that we think jokes about rape – one of the most heinous, damaging crimes there is – are acceptable? I remember a few years ago being shown some tasteless images and jokes

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by a friend (who found them highly amusing, I am dismayed to say) and wondering where it would lead. I think we have an answer.

I am pretty certain that not every gamer out there is a dangerous sexual predator out to harm women. I am sure most of them don’t find the jokes funny. I am pretty certain that many of them aren’t even overtly sexist. Well, maybe they should actually say something, because the most noise is coming from the disturbing side of the fence. So the new Xbox boss is a woman? So what? That doesn’t mean she can’t do the job, and judging her as incapable before she even starts is illogical and moronic. But it is much worse than that rather mild outcry that has restarted the sexism debate. This is an insidious cancer that has crept into our desensitised, anonymous society. And it is a very real danger. g

a set of Razer Ferox speakers Courtesy of Razer TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us who makes Ferox speakers Insert “Ferox” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page

Competition closes 31 August 2013. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only.

Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC and Razer & Lime Envelope. The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •

com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com petition • c omp et itio n • c ompetition • co mpetition

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ven though only around 1 per cent of the game-playing audience could figure out how you play it, Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros was also a super smash hit. It marked a rare foray of the Versus/Fighting genre on the company’s platform and finally let you slap Mario in the face.

A Year in Games

ig battles are more satisfying when they are in space, because they get to be really, well, big. Big fleets, big ships, big explosions. The cherry on top is zooming to see you armada or rush in to follow the smallest of your ships.

Homeworld has never been topped, except for its sequel.

hough much less known than his Civilization series, Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri has its legion of fans.

It took the Civ concept off-planet to, well, another planet. But you had newer stuff to play with, all within the snug familiar turn-based rules of the Civilization series.

he developers of Baldur’s Gate tried their hands at other RPG worlds. The strangest was Planescape: Torment, where you guide an immortal towards discovering their identity. It was hard and weird, but excellent.

Sadly the general gamer crowd mostly overlooked it.

A YEAR IN GAMING

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uring the early days of 3D, various techniques competed for dominance. The number two prize went to voxels, a technology that sadly could not be accelerated by that generation’s 3D cards. Choosing it shot Outcast in the foot. But it also rendered one of the greatest game worlds ever.

ven if you had the means, you’d never build an actual roller coaster. Instead you will probably mangle dozens of innocent fun seekers. Thank goodness for Rollercoaster Tycoon. A mobile version is due this year, so get ready to once again spit in the face of gravity.

oday even Skate is a has-been. It made its name when it took over the skateboarding crown from the old and creaky Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. But in 1999 this game became the first really good reason to know how to skate on a virtual board and brought the genre into the mainstream.

he real crown jewel of this series was the second game, but it all started with Silent Hill. In a world where ‘survival horror’ meant honing a shotgun, this pushed the genre to a psychological extreme with the everyman hero, who used his wits, not a rocket launcher, to stay alive.

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Review

A truly monstrous gaming notebook!

MSI GT70 20D Gaming Notebook

Dragon

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by Walt Pretorius

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here still seems to be something of a stigma attached to notebooks when it comes to gaming, at least there is here in South Africa. But that impression is quickly changing, thanks to the innovative approach taken by a number of manufacturers. These guys are producing notebooks than can rival top notch desktop rigs, if not put them to shame –all in a package that is (although generally larger than your average notebook) fairly easy to carry around.

We have seen a number of these notebooks over the years, mainly from Asus and MSI – companies that both have a reputation for being strong contenders in creating gaming oriented hardware. In fact, both companies have dedicated gaming lines – Asus has ROG (Republic of Gamers) and MSI have their fairly new dragon branded G series of components.

MSI have produced great gaming notebooks in the past, and their recent increased dedication to gaming has combined with that experience to produce a product that is, quite simply, as monstrous as the dragon emblazoned upon it. The GT70 20D is a mammoth beast in all manner of ways. It packs a powerful collection of components; it looks big and bulky and, with this top of the range model, it weighs in at a very hefty price point.

You’ll need a lot of disposable cash to get the top of the line model, but there are other models available that are cheaper. Still, when you see the biggest dragon in action, spending the money is actual;ly very tempting.

At the heart of the matter is a Haswell CPU, making this the first gaming notebook we have seen to use Intel’s latest generation chipset.

It purrs along at 2.4GHz, which is pretty chunky when considering what the new chips are capable of. This is supported – in the model we tested – by an incredible 32GB of RAM. This is the maximum amount of RAM that the beast can support, but even half the amount would have been plenty.

Rounding off the powerhouse trio is the mobile version of Nvidia’s most powerful chipset to date: a GeForce GTX 780M. That’s a pretty powerful chip all on its own, but the GPU is supported by another rather surprising and stunning number in the RAM

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Review

Asus ROG Tytan CG8890

department… 4GB. I need to take a little side-rail here to point out that we have yet to see a graphics card for review that sports 4GB of RAM. I am sure they are out there, but the limit that we have seen thus far is 3GB. In fact, the overall hardware configuration of MSI’s new gaming notebook is very high indeed.

This means that if we were to build a desktop PC using the best PC components we have seen to date, this GT70 would, on paper at least, give it a very good run for its money, if not blow it out of the water entirely.

Right, back to the main line… storage is provided via two drives; a 1TB HDD for general storage, and a 128GB SSD as a main system drive. If you start doing a bit of calculating, and take all that hardware into account, you’re going to find that the GT70 is fast and powerful. That’s what out testing showed, too. The hardware built into this machine is of a very high performance standard, and even if the HDD seems a little small, it is still a lot chunkier than most notebooks out there.

The fast performance is supported by fast network communications, too.

Both wired and wireless networks are governed by MSI’s Killer system, which prioritises gaming traffic, ensuring smoother play and less lag.

Visuals are delivered to the user by way of a full HD 17.3 inch screen. To be honest, the screen could have been a little brighter, but only the pickiest will shy away from it on those grounds.

Above the screen is the now-obligatory camera and mic.

Sound is provided by a pair of Dynaudio powered speakers and a subwoofer. The audio quality if pretty decent, for a notebook, but most gamers are going to get their best performance by using headphones.

Controls are provided by way of a SteelSeries created keyboard (complete with full colour backlighting, like the SteelSeries Apex – also in this issue) and a generous, off-centre touch pad. While most gamers are probably going to plug a mouse in to the GT70 before turning it on, they should be well pleased with the keyboard. It is full size (including a num pad and directional keys) and very responsive. The keys are well spaced and have a fantastic tactile response when pressed.

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Review

Asus ROG Tytan CG8890

As far as ports and peripherals go, the GT70 allows for a fair amount.

It offers three USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, a full complement of stereo audio ports, a multi-card reader, LAN port, eSATA port and display outputs in the form of VGA, HDMI and DisplayPort. Optical disks are handled by a Blu-Ray drive.

Put it all together, and the GT70 is very impressive, both on paper and in actual operation. It’s quick and responsive, and any game currently available (and we suspect more than a few still to come) can be run at full detail without any problems.

Additionally, the battery life is very good too. It all adds up to making the GT70 sound a little too good to be true.

But it isn’t without problems. The first is the hefty price point for the top of the line unit, as mentioned before. However, there are options for that, which include slightly respecced hardware or even a smaller model from the same range. The other is the size of the device. It weighs in at almost 4kg, and is dimensionally large. But, then again, if you’re going to buy one of these, that’s part of what you expect.

And besides, it’s still much more portable than your average desktop PC. On the whole, the GT70 20D is a really awesome PC. It brings together the latest hardware, very clever design ideas and a pleasing aesthetic to create a gaming notebook that eats the competition for breakfast. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

The latest technology, top notch hardware and very clever design combine to create this gaming masterpiece.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Extremely powerful Very stable Excellent performance

2.4GHz Haswell CPU 32GB RAM 1TB HDD 128GB SSD 17.3 inch screen GTX 780M GPU SteelSeries keyboard

M SI Corex www.c orex.c o.za TB C

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Heavy Bank-breaker

Score

96 73

I S S U E 3 4 / Vo l . 3 August 2013

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Asus’ ET27 All-in-One demands it!

R evi ews i ncl udi ng Samsung , S ony , Ca no n , M S I , Ra id m a x, A s u s , F u j if ilm a n d m o re . . .

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MSI’s most powerful notebook ever!

Spamtastic!

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Razer Sabertooth Elite Gaming Controller (Xbox 360)

The Next Le A controller for gamers who take things seriously

R Review

R

azer are best known for their PC gaming peripherals. They produce some really great keyboards, headphones and mouse devices. But that’s not all that this focussed peripheral manufacturer creates; they have a range of other products, including console controllers. And like their other products, these are often brimming with good ideas.

The Sabertooth is one such a controller. Designed specifically to be used with the Xbox 360, the Sabertooth offers the user a lot more than the original Xbox 360 controllers do, in terms of input options. It has the usual controls, of course: the D-pad, twin analogue sticks, four face buttons, shoulder buttons and triggers are all present. Additionally, there are two secondary shoulder buttons, positioned towards the inside of the controller, and at a level between the original shoulder buttons and the triggers. And, at the base of the controller – in other words, underneath – are two rocker-

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triggers that can be accessed with fingers traditionally only used for holding the controller. Each of these offers a front and back control option, meaning that the Sabertooth has a total of six more control inputs than the original Xbox 360 controller. The rocker triggers can even be removed, should the user wish, with caps to cover their positions included in the package (along with the screwdriver needed to perform the removal procedure).

These new multifunction controller buttons can be configured to work with the Sabertooth’s two, on-board profiles. Switching between the profiles is pretty quick, too, and a handy small LCD screen (just above the microphone jack) indicated which profile is in use.

In addition to extra controls and features, the Sabertooth improves on the basic functions of the original controller somewhat. The analogue sticks have adjustable sensitivity, which is quite a handy feature to have. Additionally, the four coloured face buttons are backlit, which makes

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by Walt Pretorius

evel spotting them in the dark much easier. There are also alternate caps for the analogue sticks included in the package.

The whole thing is finished in a durable, non-slip black plastic, and features a 3m braided cable to connect the controller to the console. This cable can be detached for transporting purposes (made even easier by the included carry case) but the controller is not wireless. The cable, which screws securely in to place, needs to be attached for the Sabertooth to be used.

The only real problem that one can find with this comfortable and responsive controller is that it is loud. The face buttons all make an audible click when depressed, which may not suit some. Still, it provides a degree of tactile response, too, allowing the player to be certain of their button presses.

Overall, the Sabertooth is an excellent alternative to original Xbox 360 controllers. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

The Sabertooth is an excellent, reliable and agile alternative to other Xbox 360 controllers.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Customisable Backlit buttons Very responsive

3m detachable cable 2 on-board profiles Sensitivity adjustment 2 extra shoulder buttons 2 extra multifunction triggers

Ra zer Corex www.c orex.c o.za A pprox R950

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

A little noisy

Score

92 77

Stronger,

S

Review

Asus GeForce GTX 760 DirectCU II OC Graphics Card

S

eeing a new graphics card is almost becoming ordinary for us – one of the hazards of doing what we do. But taking a moment to step back and really consider how fast the technology behind these devices is progressing once again engenders a sense of wonder in them. It wasn’t that long ago, in realistic terms, that 512MB of RAM on a graphics card was considered really great. It wasn’t all that long ago that graphics cards were still being manufactured at that standard, and that consumers were happy to have them. These days that isn’t the case anymore… our world constantly demands bigger, better, faster.

So sometimes one needs to take a step back and really look at how marvellous technology really is.

When you get a graphics card that combines the amazing performance of a GeForce GTX 760 chipset with 2GB of GDDR5 RAM, the results are excellent. If a card like this had been on display not even a decade ago, minds would have been blown.

But these days graphics cards like this, while still up there, are hardly greeted with that kind of enthusiasm.

So the manufacturers who use the chipsets made

by Nvidia need to offer a bit more. And that’s where companies like Asus do really well, because they manage to really squeeze all kinds of performance out of their products. Their GeForce GTX 760 DirectCU II OC is no different.

These technologies are not really new to those who follow Asus’ products. But they are tried and tested, and deliver a great level of performance across the board. This is one of the reasons that Asus tends to enjoy a lot of loyalty from end users. In addition, they have been tweaked in such a way that Asus have been able to deliver a powerful card that won’t hog as much space inside the PC case.

The DirectCU II system makes use of a new custom vapour chamber technology and dual rotor-style fans to keep the system running surprisingly cool under load, as well as a lot quieter than one might expect.

In addition, specialised technology has gone into the way that power is delivered to the graphics processor, with the end result is a very smooth and stable performance, without getting all that nasty heat buildup… even when the card is overclocked.

Being an OC edition, this card comes with GPU Tweak, a set of software that makes overclocking performance very easy to do. Those brave enough to squeeze extra performance out of their cards will be able to do so very simply, and within parameters that won’t result in serious damage to any of the card’s components.

Once again, Asus have delivered a winner with this surprisingly small, yet very capable graphics solution.g

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he t all

w o p

sli a to n i r e

by Rob Edwards

e m m i

… gn i s r de

Summary

Tech Specs:

A top notch GPU, with tons of memory, in a package that’s smaller than you’d expect...

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Very quiet Smaller size Excellent performance

GTX 760 chipset 2GB GDDR5 RAM 2 DVI ports HDMI port DisplayPort

A sus A sus www.a sus.c o.za TB C

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

New tech is always a bit costly...

Score

88 79

Raidmax Vampire PC Case

into... u can sink your teeth case yo

Review

A PC

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by Walt Pretorius

Cool

I I

f you’re the type of person who likes to build PCs and squeeze all kinds of performance out of them, you will be well aware of the fact that the right PC case is essential. And you can’t get much more right that Raidmax’s Vampire.

Other than the fact that this box is really rather big, it suits PC builders beautifully. In fact, the size could well be included in the list of benefits. It will dominate your desk, yes, and isn’t as portable as other cases, but its wider build and generous interior spacing means that working with wires and ensuring optimum airflow – even using oversized CPU cooling units- is all possible.

On the outside, the Vampire looks impressive.

Finished in matt black metal and sporting areas coated in non-slip material, the box is quite visually pleasing, striking a good balance between clean lines and the overstated “gamer chic” look that sometimes ruins an otherwise good case. Every exterior port or access point is either vented or capped; this includes the audio jacks, and the front side USB ports (two in 2.0 and two in 3.0 flavours). In addition to these ports and the expected, wonderfully discreet power and reset switches, the Vampire also features a fan controller (for up to three fans) and a 2.5 inch HDD hot swap port.

Inside, it provides space for five optical drives and seven hard drives (with screwless fittings that can hold 2.5 inch drives as well… hello SSDs!). A vented bottom mounted PSU bracket possesses generous dampers to keep vibration to a minimum. The space behind the motherboard is also generous, allowing easy cable management for better airflow.

Speaking of airflow, the Vampire is clearly designed to allow a maximum of air movement once it is built.

In addition to the cable management system and generous venting, the system comes with a 140mm fan in the back, and a massive 200mm fan in the front.

In addition, it has for two 120mm fans in the side, two various sized fans in the top (two 120mm or 140mm, or one 200mm) and a 140mm in the bottom, just in front of the PSU. That’s a lot of airflow in anyone’s book. And if that isn’t enough cooling, it has full water cooling support as well.

The system isn’t entirely screwless; the PCI slot covers are all held in place with thumb screws, as will any cards need to be. But that’s a small concession.

The Vampire is really roomy and easy to work with, making it a great case for those that are always tinkering around under the hood. Add to that impressive looks, nice features and great materials, and you end up with a truly impressive PC box. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

An extremely impressive PC case, perfect for those who take system building seriously.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Really roomy Looks fantastic Lots of fan spaces and vents

Cable management Water-cooling support 5 optical bays 7 HDD bays 2.5 inch hot swap bay 2 USB 2.0 ports 2 USB 3.0 ports

Ra idma x Sy ntec h www.sy ntec h.c o.za A pprox R1 600

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Not entirely screwless

Score

96 81

Mad Catz M.O.U.S. 9 Wireless Mouse

No

The wireless alternative

L Review

L

ast month we got to look at a rather unique mouse device – one of Mad Catz’s R.A.T range.

It proved to be quite the contender, with unique looks and performance, not to mention an overt feeling of attitude that matches its tongue-in-cheek name.

This month we have another Mad Catz pointing device on test, and even though its name may sound a bit gentler, there really is nothing laid back about the M.O.U.S. 9.

So what’s the difference between the R.A.T range and the M.O.U.S. range? Well, at the risk of sounding trite, rats have tails. The M.O.U.S. devices are the wireless range that Mad Catz has on offer and, as such, they bring a few ideas to the table that are really rather clever.

Just like the R.A.T., the M.O.U.S. is a highly

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adjustable device. The however, the M.O.U.S 9 is not quite as changeable as the R.A.T. 9. It features a moveable palm rest, which can make quite a difference to comfort levels, but width adjustments are absent, as are weight adjustments. The latter is due to the fact that the weight compartment had to make way for the battery. The M.O.U.S 9 uses a single AA battery for juice.

Other than that, it really is very similar in configuration to the R.A.T we looked at last month.

Naturally, though, it has no cord. It connects to the PC or Mac using Bluetooth, which means a pretty fast and easy setup, no mess or fuss. It also saves on a USB port, provided the device you’re using is Bluetooth enabled.

If it’s not, don’t worry… Mad Catz are the kind of people that take all kinds of eventualities into account.

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by Rob Edwards

Fitted into the base of the M.O.U.S. 9 is a USB dongle that provides connection when Bluetooth isn’t an option. It fits snugly into the mouse with a “press to eject” system, so while it is easy to get to, it isn’t going to get lost without a little special negligence.

Performance wise, the M.O.U.S 9 is a very decent wireless mouse, although its 990dpi sensitivity is really quite low considering competitor performance. Then again, high dpi is a thing that gamers are after and, while you can game well with this particular devices, serious gamers (who are after that truck-load of dpi) probably wouldn’t get a wireless mouse to begin with.

Being wireless, the M.O.U.S 9 is naturally very portable. However, it is a little bulky to be a truly practical mobile mouse. Rather, it is great as a wireless desktop mouse, with solid performance and great comfort options. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

The M.O.U.S. 9 is basically a R.A.T. without a ‘‘tail’’.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Multiple wireless systems Adjustable Great looks

Wireless Bluetooth 990 dpi 10 programmable buttons Adjustable length

M a d Ca tz Comet Computing www.c ometc omputing .c o.za TB C

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Low dpi

Score

82 83

SteelSeries Apex Gaming Keyboard

Rainbow Wa Can a keyboard make a difference?

C Review

C

an a peripheral make the difference between winning and losing a game? You could probably utter an emphatic “yes” for a mouse, but how much difference can a keyboard really make to your gaming performance?

The answer is not quite a simple one. If, for example, you’re just plain rubbish at games, no keyboard is suddenly going to have to head-shotting like a pro. On the other hand, if all you need for domination is a bit of an edge, the choice of keyboard is pretty much essential. A little too much lag, buttons that are not quite right in spacing or feel… all of these things enter into the picture. So, when SteelSeries say “press any key to win” on the box of their Apex Gaming Keyboard, they shouldn’t be taken too literally. However, the Apex should still be considered very strongly as a solid game enhancing option.

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We looked at the Apex RAW a while ago – this is essentially the same keyboard, but with added features.

As one would expect from SteelSeries, it is a rather large, chunky keyboard, with well positioned keys and an enlarged space bar. It offers the player an almost ridiculously generous 22 macro keys, with four layers.

That means a total of 88 macros can be recorded. Ten of these keys are arrayed at the right side of the keyboard, and twelve of them run along the top, above the function keys. These latter buttons are raised for easy access.

It also includes extra directional keys, in the form of forward-right and forward-left. The WADS configuration can quickly be found thanks to raised bumps on the W key. It has dedicated multimedia keys, and an integrated USB hub. It even has a dedicated key to adjust brightness and disable the Windows key.

Most, if not all of these features, formed part of the

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arrior

by Alex Scanlon

RAW version. So where are the real differences?

Well, for all intents are purposes, the major difference (aside from tweaks that may exist beneath the hood) is the appearance of the Apex. It looks almost identical to the RAW model, expect for the backlighting. Now whether this will provide the edge you need or not is up to you (and needs to be considered with all the other perks, too). The keys are divided into five zones: right side macro keys, top function and macro keys, main keyboard, and left side keys (including the direction keys, numpad and multimedia controls).

Wait, that’s four… oh, yes, the logo. That’s the fifth zone. Each zone can be colour coded according to the user’s requirements, for a total of more than a trillion combinations.

To some, it’s practical. To others, garish… it’s up to you to decide for yourself. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

It’s a well built, very good gaming keyboard...boot.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Responsive Highly customisable Well built

22 macro keys Independent media keys USB hub Independent backlight zones Braided cable

SteelSeries M eg a rom www.meg a rom.c o.za A pprox R900

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Some may find it a bit garish

Score

88 85

P P

Review

Raidmax 635W High Efficiency Power Supply

ower supply units hardly seem exciting – that is, unless you’re the kind of person that likes to put a computer together, and has a good knowledge of exactly why they can be exciting. It’s almost selffulfilling, true, but those that know why they should get excited about power supplies… well, they know why.

What a power supply represents, if you want to get all prosaic about it, is potential.

The more power that your PSU (that’s power supply unit, for those that don’t know) pumps out into the interior of your PC, the more bits and bobs you can have running inside your PC. And that counts for everything from high end graphics cards to hard drives and the motherboard. A PC that doesn’t have enough power simply won’t work correctly.

Why, then, have anything but the most powerful PSUs available. Well, that’s the other end of the scale; powerful PSUs consume a lot of energy, and even if you’re not one of the environmentally conscious, trying to reduce your carbon footprint by any means necessary, frugality is never a bad thing (considering how often our electricity prices increase in South Africa these days).

So striking a balance is a good thing – a balance between the big guns and the power-conscious. And unless you’re running everything but the kitchen sink in your PC case, this Raidmax 635W option is not too shabby at all. It provides a fair amount of power, and does so rather elegantly.

That’s because – mainly – it is a modular system. That means you only use the internal power cables that you need, meaning more air-flow in the case, which equates to cooler temperatures and, yes, even less power consumption. The removable cables are all covered with a blue and black fishnet mesh as well, keeping them neater and air-flowfriendly. The supply itself has a rather nice amount of connection points as well – two PCIe and four peripheral SATA. Keeping the whole thing cool is a generous 135mm fan, which is LED lit as well. In addition, the fan is remarkably quiet, which helps keep that p[particular kind of pollution at bay as well. And the whole system has an 80 Plus Bronze certification for energy efficiency.

The question is not whether to get this product (we have seen a number of Raidmax PSUs over the years, and they never disappoint.) The real thing you need to ask yourself is whether it will provide enough power to the PC you are using or planning to build. It may take a bit of calculating, but you’ll want to be sure, in order to avoid disappointment.

Running a lower wattage for a PSU makes financial sense, though, so it may be worth the effort. g

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the n e e w t e b

s and n u the gg i b e po we r-co ns c iou

by Walt Pretorius

Power Up s.

Summary

Tech Specs:

If a 635W PSU is what you’re after, you can do much, much worse than this Raidmax.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Quiet Runs very cool

635W 135mm LED fan 2 PCIe outputs 4 peripheral SATA outputs Modular

Ra idma x Sy ntec h www.sy ntec h.c o.za TB C

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Will 635W be enough?

Score

84 87

Asus Z87-Deluxe Motherboard

W Review

W

Aristo

e have seen a number of motherboards using Intel’s new Haswell chipset already. What has tied those products together has been the fact that they have all had a rather overt gaming focus. It goes without saying, though, that these new processors are not solely intended for gaming (despite what gamers might claim) and so it’s good to see a more general motherboard, in the form of the Asus Z87-Deluxe.

And the board looks good – not just in terms of specs, but also in terms of, well… looks. Where many go for bright colours, this one tends towards shades that could be called more elegant, with browns, blacks and brushed coppers making up the majority of the board. It certainly does look a lot different from other motherboards. But that isn’t really the big thing one worries about when making a motherboard choice… what really counts is performance and capability.

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The Z87-Deluxe has both in spades. Being a Haswell compatible board means that it is immediately in the upper end of performance, almost by default, thanks to the Z87 chipset. But Asus never really just make a good board without adding a number of great features, and it is in some of these that this particular model does stand out. The most obvious one, thanks to the fact that it has a fairly large external component, is the on-board Wi-Fi, which has an associated large antenna. Not only does it enable working on a Wi-Fi network, but it also allows the PC to become a Wi-Fi hotspot, which can be extremely useful.

Internally, there are other impressive features, too, like Asus’ Dual Intelligent Processor 4 system. This allows real time performance optimisation, based on the user’s current needs, and ranges in settings from high-end power through to power-saving. Another handy added feature is the true UASP support, which boost USB 3.0 performance

gamecca50

by Rob Edwards

A classy Haswell all rounder…

ocrat

considerably.

A number of these systems are for Windows 8 only. This does make the board a little less appealing for those who are upgrading rather than building a new system, but only a little. And most people have likely made (or are considering) a shift to Windows 8, so that shouldn’t make you shy away from an otherwise excellent product.

With four USB 3.0 and four USB 2.0 ports on the back panel, as well as the same number for both supported for the front panel, it offers a lot of external connectivity options. Additionally, direct graphics connections can be made by way of DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort and HDMI ports.

Although it might not be as focussed as some of the other products we have seen for use with the Haswell chipset, this board is a fantastic all-rounder; great for those who use their PCs for lots of different things. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

This is a great all-rounder, and will serve those who use their computers for more than one purpose beautifully.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Striking appearance Reliable Wi-Fi

Z87 chipset 8 USB 3.0 ports Up to 32GB RAM supported Integrated Wi-Fi Wi-Fi hotspot Dual Intelligent Processors 4 system

A sus A sus www.a sus.c om A pprox R4 000

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

May not be focussed enough for some users

Score

86 89

Arrrr, Matey!

From the Basement

by Pippa Tshabalala

A

lmost all of us are guilty of piracy.

Don’t deny it.

Whether you actively go out to pirate movies, TV series, games, or music, or if you’re merely a passive media consumer by virtue of osmosis (we won’t investigate that too deeply ok?) everybody I know has in some way pirated something, even if it has been unintentionally.

Interestingly, I know of only a handful of people who actively pirate mobile games. Sure there are the jailbroken iPhones, the rooted Android phones, but it’s kind of a mission.

I know, I tried it. I ended up restoring my phone to its original proprietary software in less than a week. Applications crashed, I found them annoying to install. The list goes on.

I’m sure if I had been a sincere pirate then I would have persevered, but to be honest I really don’t mind paying for stuff that I know

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works. Plus I have a lot of game developer friends, and let’s face it, everyone has to make a living. And I veer towards Chaotic Good in most cases, so this attitude makes sense for me.

There is the flip side however that piracy can actually help promote your game. The new Lucky Frame game, Gentlemen!, for example. This is the first time that this game development studio, makers of the awesome Pugs Luv Beats and Wave Trip, have released concurrently on both iOS and Android.

According to Edge Online, as of the 19th July 2013, Gentlemen! had been downloaded illegally 2462 times on Android, and only sold eight legitimate copies. On the iPad the game had sold 154 copies and developer Yann Seznec commented that their average piracy rate is normally in the region of 20% or so.

Luckily this hasn’t deterred them from releasing on Android (thank goodness because I love their games!), but it’s interesting that the feedback, even from certified Android pirates, has been extremely positive.

Developers like CD Projekt have done a great deal for the anti-DRM movement as well, using the piracy scene to their advantage with copies of The Witcher still selling extremely well. That said, they are a larger development house with more resources at their disposal and in comparison to small indie startups, they have an advantage.

Initiatives like the Humble Indie Bundle that functions on the principal of “pay what you want” have also done great things for the distribution of indie games.

I’m under no illusions that anyone is going to stop pirating media

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because of my ramblings.

The proliferation of content on the Internet is simply too convenient and easily accessible. Why wait a few months for a TV show that you could watch mere hours after it airs in the US? Game of Thrones Season 3 Episode 1 recently became the most pirated television episode in history, and that really doesn’t surprise me at all.

What does surprise me is the number of people who are still willing to pay for good content. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great thing! The emergence of services like Netflix and iTunes has changed the face of television and media consumption as we know it, and if the content is readily available and affordable, most people don’t mind spending a little extra each month to be able to have immediate access to that material.

Spare a thought for the indie dev however. They also have bills to pay. g