Gamecca Magazine December 2015

ISSUE 78 / Vol.7 December 2015

www.gameccamag.com

Take Control

Secure yourself with SID

Fallout 4 Need for Speed Guitar Hero Live Star Wars: Battlefront Rise of the Tomb Raider Call of Duty: Black Ops StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void and more...

Futur e-War

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 She’s Back!

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Across the Galaxy Star wars: Battlefront

All the Parts...

Plantronics’ modular RIG 500 Headset reviewed

The New World

Fallout 4 explored

Explosive!

Just Cause 3 brings the fight home

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H OW

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Bronze Award

Silver Award

Gold Award

Platinum Award

Ed’s Choice Award

Given to games & hardware that score 80-84

Given to games & hardware that score 85-89

Given to games & hardware that score 90-94

Given to games & hardware that score 95-100

Editor’s Choice Award for products that make an impression

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From the Editor

YearofHype

by Walt Pretorius

A

nd so 2015 draws to a close. While there are still a few weeks left to this year, we won’t be seeing many more games released; for the video game industry, it’s another year done and dusted.

And what a year it has been. Numerous triple A titles arrived this year, some more hyped than others, some better than others.

And a large number of them arrived in November, in time for the impending Festive Season’s insane drive towards buying gifts. You’ll notice that this issue has a lot of big names on review – that’s the result of November’s big release push.

One thing that certainly seemed to be a theme in game releases this year was hype. There was a lot of it, and it lead to the usual degree of disappointment and dissatisfaction.

Even my Editor’s Choice for this month, Fallout 4, was a victim of a huge amount of hype.

Perhaps, though, we need to reinvestigate not how video games are marketed (because that won’t change) but rather how we react to that marketing. It’s not a matter of avoiding games or assuming that a game will be bad right off the bat.

Rather, we need to manage our expectations.

We know that game marketers are going to try and tell us that their next title is going to be mind-blowing, the best thing since the invention of TV and a game experience like no other.

That’s what they’re meant to do, and most of them do it really well. There is no honesty in marketing, really, because who would buy a game if someone came out and said: “the core dynamics are not bad, but the physics are odd and the graphics are decidedly poorer than they should be”? It is the marketer’s job to tempt us, to show us their product in the best possible light. And because of

the long marketing cycle that games undergo, this results in hype more often than not.

The real perpetrators here are us, because we allow them to put those rose coloured glasses onto us with each and every new announcement.

Perhaps it is some kind of wishful thinking that makes us believe that maybe this time they’re not blowing the good elements out of proportion and not mentioned the weak ones. But if we manage our expectations, the deep disappointment that we feel for the product when it doesn’t live up to promises won’t negatively impact on our experiences as much as it does.

Take, once again, Fallout 4. It’s a great game, and offers the player tons to do and see. It’s a long, complicated and engaging title. But the hype train had us believe that it would be more than it is in certain aspects. It has bugs, and the graphics on console aren’t cutting edge. And the hype surrounding the game has allowed those problems to be magnified in the eyes of many, because they bought the hype. They believed the marketing speak. Their disappointment in these elements is so great that they cannot look beyond them to the gem that lies on the other side.

And the only ones to blame for that game ruining reaction is, well, the people who experience it. We know by now that hype is never a good thing, and that games seldom live up to their own pre-release legends. So if we manage our expectations, maybe we’ll find less to be disappointed in and less to complain about. And then we would enjoy our gaming so much more.

Right, enough lecturing from me… it’s time to get on with the magazine.

But before you do, let me get into the swing of things and wish you and yours all of the very best for the festive Season from the Gamecca Crew and I. May your holidays be full of rest, relaxation and awesome gaming. g mgeect 2 c7a 7 8 ggl a ad

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THIS MONTH’S COVER

Toppling dictators with Just Casue 3...

Publisher / Editor: Walt Pretorius walt@1337-media.com

Publisher / Art Director Katia Taliadoros Katia@1337-media.com

Writers: Alex Scanlon Charlie Fripp Clive Burmeister Lein Baart Katia Taliadoros Nthato Morakabi Rob Edwards Suvesh Arumugam Walt Pretorius

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Regular: Did you know Conversation starters from the world of gaming

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Feature: Freedom Liberating the world Just Cause style

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Reviews: Games 18 games scrutinised

116

Interview: Breaking Through Get ready for Rainbow Six Siege

122

Regular: Indie View Shedding light on the local scene

130

Regular: Legacy Final Fantasy... need we say more?

Letters: letters@gameccamag.com

Competition Entries: competitions@gameccamag.com

Newsletter Subscriptions:

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The year of Hype 42

134

Ramjet’s Rantality

Gamers in Lust...

marketing@1337-media.com 146 Copyright © Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd 2009 - 2015

Technically Speaking

All the good stuff

www.gameccamag.com

Marketing Contact:

Ed’s Note

The Time Betwixt

Christmas Crazy

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.

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The Last Word

Industry in flux

GAMECCA is published by Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd

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Feature: Raking Control Take custody of your online identity with SID

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reviews: Hardware Nine bits of awesome tech

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Regular: Internet The new propaganda machine

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Regular: Security A safe season

138

Feature: War Zone Getting real with iCombat

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COOL STUFF: Gadgets Three communication devices

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COOL STUFF: BoardGames More great tabletop entertainment

154

COOL STUFF: Comics Stuff you need to read

135

Rainboe Six: Siege

147

Plantronics RIG 500 Headset

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Gamecca Vol. 7 Issue 78 December 2015

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Razer Mamba Gaming Mouse

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s e d’ c E oi h C

“... the developers made a world for you to live in, on your own terms, rather than giving you a controlled experience.”

Fallout 4

FeatureS 10

Take Control

HARDWARE Reviews 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34

Plantronics Gamecom 788 PC Surround Sound Gaming Headset Razer Diamondback Gaming Mouse Logitech G29 Driving Force Racing Wheel XFX R9 390 Black Edition Graphics Card Plantronics RIG 500 Stereo PC Gaming Headset Gioteck Controller Power Skin PS4 Raidmax Cobra 240 All-in-One Liquid CPU Cooler Logitech G633 Artemis Spectrum Gaming Headset Cooler Master Xornet II Gaming Mouse

RegularS 36 40

Internet Security

COLUMN 42

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Technically Speaking

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TAKECO

Solfyre ID puts control bac

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ometimes it seems that there is a constant struggle to retain control in the world in which we live. There are many ways in which corporations, governments and criminals try to exert control over individuals. And one of the biggest these days is by accessing data (or worse) online.

In an attempt to try and help users take back control over their web experience, South African born Craig Vallis

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Solfyre ID

ONTR L

ck in the end-user’s hands.

and his company Solfyre have created Solfyre ID (SID for short), a system of online identity authentication that puts control, trust and confidence back into the hand of its users, quite literally. And it will be available to everyone, simple to use, and extremely secure.

Craig took some time out of his busy schedule to chat to us about what SID is, how it will work and where the idea came from.

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Solfyre ID

GM: Where did the idea

bank accounts hacked, or

underlying technology. The

for Solfyre, and more

get our personal information

analogy that I use – which

specifically Solfyre ID

exposed on the internet.

is quite relevant to South

(SID), come from?

People are harvesting as

Africa, is that you want to

much as they want: where we

know that your front door

Identity Summit in Colorado

go, what our likes are, what

has a lock on it, but you don’t

in 2012 as part of my

our date of birth is, all of that

want to fumble with five sets

enterprise consulting

kind of stuff. They’re building

of keys you use it. You want

business, and on stage

profiles that they can then

to know that it’s locked and

was Google, telling us

sell on to advertisers.

secure, but you also want to

CV: I was at the Cloud

what wonderful work they

And of course there are

get in and out easily.

were doing with Verizon, to

the criminals. People are

We also discovered

facilitate the exchange and

confused. They’re fearful.

that the vast majority of

sale of Verizon’s database to

And fear is the primary

websites on the internet

third parties through attribute

weapon that is used. We had

still use usernames and

exchange and identity

a case recently in which a

passwords. So what about

attribute exchange. They

communications company had

password vaults? We did an

were getting it working, but

four million records stolen.

investigation and found that

their users were not really

Bank account details, credit

they have been commercially

comfortable with it. And I

card details, date of birth and

successful, but not as

thought “yes, because there’s

address – everything required

successful as they should

a trust issue.” Nobody really

to steal an identity. And when

have been. If they were, we

trusts Google and Facebook.

your identity is stolen, it’s you

wouldn’t have what people

So I came up with the idea

who suffers, who is unable to

call the password problem.

that we needed to provide

get a job or a mortgage, or

an alternative to Google

all of the other terrible things

a means for people to log in

and Facebook for logging

that can happen.

using a system that is quick,

into websites. That was the

The solution is that we need

So there is a gap to provide

simple and safe. That’s what

genesis of the idea; we need

to go back to first principles:

we believe we’ve done with

an independent identity

one account that logs you

SID.

provider. Identity is now so

into everything on the

important that we cannot

internet. And that was how

at every single step in

have it as a by-product of our

SID was born – how do we go

how hundreds of different

social or search experiences.

about providing that?

websites take you through

In researching that I came

We systematically looked

When we first started

the password process, not

to the realisation that there’s

we saw that it wasn’t a

only in the information that

a fight for control over the

technology question. It is

is asked of the user, but also

internet; a fight between

a user adoption question.

where the user is getting

corporations, governments

We looked at various

that information from, and

and criminals. They’re fighting

services, and they’re all

how they’re going to input

over our identities. And it’s

great technologies, but they

it. And also how the user is

irrelevant who is winning…

all fail miserably on user

feeling when they input it…

what is important is who is

adoption. They’re really

are they excited or nervous?

losing, and that’s us. Because

difficult to operate. And most

Do they have trust? Are they

we’re the ones who get our

people don’t care about the

confident? We worked on a

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system that would give you that trust and confidence.

Google provide. Or if you

factors in the process. We

get a new phone and you

do not store your credentials

repurpose your apps, it will

probably the most incredible

on our servers. Everything

automatically restore your

log-in experience. The whole

is stored on your mobile

database.

experience of holding your

device. We came to that

phone up to the screen,

conclusions through group

an added level of

hearing a sound as it

testing about how people feel

convenience and

recognises the QR code

about the centralised storage

security…

and, less that a second later,

of passwords. It created a

you’re logged in. That’s

concern that storing all of

found, during my extensive

an incredible experience,

those passwords would make

testing, that while some

because it works across any

our servers a target. It goes

people may drop off of a web

website that uses a username

back to the first principle:

site rather than going through

and password. Even banking

through distribution you get

the hassle of registering,

websites that add a second

strength. So you store and

now – because the process

step.

have custody of all of your

is simpler and safer – I

own credentials. We never

tend to do it more. Where

have custody of them.

the average is around 100

We believe that SID is

We’ve made logging in a completely seamless experience.

GM: So how exactly does SID work?

CV: You have a browser extension loaded on your web

GM: Phones can get

GM: So there’s

CV: Absolutely. I have even

websites that people typically

lost or stolen… what

register with, I am on more

systems do you have in

than 250, because I tend to

place in that event?

be more relaxed about it.

CV: There are a couple of

GM: Coming up with

browser and, as you go into

things that need to be done.

new passwords can

a log-in screen, it recognises

First of all, your access is

be daunting… does

that and brings up a prompt

always through a six digit pin,

SID have a system to

asking if you would like to

and we’re building biometric

automatically generate

log in. If so, you open the

access into future releases.

passwords for websites?

mobile application, input your

It also analyses your

six digit pin and hit scan to

movements.

log in. You hold the phone

GAMING

There are a couple of key

CV: We do, but we’ll even take it further as part of the

We also have several

subscription service. SID

up to the QR code on the

methods that you can back

will update your passwords

computer screen, and it scans

up your data. The data is

for you. We know what the

it in. That initiates a complex

always encrypted, so if your

password policies are, and

process of authentication

phone is hacked or jailbroken,

we’re able to update and

and handshaking between

they still cannot access the

change your passwords for

our servers and your phone.

data in the file. Also, you

you on a regular basis. Which

After that, our servers

can back up the data in your

is exactly what you want – a

check if you have stored the

associated distributed cloud

maximum security password

credentials to log in to the

– iCould or Google docs – as

that is changed regularly.

particular website. If you do,

data associated with the app.

it passes the information to

So if your phone is stolen,

like banking sites,

the browser and inserts it

you can wipe it using any of

require passwords to be

automatically.

the methods that Apple or

generated specifically.

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GM: Some websites,

Solfyre ID

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Like First National

mate’s house and logging in

core we want to have SID.

Bank, in South Africa,

to Xbox Live, for example, is

Eventually you could use it to

requires that your

a simple and easy matter of

not just access internet sites

password be created at

scanning in a QR code with

or gaming services. It could

a branch. Will SID allow

your phone.

go so far as allowing you to

for inputting of those kinds of details?

CV: Yes. Automatic

people who browse the internet using the

enter your office, or your house, those sorts of things.

GM: What are we

password generation will be

phone that they would

looking at in terms of

a future addition to SID. At

usually use with SID?

cost and roll-out?

the moment you will need to

CV: That’s an interesting

CV: Because we are not

input those details. The first

question. By using the

part of that fight for control,

time you use a site, SID will

mobile application on a

we are not profiling in any

recognise that you haven’t

computer you automatically

way. We do that for a few

stored credentials for the

provide two factor

reasons, but we believe

site, and will prompt you to

authentication… something

that our users should be our

input them, after that, SID

you have and something

customers.

will store the credentials and

you know. But when

input them automatically

you’re browsing with the

freemium model. Logging

whenever you visit that site.

device itself you lose that

in to websites – as many

GM: Will SID support

second factor. That’s why

websites as you like – will

all web browsers with its

biometrics is so important.

always be free. As soon as

plug-in?

So what we’re building in

you start using some of the

is that, if you’re browsing

more advanced features,

have extensions for Google

on your phone and you

like automatic password

Chrome, Firefox and Safari

need authentication, it will

updating, biometric

(for Mac). We’re in the

pop across to SID, do the

authentication and family

process of writing one for

authentication, and log

subscriptions, it would

Internet Explorer.

you in. We are building a

be a paid subscription.

mobile browsing experience

And not very expensive –

the web browsers that most

that will be faster and

starting at around R20 a

consumers are working with.

smoother than a computer

month to around R180 a

browsing experience. And it

month, depending on the

create SID plug-ins for

will always have a point of

functionality you use.

things like PlayStation

consent, so that it cannot

Network, Steam of

happen automatically.

CV: At the moment we

We built this to work with

GM: Are there plans to

Xbox Live, which aren’t strictly browser-based?

CV: That’s a big point of

GAMING

GM: What about

GM: Are there plans to

We’ve adopted a

We have had it in Alpha and Beta testing, and we have a crowdfund running

extend SID beyond the

for those who want an early

browser?

subscription. The early

where we’re going. We’ve

CV: We’re working on

release will have an iPhone

tested it with smart TVs,

systems to log into actual

version released in January

and it works, and we’re

OS, like Windows. Because

2016 and an Android version

looking towards gaming

at the core you’re a human

in March 2016. We’ll have

specific applications as a

being, and even though you

a continuous rollout from

next phase. So going to a

play different roles, at the

there. g

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Solfyre ID

For more information on Solfyre, SID & their crowdfunding efforts, please visit www.solfyre.com

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Plantronics

H C EW E T VI E R

Gamecom Experience shines through

P

TECHNOLOGY

lantronics isn’t a name that is immediately associated with gaming, despite the fact that they have been working with headset solutions for the pro-gaming circuit for many years. But that is likely to change, thanks to a number of new products that address the gaming market directly. And when you try these products out, the experience gained by military, aviation and even space program audio solutions is very apparent.

The newly launched RIG series of headsets (one of which is also reviewed in this issue) Plantronics plans to take gaming head-on.

But that doesn’t mean that their other products, like this Gamecom 788 PC Gaming Headset should not be looked at as well; it’s comfortable, robust and, most importantly, delivers excellent audio quality.

The 788 is based on headsets used by pilots, astronauts, the military and emergency workers. It is an uncomplicated headset that delivers exceptional audio quality and, thanks to a USB connection and downloadable software, does so in virtual 7.1 surround sound. The 40mm drivers are housed in large over-ear cups that are designed to evenly distribute pressure, leading to a more comfortable experience. This is further enhanced by fabric covered memory foam pads on the ear-cups and headband.

Further comfort is ensured thanks to the wide swivel-

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range that the ear-cups offer, and the whole lot is brought together in a relatively lightweight package.

The right ear-cup also houses a swivel-boom, noise cancelling microphone that delivers excellent chat audio quality. There are also controls for volume, mic muting and 7.1 activation on the right ear-cup.

As far as the surround sound goes, the 788 does a great job, providing a great advantage to those who rely on positional audio. Overall the sound quality is excellent, with resounding bass notes mixing in beautifully with crisp highs and solid, clear midtones.

In terms of looks, the 788 is much like the all black, 3.5mm jack 388, although it has a striking orange trim on the inner fabric of the era-cups and the 2m long cable. It is almost Spartan in appearance, with extension arms comprised on metal rods, rather than a thicker plastic support. The 788 looks, in short, like something that would be as at home in a helicopter as on a gamer’s head.

While the RIG may be the superior headset in a number of ways, that certainly doesn’t mean that the 788 is bad. In fact, it’s a very good headset – the only real issue here is that you’ll be trading off surround sound for versatility, because it only works with a USB port. But if you want a headset exclusively for PC gaming, and want to take advantage of position audio, the Gamecom 788 is a very secure bet. g

Plantronics Gamecom 788 PC Surround Sound Gaming Headset

PC Surround Sound Gaming Headset

A great headset for PC gamers who want excellent, positional audio.

AWARDS

AT A GLANCE:

by Walt Pretorius

SUMMARY

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

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SCORE

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

Plantronics Apex Interactive www.apexint.co.za

TECH SPECS • • • • • • • • •

40mm drivers USB connection 2m cable Noise cancelling mic On-ear controls Swivel ear-cups

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Razer

H C EW E T VI E R

Diamondbac Any hand will do

TECHNOLOGY

W

hen Razer first started reworking apparently their entire product range with Chroma functionality, they told you about it boldly and extremely directly.

Peripherals were renamed to carry the word “Chroma” in their actual designations. But as Chroma becomes a more common in their devices, their enthusiasms seems to have settled down a bit.

Consequently, the reworked Razer Diamondback is not called the Diamondback Chroma. It’s just the Diamondback.

And that, for those that have been around for a while, should be more than enough – the reputation of this name alone carries a lot of weight. See, the original Diamondback, which was released around a decade ago, was the world’s first optical gaming mouse.

Time flows quickly in technological terms, and there has

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been a lot of innovation since 2005. So Razer have taken the ideas that were core to this revolutionary mouse, and have reintroduced them in this latest Diamondback edition.

Top of the list of what makes the Diamondback cool: it’s an ambidextrous mouse. You don’t see those often, and even if the Diamondback shares features with other devices, the fact that it is lefty friendly should go down very well – with left handed folks, at the very least.

It is powered by a 16 000 dpi 5G laser sensor, making it as sensitive as the top of the line devices out there today.

Sensitivity can be set on the fly, and programmed via Razer’s Synapse software suite.

Speaking of programmability, it features fully programmable buttons – the standard left and right clicks, the scroll wheel and two buttons in thumb reach (on either side of the mouse, naturally, to keep it ambidextrous).

The packaging claims seven programmable buttons but,

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Razer Diamondback Gaming Mouse

ck

Gaming Mouse

by Alex Scanlon

AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY

TECH SPECS • • • • • • •

A great reworking of the original optical gaming mouse, the new Diamondback is a great ambidextrous option.

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

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16 000 dpi sensor 1 000Hz ultrapolling Ambidextrous 7 buttons 2m cable Chroma enabled

SCORE

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

AWARDS

realistically, you can only get to five of them with ease, unless you train your little finger for some side-button acrobatics on the off-thumb side.

The Diamondback is a relatively slender mouse in size, but is still very comfortable to use and really looks the part – particularly if you take time to set the Chroma functions, also via Synapse. And with a cable that is just a little over 2m in length, it doesn’t get bogged down, rather gliding effortlessly over your mousing surface. And with a 1 000Hz ultrapolling rate, combined with its sensitive laser, you shouldn’t miss a single move.

Razer rework and refresh their products fairly regularly, so it’s a little surprising that they have taken so long to get a new Diamondback on the market. With that said, the changes that have been made here are great, resulting in a top performer for those who want a gaming mouse that has a cord, and can work with either hand. g

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

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G29 Driving All the controls at your fingertips

TECHNOLOGY

Logitech

H C EW E T VI E R

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Racing Wheel

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The G29 is an exceptional product from Logitech stable of gaming peripherals.

AWARDS

AT A GLANCE:

SUMMARY

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

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But this version also has the L3 and R3 “stick-click” controls built in, as well as a 24 point selection dial and force feedback strength controls. That’s the convenience… all the controls, plus some extra added things to make life even easier for the virtual driver.

The G29 even features an LED rev indicator at the top of the wheel, much like one would see on a F1 car’s steering wheel, which further assists the player in trimming their performance to the best it can be.

The G29’s performance is excellent. The wheel offers a wide range of rotation, and the force feedback, provided by a dual-motor helical gearing system, is both quiet and extremely effective. The wheel’s response is excellent, and anyone using it can be confident that their driving experience will certainly improve (because, when it comes to racing games, wheels do make them better).

The secure mounting is also excellent, and makes use of a locking bolt system to ensure that it doesn’t work itself loose during vigorous gaming sessions. In fact, the whole build of this device is aimed towards strength, to make sure it survives even the most “passionate” drivers.

This is a really excellent rpdocut from Logitech and, like the G920, the G29 demonstrated that Logitech still have a firm grasp on the concepts required to create excellent peripherals. g

SCORE

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Logitech Logitech www.logitech.com

TECH SPECS • • • • • • • • •

Dual-motor force feedback On-wheel controls Three pedals RPM indicator Secure mounting Nonlinear brake pedal

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by Walt Pretorius

few months back we got to see Logitech’s latest Xbox One focussed racing wheel and we were impressed. With exceptional build quality, great implementation of ideas and excellent performance, it really made us sit up and take notice. This month we look at the PS4 version and, if possible, we are even more impressed.

We thought that the G920 (Xbox One variant) offered everything that all but the most ardent driving simulation fan could want. But the G29 for PS4 (and no, we don’t get the naming conventions either) offers a whole bunch of something that makes the experience of using a wheel even better: convenience.

In terms of the all metal and leather build, it’s pretty much identical to the G920. That also goes for the secure desk clamp system and the exceptional three pedal set-up, complete with non-linear braking simulation.

Naturally this also makes it compatible with Logitech’s gear shift, which is a great addition (sold separately, of course). The base plate for the pedals is also large, which helps the user keep it in place with their heels (in addition to its non-slip base).

And just like the G920, the G29 has all of the usual controller buttons built into its front face. All the face buttons and the D-pad are present, as well as the L2 and R2 buttons (with the paddles behind the wheel serving as R1 and R2).

Logitech G29 Driving Force Racing Wheel

g Force

XFX

H C EW E T VI E R

R9 390 Black Heavy hitter

TECHNOLOGY

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utting together a PC can be a tricky endeavour if we’re trying to balance pricing and performance. It takes a lot of research. But that research can sometimes be clouded by things like brand loyalty and, here in South Africa, brand loyalty is a big thing. Combined with the fact that we still don’t really have access to all the brands, and many of the brands that we can now get only arrived fairly recently, and you may not always get the best deal – unless you really start digging and opening your mind to new possibilities.

XFX components have been available here for a while, but they still aren’t anywhere near the prominence of names like Asus, MSI and Gigabyte. Yet a little reading will show that if you’re after an AMD R9 series graphics card, the XFX R9 390 Black Edition is certainly worth some very strong consideration.

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With a punchy R9 390 chipset at its core, this card delivers the goods. It is capable and quick, and if used as a Crossfire solution will allow resolutions as high as 8K, and will prove perfectly capable when VR hits shelves (theoretically) in 2016. But it’s not just the chipset that makes this card an excellent option. As it stands, a single card will deliver 4K resolution, which is nothing to sneeze at.

First off, its factory overclocked, which squeezes a little more performance out of it right out of the box, and allows the user to take advantage of those slightly higher speeds without having to fiddle and take chances. That said, it can still be pushed a little further.

Secondly, the Black Edition has a lot of RAM on offer – 8GB, to be precise. Crossfired, that would be an amazing amount (16GB) but even as it stands, a single XFX R9 390 Black Edition would make easy work of even the

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XFX R9 390 Black Edition Graphics Card

Edition

Graphics Card

by Rob Edwards

AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY

TECH SPECS • • • • • • •

Although not the cheapest card around, this one packs a lot of power and offers tons of RAM.

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

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R9 390 chipset 8GB VRAM Factor overclocked 2 x DVI port HDMI port DisplayPort

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most graphic-memory intensive games and applications.

A card like this could, of course, be a substantial heat generator, but XFX have worked a great cooling system in to it. Without getting too technical, it comprises two large fans, extensive heat sinks and seven heat pipes, as well as an aluminium back plate and an open design that allows for even better air flow.

In terms of outputs, this smooth performer offers two DVI ports, an HDMI port and a DisplayPort. That should more than take care of all your monitor connections.

With good performance, excellent stability, lots of power and a host of features (including Blu-ray 3D support, Eyefinity multi-monitor support and an enhanced physics engine) the XFX R9 390 Black Edition is an excellent way to go. It may not be the cheapest in its weight class, but it’s factory overclock alone makes it a heavy hitter. g

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

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Plantronics

H C EW E T VI E R

RIG 500 The master, untied…

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TECHNOLOGY

here are a number of things to consider when it comes to headsets, but possibly one of the most important factors is comfort.

If you’re going to spend a lot of time wearing a headset, you don’t want a heavy, clunky device putting all kinds of nasty pressure on your ears and the top of your head. If you could get a headset that was extremely comfortable and light weight, yet still managed to deliver great sound and chat quality, it really would be a no brainer, wouldn’t it?

If that’s the case, then Plantronics RIG 500 is just that. What we have here is an incredibly light headset, constructed from strong yet flexible material that doesn’t apply undue pressure, yet doesn’t feel unsecured on your head. Combined with this comfort comes excellent audio quality, delivered by great quality 40mm drivers and indicative of Plantronics’ many years of experience in aviation, military and space exploration audio application.

Perhaps the best part of this headset, though (yes, it gets better) is the fact that it is modular. The ear cups, selfadjusting headband and mic boom can all be removed and switched out with compatible parts. This means that not only is it simple to upgrade your headset without having to but the whole thing again, but also that you can use different parts for different applications.

A fabric cushioned open ear cup, for example, will allow for comfortable longer sessions

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(like practice sessions) while an enclosed, leatherette padded ear-cup will exclude all noise during shorter sessions (like at a tournament or massive LAN). Parts for the RIG headsets can be bought separately, allowing you to trim your experience as needed.

That makes the RIG 500 a perfect starting point. In the box you’ll get the ultraflexible and light frame, the self-adjusting headband, the removable mic and a set of closed, cloth padded ear cups fitted with a 3.5 mm combination jack (and a splitter is included in the box, too). It’s a little unusual these days to see a cable run to both ear-cups, but that is necessary here, due to the modular design. The 3.5mm jack means that this stereo headset is extremely versatile, too. In-line or on-ear volume controls would have been nice, but their absence is not a deal breaker here.

You’ll need to assemble the RIG 500 out of the box, but it’s extremely simple and will really drive the idea of modularity home for you.

And once you fire it up, you’ll seriously question every other headset you have ever used. The audio quality is rich and clear across the whole sound spectrum, and the lightweight comfort of the RIG 500 creates no distractions… you may even forget that you’re wearing a headset at all!

Great design, great build quality, great comfort and audio… the Plantronics RIG 500 is a real winner. g

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Plantronics RIG 500 Stereo PC Gaming Headset

aming Headset

SUMMARY Great design, great build quality, great comfort and audio… the modular RIG 500 is a truly excellent headset.

TECH SPECS • • • • • • •

Stereo 3.5mm jack Modular 40mm drivers Noise cancelling mic Isolating ear-cups

M A NUFA CT UR E R P l a n tr o n i cs

DISTRIB UTOR Ap ex I n ter a cti ve

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by Walt Pretorius

AT A GLANCE:

Gioteck

Controller Power Skin More power!

for PS4

by Walt Pretorius

SUMMARY A great protective shell for your DualShock 4 controller that also extends battery life… an awesome idea!

AWARDS

TECHNOLOGY

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AT A GLANCE:

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ony are really sticky about giving out licenses for third party PS4 controllers. And that’s sad, because there are one or two things that need to be addressed with the DualShock 4.

Most notably is the battery life. It sucks, and losing controller power during a heated gaming sessions is a pain.

But Gioteck have a great solution in the form of the Controller Power Skin for PlayStation 4. This is a hard cast that fits onto the controller, making it a little larger and heavier, which takes a bit of getting used to. But the real trick here is the fact that the case contains a rechargeable battery that interfaces with the DualShock 4. It charges while the controller does, and when your battery is down, the simple press of an easyto-find button provides up to ten hours more battery life for your PS4 controller.

Protection and more power – it’s a winner. g

Gioteck Controller Power Skin for PS4

H C EW E T VI E R

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

mgeect 2 c7a 7 8 ggl a ad

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Gioteck Apex Interactive www.apexint.co.za

TECH SPECS • • PS4 compatible • Rechareable • 10 hour extra battery life • • • • •

Every drive has a purpose.

Build it in BLUE

Create it in BLACK

Capture it in PURPLE

COREX

Network it in RED

Scale it in DATACENTER

Raidmax

H C EW E T VI E R

Cobra One cool customer

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hings certainly have changed since the first time I reviewed a water cooling system.

Back then, it was a case of carefully putting it together, checking every system, filling the external coolant reservoir, turning on the PC and praying just a little that I didn’t miss a leak or connection. These days, though, thanks to devices like the Raidmax Cobra 240, using a liquid cooling system in your PC couldn’t be simpler or safer. And when it comes to cooling high performance systems, there are few ideas that work better than liquid cooling.

The Cobra 240 ships as a sealed, prefilled unit.

That means everything is connected securely, and the coolant is already in the system, waiting to carry that horrible heat away from your CPU. It also means that installing the system can be a little fiddly, because you need to stay aware of where all the pipes and components are, lest you do any damage while trying to do some good.

With that said, it really comes down to bolting the radiator and its two fans to the chassis, and then fitting the cooling block over your CPU and plugging in the power connector. It really is that simple, and thanks to the closed, preassembled design, you don’t need to worry that you have managed to get everything plugged in and sorted out correctly. And best of all,

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the sealed system means that the Cobra 240 is maintenance-free.

The specially designed fan blades and large radiator (which will need two fan bays at the top of your chassis) efficiently carry heat directly away from your CPU (be in Intel or AMD) and blast it right out of the case. The radiator has scores of copper heat fins to aid the cooling process, while the water block that contacts with the CPU has a copper base, all of which improve heat transportation and dissipation.

And it’s beautifully quite, too, thanks to the ceramic bearing system that the two large cooling fans use.

It even looks great, with blue fan blades complementing the transparent blue water block, while the other parts (including the leak proof pipes) are finished in a tasteful matt black.

Best of all it that the water block is a fraction of the size of even a standard CPU cooling fan, which means that there is very little in this system to disrupt the overall air-flow within your case. And while the radiator may pick up a little heat from other components, thanks to air being pushed through it from inside the case, this does little to affect the overall cooling performance of the Cobra 240 system.

If you’re after hassle free extreme CPU cooling, this is a great product to consider.g gamecca78

All-in

NAME OFCobra Raidmax THE PRODUCT 240 All-in-One Liquid CPU Cooler

n-One Liquid CPU Cooler

SUMMARY A great, hassle free solution for those who want cooling on the more extreme side of things.

TECH SPECS • • • • • • •

Pre-filled 274mm radiator Copper cooling block Dual fans Leakless tubing Maintenance free

M A NUFA CT UR E R Ra i d m a x

DISTRIB UTOR Sy n tech

AWARDS

w w w. sy n tech. c o. z a

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

SCORE

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by Rob Edwards

AT A GLANCE:

G633 Artemis S All the devices!

TECHNOLOGY

Logitech

H C EW E T VI E R

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Logitech G633 Artemis Spectrum Gaming Headset

Spectrum

Gaming Headset

V

by Walt Pretorius

AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY

TECH SPECS

It works with everything, literally, thanks to multiple cable connections, making it just about the most versatile headset around. And it sounds good, too!

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

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• • • • • • •

40mm drivers USB cable 3.5mm jack cable Noise cancelling mic 3 profiles Virtual 7.1 surround

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ersatility is something that we often mention when it comes to headsets, and for a number of reasons. Chiefly, though, it is because a good headset is rarely an inexpensive thing, and being able to use it with multiple devices makes spending a little more cash that much easier. So when you take a closer look at Logitech’s G633 Artemis Spectrum headset, the whole versatility thing makes an extremely strong argument. Here is a headset that can be used with PC as a 7.1 virtual surround headset (via a removable USB cable) and as a stereo headset for PC, consoles, tablets and numerous other devices via a removable 3.5mm jack cable. But the real beauty here – for PC gamers at least – is that the device can be used with multiple devices at the same time. If you have the USB cable plugged into your PC for that awesome 7.1 experience, you can connect the 3.5mm jack at the same time and plug it into, let’s say, your mobile phone. Getting a call would mean toggling between input methods with an on-ear switch (it cannot use both cables simultaneously) and chatting away, without even having to remove your headset or change cables. That’s pretty convenient, to say the least.

And then there are those multiple applications, including the current gen consoles. Yes, you will need an adapter for the Xbox One, but other than that, you’re pretty much good to go on any gaming application. You won’t get 7.1 surround of anything but a PC, but that really is a minor quibble in this case.

The G633 is one of the most versatile headsets around, making it a great option for those who want to cover all of their bases. And the audio quality, delivered by 40mm neodymium drivers, is excellent. So are the on-ear controls, which allow for volume adjustment, mic muting, input selection and even three different gaming profiles (with the USB connection). In addition, the ear cups feature customisable lighting and outer shell plates.

The only real downside is that the G633 is fairly heavy, which can lead to some discomfort. However, the over-ear cups are large, keeping pressure well away from your ears, and are generously padded with fabriccovered foam. The wide head-strap has the same kind of padding.

With rugged construction and good looks, the G633 Artemis Spectrum is a great go-to for those that want to combine versatility with 7.1 surround capability (two things that are generally mutually exclusive, thanks to connection requirements). The two-cable system is a clever way to get around that, and multiple connections while PC gaming is actually extremely convenient.

A little ingenuity has gone a long way for the G633, and it really is a great option for the multi-platform gamer. g

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

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Cooler Master

H C EW E T VI E R

Xornet II

Gaming Mo

Specially for the claw

H

TECHNOLOGY

ow you hold your mouse is a matter of personal preference and gaming style, not to mention which you’re the most comfortable with. Those that prefer the claw grip sometimes run into issues with your average gaming mouse, simple because the size of the device doesn’t quite agree with the grip style. That’s where a device like Cooler Master’s Xornet II enters the picture.

The Xornet II is shorter and broader than your average mouse, making it extremely comfortable for Claw grippers. The curved top end also makes finger placement easy and quick to find, with large contoured main buttons guiding your fingers to the best positions.

The Xornet II makes use of high grade Omron switches, which provide excellent tactile feedback and a long lifespan. It has a total of seven programmable buttons (sorry, lefties, it’s not ambidextrous) as well as a generous scroll wheel that features customisable illumination. The colour of the wheel can also be set to change according to DPI level, which is super handy.

Speaking of DPI, some may find that the Xornet II is not quite sensitive enough, with an optical sensor that maxes out at 3 500 DPI. That will work for some, and with three DPI preset levels that can be switched

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Cooler Master Xornet II Gaming Mouse

ouse

by Alex Scanlon

on the fly, those that don’t want the most sensitive mouse should be well served by the Xornet II. And it’s pretty small, too. With the cable, it weighs in at around 130 grams, with the mouse alone weighing just 80 grams. That’s pretty light when all is said and done, and makes claw grip playing even easier.

And it comes in at a great price, too, which is more than likely why a more accurate sensor wasn’t employed. However, with an ultrapolling rate of 1 000MHz and an Avago 3320 sensor driving the whole thing, it isn’t exactly an inaccurate device either.

On the whole, the Xornet II is a great upgrade from the original Xornet, with improved shaping and a better ergonomic design combined with new lighting modes and a better sensor. If you are an adamant claw grip user, or even if you are gaming on a budget, the Xornet II does well. It might not have all the bells and whistles of its more expensive competitors, but it is still a very good mouse overall, and one that should serve the claw grippers purposes rather well.

And do you really need all of those special features?

Some may feel they do, but if what you want from a mouse is accuracy, a tough, compact build and great reliability (with no frills to muck about with) then the Xornet II deserves your attention.g

AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY

TECH SPECS

A great price for a reliable mouse… the Xornet II is a great choice for right-handed claw grippers.

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3500 dpi sensor 7 programmable buttons Customisable scroll wheel lighting On-the-fly dpi changing Designed for claw grip

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

AWARDS

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

• • • • • • •

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

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Social Warfare

Propaganda for al

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mgeect 2 c4a 7 8 ggl a ad

by Suvesh Arumugam

opposing soldiers into surrender or desperation. As early as the days of Alexander and Genghis Khan, invading armies would catapult the heads of slain soldiers into enemy camps or light torches to disguise their numbers and encourage their enemies to flee or surrender. During World War I, the Allies bombarded German trenches with leaflets stating that they would accept any soldier’s surrender. They also dropped fake postcards from supposed German prisoners detailing how well they were being treated, as well as stirring

Social Warfare

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s a species, human beings have pretty much already seen people (or been) subjected to every type of warfare imaginable. We’ve seen thousands slaughter each other on the battlefield in preChristian times with swords so heavy and dull they were basically metal clubs. We’ve also great cultures clash violently like the Persians and the Greeks in great battles like Thermopylae, probably still the most referenced conflicts of our age. We’ve seen the entire planet consumed in war in two World Wars, with fighting on every single continent (Japan even bombed Australia in 1942 in an air raid with over 200 planes).

Every war we’ve seen has always had a physical battlefield; a location which was the focus of our prayers and cheers (or tears in some cases), whether it was Jerusalem, Normandy or Baghdad. But today, the face of war has changed, and there are no borders. The cold war between Russia and America, fought through intermediaries like Afghanistan, Vietnam and Cuba, was as much a war of bullets as it was of words, using popular culture like movies and novels to sway public opinion. Today, the battle for the hearts and minds of the public is being waged directly in your brain through social media. From wars fought with blades, bullets and biological weapons - now we’re seeing a new kind of war raged with by-lines and blogs.

Don’t get me wrong, there has always been propaganda.

Propaganda has been successfully used through the ages to both dehumanise the enemy to one group of people, to gain supporters and also inspire soldiers. It’s also been used to demoralise

skilled psychological warfare operators use a mix of these techniques to create confusion and disinformation. By discrediting information from one source, the public can be led to believe propaganda from another source. Here is a Wikipedia example that might help: “ A major application of grey propaganda is making enemies believe falsehoods using straw arguments: As phase one, to make someone believe “A”, one releases as grey propaganda “B”, the opposite of “A”. In phase two, “B” is discredited using some strawman. The enemy will then assume “A” to be true.”

In the prelude to the Rwandan genocide in the early ‘90s, a radio station called Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (Thousand Hills Free Radio and Television) was established, advocating violence against Tutsi’s and a final solution. The term “cockroaches” was extensively to dehumanise their targets and promote violence. Harvard scholars estimate that about 10% of the deaths during that period (approximately 51,000 people) can be directly attributed to the station’s broadcasts.

The goal of propaganda can probably be distilled down to this: Choose a side, or have one chosen for you. If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. If you’re not with us, you’re against us.

The aim is to polarise, agitate, misinform and divide. Sadly, we’ve given propagandists the perfect weapon to do this in social media.

The Pray for Paris campaign has been both a unifying call for some and a polarising movement for others. Stealing the limelight away from probably the biggest social

“Choose a side, or have one chosen for you.” divisions along ethnic lines between the factions of the German Empire. Ironically this inspired Hitler to devote massive resources to propaganda in World War II, giving Joseph Goebbels, who was instrumental in using film and radio to promote Hitler’s agenda, tremendous resources to disseminate propaganda.

The Allies also used extensive disinformation campaigns, especially black propaganda methods, to build up their D-Day invasion of Normandy, in their attempt to spread Germany’s defences to create the ultimate Hail Mary play for the Allies to end the war.

White propaganda is the term used for disinformation spread from an identifiable source. Black propaganda is used for spreading information supposedly from a particular source but that is actually from elsewhere. Grey propaganda is the term used for information which seemingly has no source. In many disinformation campaigns,

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activism movement of this decade in #BlackLivesMatter, #PrayforParis has seen massive engagement and sentiment in the past two weeks since the deadly bombings and mass shootings occurred in Saint Denis. While millions have already washed their Facebook profile pics in red, white and blue to show solidarity with victims of the attacks and used the hashtag in a global conversation, many have criticised Facebook specifically for limiting the conversation to Paris and not including other recent terror attacks in Beirut, Nigeria, Russia and a recent hostage crisis in Mali involving far more people than those killed in Paris.

Even more disturbing is the massive backlash against Islam and Muslim people, with many press and political figures open calling for action not only to be taken against the religion as a whole, and not just the radical organisations responsible for acts of terror. American presidential front runner (and social media megastar) Donald Trump recently openly supported a call for the registration of all Muslims in America, presumably for a database similar to sex offenders.

Hacktivism organisation Anonymous declared an open online war with ISIS and ISIL, taking down websites and social media profiles and leaking information online about proposed ISIS members (it had previously been focussed on the Ku Klux Klan with similar activities).

Anonymous have reportedly taken down over 20,000 Twitter profiles linked to ISIS while ISIS have publicly dismissed Anonymous as “idiots” waging an irrelevant war, but the focus

on social media and encrypted Apps has thrown light on many sympathetic supporters as well as ISIS soldiers being millennials and navigating the cyber world naturally. While earlier claims that Paris attacks were co-ordinated using PlayStation 4’s PSN network were largely debunked, there is no doubt that all kinds of disinformation and propaganda online (especially through smartphones) is being actively used by ISIS and ISIL in their overall strategy. It’s hard to say whether Anonymous’ campaign had any measurable effect on their enemy, though recent reports that people looking for ISIS

TECHNOLOGY

“Everyone finds themselves to be clearly aligned”

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information are now being “rickrolled” by the group (sent unwittingly to a Rick Astley YouTube video) suggest that they’re not no making a significant impact yet.

What I (like most other people on the planet) can’t escape is the war that goes on daily for our social media timelines. Reading through friend’s posts and comments, it’s clear that everyone finds themselves to be clearly aligned to one position or another. Despite what our personal beliefs may be, many of us are sharing news articles, opinions, blogs and posts, saturating everything we see with the arguments of either side. But what I keep asking is “Is there an actual conversation happening?” Very few people are engaging in a real debate around what this means for us a society, what the costs of the war are and whether there are any real solutions.

The clincher was probably reading Russian president Vladimir Putin’s statement

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to terrorists stating that “To forgive terrorists is up to God, to send them to him is up to me”. If it sounds like a line from a movie, it’s probably inspired by one (Denzel Washington says something very similar in his portrayal of an assassin turned good guy in 2004’s “Man on Fire”). It’s more than talk though. Putin has followed up with several revelations on countries giving support to ISIS and several military incursions. Tough talk aside, the reality of these wars is that more civilians die than soldiers, and these attacks are a precursor to much more death and destruction, whether in the name of terrorism or antiterrorism. Statistics show that while more than 130 people are reported to have died in the November 13th Paris attacks, over 25,000 people were killed in terror attacks around the world in 2014, and even more by military action in retaliation, including almost 10,000 in Iraq and over 7,000 in Nigeria.

Conservative journalist and anti-Islam extremist activist Bridgette Gabriel recently made a statement the has gone viral on social media, shutting down a question on a panel discussion by stating that it doesn’t matter that the majority of a group or nation may be peaceful and implying that the actions of the few outweigh the “silent” majority who do nothing to speak out against radicals and extremists. Whether you support her comments or views or not, what is clear is that there is an opportunity for a debate on the greater humanity that binds people of all faiths, all races and all lifestyles, and social media is the only place where this kind of open debate can take place. The one thing that can defeat terror and propaganda is information and dialogue, and it’s the one thing they don’t want you to engage in. g

Social Warfare

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by Iwan Pienaar

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itting in a coffee shop or walking down the road it is evident that we live in a mobile, connected world.

Whether it is a smartphone, a tablet, or a notebook, our lives are evolving to be more digital. But with us relying on the internet for everything from online banking to chatting with friends, how many have given thought to protecting their digital identities from malicious users?

The statistics make for some concerning reading.

A survey in the United States has found that 15 million Americans have their identities fraudulently used each year with financial losses estimated to be in excess of $50-billion.

While our 3 600 reported cases last year might pale in comparison, it does not lessen the danger or impact of identity theft.

Protecting your digital identity is something that has to be done year-round.

However, as the holiday season is upon is, it becomes even more important to remain vigilant. Now is the time where online shopping peaks and the convenience of doing banking from the beach might be too resisting to ignore.

But if your identity gets compromised, then the very real financial risks could put a serious dent in you getting 2016 off to a great start. A compromised digital identity also presents a physical threat. Knowing where you live and being able to track your movements make you and your family easy targets for break-ins, hijackings, or worse.

Granted, these are extreme cases of what could happen when someone steals your digital identity but it pays to

be aware of the dangers.

More concerning is that it often is not a case of being hacked but rather cybercriminals using information that is in the public domain to clone your identity. Just think about what you are likely to share on a social network like Facebook. It is easy to put in all your personal details and share those holiday snaps tagging your family and friends as you go along.

While it might seem counterintuitive to a connected (and social) lifestyle, it is good to set boundaries on what you post online. Avoid revealing where a photo was taken and stop geo-tagging photos that show exact locations.

Also be cautious about posting photos or video clips that reveal your address or show the valuables in your home.

If you have children and they are active online, it is definitely worthwhile to have a conversation with them in terms of the information they share and with whom they share it with.

Fortunately, there is security software that is designed to protect you and your loved ones on a variety of devices. It is good to do some research on the most well-known brands and evaluate which of their offerings fit your lifestyle.

These solutions are also very easy to use with many of them focusing on family protection.

While we have not reached the stage of having to lie awake at night and worry, we all need to examine what information we share and how we share it. Security software is a great method of protection, but user behaviour is key. After all, what does it help you have 10-foot high fences around your home but you hand out the gate key to stranger.

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Tips to protect you in the digital world •Never open attachments or click on links in a suspicious email; •Ideally, never use unsecure WiFi networks but if you have no choice refrain from conducting online banking or online shopping through them; •Always keep your operating system, browser, and anti-virus or internet security software updated with the latest patches and definitions; •Do not email or post your date of birth online; •Regularly check the privacy settings of your social networking profiles; •Only use official app stores to download mobile applications and always check whether permission settings make sense, i.e. why would that game need access to your phone settings?

•Set up a private email address for personal correspondence and a public one for social networking and other services. g

Festive Protection

Festive Protection

Keep others out of your online accounts

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Technically Speaking

t seems like we say it every year, but 2015 really was a good year to be a gamer. A plethora of really good video games were released, a number of truly cool accessories made us really happy, and of course all the new consoles finally came into their stride.

The PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One were both launched last year – and a good couple of months after the US release – things weren’t going all that well initially. As the months went on and the spilled over into 2015, more gamers took to playing on the shiny new consoles, helping the market and the local popularity along.

Of course, these new consoles had to be fed with freshlydeveloped games, and in that department there really hasn’t been a shortage.

The stand-out titles for me this year has to be The Witcher 3, the new Tomb Raider and of course Fallout 4.

Collectively I have managed to clock almost 300 hours between the three titles, with most of my time being invested in the adventures of Geralt of Rivia. I can remember very little of the second game in the franchise, but the third title just blew me away. I’m sure if I had to go back to the second game I won’t enjoy it as much as I did at the

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time.

Lara Croft’s latest offering took me somewhat by surprise, if I can be completely honest.

I knew that the franchise was really popular, so I had no doubt that the game wasn’t going to tank. Sometimes, especially with games that I really look forward to, I on purpose distance myself from any trailers or promotions material, as I don’t want to create my own little hype train.

I have fallen into that trap too many times, and I think that I’m a bit older and wiser now. I’ll leave the younger gamers to jump all aboard the hype train, but my final station has called.

Point being, for The Witcher, Fallout 4 and Rise of the Tomb Raider, I didn’t watch any trailers or behind-the-scenes footage.

I like to keep my gaming experiences as raw as they can be. This time around, I wasn’t disappointed (and it paid off) as the games that I tried to avoid were really good – well, at least in my eyes.

This year as actually the first year that I have gone out of my way not to click on the trailer button or read development diaries. I find that those generally inflate the game’s status and capabilities to the point where I just don’t believe

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BYcHARLIE Fripp

All the Good...

them.

Speaking of releases, I actually feel really bad for the developers and publishers who opt for the release slot in the beginning of the year. I’m not really sure how it works, but either those publishers draw the short straw in the release cycle, or they really don’t want to go up against the big hitters.

Do you remember that Dying Light, The Lego Movie Videogame and Bloodborne all came out in the first three months of the year?

As everybody is preparing end-of-year lists and gaming top 10s, it is very seldom that any game released in the first half will make it onto any of those lists. It is actually a shame though, as some of them were really good, and could have benefitted from a little bit of love at the end of the year.

But with that said, all good things must come to an end – and this year is no exception.

As I look back at the incredibly heap of games that has kept me occupied through the months, I get really giddy as I start to peer into the release windows for 2016.

If you though this year was good, wait until you see what is yet to come. g

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Freedom!

Breaking Through

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Fallout 4 Rise of the Tomb Raider Call of Duty: Black Ops III StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 Need for Speed Guitar Hero Live WWE 2K16 Star Wars Battlefront WRC 5 Magicka 2 Just Dance 2016 MX vs ATV Supercross: Encore Pneuma: Breath of Life Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide The Crew: Wild Run Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition Yasai Ninja

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that Valve’s Gabe Newell invested in a kitchen startup?

People with lots of money have been known to throw their cash at some really weird things in the past, but when a gaming veteran enters the kitchen, it takes things to a new level. Valve founder Gabe Newell recently invested some money in ChefSteps, and he will help them develop their Joule, a smart immersion circulator for sous vide cooking. In short, it is a tube/stick that heats water to the correct temperature so that meat and other food don’t get over cooked. It is not known how much money he invested, but he has already starred in the company’s first advertisement.

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that the PlayStation 4 has sold over 30 million units?

The debate over which gaming console is the best / fastest/ has better graphics will seemingly never come to an end. Luckily for us, one of the more concrete measures of popularity that we have are sales figures – and Sony announced theirs. The company said in late November that the PlayStation 4 has sold 30 million units since launched across the world. Microsoft has taken a stance not to divulge exact numbers for their Xbox One, but at the end of last year sales were sitting at around 10 million.

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that you can dress up in Vault 111 gear in Rock Band 4?

The Rock Band franchise has for many years been one of the most popular music-based games on the market. With the release of Rock Band 4 a couple of months ago, things have been going rather swimmingly. But what if Rock Band 4 collaborated with one of the biggest games of the year, Fallout 4?

Well, the mashup results in Rock Band 4 characters dress up in the famous vault suits from Fallout, and in this case Vault 111. The suits are being made available for free this month, so don’t worry if you don’t like it afterwards.

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Cooking with Steam and rocking Fallout 4...

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that Destiny’s Year One weapons are getting a Year Two upgrade?

Bungie’s huge Destiny gamble might have paid off for the company in the long run, but there are still a number of things that need to be fixed before players will be 100% happy. While a big update did add some new stuff, the company announced that more Year One exotic weapons will be getting Year Two equivalents.

Exotics are powerful weapons, but the Year One equipment just isn’t up to scratch – which is why they decided to give players a bit more power in their hands. And no, the infamous Gjallahorn isn’t there.

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that the first episode of Resident Evil Revelations 2 is now free?

Capcom took a bit of a gamble when it decided to develop the episodic Resident Evil title Revelations 2, and now it has been made available for free – well, the first episode is. Going the episodic route has worked out rather well for studios like Telltale Games, who have been successful with The Walking Dead and Wolves Among Us. So go ahead and download the free first episode, and who know, you might just like it enough to buy the whole thing.

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that Fallout 4 shipped 12 million copies in one day?

There is no doubt that Fallout 4 has been one of the most anticipated games of the year, but where it will top people’s Game of the Year is yet to be seen.

But in terms of sales popularity, it has become clear that gamers have been lapping up the Wastelands at an incredible rate. Bethesda, the company that made the game, announced in November that the game sold 12 million copies on the day it was launched.

That is a rather incredible feat, and lead to sales of more than $750 million. g

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Just Cause: liberating oppressed

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Just Cause 3

By Charlie Fripp

edom!

d people and players since 2006

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here have been very few games since 2006 that have been as exciting as the Just Cause franchise. That year should stand out for any gamer, not only because it was the year that the first Gears of War and Guitar Hero 2 was launched, but because it marked the start of the third-person Just Cause franchise.

From that year players got to know Rico Rodriguez, an operative working for an organization known as the Agency, as he swung into action in a Caribbean tropical island called San Esperito. The biggest drawcard of the franchise, which was a huge plot point right from the beginning, was that player could virtually do pretty much whatever they wanted.

The open-world element meant that gamers could traverse a huge area through the use of cars, boats, fixed wing aircraft, helicopters, and motorcycles – and, naturally, on foot.

It was either carefully planned or purely by accident, but if the premise and the general mechanic seems familiar, it has to be said that the franchise is very similar to the Far Cry franchise. No disrespect to developer Avalanche Studios, but Just Cause could be seen as a “poor man’s Far Cry”.

That is neither here nor there really, as the two game (at the heart of it all) are actually very different, and cater to a different audience.

The name for the series is also a two-fold thing, having two different meanings. In the first, it takes its name from the reallife United States invasion of Panama, code-named ‘Operation Just Cause’. For the second, it a bit of a play on ‘just because’ when players are asked why they decided to attached an exploding

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gas canister to the leg of an enemy, which caused him to be launched into the stratosphere.

All three games, with that latest one on the shelves by the time you reads this, have taken place in rather exotic locations. The first was on San Esperito, the second took Rico to Southeast Asia, while the third plays off on a fictional Mediterranean island.

That has been some of the magic from the franchise, as the locations keep on changing, and with that the plot. Granted, the graphics have also changed a lot over the course of the three games, but that is a little bit of par for the course in game development.

Something that has also changed throughout the franchise, which keeps things nice and fresh, is that the enemies and the factions are constantly different. There are never too few dictators for Rico to tackle, and he does seem to have a bit of a knack for finding the worst of the bunch.

One thing, however, that has remained constant is the way players sidle up to each faction in order to make progress in the games. To win favour with the factions, Rico have to complete tasks for them. This in turn earns Rico some points, which then go towards a faction score. Once he reaches a certain point, he somewhat becomes friendly with them. What is that saying about the enemy of my enemy is my friend?

The tasks, which have ranged from being rather repetitive in the first game to becoming a bit more complex as the franchise goes on, included liberating a village or taking over a drug cartel’s villa. When not being chummy with bad guys, players are pretty much free to do as they wish. This does come with a

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caveat, though – if players cause too much chaos, the factions could turn against gamers.

The game that will be the freshest in gamers’ mind will be Just Cause 2, even though it was released five years ago. The game was a huge step up from the first title, and the four years it took between the first and the second game seemed like more than enough time for Avalanche Studios to come up with some really cool ideas.

It made use of the Avalanche Engine 2.0, which was an updated version of the engine used in the first Just Cause.

This allowed the graphics to pop a lot more than in the previous one, and also gave gamers the opportunity to do a lot more in terms of destruction.

Set on the fiction island of Panau, it covered 400 square miles – which is pretty large by any game’s standards. In addition to that, the game was received pretty well, with critics praising the game’s open-ended nature, world design, soundtrack and gameplay mechanics. While not super popular when compared to others, it did manage to sell six million copies in the first three years.

But the third game really is the culmination of the technical prowess of the last two titles, rolled into one explosive offering.

If it is even possible, it takes things further by giving Rico a completely new arsenal of weapons, gadgets and of course, enemies. Rico’s famous grappling line is back in the action, but the biggest addition to getting around the world has to be the wingsuit – a first for the franchise.

“Nothing evokes the feeling of freedom like the newest addition to Rico’s toolbox: the wingsuit.

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ambush DiRavello’s militia forces from above. Upgrading the wingsuit grants Rico additional abilities such as sling shooting while flying, triggering wingsuit while reeling in, or cancelling it in mid-air and landing, making Rico unstoppable,” Avalanche Studios explains.

The update to the Avalanche Engine has also allowed the dev team to do a lot more, which will (most importantly) make things look much better.

“The new version of the Avalanche Engine has allowed us to create the dramatic profile of Medici; sharp cliffs, overhangs, tunnels and even underground bases,” it said.

Say and think what you want about the Just Cause franchise, but there is no denying that it provides gamers with some of the best action sequences that any third-person, open-world game can. Sure it does play a bit like Far Cry, but Rico is (for the lack of a better term) more reckless – which is actually encouraged.

Where Far Cry often herds players into a stealth scenario, there is a reason why the last two Just Cause games features explosions on the cover of the boxes. And that is the appeal of the franchise – the wanton destruction coupled with good graphics (Ok, the first one’s graphics was pretty poor) and a plot to keep gamers engaged.

Just Cause has managed to successfully blend almost all the element of Far Cry, Grand Theft Auto and Crackdown into one game, and it should definitely be on every body’s gaming list when it is released.

To sum it up, the studio can have the last word: “The landscape is not only breathtakingly beautiful, Just Cause 3 is the ultimate openworld sandbox.” g gamecca78

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Fallout 4 GAMING

The Commonwealth needs you!

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Fallout 4

by Walt Pretorius

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things that they didn’t like: graphics that were a bit poorer than ere expected, bugs that occasionally lead to hooking up on geometry or seeing odd things like models in strange places, that kind of thing. But it would serve one well, when approaching a game like Fallout 4, that (in the first instance) some truly great games have also had bugs and, most importantly, highlighting individual elements that may leave something to be desired in only truly relevant if these elements ruin the entire experience.

And, quite honestly, in the case of Fallout 4, they do not.

You can bitch all you like about the little things that annoy you, but when the game is considered macroscopically (as it should be) there are very few things that might hamper the overall experience, and certainly none that will ruin it.

The game begins with the player’s chosen character (created with a robust set of character editing tools)

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t has been one of the biggest hype-trains in recent history; when Fallout 4 was announced just before E3 2015, people went nuts. And publishers Bethesda played on that, allowing their own promotion engine to be fuelled by the enthusiasm of fans the world over. So when Fallout 4 finally arrived, it is little wonder that a number of people were disappointed by what they got.

Even after all this time, when people should be well aware of how hype often gets out of hand, and when they should know that no game is perfect, they still managed to make themselves believe that Fallout 4 would, somehow, be a game that offered no problems.

But by its very nature, Fallout 4 was almost guaranteed to be imperfect; any game as ambitious as this one is bound to have issues to some degree, and Fallout 4 is no different. People the world over started identifying

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being rushed to Vault 111 in the face of total atomic annihilation. We’re not going into detail here, because spoilers suck… suffice to say that when the character awakens, you find yourself in a very different world, a long time after the bombs fell. After a few short “mandatory” missions that get you into the swing of things, Fallout 4 sort of stands back and says “It’s a great, big world out there… have fun with it”. And so the player begins a massive journey of discovery, in which the central plot plays only a small part. Fallout 4 isn’t about getting from A to B in a narrative; it is about living in a post-apocalyptic world.

To this end, Fallout 4 gives the player every tool it can muster in making the experience as engrossing and complete as possible. From the basic stuff, like character modification through skills and visual elements, and

gear modification and improvement, right through to the establishment of settlements, Fallout 4 offers the player an absolute ton of things to do. I found myself spending long sessions tweaking my guns and armour, or fasttravelling between my settlements to make sure that they were properly defended and offered the growing number of residents what they required. I would spend hours constructing buildings in the game’s settlement editor, or hunting through random piles of scrap to find the elusive materials I needed for a particular weapon part.

And then I would spend other long sessions exploring the Commonwealth (once called the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the vast setting for this game) and completing missions. Between crafting, tweaking and combat, Fallout 4 has consumed many hours for me, and I still have a ton that I want to get to.

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option, this place has been created to be explored on foot, either solo or with a trusty companion (although the dog, for example, becomes more of an annoyance before long, so companions are only suggested for the most patient of players). It is a world that is full of surprises and oddity that you’ll never find if you bounce between fast-travel points, and this convenient method of traversing the map is only suggested for completing tedious tasks, like hauling junk back to your base of operations. There are amazing uncharted places and experiences here, and missing out on them would be a crime. Besides, walking is good for you.

None of it ever really seems overwhelming, either.

Junk is automatically stripped down to needed parts by settlement workshops, for example. Traders are relatively plentiful (although you won’t find them fast travelling)

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It’s the kind of game that you can spend a good long time playing, with short sessions great for tweaking and crafting, and longer sessions ideal for finding new places, trading and, of course, shooting stuff.

And, thanks to the fully open nature of the world, you’ll be spending some of that time running away from enemies you cannot handle just yet, licking your wounds and levelling up before going back to exact a bit of revenge.

While Fallout 4 does give you every tool you need to survive in this world, it doesn’t hold your hand.

It doesn’t guide you in any particular direction (the quests feel more like suggestions that compulsions) and it simply lets you get on with doing your thing within the game world.

And that world is massive. While fast-travelling is an

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and can even be set up in your settlements. The skill tree is simple yet expansive, but the lack of level cap means that you’ll more than likely never have to worry about getting to any particular ability at the expense of others. Combat can be daunting at times, but the game gets you feeling like a bad-ass pretty quickly, complete with customisable power armour and a massive arsenal of weapons that you can trim to suit your play style. It feels like the developers made a world for you to live in, on your own terms, rather than giving you a controlled experience. In truth, the only thing that is really overwhelming in Fallout 4 is the sheer scope of what you can do with it… and that’s a good kind of intimidation.

So, yes, the graphics may not be the best we’ve ever seen. The world may have bugs that aren’t mutated mosquitoes, flies and roaches. The companion AI does

leave a lot to be desired. But the truth is that these things can be avoided or, at worst, ignored. And when everything is put together, all of these issues, whether in isolation or combined, do very little to hamper an excellent gaming experience. You may find yourself getting annoyed, even to a high degree, at times, but you will keep coming back. Like with Skyrim, Bethesda have managed to create an experience that is so wonderfully immersive with Fallout 4 that you’ll constantly keep coming back to it, bugs and all. It’s single-player only, which may make some people wonder about the longevity of the game, but with the amount that it offers to do, you’ll probably still be playing it long after you’ve set aside the latest cut-and-paste multiplayer FPS title.

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AT A GLANCE First-person adventure

Despite some bad press, Fallout 4 is a massive, engaging and deep title that will keep you busy for absolute ages, doing whatever you like in its enormous setting.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

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Rise of the Tomb GAMING

Lara is stronger and more resilient

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Rise of the Tomb Raider

by Charlie Fripp

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he Tomb Raider franchise has been with gamers for almost longer than what most of them have been around, and we really have come a very long way in the last couple of years – technically, visually and from a plot perspective.

It is one of those franchise that will always be a good seller, and you don’t have to be all that familiar with the previous games to play newer ones. That statement is also true when you have a look at the latest title Rise of the Tomb Raider, but it does work against it in some sense.

The days of Lara Croft’s familiar blue vest and brown shorts are long gone, but it seems that developer Crystal Dynamics have gone for a more gathered and calculated approach with RotTR, giving gamers more of the same tried-and-tested formula that worked so well the 2013 reboot offering.

With that said, it doesn’t mean that this year’s game is boring - on the contrary, it is actually the closest that fans will get to what the Tomb Raider franchise ultimately wants to be.

In terms of the plot, it is not exactly riveting, but then again any Tomb Raider game doesn’t really need a good excuse to clamber over everything, flip switches or take out an awful lot of bad guys.

But… don’t worry if you haven’t played the last game, as this one only semi-attaches itself to it.

For character development across the franchise, it is definitely a new chapter for Miss Croft, and this time around involves some research that her father has done.

To sum it up, this time around Lara is searching for the lost city of Kitezh and the Divine Source, which is said to grant immortality to whoever discovers it.

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It might seem a bit out of character for Lara to be after such an artefact, and there were a couple of occasions where her motives seemed self-centred, but nonetheless, Lara presses on to find it.

Naturally, there is an evil organisation that is also trying to get their hands on it (for nefarious purposes, of course), and just as predictably, it is up to Lara to stop that from happening.

Drawing on legends of yore, developer Crystal Dynamics has worked on a story that includes most of the parties that have over the years (and according to legend) searched for and made their way to the city, such as the Mongols in the 11th Century.

Since it is only legend, the plot does take a number of liberties in recounting what and where the city is, including what it holds.

But, with that said, some true-to-life elements were included, giving the game a much-appreciated hint of credibility.

To no surprise (and as the name implies) a big part of the game is that Lara really likes to raid tombs. Here, the game delivers, and each of the explorable areas have at least two tombs or caves that can be looted.

The reward for completing Challenge Tombs are much higher than trudging through a cave, as they dish out weapons parts for crafting better gear – making them essential to the game if you don’t want to struggle.

While they are great, sadly they don’t compete with the complexity of the previous game. It seems that the citizen of Kitezh were great warriors, but they sucked at designing and implementing puzzles.

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GENRE

It is more of the same, but that is a

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

16+ AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

89

AT A GLANCE

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good thing.

Crystal Dynamics Microsoft Studios Microsoft

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future games, but where is Tomb Raider going as a whole? The combat, mechanics and graphics have largely stayed the same over the previous game with no real progress made, and Lara seems to be less angry this time around.

But, that said, if you loved the 2013 game then you will love this one as well.

At the heart of it, it is more of the same with subtle differences here and there.

If it is going to go the route of games like Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty where only the plot changes and one or two new abilities are added, though, it might be in trouble.

ROTTR is a very good game in the sense that it delivered on all of its promises, but more needs to be done with future titles to ensure that the franchise doesn’t get stale.

Should you buy it? Most definitely, but that does come with a bit of a warning. The Lara that kicked off the franchise way back in the 90’s is long gone, in favour of a Lara that can stand on her own two feet.

In 2013 she did have a bit of a breakdown in the game, but here she has returned stronger and more confident. That does take away some of the grittiness and the hard-hitting appeal, but if gamers are alright with that, they should be golden.

A quick note on platforms: Rise of the Tomb Raider is currently an Xbox One exclusive (which, when it was announced, angered many fans). It will be available for C early in 2016, and for PS4 towards the end of 2016, when the exclusivity expires.

But PS4 owners, although they have waited for a year, will likely be given a definitive edition when it finally arrives for the Sony platform. g

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solution is often the one that works out the best.

To get around these tombs and the world at large, Lara does that in the only way that a Tomb Raider game will allow – by jumping, sliding, grappling and running around.

Here the game’s mechanics haven’t changed one bit, and if you played the 2013 title you will be right at home. At the start, Lara has a limited set of abilities and equipment for traversal at her disposal, but as the game progresses, she unlocks perks and equipment that allow for reaching higher places.

The levelling up process is identical to the previous one, where after a certain amount of XP gained, Lara will have one skill point to spend. Oh, and levelling up can also only be done at the various base camps that are unlock as the game goes on.

The skill tree is divided into three categories: Brawler, Hunter, and Survival. It’s a bit tedious to level up enough to completely max out a tree, but luckily some of the skills available aren’t at all necessary to progress.

The same can be said for the fighting mechanic, as once again it is identical to the previous game. When you knuckle down and have a look at all the elements from this game, compared to 2013, there is very few things that have changed.

Truth of the matter is, nothing has actually change – but that is not a bad thing.

The entire 2015 package definitely builds on the legacy of the entire franchise, but gamers have to wonder where it all is going. Crystal Dynamics can’t roll out the same reskinned Lara Croft every year, and as great as it is, something has to change.

Sure the plot has changed a bit, and the ending leaves the franchise wide open to

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Call of Duty: Bla GAMING

Rinse and repeat‌

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Call of Duty: Black Ops III

by Walt Pretorius

ack Ops III

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regular Call of Duty releases have seen failures as well as successes.

The biggest move forward for the franchise was the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which dragged the franchise forward into the modern day (and also established a new rivalry with EA, this time in the form of the Battlefield games). It was another massive step forward for the franchise, and one that has not been rivalled to date… not for a lack of trying, though. The Call of Duty development teams have been hard at work to deliver a franchise that constantly tries to be edgy and relevant, but at times they miss the mark. And, depending on which side of the fence you’re sitting on, Call of Duty: Black Ops III might be one of those times.

Black Ops, as a sub-franchise, started out taking a different look at the Cold War, but by the time the

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fondly remember playing the first Call of Duty game. This World War II shooter was, for its time, revolutionary in many ways. For example, it was the first time ever that virtually all of the in-game audio had actual sources, rather than being an in-game effects sound-track. In other words, if you heard a gun being fired in the game, it meant that somewhere in the game world, a gun was being fired, a bullet was moving towards a foe. At the time, the idea was out of this world. These days, not so much. And that, really, is what set a trend for Call of Duty, along with Activision’s rivalry (at the time) with EA’s Medal of Honor games. With so much innovation in the first title, the franchise set a trend, established a mark that needed to be met with each release. But that mark has been missed as often as not through the years, and the

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second game came around, the franchise had already moved into a futuristic direction that many who wanted a real world experience didn’t take well to. And now, with the third instalment, that notion has been solidified.

In Call of Duty: Black Ops III, the player takes on the role of a bionically enhanced soldier who is fitted with a neural interface that can interact with everything from weapons to robots.

In some ways, that makes Black Ops III feel a lot like a Deus Ex clone but, in all honesty, Deus Ex hardly has the trademark on cyberpunk ideas. Additionally, people have accused black Ops III of being a Crysis clone but, once again, there are enough differences to set it apart.

In truth, the only similarity here stems from the fact that you take on the role of an enhanced warrior.

Which, incidentally, you can create for the first time in

the franchise’s history. You can choose male or female (both fully voices) and can adjust a number of visual settings. Not as deep as some games, mind you, but it is a step in the right direction. You can even unlock and equip different uniforms and helmets. Why, you ask?

Well, because the single player campaign has a full co-op functionality. Up to four players can get through the whole campaign together, which is another first for the franchise. Had the six hour campaign been a little better in terms of narrative, that would have been a truly awesome step forward, rather than just a good one.

The plot, though, is the kind of thing that has become increasingly prevalent in the series. It’s predictable at best, and crammed with the kind of twists that you see coming a mile off. It also tries to investigate a few morality issues and high-minded ideas, but when

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gun of a fallen enemy, because they are coded to the user’s neural interface. So if you make a poor choice of weapon, you’re stuck with it until the game gives you the opportunity to change it out.

Abilities and weapon upgrades are purchased with the same in-game points, so making the right choices can get tricky. This leads to the potential for replayability, but that is a limited idea here. The levels don’t offer much variation, even I they are more tactically complex (with enemies that require more than a run-and-gun approach) than previous Call of Duty titles.

The player’s character can also perform traversal stunts like double jumps and wall runs, but this is woefully underutilised during the campaign. In multiplayer, though, these new traversal methods (including the ability to fire while wall running) add an excellent level of

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it comes down to it, the campaign really is about shooting people.

These futuristic soldiers are capable of far more than wielding guns and throwing grenades. Thanks to their combat upgrades, the characters in the game are capable of technologically infused “powers”, like releasing a damaging swarm of nanobots or hacking an enemy robotic combatant. These come in very handy, but only at later levels can the player switch between the various sets of powers. This means that a player needs to pick a set of powers before undertaking a mission, and sometimes you get stuck with the wrong ones.

The same goes for weapons. Although the game does allow for switching loadouts at specialised areas, you cannot (unless you buy the ability) pick up the

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excitement and unpredictability to the game, making it a looser, more organic experience than before. Additionally, players get to choose operators for the multiplayer matches, each of which have a unique special ability.

This adds a greater team element than before, and is an overall improvement over past versions. Players will need to work together far more closely, and “lone wolf” tactics are less likely to work. The varied powers means, also, that every player – even the weakest ones – can make a meaningful contribution to any multiplayer engagement.

And then, of course, there are the zombie modes.

There have been excellent improvements here, too, and the entire single player campaign can be replayed as a zombie mode once it is completed… although this is largely just a reskinning, with no real surprises in

store. But trims and tweaks performed to the “normal” survival based zombie mode have been sensible and well executed, making this the best zombie mode to date.

When all is said and done, Call of Duty: Black Ops III is a good game, in the same way that any other Call of Duty new release is good. It delivers what the player expects from it, with a few new changes and ideas. While Black Ops III is not the most forward thinking or revolutionary Call of Duty title around, it does trim up some ideas nicely… particularly where multiplayer is concerned. In fact, that’s really what you’ll be wanting to play it for; the single player campaign, while fun, doesn’t do much to elevate it above its brethren. It feels like a number of ideas that have been implemented in the multiplayer simply aren’t properly employed by the campaign, which is sad. The co-op is fun, though. g

AT A GLANCE First-person Shooter

It’s not a massive move forward for the franchise, but Treyarch does introduce some great ideas in this title, particularly as far as COD multiplayer goes.

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Treyarch Activision Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

18+ gamecca78

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

REVIEWED ON

PS4 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

80 71

E M W A IE G EV R

StarCraft 2: Legacy of the V GAMING

And now for the Protoss‌

74

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StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void

by Walt Pretorius

Void

75

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E M W A IE G EV R

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the Void, not only have Blizzard shown us the Protoss side of things in the single player campaign, but they have introduced ideas that take online play beyond ladders and extremely competitive gaming.

The introduction of a few ideas have made the online component far more accessible to those who take the game a little less seriously, without damaging the existing online balance. That’s because these new additions are supplemental to the experience.

The first is in the form of co-op missions, in which players work together to overcome an AI foe. The great thing here is that because each player chooses a hero to control, the game dynamic can shift vastly between games –even if the same mission is played over and gain. There are a large number of heroes to choose from, and they all have their own abilities, strengths

GAMING

he biggest issue I have had with StarCraft over the years since the release is that I have found it difficult to keep up with the online competition. It may be that I have to play too many games, doing what I do, to concentrate on a handful and really perfect them. Maybe I am just not as good a strategy gamer as I like to think I am. Whatever the case may be, I am not the only one. In the years since the release of StarCraft 2: Wing of Liberty, the online competition has become tougher and more unforgiving.

That makes it tough on someone who really loves StarCraft, because there isn’t much to do beyond taking on competitors online once you have finished the campaign. That is, until now. With the release of the third instalment of StarCraft 2, namely Legacy of

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and weaknesses. It’s an interesting and fun way to play StarCraft with friends.

This extends into co-operative PvP as well. In this instance, two players control the same base and army.

And it can range from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Excellent team work needs to be the order of the day here, but even when the team doesn’t work together well, there is a lot of fun to be had here.

As far as Legacy of the Void’s single player campaign goes, it offers 22 missions that are a little easy on normal (much like Heart of the Swarm). They’re great missions, though, and offer a lot of variety, as well as a number of new ideas not seen in StarCraft single player before. This includes swapping units between the three Protoss factions, and heavy support that can be called down from the player’s travelling home base,

the starship Spear of Adun.

The narrative and dialogue feel a little dry and quasireligious, though, so you’ll have to suffer through hours of Protoss philosophy to get to the good stuff.

And, of course, the game adds a number of new units across all three factions, as well as modifying the way that certain units work. Some of the units are better than others, of course, but there are enough new Terran, Zerg and Protoss units to change things up a bit and keep things interesting.

On the whole, Legacy of the Void is a great addition to the StarCraft 2 collection. It’s better than Heart of the Swarm, but not as good as Wings of Liberty. But, at very least, Protoss fans now have a story to work through, and more casual players have a friendlier online environment to enjoy. g

AT A GLANCE Real-time Strategy

The third StarCraft 2 installment brings a full Protoss story, and helps create a friendlier online experience for more casual players, while not compromising for the hard-core ones.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Blizzard Activision Blizzard Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

16+ gamecca78

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

REVIEWED ON

PC PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

89 77

E M W A IE G EV R

Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 GAMING

20th Anniversary football action.

78

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GENRE

The players take to

in

by Nthato Morakabi

the field once more

Pro Evolution

Soccer’s 20th

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

4+

Konami Konami Ster Kinekor

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

90

AT A GLANCE

PARENTAL ADVISORY

REVIEWED ON

PLATFORMS

Anniversary edition

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

gamecca78

Sports

XO

As a FIFA player, it was great to see that PES gave an alternative control system (inverse to the default) which is very similar to FIFA; however PES has a number of great improvements. One of these is the manual pass which displays an arrow at the feet of the player allowing you to see exactly where you are passing. The dribbling system is also different and the PES players have a knack for the spectacular when it comes to shooting. Curving a ball really curves the ball, making for some exceptional goals.

The MyClub game mode is the equivalent of the FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) in which you get to build your own squad from all the top players in the world. However, unlike FUT that requires purchasing collectable cards and using these cards as your players, MyClub is all about sending out scouts to search for a player, but it’s not just that simple. Scouts specify the type of player, however what player you get is completely random. Players are divided into rarities meaning to get a better player, you have to use a better scout and to get a better scout you need the points which are gained by playing tournaments and playing the online and offline leagues.

Much of the MyClub progress is geared towards improving your players through match experience where they gain EXP in order to level up and increase their stats. Training can also occur but taking an existing player and turning them into a trainer and using them to improve another player’s stats. An interesting change of scenery from transfers and lucky packet card packs.

Konami have a working formulae with PES and its unique nuances that allow it to be, with good reason, one of the top football simulators out there. g

Pro Evolution Soccer 2016

P

ro Evolution Soccer celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year, and I do say it has been an amazing journey for the Konami developed football simulator. Considering that it is competing with a fully licensed FIFA title, PES shows that it takes more than just licencing to be a great football game.

Although it is a pity that PES doesn’t have the proper licencing to use some of the major football team names (Liverpool is known as Merseyside Red), they still managed to gain a few licenses and leagues including the prestigious EUFA Champions League licence.

Also on their list is the COPA Libertadores (Latin American Cup ), UEFA Europa League, COPA Sudamericana (South America) and the AFC Champions League (Asia).

From a game modes point of view, PES16 has plenty on offer. Each of the licenced cup tournaments mentioned before are playable tournaments, obviously limiting you to teams that are eligible to compete in them.

Standard Leagues such as the LIGA BBVA, English League and others exist, as well as a custom made KONAMI League to create your own league. And of course plenty cup tournaments from the International Cup to league specific cups and the standard Konami Cup. One of the few things that stands out about PES16 is the graphics. Beautiful and realistic, the developers at Konami have done a great job at recreating players, stadiums and various animations on and off the pitch. A more realistic gameplay on the pitch from the passing and shooting to how players move, tackle and generally play soccer.

Conditions change during gameplay and suddenly rain alters the movement of players and the ball, adding a different element to matches.

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E M W A IE G EV R

Need for Speed GAMING

Fist-bumping and phone calls‌

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Need for Speed

by Walt Pretorius

d

81

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GAMING

W

hile Electronic Arts can comfortably rest on the laurels of their sports titles as testament to understanding market desires, their Need for Speed series is another that, for many years, showed that the company knew what players wanted. This peaked with the release of Underground and underground 2. But as is so often the case with a peak, there was a decline waiting to happen, and the Need for Speed franchise began spiralling downwards as series like Forza became the masters of track and street.

The reaction from the NFS developers was to grab at every straw they could find, including the refined track racing attempt in Shift and the return to badassery in Most Wanted. But it seemed like the glory days for the franchise were left with the Underground games.

Ghost Games, the development team behind the new Need for Speed (which you could arguably call a reboot) wants to change that decline and reclaim the title as one of the top racing games around, even if it is more arcade-like.

And so they have taken a few fresh, and a few reworked, approaches with this latest Need for Speed title.

The end result is something of a mixed bag. While Ghost Games certainly got a few things right, they missed a few beats along the way, with the result being a game that is great to play, but still doesn’t scratch the itch that Underground left behind. It’s a step in the right direction, but it’s only a step in a longer journey that still needs to be undertaken.

Need for Speed puts the player in the driving seat as a newcomer to a wellestablished illegal street racing circuit. There the player will meet characters (presented in live video that feels oddly anachronistic)

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that each represent a number of aspects of the street racing scene, like speed, drifting and build. Each of these characters will, through the course of the perpetual night that the game is set in, challenge the player through 79 different single player events. And they will use forced feeling slang and ridiculous first-person fist bumps while doing so. The cut scenes and interactions with these characters never feels anywhere near natural, and the people you interact with come across as a bunch of dim-witted narcissists more than anyone you might actually hang out with.

But Need for Speed is not about getting chummy with a bunch of malcontents. It’s about street racing and here, in many instances, the game really manages to shine. And then, in others, it does not.

The car roster is smaller than one might expect, but there are some very cool and even rare vehicles to choose from.

The player is limited to five parking bays in their garage, so they’ll need to make some choices about which vehicles to buy. But this latest instalment focusses less on collecting cool cars and more on what you can do with the cars you have. Tuning is far deeper here, although it still ties in to arcade style ideals, and real petrol heads will find that even the more in-depth tuning (as opposed to the option of setting your overall tuning setup to somewhere between grip and drift, which will appeal to more casual gamers) is not really deep enough. You can tweak all manner of things in the tuning system, but the idea that bolting better bits onto your car makes it go faster holds sway throughout.

This arcade approach extends even further. For example, you cannot set your vehicle to manual transmission, and at release, Need for Speed has no support for racing wheel gamecca78

Need for Speed

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GAMING

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Need for Speed

GENRE

It’s a step in the right direction, but the franchise still has a way to go to reclaim its glory

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

12+ AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

75

AT A GLANCE

PARENTAL ADVISORY

REVIEWED ON

PLATFORMS

days.

Ghost Games Electronic Arts Prima Interactive

gamecca78

Racing

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

their heads.

The races themselves are awesome, even if the AI has a dose of elasticity that can get frustrating at times. But there are lap races, drift competitions, sprints and more to enjoy while you’re swearing at the opponents.

The biggest issue here, though, is the constant online requirement that Need for Speed has because, quite frankly, it is unnecessary. The sense of community isn’t there, in truth, and the only result is that you might see another player on your streets from time to time. You may engage in a race from time to time, but the multiplayer component of this title feels under-developed.

And the constant online connection means that you cannot pause, which is extremely annoying. In truth, there really is no reason for it, and it should never have been built into the game. This is one area in which Ghost Games really have to develop their approach, because it feels utterly superficial and unnecessary.

Ghost Games got the look and feel fight, and they have reintroduced the idea of street racing to the franchise in a solid way. But it really is just a start in getting things back to where they used to be, and the developers will have to kick things up a notch or two to regain that which they obviously want. For now, they have created a competent, if flawed, arcade style racing experience that is packed with potential. Hopefully they will capitalise on what they have achieved here, making the next instalment of this long running franchise even better, and closer to achieving the glory days that Need for Speed once knew. With less fist-bumping and phone calls. g

PS4

peripherals. That may be sorted out with a patch later, but out of the box, the game reinforces the idea that it is less serious about simulation, and more serious about fun.

Back to the cars. They can be extensively visually customised, in terms of shapes and finished, and the simple tuning system means that everyone can get a decent vehicle setup without too much work.

Limiting the number of cars also reinforces the idea of how important tuning is, and it is possible to get through the whole game with only one car (although where’s the fun in that?).

Environmentally, Need for Speed is gorgeous, with great graphics and effects adding a gritty feel to your late night ramblings. But it never gets lighter. It starts to, with great pre-dawn gloom effects, and then things just revert to night time again. There really could have been a better way to handle it, instead of the odd light cycle that the game currently follows.

Other than that, though, Need for Speed looks and sounds great.

And there are cops. Lots of cops. They’re not as aggressive as in previous titles, but they are persistent, and can really interfere with your racing if the situation gets out of hand.

Speaking of racing, there are a few different event types to partake in, and as new events get unlocked, your contacts will call you to let you know about them.

And to congratulate you on performances. And even just to invite you to hang out. In fact, the game’s phone never stops ringing, even during heated races or cop chases. It’s pretty annoying, actually, being contacted constantly by people who seem to have cell phones strapped to

85

E M W A IE G EV R

Guitar Hero Live GAMING

A new kind of rocking out‌

86

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Guitar Hero Live

by Walt Pretorius

e

87

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E M W A IE G EV R

T

really crazy stretches in the harder modes, the overall potential for complexity is higher, thanks to the inclusion of things like bar chords and chord like finger placements.

This also means that the way the game “instructs” the player for finger placement is different. The fret-highway now only shows three strings, and placement on either the corresponding upper or lower buttons is determined by either a white down “arrow” or a black up “arrow”, arranged on the strings accordingly. As usual, the strum bar needs to be struck while the correct fret buttons are held down – it’s pretty straight forward, really.

The things is that the differences between the game’s difficulty levels are vast, and moving to a higher difficulty level will never be a simple task.

The overall presentation of the game has changed up as well. Instead of the customisable, cartoonish

GAMING

he day that Guitar Hero disappeared was a sad one indeed, but Activision are not a company that will forgo making a profit where it can.

And Guitar Hero was nothing if not profitable. It just wasn’t really a sustainable format. And so this newer version of Guitar Hero has been created, and it brings with it a method to keep the music-action rolling for years to come.

At the core of the experience is a reworked guitar controller that will, quite frankly, take some getting used to for veterans of the franchise. Instead of the five brightly coloured fret buttons that the older controllers had in the past, this version features six buttons, arranged in two rows of three buttons each, one above the other. What that means is that while the user won’t be using their hand as much or making some

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characters that characterised the first few games, everything is live now. It’s like a first-person guitar experience, complete with band mates and throngs of adoring fans. The fans are great – if you play well, they respond with much enthusiasm. If you suck, they give you dirty looks and sadness. But the short lived campaign never really encapsulated the idea of being part of a band on stage, because you’ll play as a member of several bands, and never long enough to feel a greater connection than that of a session musician hired to fill in for a gig or two.

Additionally, the single player campaign doesn’t feature the best of songs. Those are reserved for GHTV, the online version of the game. Here you can either choose songs to play (which must be “bought” with in game currency earned by playing showcases, or by actually

paying for it) or participate in showcases. These are great, because you get exposed to a lot of exciting new music. The catch I that you play what you get, when you get it. You cannot select songs in the themed showcases, and once you’re done, the only way to replay them is to spend credits to do so.

Thankfully, GHTV also features music videos, instead of actors hamming it up on stage. It’s more distracting in some instances, but it’s really cool for observers.

The strength, then, lies in the online component and, although you never get to “own” any of the songs that you pay for (either with in-game currency or real money) earning play credits is easy and enjoyable, thanks to the showcase events… and that’s what will keep this generation of Guitar Hero alive. More control, yes, but more variety to, and a great platform for new music. g

AT A GLANCE Rhythm

REVIEWED ON

A decent reworking of Guitar Hero; while the single player has some rough edges, the online version is great fun, despite the possibility of spending cash.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

FreeStyleGames Activision Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

12+ gamecca78

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

x0 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

80 89

E M W A IE G EV R

WWE2K16

GAMING

…because Stone Cold said so.

90

gamecca78

GENRE

Explore Stone Cold Steve Austin’s career,

by Nthato Morakabi

create your own

Superstar or fight as the WWE fighters in this latest

WWE2K

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

16+ AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Yukes / Havok / Visual Concepts 2K Sports Megarom

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Score

75

AT A GLANCE

PARENTAL ADVISORY

REVIEWED ON

PLATFORMS

instalment.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

gamecca78

Fighting

XO

almost every aspect of their character either using premade bodies or going in and sculpting their wrestler.

Stats can be improved as players use their fighter, allowing for specific skills and abilities to be bought or an existing fighter’s moves to be set. Eventually with enough wins and points, players will be able to buy a manager or diva to appear alongside them in career matches; nothing says Superstar like a personal entourage.

Visually, 2K16 on the Xbox One looks great as fighters look like their real life counter parts, the animations are fluid and realistic and faces scrounge in shock when a submission grapple is reversed. The camera angle changes according to moves, location and occasionally during special moves, capturing those moments in a similar manner as you would expect on TV. Occasionally glitchy but nothing to grab a chair about.

A slightly different control mechanism changes the way that players fight; various grapples add variety in the way you can debilitate an opponent, including targeting specific areas of the body for maximum effect; and the fighters react accordingly to the damage they take to that part of their body. Reversals return once again to add that extra dimension to fighting, that could either set-up a win or turn things around for the worst. Pun intended.

A number of other game modes exist such as the WWE Universe which takes players to real-life rivalries and fights already set or with the ability to create your own universe including which Superstars are to appear. WWE online pits you against other players, with each battle levelling you up from Trainee to Legend.

In overall, WWE2K16 is filled with nostalgia, frustration and enough action for fans across the ages to enjoy. g

WWE2K16

2

K Sports, along with Yukes and Visual Concepts, have for the last couple of years taken over the gaming aspect of the WWE. Each year they have brought the world wrestling superstars to life, recreated iconic moments, reintroduced legends of the franchise and showcased the upcoming talents gracing the World Wrestling Entertainment roster.

WWE2K16 is no exception to the rule, as developers once again looked to bring to fans both old and new, the drama, the tension, the humour and the adrenaline filled action that has set the WWE apart from any other competitor. Like really.

This year, players have the privilege of playing through as one of the WWE’s many legendary wrestlers, a legend of the series: Stone Cold Steve Austin. The WWE Showcase follows Stone Cold’s career from his initial introduction to the franchise, to his career debilitating injury and the epic return that propelled him into the legend he is today. All of this, of course, playable from his perspective, complete with memorable moments and fight specific events from the original fight that the game has recaptured. As per previous instalments, players get to watch original video clips from the actual fight coinciding with in game events. Grainy VHS quality and all.

The career game mode allows players to create a champion and rise through the ranks with the hope of achieving Legendary status.

Beginning as an NXT fighter, players choose how they will rise: respect, pride, controversy or down right dirty tactics. Fighting clean or dirty, shapes the abilities players can utilize, geared towards their persona. How players react to interviews and disruptions to their fights affects this, as well as their fans and the partners they get to Tag-Team with.

Character customization allows for players to change

91

E M W A IE G EV R

Star Wars Battle GAMING

Is the Force strong in this one?

92

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Star Wars Battlefront

by Walt Pretorius

efront

93

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W

Wars Battlefront, but two distinct elements of the presentation (which, here, is arguably more important than in a game not based on a massive movie franchise) just don’t fit. The first is that some of the music has been originally written by DICE, and it feels out of place when contrasted with the rousing tones of the numerous, wellloved Star Wars tunes that have graced mobile phones as ringtones for about as long as you could set a custom ringtone. The difference in musical skill is jarringly obvious, and while you might think that it is a small point to find fault with, the music of the Star Wars universe is as much a part of that mythology as light sabres and wookies. So getting it wrong is an oversight.

The next thing is some of the voice over work. Many of the voices are approximations (hardly surprising, because the original actors don’t sound like their younger selves

GAMING

hen you want to create a game based on one of the best loved movie franchises of all time, you need to be right at the top of your game. You need to get everything just right, because even the smallest steps away from cinematic canon will be seen as a massive affront to the source material.

And there are few people as rabidly devoted to canon as Star Wars fans.

However, DICE isn’t your ordinary game development studio. They have many years of experience under their belts, and if anyone could deliver a flawless Star Wars experience. It is them. But they didn’t. In fact, they got so much right that the things they screwed up on come across as even more glaring, simply because they feel out of place.

There isn’t too much that can be faulted with Star

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much anymore) but they’re not great approximations.

They’re almost there, but not quite right and, once again, to the Star Wars fan, they’re going to sound out of place.

That, combined with dialogue and one liners that feel forced (in a game based on a series with great dialogue and one liners) puts another dent into the illusion that DICE tried to create here.

It comes down to the fact that the reactions of players are going to depend on how rabidly they cling to the Star Wars mythology when playing. The real devotees may well shy away from battlefront because of these small missteps. And that’s a pity, because DICE put a lot of work into making the settings, characters and equipment look and feel right. And for the most part they do – the four planets that the action takes place on, for example, are pretty much exactly what they should be. Hoth,

Tatooine, Sullust and Endor are all wonderfully recreated here, and provide not only wildly different environmental appearances, but also different play styles. With a total of 3 maps spread across these four worlds, there is a decent amount of variety. The maps are pretty big, too, which helps when the action gets crowded, and they’re really well put together, which is what you’d expect from DICE. The vehicles and equipment are also, for the most part, really great – although one of the blasters looks a little like a repurposed AK47. But the effects and visuals all do well to recreate the idea of Star Wars.

Battlefront offers little to no value for the single player.

While there are a number of training missions and AI based modes, as well as a somewhat forgettable survival mode that can be played either solo or in co-op, none

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in Supremacy (as well as the awesome Walker Assault mode, which I’ll get to later). These characters are really like combat gods striding the battlefield, and can do a lot to improve their team’s chances. Each has unique abilities that are pretty cleverly balanced, meaning that while they are powerful, they are not unstoppable.

Walker Assault mode might not sit well with some, but it is a personal favourite. At its core, it is an imbalanced mode that sees Imperial Walkers assaulting a Rebel base. The Rebels are, obviously, seriously outgunned… the result is either the satisfaction of overcoming massive odds, or mowing down near-defenceless victims, depending on which team you’re on. And yet the asymmetrical nature of this mode works well.

Some of the other modes don’t work well. Fighter Squadron puts the player in control of a flying vehicle

GAMING

of these stand up to the fun to be had with numerous of the games big pile of multiplayer modes. With that said, not all of the multiplayer modes are all that great, either.

At the top of the list is, arguably, Supremacy. This mode puts twenty players in each team and charges them with gaining control of an outpost. It really feels like a Star Wars battle because vehicles like AT-ST walkers and X-Wings join the fight, too. It’s a massive.

Rollicking battle for dominance that is awesome amounts of fun, but still reminds one of DICE’s other big franchise… Battlefield. You could, at a stretch, accuse Battlefront of being derivative of the Battlefield ideas, but I don’t think DICE would care if you did.

Hero characters like Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Boba Fett and Princess Leia can also enter the fray

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Star Wars Battlefront

in what devolves into a dogfight death-match, and feels oddly removed from the action. Droid Run is a mode that charges the players with capturing mobile control points, but it feels nowhere near as polished as Drop Zone, which also uses control points, but this time they’re static drop pods that reward players with gear.

Speaking of which, players can upgrade their in-game characters with numerous items, whether permanent addition like new weapons or boost-inducing cards that only enter into the game when chosen. These are purchased using credits, which are earned while playing, and certainly are a better way to spend the currency than the games overpriced cosmetic character changes are.

Some boost include rocket packs and even invisibility (which feels a little out of place in a Star Wars game, but anyway).

In the end, Star Wars Battlefront is a bit of a mixed bag. It is a good game, when all is said and done, but it might not be the best use of the Star Wars license that has ever existed, thanks to some presentation inconsistencies. It offers a great multiplayer experience, but the single player is quite poor. Most of its multiplayer modes are really great, but others feel rushed and tacked on for the sake of variety.

How all of this affects your experience with the game will depend on how much you love shooters versus how much you love Star Wars. Some fans of the franchise will likely love it, but others may not. As far as shooters go, however, it is, for the most part, a competent and enjoyable experience that will provide you with many hours of enjoyment, provided you find what works for you and stick with it. g

AT A GLANCE First-person Shooter

Battlefront is a fun game and it does a lot to emulate the Star Wars universe, but it manages to drop the ball from time to time.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Developer Publisher Distributer

PARENTAL ADVISORY

16+ gamecca78

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

REVIEWED ON

PS4 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

79 97

E M W A IE G EV R

WRC 5 All heart!

G

exuberant enthusiasm that disappeared while Milestone was at the development wheel. Kylotonn know how to take this series forward, and provided they’re given what they need, their next outing should be splendid.

Not that WRC 5 is bad, mind you. It’s just a little rough around the edges. While most of the issues that come up aren’t game-destroying, the odd frame rate dip can lead to a few problems when it comes to precision steering. They don’t happen too often, and the game’s generally forgiving nature will let you get away with it for the most part.

And that’s where serious driving fans will take exception to WRC 5. It simply doesn’t go into the depth that one would expect from a nuts-and-bolts racing game. It’s not quite arcade in its execution, but it comes close. It remains just challenging enough to let the player feel that they’re actually doing all of the hard work, but it never gets brutal

GAMING

reat game design requires a large budget.

The money goes into a lot of things, from high end hardware and software to making sure that your staff are well paid and not begging on street corners after hours. But there’s one thing that money cannot buy when it comes to creating a game: passion. And when you play WRC 5, you realise that new developer Kylotonn suffered from exactly that situation… not a lot of money but tons of heart.

You may recognise the name; Kylotonn was the developer behind the lamentable Motorcycle Club, but this time around any shortcomings that their previous title may have had are nowhere to be seen. WRC 5’s problems stem from technical issues that could likely have been sorted out had more money been thrown at the project. Best of all, WRC 5 shows a kind of

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WRC 5

during rest stops, when they can spend their allotted time on repairs. Similarly, the external menus are slick and simple, allowing you to get to what counts – the racing – with minimum effort. The multiplayer section of the game is also stripped down, with simple one-off races being the order of the day. As it should be – rally driving is a solo pursuit after all, and the tracks are not cluttered with other cars.

In the end Kylotonn have a long way to go with WRC, but WRC 5 shows that their passions and motivations are all in the right place, and their intentions for creating a fun, accessible and engrossing racing title are obvious. If you can ignore the rough edges (which are not the result of sloppiness, but rather of budgetary constraint) then you will have great fun with this relaxed and enjoyable title. g

AT A GLANCE Racing

REVIEWED ON

While it might have a few rough edges, WRC 5’s heart is in the right place, and forgiving players can have great fun with its approachable nature.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Kylotonn Big Ben Interactive Apex Interactive

PARENTAL ADVISORY

3+ gamecca78

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

x0 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

79 99

by Alex Scanlon

or unforgiving. In other words, for a change, it’s a driving game that doesn’t make you feel emasculated for every minor error. And in that way, it’s a lot of fun.

Serious or not, it has a robust physics and control system which remains consistent throughout the experience. The different road surfaces feel different, as they should, and the player will get a lot of joy from slinging their vehicle around the tracks of the 13 official WRC locations. Most look great, too, but every now and then they feel a little similar to each other.

Another factor that is actually quite a joy is Kylotonn’s approach to the menu experience. They have stripped away all the unnecessary fluff that was plaguing the Milestone games, instead providing the player with the bare minimum. During races, for example, the player will only interact with menus

NAME OF2 THE PRODUCT Magicka

E M W A IE G EV R

Magicka 2 Friendly fire isn’t…

100

This is a great game for co-op, but single player fans need to beware of it’s massive difficulty spikes.

REVIEWED ON

PS4

PLATFORMS

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Pieces Interactive Paradox Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

16+ gamecca78

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

Action

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

AT A GLANCE

GAMING Bound of flame

by Alex Scanlon

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f there was ever a game that simply has to be played in co-op, it’s Magicka 2. And there are numerous reasons for this. But let’s look at the game itself, first.

Players control wizards who, through imputing various magical elements, can create a wide array of spell effects. The combinations are pretty logical, too – fire and water make steam, for example, and electricity and water don’t mix well. That’s one of the joys of Magicka 2 – it’s almost like a logical puzzler that forces you to quickly come up with solutions while some brutal monster is trying to beat your character to a pulp.

But that’s also its greatest failing as a singleplayer experience. When all the attention is focussed on you, you don’t have a lot of time to string together complex spells. And at times if you don’t get things just right, you die. A lot.

Enter the co-op thing. With up to four wizards on-screen at a time, it’s easier to spread the AI’s attention and get some frantic spell-work going. It’s still demanding and fast paced, but it allows you to work more complex things without constantly getting the crap kicked out of you.

Also, co-op character revive and heal each other, which doesn’t hurt. On the other hand, friendly fire is always active here, and accidentally (or accidentally-on-purpose) blasting your buddies is a very real thing.

When all is said and done, it’s a fun, enticing game with a small degree of customisation and a truck-load of hilarity and pop-culture humour on offer. It’s not serious in any way, and the laughs it generates are massive. Just make sure your friends are the forgiving types... g

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E M W A IE G EV R

Just Dance 2016 Is the party winding down?

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Another mode that stands out, perhaps not for all the right reasons, is Showtime mode. What makes it different is that there is no set choreography to try and match here. Instead, it is all about singing and making up your own dance moves. Not much to write home about if you’re doing things solo, but Showtime can be absolutely hilarious (and humiliating) when played with friends. And if you’re particularly cruel, the video uploads made available by this mode can serve as excellent blackmail material for years to come.

Another decent carry over from last year’s release is the ability to track your movements with your smartphone.

It feels a little like the original game on Wii, including the occasionally spotty tracking. It’s a great and easy way to get a whole group of friends playing, even if the game only really tracks the motion of one of your hands in this way.

GAMING

ust Dance is fast becoming one of those game franchises that you see every year. In fact, it already has, with this seventh instalment arriving right on cue. And just like any other annualised franchise, there will be years in which the game doesn’t manage to do much to make it stand out from previous releases; the 2016 edition of Just Dance is one of those.

While it toys with some new ideas, Just Dance 2016 doesn’t do anything that makes it shine particularly.

Rather, it really just delivers more of the same, making it great for fans, but not essential for fence-sitters.

There are a few new modes to enjoy. Notably, there is Dance Quest, which pits you against AI opponents in a three-song “mission”. It’s just about the freshest thing to happen to franchise, although the co-op score-attack mode is also pretty enjoyable.

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with a month’s free access to Just Dance Live, an online service that grants access to over 150 additional tracks.

That does open things up a bit, and makes for a cool addition to the game, but whether people will move onto the paid version of this deal remains to be seen – it really depends on their obsession with Just Dance 2016.

The Just Dance franchise hit on a winning formula when it was first released, and Ubisoft have taken full advantage of that. But, in the ever-changing world of video gaming, all formulae (winning or not) need to be relooked from time to time, and the lacklustre performance of this year’s Just Dance outing may well indicate that the developers need to go back to the drawing board on some aspects of the game… because there are definite signs of staleness creeping in, and that is never good for an annualised video game. g

AT A GLANCE Dancing

REVIEWED ON

Another year, another Just Dance... but this year’s title is starting to show a little wear.

The franchise needs a few new ideas.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Ubisoft Ubisoft Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

3+ gamecca78

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

XO PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

69 103

by Alex Scanlon

Of course the Kinect sensor (almost forgotten by game developers) can also be used to track your ingame performance, although it can also suffer from poor performance if the conditions aren’t perfect. It’s better for smaller groups essentially, and allows you to use the device for more than just voice commands.

In terms of presentation, nothing much has changed.

The visuals still look like they were inspired by a week-long hallucinogenic binge, and sometimes even verge on the level of disturbing. It’s all bright colours and effects here, and some of them get pretty eye-watering.

The song selection is a little weak this year, possibly because music has been weak for a little while. The collection tends towards more modern stuff, with less looking back at some of the cool tracks of yesteryear – another possible oversight. But the game does come

E M W A IE G EV R

MX vs ATV Supercross: Enco GAMING

How to break a dirt-bike.

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MX vs ATV Supercross: Encore

GENRE

The remastering of MX vs ATV Supercross has resulted in a finicky controls, inconsistent frame rates and unpredictable

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

3+ AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

40

AT A GLANCE

PARENTAL ADVISORY

REVIEWED ON

PLATFORMS

physics.

105

by Rob Edwards

messy game with

Rainbow Studios Nordic Games Apex Interactive

gamecca78

Racing

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

desired direction will create sharper turns, but going just a touch too far results in turns that are too sharp.

Not using both sticks results in turns that are too wide.

It’s a careful balance to get it right – overall, the turning mechanic is just too sensitive.

While jumping, the bike is oriented with the right stick (shouldn’t the bike steering stick have been the one to use) but getting it right doesn’t really seem to matter, as the game more or less randomly determines how good your landing is, no matter how carefully you tweak the trajectory.

And then there are tricks.

To perform a single trick, while jumping, you need to hold down the R1 button and flick the right stick in three directions. For one trick. A trick which, I might add, is purely cosmetic, because it does nothing to enhance your riding, racing or progression.

Rainbow’s idea of throwing a ton of new content, in terms of tracks and modes, falls in line with what a lot of people are doing with remasters. But once again, they missed a few important beats. Worst of all, while the old, indoor Supercross modes deliver a smooth frame rate, the new tracks and areas see the frame rate dipping so alarmingly that anything near to precision riding is pretty much impossible.

A good motorcycle game is a great find. But with oversensitive control, inconsistent frame rates and unpredictable physics, MX vs ATV Supercross: Encore doesn’t come close to being one. And that’s really sad, because we need a great dirt-bike game for the current console generation.

Hopefully Rainbow have learned a few lessons along the way, and their next outing will offer something better. g

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emastering a game is a great way to extend its lease on life, and the current console generation particularly has seen a lot of that going on.

And, quite frankly, the vast majority of these remasters have been really great.

But there have been a few that haven’t really delivered what they should have, and MX vs ATV Supercross: Encore is one of them. It almost feels as though the developers weren’t quite sure how to approach the whole remastering thing, of what it was supposed to be, and as a result made a merry mess of it.

Which is quite surprising really, because developers Rainbow Studios have more than a few of these titles under their belts. Why, then, could they not get things right this time around? Even worse, they had something to work from; while the original MX vs ATV Supercross might not have been their best title ever, they still had a basis to elevate to the PS4 platform.

Yet they managed not to, in more than one respect.

Graphically, the game looks OK, but it’s hardly up to scratch when compared to some other PS4 titles out there. Animations look stiff at some times, and ridiculously ragdoll-esque at others. The environments and vehicles aren’t too shabby, but they contribute more to making this a mixed bag, rather than improving things.

And then there are the controls. The idea behind them is solid – anyone who has spent time on a bike will tell you the importance of weight shifting, and Rainbow have tried to implement the concept here. But they have managed to create a confusing muddle of inputs that get oversensitive at times. The bike is steered with the left stick, and the rider with the right.

Pushing both sticks in the

NAME OFBreath Pneuma: THE PRODUCT of Life

E M W A IE G EV R

Pneuma: Breath of Life Just shut up, please!

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A decent idea, but thanks to lacklustre execution and an extremely annoying voice over, Pneuma falls

REVIEWED ON

XO

short.

PLATFORMS

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Deco Digital Deco Digital Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

3+ gamecca78

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

Puzzle

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

AT A GLANCE

GAMING Bound of flame

by Rob Edwards

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neuma: Breath of Life is a game in which the player takes on the role of a new god finding his feet in a mysterious world. OK, not that mysterious – it full of columns, fountains, rooms and other stuff that looks more impressive the further you get into the game.

Initially, it’s a fairly bland world, and the player needs to make their way through it by solving puzzles.

All the puzzles are related to points that the player needs to look at. Looking at a point for long enough activates it. Initially, it’s pretty easy – unlock all the points, and the door to the next areas opens. But later on, getting clear views will require moving stuff and the like, making the game develop well through its short course.

But it’s never rally enough to make Pneuma gripping. In fact, it feels like a world devoid of any interest, really, and even at its most challenging, it feels dull.

Except for the voice over of the player’s character. He’s not boring – he’s outright annoying. He keeps prattling on none stop about all manner of stuff, ranging from shaky existential ideas through to ridiculous observations.

Thankfully, he never repeats himself, because that would drive things beyond annoying… far beyond…

In the end, Pneuma is a relaxed, not-particularlychallenging puzzler. The developers definitely tried to instil the game with a sense of wonder, but between a mixed bag of environments and a voice-over that is so constantly enthralled with everything that he comes across as naïve and stupid, it never really achieves that lofty goal. The ideas are there, sure, but the execution of the game is simply not what it should be. g

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Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide More or less more of the same.

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The repetition stems largely from the game’s win conditions.

Because there are so few, almost every game you play through feels much like any other, and this monotony harms replayability in a big way.

While Rising Tide didn’t address the replayability issue, it did manage to add some other elements that range from great to not-so-great. The biggest, and most weeping (and impressive) change is a massive overhaul to the diplomacy system. Now all diplomatic relationships are graded as somewhere between the two opposite poles of Respect and Fear, and the player can use these grades to make pretty accurate guesses about how other diplomats will respond to them and others. Further enhancing this idea are selectable personality traits that provide civ-wide bonuses, and can be changed or levelled up using the newly introduced Diplomatic Capital resource.

This resource is generated by making tile and building

GAMING

id Meier’s Civilization, as a franchise, has been around for a long time, and it has gone a long way into defining what should or shouldn’t be present in this kind of micro-management focused empire-building game. And over five main incarnations, the game pretty much did everything it could with our world. So when Firaxis announced that they would break free of our Earthly bonds with Civilization: Beyond Earth, there was quite a lot of excitement from fans. And although the game was flawed in some ways, it still managed to serve fans well.

Now Firaxis have released the first expansion for Beyond Earth, namely Rising Tide. It manages to successfully expand on the game, and adds some great new elements. But, at the same time, it fails to address one of Beyond Earth’s biggest problems: the fact that it starts feeling repetitive before long.

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Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide

Floating cities have also been added to the game, but whether these are a boon or curse – because they don’t naturally expand borders like other cities – is up to each player.

They can result in some interesting late game strategies, but their addition feels a little less significant than it should.

Finally, the Affinity system has been switched up. Instead of just choosing Supremacy, Harmony or Purity, the player can now combine any two of those for hybrid affinities. But the hybrid affinities feel underutilised, when all is said and done, save for the ability to unlock specialised units.

And yet, when all is said and done, Rising Tide does exactly what it set out to do; add new elements to Beyond Earth.

If you enjoy Beyond Earth, it is an expansion you certainly don’t want to miss. If not, then Rising Tide doesn’t do a whole lot to save the experience, save for the Diplomatic system overhaul.g

AT A GLANCE Management

REVIEWED ON

It doesn’t fix the issues that Beyond Earth had, but it does bring some interesting new elements to the table.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Firaxis 2K Games Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

12+ gamecca78

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

PC PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

77 109

by Alex Scanlon

improvements, as well as by establishing diplomatic agreements.

All of these changes make the diplomatic game a lot more effective and interesting to play, which is a great thing; often diplomacy has played second fiddle to aggressive expansion in the past, but now it becomes a much more important factor in the game.

Other new additions include two new worlds – one icy, and the other volcanic. But despite these new biomes, with modified alien behaviour and unique quest-chains, things still feel pretty much like a repetition of what came before.

Also, Firaxis have added the ability for explorers to discover alien artefacts, either in alien nests or at dig sites. These artefacts also provide bonuses, and keep the need for exploration going until late in each campaign. Still, they’re not doing much to break the tedium, except in small ways.

E M W A IE G EV R

The Crew: Wild Run The deserted highway…

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new games and the shortened attention spans of modern gamers.

With the release of Wild Run, Ubisoft have obviously hoped to attract players back to The Run. Improved graphics aren’t the only thing that come with this expansion (in fact, they come as a patch). Wild Run brings a few new ideas and improvements that take The Crew back in the direction it was meant to go. In fact, a number of the improvements are vast, making the overall experience closer to what it should have been a year ago.

Wild Run adds new events to the roster, in the form of The Summit. This is a monthly series of events, including things like monster truck stunt runs, drift competitions and drag races. Competing in these events earns you credits – earn enough, and you qualify for the main

GAMING

hen Ubisoft released The Crew around a year ago, it was one of the games that marked a poor end of year for the publisher. Combined with Assassin’s Creed: Unity, The Crew put a serious knock in Ubisoft’s reputation, and one that the excellent Far Cry 4 had to do a lot to try and rectify. And while the company as a whole might have come through things with only a few bruises, The Crew never really recovered from its poor release performance. It brought a bunch of outmoded ideas and not-great coding into the picture, and took a concept that was awesome pretty much nowhere – even if it did sport a vast free-driving area. And while there were many who bravely clung to it and it’s always online, multiplayer-made-easy ideas for a while, its online fortunes flagged in the face of tons of great

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The Crew: Wild Run

But the improvements are there, and the addition of motorcycles, with decent controls and physics, adds a bit to the game – although possibly not in a very meaningful way.

Giving the game a new lease on life is vital if Ubisoft are to turn this game into a franchise, which it is almost certain that they want to do. However, the damage done by a release perceived as many as underbaked might not make that easy. The damage was done when The Crew first hit the shelves, and that’s pretty sad, because Ubisoft have worked diligently at making it the game it was supposed to be when they added Wild Run. How this expansion will perform remains to be seen, of course, but those that want to play the game may have to be patient for when more players return to the servers… if they return at all. g

AT A GLANCE Racing

REVIEWED ON

The vast world of The Crew is all but abandoned, even after the Wild Run fixes most of what was wrong with the original release. Let’s hope people out there give it a second chance.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Ivory Tower Ubisoft Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

12+ gamecca78

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

PS4 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

75 111

by Rob Edwards

event, which comes up towards the end of each month.

The first entry is free, just to get you hooked.

It’s an odd idea, using timed events, but it goes in the direction of attracting players back to The Crew. And some of these events are great fun. Monster truck stunt runs are crazy and exciting, while drag racing puts your skill to the test in numerous ways. And if you get through all of these events and end up at the top of the pack in the monthly Summit event, you’ll win exclusive vehicle rewards, which are great for in-game bragging right.

Or at least they would be if the players return to the game. At the time of writing, the servers are a little sparse when it comes to other humans, and not many of them are interested in joining crews. So all the fun is to be had solo, which goes against one of the core ideas behind The Crew.

E M W A IE G EV R

Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition Remastering Death…

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fairly old game to be getting a remastered version. Sure, there have been numerous games that got the treatment but, quite frankly, this one was something of a surprise.

Not an unpleasant surprise, mind you, because I enjoyed it the first time around.

Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition brings with it a whole bunch of DLC, as one would expect from a game given a new lease on life by a remaster process. Most of the DLC, though, comes in the form of new weapons and armour, which are added to the game’s already massive pile of loot. If you haven’t played it before and getting cool goodies is something that thrills you, then you can really spend hours digging through all the stuff to find here.

The game offers truly vast environments to explore, but the player will likely be spending more tiem travelling that exploring; many of the environments feel sparsely

GAMING

hen Darksiders II first launched in 2012, it arrived to mixed reviews. While generally considered a good game, it didn’t quite live up to the standards set by the original Darksiders.

With that said, it offered far more to do, a massive play area and a much longer main campaign than the original game, and players took on the role of the somewhat angsty Death, brother of the first game’s hero, War. While the original release managed to bring a number of bugs and glitches with it, it was still a fun and above all addictive experience. With simple combat and a ton of places to explore, Darksiders II provided forgiving gamers with a wealth of activities, and many people still go back to it for a bit of mindless violence combined with loot-raiding and puzzle-solving.

The unusual thing about Darksiders II is that it is a

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immeasurably. That’s to be expected, and the developers did a decent job here.

One upside of this being an older game is that people may not have played it before. And that’s really where this remaster’s strength lies because those that have already played it will likely not find enough new content here to drive another play-through, even with the DLC and updated visuals. So the question naturally arises: is this a viable remaster, or an attempt to cash in?

The answer is a little complicated, but it comes down to being a matter of both. With game numbers for the new console still on the lower side of things, the Deathinitive Edition adds to what can be played, which is a good thing. But more new content would have made it a better upgrade, ad may have given those who played the earlier version a reason to come back. g

AT A GLANCE Action Adventure

With so many remasters out there, the Deathinitive Edition is welcome in new console libraries, but those that have played it before may not find anything really new to enjoy here.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Gunfire Games Nordic Games Apex Interactive

PARENTAL ADVISORY

16+ gamecca78

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

REVIEWED ON

x0 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

78 113

by Walt Pretorius

populated at best. Still, there are battles to be fought and dungeons to be explored, the latter of which are well put together and often offer the exact right amount of challenge. None of this has changed in the remastered edition, and neither has the fact that the game feels extremely derivative.

Quite honestly, there are very few games out there these days that don’t borrow from previous titles, but Darksiders II is quite liberal when it comes to sneaking in bits inspired by other games. Whether this makes it a poorer game or not seems a little immaterial, though – it’s fun to play, if you have time to kill, and that should be enough for your average gamer.

Aside from adding DLC, this remastered version also works magic with the graphics. The frame rates are smooth and all textures and models have been improved

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Samurai onion Kaoru Tamanegui and Brocolli Joe go on an adventure of friendship and honour.

REVIEWED ON

XO

PLATFORMS

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

RECOTechnology S.L RECOTechnology S.L Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

7+ gamecca78

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

Action-Adventure

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

AT A GLANCE

GAMING Bound of flame

Honour. Friendship. Loyalty… the perfect Salad.

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by Nthato Morakabi

Yasai Ninja

he Onion Samurai, Kaoru Tamanegui, sits in his jail cell with guilt sweeping through his many layers having dishonoured his master and seeing no way back to reclaim his honour.

He meets the smooth talking warrior from a foreign land, Broccoli Joe, who convinces him into regaining his honour by taking down the Shogun who put him in that predicament. But first, they would have to break out of prison…

Yasai Ninja was developed by RECO Technology, an Indie company comprised by developers from various entertainment and media markets such as Virgin Interactive / Virgin Play, EA and Erbe, working on titles such as Resident Evil, Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance, Command and Conquer amongst others.

This light hearted action-adventure title allows players to fend off evil cucumber warriors as either of the two warriors; interchangeable mid play or played cooperatively. A dash of puzzles add an extra dimension to the title wile each character has a specific ability to solve each puzzle.

Hidden treasures and unlockable items scattered within the levels encourage exploration while special bosses require different game mechanics to be defeated.

Player progression is varied between isometric dungeon like stages based of various locations and buildings, as well as sidescrolling platformer across rooftops, mountains and other scenic locations.

The game features a death-counter and for every time you fall it increments; at the end of it your jumping skills are rated by a clever humorous line.

Gameplay is simple enough with buttons to jump and strike and unlockable combat moves available through progressing the levels, adding variety to fighting the enemy warriors.

A fun game geared towards the younger gamers while still enjoyable for all who don’t mind some taking on vegetable warriors. g

Yasai Ninja

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Rainbow Six Siege breaches to w

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walls of conventional shooter play. gamecca

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By Walt Pretorius

g Through

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tanding out in a video game market that sees an increasing number of clones and game dynamics that feel repetitive is quite the task. But the team behind Rainbow Six Siege is dedicated to not only making a game that feels realistic and exciting, but also unique. With team-based game play, destructible environments and operators based on real world counter-terrorist units, R6S promises to be a breath of fresh air in a market that desperately needs one.

Lead Game Designer Daniel Drapeau took some time out of his hectic pre-launch schedule to chat to us about what players can expect, what makes Rainbow Six Siege different, and where it will be going in the coming months.

GM: It’s been around 7 years since we last saw a Rainbow 6 game, in the form of Rainbow 6: Vegas.

How has the gaming landscape changed, in terms of a game focussed on team-based tactics, in that time?

GM: The multiplayeraction arena has also grown and become fairly crowded in that time, with franchises like Battlefield and Call of Duty proving extremely dominant.

How does that affect the approach that was taken to the creation of Rainbow Six: Siege?

DD: We have a lot of respect for the competition, but we strive to do our own thing. The core of Rainbow Six has always been team based, strongly focused on tactics and close quarter combat, with high lethality.

And so, the focus of the dev team has been to extract the essence of what an R6 game is and bring it to the next generation of consoles.

GM: So what will set Rainbow Six: Siege apart in a market that is getting increasingly full of games that feel quite similar to each other?

DD: Rainbow Six has always been different in terms of feel and experience within its own genre. By focusing on its legacy, we’ve

GAMING

DD: Rainbow Six has always been about the fantasy of playing as a squad: sharing Intel, moving as a group, coordinating the assault and so on.

Nowadays, the concept

of multiplayer – being connected to people – is core to the experience for a lot of players. People are now used to online interactions.

In that sense, today’s gaming landscape is particularly favourable to a game like Rainbow Six Siege, which is based on communication and team based tactics. This is amazing because it enables us to fully dig into that group experience that makes the game shine.

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forged an identity of our own.

Our game is one life. There is friendly fire. We have the Siege gameplay where one team defends by reinforcing, barricading and setting traps, while the other team attacks by creating diversions, breaching and using our procedural destruction.

Furthermore, we have a roaster of 20 operators, who each have their own unique ability. Selecting different combinations of operators within a team can create different gameplay opportunities. The selection of operators has a great impact on team tactics for both attackers and defenders.

All these elements enable us to offer a truly unique shooter experience while still remaining true to what Rainbow Six is all about.

GM: What have the biggest challenges been in getting Rainbow Six: Siege to its final form?

DD: One of the most challenging features to implement was our procedural destruction, gameplay-wise and techwise: making sure the player receives comprehensible visual feedback, balancing between attackers and defenders, etc. These constitute a sample of all the questions and issues we had to solve when implementing this system.

But at the end of the day, we are extremely happy with the results. Destruction plays an immense role in Siege. The game wouldn’t be what it is without it.

Rainbow Six Siege

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GM: The bulk of the focus for this title seems to be shifted towards the PvP 5v5 modes… what will the options be for those that want to play on their own? Will there be any kind of single-player (or co-op) campaign of other elements like that?

DD: Our creative vision for Rainbow Six Siege has always been strongly focused on a solid cooperative multiplayer experience. That being said, we felt it was important to provide players with a stepping stone which would allow them to learn at their own pace the Siege gameplay mechanics.

And so, in Situations (our solo training mode), players will tackle 11 training sessions which will allow them to get familiar with the maps, the operators, the weapons, the procedural destruction, fortification and the one life philosophy. Each situation is re-playable, and has 3 different selectable difficulty levels.

Moreover, players can play Terrorist Hunt in Lone Wolf mode (solo).

GM: We’ve heard a bit about the use of the Realblast engine, as well as Havok FX, in the creation of impressive, destructible environments.

How do these elements impact the overall game dynamic?

GM: What kind of research went into the creation of the game, in terms of equipment, operators and environmental factors?

DD: We’ve researched many Counter Terrorism Units from across the world (not just the ones present in the game), and have consulted actual counter terrorism professionals, former counterterrorist operatives and task force agents and personnel.

GM: Speaking of ingame progression, will players’ profiles have progress systems that enable them to unlock better equipment and the like as they go, or will the experience be fixed according to their choice of operator?

DD: Our progression is seamless when you’re online.

Regardless of what game mode or operator you play, you will earn Renown which

GAMING

DD: Our procedural destruction is really at the heart of our Siege gameplay thanks to our Realblast technology. Attackers will use it in order to destroy

the defender’s barricades or reinforcements and complete their objective. Defenders can also use it to create lines of sight and ambush attackers.

The Realblast technology allows for the systemic destruction of an environment. Therefore, any given map you find yourself in at the end of a match won’t be the same as it was when you first started the match.

This also means that within the same map, outcomes will greatly differ from one match to another, depending how players decide to use the destruction.

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is our in-game currency used to unlock new operators, weapons, attachments and weapon skins. The base line is: as long as you play, you progress.

GM: What plans are in place to develop and grow the online community – as well as the game itself – over the coming months and years?

DD: We have an ambitious plan for post-launch. We’ll have yearly content split into four seasons. Each season will consist of a new map, 2 new operators and their weapon loadouts, new weapon skins and a new game mode. We have a team dedicated to it, as we also feel that we have a lot to offer players in terms of balancing and features.

Our philosophy behind our post-launch is no community split and no pay wall. All postlaunch maps and modes are free and instantly accessible.

All gameplay content like operators and weapons are unlockable with playtime.

GM: In closing, what is, in your personal opinion, the best feature of Rainbow Six: Siege?

DD: That’s a tough question… If I have to choose a single feature, I’ll go with our procedural destruction. It can create so many different gameplay possibilities for both attackers and defenders.

Already we are seeing members of the community post videos of themselves using it in a multitude of awesome ways. g

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The indie game development scene is alive and well, and thanks to new ways of getting games out to consumers, the South African side of things has seen a big upswing. rAge 2015 featured a number of local developers, all intent on creating games and bringing new players around the world‌ and one thing I for certain

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Indie View

gFreedom

h Nikita and Kaylin

By Nthato Morakabi

– there is a lot of talent here at the southern tip of Africa.

We had the pleasure of speaking to local game developers of Don’t Believe the Tales, who were featured at the rAge Expo Home_Coded stand, about how they got started, what games they want to create, and what drives them in making those games. gamecca

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gameplay that’s fluid, fast

up ideas for characters,

paced and without class

creatures and far off places.

limitations. We decided the

Shortly following our studies,

only way to do that was to

we decided to take our ideas

make our own game.

further, making the game we

GM: I can guess, probably correctly, that gaming plays quite a role in your life in general?

How integral is the gaming community to your development?

always wished we could play and so we began building this world full of heroes, mysteries

GM: Hello Nikita and Kaylin. It’s great to chat to you guys again following our meeting at the rAge Expo where you were part of the Home_Coded Initiative. As usual, great to chat to local guys in the scene. Would you share a quick intro as to who you are?

N&K: Right now Don’t Believe the Tales is just the two of us, Kaylin Sham and Nikita Nel. We are both recent graduates, having majored in animation and game design. Our game is currently nameless, however we are working under the pseudonym “Don’t Believe the Tales”, which started as a cheeky joke we had that the tales written about the heroes in our world weren’t always to be trusted.

GM: Oh I can see how all of this could lead up to your current nameless title. Would you give the background story behind Don’t Believe the Tales?

N&K: Well while studying

Indie View

we would constantly dream

and adventure. We found that game design was a really great way to give life to these tales.

N&K: Gaming definitely

One of our initial ideas was

plays a huge part in our lives.

of a world still fairly early in

We find that it’s a great way

its development where heroes

to experience and immerse

would write their own tales

ourselves in different stories

that would later become the

and unique worlds in a way

legends that inspire future

that other media can’t.

heroes as the world evolved

As for the gaming

over time. This idea then

community, we aren’t

snowballed into the game

necessarily part of any

we’re working on today.

specific community, instead

GM: And was there a particular game you played that made you want to develop games in the first place?

using social media, we’ve

N&K: There isn’t any

started building a community around our game where our followers can get involved and give us input on what creatures they would love

specific game that we can say

to see next or which sword

motivated us to want develop

design they like best.

games. We could always

This has allowed us, from

find different elements from

fairly early on, to build our

our favourite games that we

game world around not only

enjoyed but no one game

our own ideas but also the

that combined all of them.

ideas of our supporters.

Both of us wanted a game

We also often visit the

with a great story, driven by

Unreal Engine forums for

interesting characters set in

support and watch their

a beautiful world filled with

YouTube videos, following

magic, steampunk technology

other developers on social

and mysteries to uncover.

media where we share ideas

On top of that we wanted

and get advice.

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individuals to help you out,

can share with others. Games

can make all the difference.

allow us to interact and

We would also recommend

engage with our characters

that you keep updated

and the world they inhabit in a

with international and local

way that other media cannot.

gaming trends. At times game

As a game developer we

development can seem quite

love that games can create

daunting but its rewards

different experiences for each

far outweigh the struggles.

individual.

studying we knew we wanted

Seeing people’s reactions to

to major in animation. We

our game world always keeps

enjoyed the idea of telling

us motivated.

stories through film and

GM: That’s fantastic and I can give testament of the reactions from people during the rAge Expo. As for the future, what is in store for the Indie Game Dev scene?

GM: It’s great to see how the love of your game also motivates you.

What else is your source of inspiration?

N&K: When we first started

later added Game design to our majors as we found that it was a great way to create interactive worlds and adventures that were even more immersive.

GM: Considering you are in the early stages of your pursuit in the industry, care to share any advice, struggles, victories and challenges you have faced so far?

6

N&K: Trying to be

N&K: The indie revolution

N&K: Wow, there are so many. We draw inspiration from anything with a great story, interesting characters or unique worlds from all forms of media, everything

is great, and in the next few

from anime, books, films,

years we are excited to see

comics and obviously many,

independent developers

many games.

creating games that can

GM: Ha ha, a true gamer and geek at heart like so many of us. Are there any other Indie Developers who inspire you?

compete with AAA games.

With the growing popularity of crowdfunding sites such

unique among so many great

as Kickstarter and Patreon,

game developers can be

we are hoping to see indie

quite difficult. One of the

games receive better funding

are so many, but if we had

challenges we faced early

allowing them to develop

to name just one, we would

on was finding the right

much bigger projects.

go with Supergiant Games.

audience. If we had to give

GM: And from your side what does being a Game Developer mean to both of you?

The creators of games like

advice to anyone who would like to develop their own game, don’t be afraid to aim high and don’t be discouraged

N&K: Being a game

if the idea for your game

developer to us is more than

seems too complicated.

just making games. It’s a way

Start your social media

for us to create entire living

campaign as early as possible

worlds, with great characters,

because finding the right

strange creatures and

community of like-minded

intriguing adventures that we

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N&K: Definitely. There

Bastion and Transistor. We love the bright colours, the amazing music and really great stories.

GM: From a technical perspective, what platform are you developing “Don’t Believe the Tales” on and why?

N&K: We are currently

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GM: Fantastic! The online community has opened so many doors to developers. Now did you gear your studying towards going into gaming? What was the thought process?

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Ancient magical practices

driven. These types of games

but our end goal would be

and experimental steampunk

inspired us to make our own

to have the game on both

technology merge as the

story driven adventure.

console and PC, and at this

world advances. Players will

moment there is no specific

make their way through this

platform in mind for future

ever changing world, discover

titles. We want everyone to

new creatures, strange

17 GM: What platform are you looking to release it on and is there a release date?

be able to enjoy our game

landscapes and solve the

GM: And with the wide spectrum of development software, which are you using?

mysteries of the darkness

we’re hoping to release the

plaguing the kingdoms.

game on PS4, Xbox One and

A few key features of

Windows, but we would also

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N&K: Right now

our game include story

love to release on Nintendo

driven gameplay, quirky

platforms. As for release

Unreal Engine 4 for its raw

adventurers and the fact that

date, nothing as of yet, but

power, beautiful lighting and

no character is limited to a

we are launching a Patreon

rendering systems. We also

specific “class”. When you

at the end of the year so we

love the blueprint system, the

choose a character it will be

can dedicate all our time to

community is fantastic and

for their personality. As your

making our game world come

the support from Unreal is

character develops you will

to life.

really great.

be able to decide on their

GM: What kind of setup are you using for development?

play style, depending on how

18 GM: Lastly, if there was a game you could work on across the abundance of games available, what would it be?

N&K: We are using

N&K: We are currently using

you set up their skill tree. For example, if you decide to play as the female mage and you

an i7 desktop PC with about

don’t want to be a healer but

16 Gb RAM and a Nvidia 560

would rather throw magical

ti graphics card.

fiery potions of death or

would be between Wildstar

GM: Regarding “Don’t Believe the Tales”. Tell us a little bit about it and its key features.

summon ancient beings to

created by Carbine Studios

fight alongside you then go

or Overwatch by Blizzard.

for it.

Both games focus on making

GM: That is quite a fascinating concept, especially the whole not limited by “class” aspect of it.. So what was the inspiration behind it?

really great characters with

N&K: Our game takes place in a world still early in its development where loin cloths and fur skirts are cool and gigantic dinosaur¬like creatures could attack

N&K: We both loved

N&K: If we had to choose it

their own unique stories, plus their games just look incredible.

GM: Thank you so much for your time and I personally look forward to seeing your game continue to grow as it nears completion.

your village at any moment.

adventure games growing

Soon after you start your

up like Jak and Daxter and

journey there is a discovery

Ratchet and Clank, even

of powerful gems and ancient

now we still play games like

N&K: Awesome! Thanks

artefacts, which force the

The Last of Us and Wildstar

Nthato it was great working

world to evolve much faster.

all of which are very story

with you too. g

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developing the game for PC

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Legacy Fant GAMING

Legend of th

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Legacy: Final Fantasy

y: Final tasy

he Consoles

By Lein Baart

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here are few who can truly claim to have never heard of Final Fantasy. Almost throughout the entirety of its 28 year history the behemoth of a series has dominated the JRPG landscape, bridging geographic and cultural boundaries with ease while continually pushing the envelope of console RPGs in general. While the franchise may have (supposedly) been born of desperation, there a few series both past and present that can hope to match the influence and reach that Final Fantasy still commands to this day.

GAMING

Why was it created?

(producer of Final Fantasy XI) led a team of about twenty, which only joined the development when the game began to show promise. Sakaguchi also experienced difficulty convincing management to produce more than 200000 cartridges, which was vital to guarantee the possibility of a sequel, as well as generating interest from any other media outlet other than Famitsu.

It all came together by December 1987 though, and Final Fantasy was let loose upon the world

Why do we care?

Final Fantasy’s impact on RPGs, and console RPGs in particular, cannot be understated, both serving to cement

The inception of Final Fantasy has almost become a gaming mythos in itself. While accounts vary as to the exact circumstances, what is generally agreed upon is that 1986 was proving a tough time for both Square (now Square Enix) and series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, and had Final Fantasy fared poorly Sakaguchi would have quit the games industry to go back to university. Having been inspired by the likes of Wizardry and Ultima to create an RPG of his own, Sakaguchi had experienced difficulty in convincing Square management to take up the idea, as RPGs were at that point

its growing popularity as well as push the genre forward. Innovations such as activity-based progression systems, switchable classes and the blend of turn-based and real-time combat can all trace their roots back to Final Fantasy, and that alone would have been enough to ensure that the franchise would have been remembered.

However the cultural impact of the series extends far beyond game mechanics. Final Fantasy titles have become known for their vast, intricate and involving storylines, so much so in fact that even the mere suggestion that a game like Final Fantasy VII is overrated can see a gamer lambasted,

uncharted waters both in the Japanese market and on consoles. The release of Dragon Quest in 1986 though proved a game changer, and soon Sakaguchi was given the go ahead, despite been known as somewhat of a difficult person to work with.

Initially developed by a team comprising of only seven people, including Iranian-American Nasir Gebelli, Final Fantasy’s development was not without conflict. Sakaguchi believed that his “A-Team” was

and to this day remakes of games that should be long dead are quick to fly off the shelves. The series even had a large impact on the console wars of the latter nineties, with many attributing Sony’s rise over Nintendo as a direct consequence of franchises such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest choosing the former. Ultimately though, no matter what the fate of the series, Final Fantasy will always be remembered as a franchise that has effortlessly crossed cultural divides, and its continual status

unpopular within the company due to the fact the Hiromichi Tanaka

as a leader in JRPGs means that that it is not likely to ever be forgotten. g

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Ramjet’s rantality

amers don’t really know what it is that they want. Take, for example, the idea of gamer-girls.

Almost all gamers love the idea of girls playing games, but then they attack them in horrendous ways online, turning into a bunch of sexist douche-nozzles every chance they get. It’s almost like they like the idea of girl gamers, but seem to be oddly threatened by them. The whole Gamer Gate thing is, quite simply put, ridiculous. But I am not going to go there. Rather, I am going to take you down the twisted and often boulder-strewn path of my own mental ramblings on the matter of girl gamers. Or, more accurately, having a girl gamer in your life.

Before I carry on, I need to point out that I have a wonderful woman in my life, who is strong, supportive, kind, generous and beautiful. We have been together for a long time, and things are great. But best of all, I think, is the fact that she is not a gamer. Yep, you read that right. Unlike apparently every gamer out there, I don’t want to be in a relationship with a girl gamer. The main reason is that I don’t want to share my consoles. They’re mine. I have a friend who is in a relationship with a girl gamer, and he hardly

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ever gets to the console. He gets to watch a lot.

And then there’s the fact that she might be better at games than me. Sorry, but I am the gaming king of my domain, and I would rather avoid having that status challenged, thank you very much. Once again, my friend has shown me that this can quite likely be the case.

Whenever he and his lady play together (video games, and possibly other things to) she kicks his ass. Which gives here rights to claim more time on the console, really.

I started thinking about the concept of being in a relationship with a girl gamer, and the reason why so many guys are keen on having a relationship with a girl gamer.

And then I realised that there are also many guys not in a relationship at all. Could they be the same guys? It’s quite possible, particularly when you consider the following: getting a girlfriend takes work and time, time which the gamer likely prefers to spend gaming. So if he meets a girl gamer, they immediately have something in common, without the necessary effort on his part. She might even be able to look past the point that he is socially inept and spells like a three-year-old.

gamecca78

BY rAMJET

The Dating Game...

These guys have visions of long night spent on the couch, playfully challenging each other in bouts of gaming and then having spontaneous make-out sessions in between. He sees her playing in her lingerie. He sees her pouting and saying “oh, pooh, I can’t get past that bad boss thingie… please help me sweetheart,” and then possibly rewarding his assistance with sexual favours.

What he doesn’t see is her sitting on the couch in an old pair of track pants, hair dishevelled, mashing a controller and screaming “DIE YOU GROTESQUE SUNUVUBITCH” at the top of her lungs. But she will… because that’s what gamers (including the deluded hero if this tale) do. Take the word “girl” out of the equation, and you are left with “gamer”.

It is part of who she is, just like any guy gamer. Good for her.

A little realism goes a long way. So, if you want to date a girl gamer, be realistic: you will need to share your hardware (or set up two different gaming stations, which is not as much fun). You will probably get your ass kicked. And you will probably not have a purring sex kitten fiddling with your joystick.

Get those illusions out of the way, and you’ll do just fine. g

a Rainbow Six: Siege Bundle!

Courtesy of Megarom TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us the name of R6 Siege’s lead developer.

Insert “R6S” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com (Optional) Like Gamecca’s Facebook Page (Optional) Competition closes 31 December 2015. South African residents only.

Bundle contains Xbox One version of the game.

Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd and Megarom 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

FeatureS 138

War Zone

COLUMN 146

The Time Betwixt

Cool stuff 148 149 150 152 153 154 156 158 160

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Acer Liquid E700 Razer Nabu Sony Xperia Z5 Five Tribes: The Djinns of Naqala Thunderbirds Batman: Europa #1 Carnage #1 James Bond #1 Superman: American Alien #1

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iCombat

Zone to the next level gamecca

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No matter which way you argue the matter, sitting on a couch or at a desk while “simulating” military tactics is not very realistic at all. It can be great fun to play a firstperson shooter, but it doesn’t convey the real feeling of armed conflict.

Avinash Nair also thought so, but this intrepid video gamer decided to do something about it. A little research and a lot of hard world resulted in Black Ops Laser Tag… but this isn’t laser tag as you know it. Real guns, carefully simulated environments and a bit of a shock when you get shot all help to make Black Ops Laser Tag (which makes use of iCombat technology) the most realistic combat simulation in South Africa.

And it’s open to everyone.

Avinash took some time to answer a few questions about the how, why and what of Black Ops Laser Tag and iCombat.

GM: How did iCombat start out?

company?

AN: I started the

AN: With iCombat, I

conversations with them

tried to create the most

early on. I am very much

realistic combat simulation

into [video] gaming, but

in the world. It took me a

I am also into the fitness

number of years to find

scene. I have been a

the right equipment. I went

professional fighter, I’ve

to Australia, the UK and

boxed… but being an avid

eventually ended up in the

gamer, I would take away a

USA. The equipment is very

lot of time from my training.

high tech – it’s the stuff that

I had a conversation with

the US Army, the NYPD and

a training partner after we

LAPD use for training. It

played Army of Two for

was designed as a training

two days straight, and we

system and is still used as

wondered how cool it would

such

be to actually be running

I started the conversations

around in this kind of

with iCombat a number

situation instead of sitting

of years ago. They were

on the coach.

still called IR Tactical then.

That’s how it was born

We spoke about opening

in my head, and I started

a recreational facility but

looking for ways to get this

at the time they weren’t

thing going.

very interested. They didn’t

GM: So it’s about bringing a real edge to play-time?

want to take away from the seriousness of the brand.

But then they decided to

AN: People are constantly

pilot the recreational side of

gaming, it’s a big part of

iCombat, and they opened

people’s lives. And from

up a field.

when we were little kids,

It worked very well for

we were always playing

them and they called me

with guns – water guns or

back and said that it doesn’t

whatever – playing cops

seem to take away from the

and robbers in the house.

seriousness of the brand

At some point or another

and wanted to know if I

we have all been exposed to

wanted to still get involved.

some kind of combat game.

I did, and I started planning

I just wanted to take it to

opening the field here.

the next level.

GM: So you were instrumental in starting iCombat ass a global tactical entertainment gamecca78

I wanted people to feel what it would be like to be in a war situation, or to be a policeman, or a Navy SEAL.

iCombat

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as the real world versions.

torso and abdomen) and an

I want them to forget that

And the stress belt adds a

optional shock belt. Then

we are in Johannesburg and

nice element of realism, too;

they get on the field.

to believe that we are in a

when you get shot it hits

war zone somewhere, and

you with up to 5 000 volts.

We have around 25 different

to get that full experience:

When you’re not expecting

missions that range from

how difficult it is to be in a

it, it could cause some

things like safe cracker, in

combat situation. You may

tunnel vision; it simulates

which there are two safes

think it’s really easy, that we

getting shot, and it also

on the field (one containing

can all be SWAT officers,

makes you fearful to get

a key to the other) to things

but when you’re in our

shot. It slows the game

like domination (like in

simulation, with the sound

down and makes it more

Call of Duty), capture the

and the smoke, the gear… it

tactical.

terrorist, and all different

makes you appreciate what

At the moment this is the

We run different missions.

kinds of scenarios.

people in real situations

most realistic equipment

really go through.

on the planet. iCombat

all kinds of scenarios and

have put years into getting

situations. We even have a

the best combat experience

it to this level. It’s all

game called terminator. The

possible, and bring a first-

mad in America, good

Terminators have a higher

person shooter to life.

strong quality. And they’re

life level. We have a Judge

GM: What kind of equipment do you make use of?

constantly developing new

Dredd game, in which a guy

things. They’ve just created

comes in in the middle of a

a grenade, which we should

combat scenario and just

get by January. It simulates

starts shooting everyone.

the M16s – short barrel and

a stun or frag grenade. In

So a very wide, diverse

long barrel. They’re exactly

game terms it will either

variety of games.

the same size and weight

“kill” everyone in a room or

as thee real weapons.

disable their guns so that

the laser tag that people

They’re used for simulation

you can breach and take

might be used to. We don’t

and training purposes, so

them out.

have cheesy UV lights and

It was all about creating

AN: We have the M4s and

the realism is phenomenal.

There is constantly new

We try to put people in

And totally different from

wooden boards. It’s not just

That’s why iCombat started;

technology coming out.

running around shooting at

they were commissioned

GM: And what can players expect when they show up for a session?

each other; it’s very real.

by the US government to create an effective training method. Previously they

Our field is very realistic – in essence we built a movie set, with ideas from

were using chalk rounds in

AN: When you come

real guns, but people were

in, we brief you, tell you

advised us.

getting hurt. Then they

about the equipment that

used paintball, but it wasn’t

is to be used and give you

realistic enough. Then they

a few ground rules. And

developed this system here.

then people go and get

GM: You keep track of all players – how does that work, and what is recorded?

The weapons use the same velocity and distance

veterans and operators who

geared up with a headband

AN: In order to play, you

(for headshots) a Vest (for

have to be a member. You

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When people come in here

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software to be as close to

weekly LAN here too.

scores are recorded to your

the real things as possible.

profile. Every time you pull

GM: What does the future hold for you guys?

GM: And the details?

Price? Number of players?

the trigger, it is recorded to your profile in real time.

AN: There are a few

iCombat

have a handle and all your

AN: We recommend a

You can go online and see

exciting things happening.

minimum of six people and

all your stats: your kills per

We launched Zombies at

a maximum of around 30.

minute, your kill streak,

Halloween, and we’ll be

We have around 2 000

your kill-death ratio, your

having Zombie events

square meters of playing

accuracy, your win and

once a month – probably

area.

loss percentages and the

the last Sunday of every

missions you have played.

month. The Zombies have

the session, which is around

And you rank up… you go

headbands on, so you have

90 minutes with gearing up

from a private to a general,

to shoot them in the head.

and briefing. You’ll actively

and at each level you unlock

If they touch you, you’re

play for just over an hour.

achievements.

dead.

That’s around five to six

These achievements

All our Zombies are

R350 will get you a spot in

different missions, which

unlock new thing, like

trained actors, and they’ll

vary according to skill and

scopes and side-arms,

go out to scare you, so

group size. And we simulate

machine guns, sub machine

we can simulate what

everything, sound and

guns, sniper rifles…

it’s like to be in a Zombie

lighting, to create a realistic

GM: Do you have actual representations of the different weapons?

apocalypse.

experience.

AN: The M4 is highly

We’re having an event now called ‘Cap a Clown’… a lot of people are terrified

GM: Will there be ore facilities opening up around the country?

modifiable. So we modify

of clowns. So I think this

our long barrel M4s to be

will be the first clown-hunt

started looking at

sniper rifles, and then set it

in the country. We have a

places like Cape Town

to represent a sniper rifle on

whole lot of evil clowns who

and Durban. I have

the system. So, for example,

will invade missions.

something new planned for

you can take a shot once

We’re starting two

AN: We’ve already

Johannesburg as well, but

every five seconds, and you

leagues next year; a social

I can’t talk about that yet,

have to cock the gun after

league of twelve teams, six

but it will be a very scary

every shot. But the damage

a side running over twelve

experience.

is higher.

weeks. And we’ll also start

The smaller guns we

We’re filling a gap in the

a corporate league for

market. Paintball is getting

modify as well, and the

people who want to call

tired… this experience is

different types do different

each other out. We’ll also

new, and the first of its

damage. An M4 takes away

have a tactical league,

kind in Africa. And every

50% of your health, a sniper

but that will be tied to our

experience will be different.

rifle 100% and an SMG

police and law enforcement

30%, for example. Accuracy

training side of things.

and range can also be set.

We modify the guns and

We’re also looking at the possibility of setting up a

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Be sure to check out www.blackopslasertag. co.za for more details. g

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I

The Time Betwixt

’ve realised that I’ve generally grown rather indifferent to the whole spirit of Christmas thing.

While shitty adverts playing shitty Christmas jingles for shitty products may do their best to convince me otherwise, this is the month of rank and unabashed consumerism, not the inherent joy and nobility in giving, and incessant images of a fat bearded fairy tale is not going to change my mind. Though I wouldn’t say I’m entirely cynical with regards to the whole affair, I do enjoy the ample off-time to spend with family for instance, the naked greed that has seemingly become intrinsic to the season has begun to churn my stomach, and the whole Black Friday affair that we now seem to have imported hasn’t helped.

Gaming, of course, has for years proven to be very amicable bedfellows with this season of capitalism. November has

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as usual seen the market inundated with triple A releases, and while Fallout 4 has for all intents and purposes pounded the rest into a bloodied heap, nonetheless there remains an ungodly pile of games to get through for the next couple of months.

Which makes me ask: who in the hell is in charge of these publishers’ release schedules?

In the United States, one of the biggest markets in the industry, the median age of a gamer is now sitting at just over 30. Globally the age declines somewhat, though solid stats are hard to come by at this scale.

While pop culture and news outlets would have most people believe that gamers are stereotypically man-children still living at home with their parents, the truth is very different.

Besides an almost even split in gender (not to be dismissed casually be irrelevant for my current purposes), the

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average gamer is now a middle-aged adult working a regular job with regular hours, meaning that free time is a coveted luxury and practically non-existent should kids be thrown into the equation. Just who then are publishers hoping to sell their horde of releases to? I’m still dealing with a backlog from this year, and there is a snowball’s chance in hell that I’m going to dish out on five games at once just because they hit the shelves in time for the Christmas rush.

Surely it would make more sense to spread the launch dates into the barren wasteland that typically marks the first few months of the year, or am I just crazy? Actually, don’t bother answering, because regardless of whether I’m right or wrong you can be sure that this annual lunacy is going to repeat itself, and 2016 is going to be no different g

BY Lein Baart

Christmas Craziness...

a Plantronics RIG 500 Headset!

Courtesy of Apex Interactive TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us one of the RIG 500’s features.

Insert “RIG 500” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com (Optional) Like Gamecca’s Facebook Page (Optional)

Competition closes 31 December 2015. South African residents only.

Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd 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

Acer Liquid E700

etW g ad IE G EV R

Acer

Liquid Still ticking‌

C LIFESTYLE

onsidering that the Acer Liquid E700 is a little over a year old, it still stands up pretty well to the competition. While some of the newer handsets may be tempting, the E700 still offers a strong build and reliable service, even if it is a bit heavy.

At its core is a 1.2GHz quadcore processor and 2GB of RAM, with 16GB of internal storage (a smaller memory spec is also available). Images are provided by a somewhat underpowered 8 megapixel camera.

The E700 still holds up surprisingly well against some of the newer handsets out there, and those wanting a reliable Android handset at a reasonable price will do well to consider it. g

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Razer Nabu

etW g ad IE G EV R

Nabu Life companion

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azer make their move into the smart device peripheral space with the Nabu, a full function smart bracelet.

The stylish Nabu performs a number of functions, including message alerts (for a number of applications) fitness activity monitoring, sleep monitoring, telephone remote control and social communication with other Nabu users.

With smart bracelets still needing to really lift off, it is interesting to see razer enter the market. Their previous gaming-centric approach seems at odds with this new device, but it is a great smart bracelet none the less, complete with a fantastic six-day battery life and cylindrical vibration motor. g gamecca78

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Sony

Xperia Z5

LIFESTYLE

Xperia life!

S

ony’s Xperia range of mobile handsets and tablets is certainly coming up strong in the smart device range. With the recently released Z5, Sony once again have brought a great premium device to market.

Powered by a1.5GHz quad-core CPU, which is supported by 3GB of RAM, the Z5 offers a fast alternative for those who want an Android handset. It also offers a whopping 32GB of internal storage, and offers users a massive 23 megapixel camera.

It’s not a small phone, but it certainly does the Xperia Z legacy proud, with great performance and a rugged, durable build. Another great Xperia product! g

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Sony Xperia Z5

etW g ad IE G EV R

a Razer Mamba Mouse!

Courtesy of Razer TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us if the Mamba is Chroma enabled.

Insert “Mamba” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com (Optional) Like Gamecca’s Facebook Page (Optional)

Competition closes 31 December 2015. South African residents only.

Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd, Lime Envelope and Razer. 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

E YL W T ES IE lIF EV R

LIFESTYLE

T

OnBo

Five Tribes: The Djinns of Naqala

he old Sultan is dead, and the citystate of Naqala is up for grabs.

Prophecies foretold of strangers who would manoeuvre the tribes of Assassins, Builders, Elders, Merchants and Viziers, and who would summon the ancient and powerful Djinns in order to gain control of the Sultanate.

Five Tribes is, in some ways, typical of the German style of gaming, even so far as using wooden “meeple” token to mark the placements of workers. But unlike most Germanstyle games, this title manages to move away from the idea of dominating the board by placing workers. Moving them away from tiles can be just as important to gain victory. Rather than just placing, the player will also need to displace and move workers effectively in order

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to win.

It’s fairly easy to learn, but Five Tribes: The Djinns of Naqala is not an easy game to master.

It can take two to four players as long as 80 minutes to get through a game, which implies the protracted strategies and long running goals that players can set up for themselves.

Five Tribes, then, is something of an evolution of the kind of games we see published by Days of Wonder. It requires a more finessed approach, and can be much more demanding on the player in terms of required strategy and forward planning.

That makes it a relative breath of fresh air, and a quietly exciting title. Watching your plots come to fruition has all kinds of rewards in this well balanced and beautifully presented game.g

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I

COOL STUFF

oard

Thunderbirds

f you remember the Thunderbirds TV show, you may well be older than you like to admit. The TV show, using marionettes and animation, told the tale of the super-wealthy Tracy family, who use their money and technological know-how to philanthropically save the world time and again. And that’s what this game, released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the hit show, is all about.

It’s all ‘60s sci-fi and nefarious plots in this game, which is one of the few co-operative board games around. These games are great, because they get players thinking in a very different way, all the while trying to beat the clock and stave of random events. It’s a strategy game of sorts, but it requires a different kind of approach. And it comes with bucket loads of Thunderbirds cheesy goodness.

With events from the show and other approved content it is a fun and exciting game. What really stands out, though, is the fantastic presentation that always seems to happen in co-op games (Shadows over Camelot is another example). There are brilliant models of the iconic thunderbirds “high-tech” vehicles, as well as a host of other beautifully produced elements, including a great game board, brilliant cards and more.

Thunderbirds is an exciting and extremely amusing game that rewards co-operation well.

Doing battle against The Hood is awesome fun in this title, which is for one to four players, with each game session lasting around an hour. A unique approach to a fun concept, the Thunderbirds is a great investment.g

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Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher: Rated:

Batman: Europa #1 Casali / Azzarello Jim Lee DC Comics Teen +

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by Clive Burmeister

Some of the biggest names in DC Comics team up to bring the new mini-series, Batman Europa, to life. When Batman discovers that both he and his computer system have been infected by a deadly bio-engineered virus, and he only has one week to live, he is forced into an urgent race against the clock to solve the mystery of what the virus and cure are, and who is behind it. The first leg of the mystery takes Batman to Berlin, the location of the origin of the computer virus.

And that’s when the whole situation takes a turn for the worse.

Brian Azzarello’s involvement in the story is obvious, with a well pieced together mystery and fast paced sequences that unravel it; and Jim Lee’s art... Well it’s Jim Lee. ‘Nuff said.

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COOL STUFF

GET GRAPHIC

LIFESTYLE

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Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher: Rated:

Carnage #1 Gerry Conway Mike Perkins Marvel Comics Teen +

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by Clive Burmeister

When the American military come up with a scheme to lure the psychopathic killer, Cletus Kasady, who is bonded with the Carnage symbiote, out of hiding and into a trap where they can capture him, things take a turn for the worse. Not only does carnage take down their team of operatives, but now they have to follow him down into the depths of the earth through some old mining tunnels. What could go wrong?

Just as Spider-Man’s villain, Venom, gained so much popularity to have string of his own series, so too has Venom’s offspring Carnage captured the imagination of fans and has also starred in a few of his own series. With Conway behind the wheel this latest instalment, the Carnage comic looks to gain enough substance to its story to match the grit.

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COOL STUFF

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Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher: Rated:

James Bond #1 Warren Ellis Jason Masters Dynamite Mature

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by Clive Burmeister

Some would say that a James Bond comic has been a long time coming, with various other book and movie spy characters making a comeback through comics, not to mention a few great new ones. But the really good thing about there finally being a James Bond comic is the way that Dynamite have gone about it. Warren Ellis is arguably one of the best writers in comics today, and he is a well researched and astute writer at that. So when he says he wants to keep it true to Ian Fleming’s original vision, he’s probably the best guy for the job. This is a good comic, whether you’re a Bond fan or not, expertly written, amazingly illustrated (by a South African artist, to boot!) and all tied together with only one major flaw – you need to wait a month for the next issue.

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COOL STUFF

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Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher: Rated:

Superman: American Alien #1 Max Landis Nick Dragotta DC Comics Teen +

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by Clive Burmeister

Superman: American Alien takes a new look at the Superman origin story, or rather, his first steps. The surprising and truly refreshing thing about this comic, however, is the honest and somewhat obvious point of view which the book illustrates, namely, what it is like growing up as this larger than life super powered being, among regular humans, in a hick town in the middle of nowhere. And what it is like for those humans. This is the kind of situational drama of Kirkman’s Invincible, merged with Morrison’s clean cut and innocent idea of Superman. It’s really quite surprising that no-one has thought of doing this comic before, but it may be for the best, as Landis and Dragotta really bring this re-imagining to life in a way that most artistic teams would struggle to match.

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Last word

have been in this industry for over six years now and I must admit that I have mixed feelings about this passing year. I guess that’s normal when so much change has been obvious, in all avenues within our industry. Truthfully, I believe that most of us who live behind the scenes in the world of Gaming and Technology are just simply tired and could use a long break.

The structure of this industry is unfolding and manifesting into a whole new beast… I guess it was bound to happen; it is a form of evolution. Every particle of this “beast” is interlinked; if one thing changes, it is bound to start a ripple effect through every other aspect.

This year we lost a prominent gaming magazine in the form of NAG, which sent a little panic through most collectors. One or two publications, with great potential, had started out with a big bang and then sizzled out. With this, it seems that new fanboys have taken the

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place of legitimate game journalists… an obvious trend that seemed to take over the Press Lounge at rAge this year.

Additionally, it doesn’t help that the country’s economy has made it difficult to be a gamer. For the first time in history games are costing R1000 in South Africa. Distributors are pulling their hair out trying to maintain a balance, especially when you consider that many gamers are now opting to buying their games online for a lot cheaper, cutting out local distributors completely.

With Gamergate hitting fever-pitch with sexism and aggression, thinly veiled behind “fighting for what is right”, through to developers and prominent speakers getting death threats, gaming has taken on dark undertones. This scattered cycle seems to breed a new generation of aggressive gamers that have launched themselves into the place of those who once knew what it was like to simply have fun.

On the upside of this

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BY Katia Taliadoros

2015...

evolution, we are now seeing an influx of indie games being supported by the community through crowd funding, social media and accessible software.

What is great about these indie games is that they are motivated and inspired by the passion and creativity of the gamer, as opposed to the all mighty dollar chased by mainstream publishers.

For those who don’t really care too much about the politics, 2015 can be remembered for The Witcher 3, Assassins Creed: Syndicate, Dying Light, Mortal KombatX and let’s not forget Fallout4.

It has been an interesting year indeed, watching how the psychology of this industry has touched on the sociopathic elements of its nature, while at the same time trying to find its core creative and passionate roots.

On that note, it’s time for me to sign off and wish you all a happy festive season.

Wherever you are in the world, always be safe. 2016, let’s see what you have instore for us. g