Gamecca Magazine December 2016

Entry Level

MSI’s GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Gaming X

Watch_Dogs 2 Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Dishonored 2 and more...

Cute Overdose World of Final Fantasy

Road Trip

Hit Z Road Reviewed

Usurper Dishonored 2

Hacked!

Zero G Watch_Dogs 2 Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

Wild Side Taming Trico in The Last Guardian

ISSUE 90 / Vol.8 December 2016

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Gamecca Magazine: © Copyright Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd. (2009 – 2016)

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hey say that as you get older, time seems to accelerate. Well, I don’t know how much faster it can get… 2016 blasted by like a bullet train. It feels like I was wishing all of our readers a happy new year last week, really, and yet here we are, all getting ready for the well-deserved Festive Season break.

And what a year it has been. There have been some tremendous highs and lows in 2016, with events that have literally changed the face of video gaming. Well, one, at least… the much maligned and still-talkedabout No Man’s Sky debacle.

The release of Hello Games’ highly anticipated space exploration game was probably one of the biggest let-downs in modern video gaming history. In fact, even after 20 years working in the industry, I cannot recall any other time when a game got the reactions that No Man’s Sky did. Almost every aspect of the game’s release has been criticised and brought under fire – including the role that the press had to play in the whole affair.

The rise of web site journalism changed things massively in almost every arena, but particularly in video gaming. Websites compete with each other for views, because the number of people that visit their sites quite literally translate into the amount of money that they make.

While there are many out there that accuse websites of “selling” editorial, exchanging favourable reviews for cash or other benefits, the practice is actually relatively rare. Instead, websites and other publications need to make use of other tactics to draw readers, the number of which makes selling advertising possible.

The first tactic is being first; first

From the Editor

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ViciousCycle

by Walt Pretorius

with news, first with reviews, and so forth. Almost everything is a rushed race for attention. The result is that, fairly often, things get published before the facts are all available.

Reviews, for example, should not be rushed, because they require time to be fair and honest… but that doesn’t stop it from happening.

The second tactic is hype. Gamers are passionate, and they want to know everything they can about upcoming games right now. And so hype is easy to build, and an effective way to get readers.

The third happens when the combination of the first two goes sour: outrage. And the more outraged the article, the more people seem to be attracted to it. So, in the case of No Man’s Sky, a huge number of people jumped on the hype-train, proclaiming how great the game was, pushing people towards it with tons of enthusiasm. And then, when the game didn’t deliver, those same people jumped on the very next band wagon, which was heavily criticising the game and its creators… it seems, almost, so that people might forget how much they hyped it. Just as long as they get the readers in.

The press are people too, and they make mistakes. But there would be fewer issues with a more thoughtful, moderate approach. The accuracy of the information is more important than the speed at which it is delivered.

OK, enough with the serious stuff… it’s December, which means many readers will have time to catch up on all that gaming they didn’t get to through the year. And so, with that said, I would like to, on behalf of the Gamecca Crew and myself, wish all our readers a happy and peaceful festive Season, crammed with tons of gaming.g mgeect 2 c7a 9 0 ggl a ad

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THIS MONTH’S COVER

A boy and his beast find adventure in The Last Guardian

Publishing Editor Walt Pretorius walt@novamentis.co.za

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Feature: Taming Trico A boy and a beast in The Last Guardian

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Previews: Games 11 games on the way!

Art Director Katia Taliadoros katia@novamentis.co.za

Writers: Alex Scanlon Clive Burmeister Iwan Pienaar Lein Baart Noelle Adams Nthato Morakabi Rob Edwards Sibonisile Motha Suvesh Arumugam Walt Pretorius

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Reviews: Games 11 games under the microscope

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Regular: IndieView a SuperGiant passion!

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Regular: Legacy Dungeon crawling delight

Letters: letters@gameccamag.com

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Copyright Š Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd 2009 - 2015

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Taking fun seriously!

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

GAMECCA is published by Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd

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reviews: Hardware 4 Hardware items analysed

Regular: Internet Blowing the whistle isn’t easy

Regular: Living Digital Doing your part for Cyber crime

COOL STUFF: Movies Where did those Death Star plans come from?

COOL STUFF: Board Games 3 table top champions...

COOL STUFF: RPGs Some supplemental brilliance

COOL STUFF: Comics More books with pictures

COOL STUFF: Books Good reads for the holidays

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Watch_Dogs 2

“On the whole, Watch_Dogs 2 shows a great improvement on the original, and shows that Ubisoft are working hard at improving their open-world game approach overall.�

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Features Taming Trico

PReviews Mass Effect Andromeda Splasher Battle Chasers: Nightwar Halo Wars 2 Ghost Recon: Wildlands Yakuza 0 Berserk and the Band of the Hawk Horizon: Zero Dawn Sniper Elite 4 Gravity Rush 2 Days of War

Reviews 46 52 58 62 68 72 74 78 80 82 83

Watch_Dogs 2 Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection Dishonored 2 World of Final Fantasy Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 Darksiders: Warmastered Edition Just Dance 17 Super Dungeon Bros Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture The Deadly Tower of Monsters

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The Last Guardian

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By: Lein Baart

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in which gamers were tasked to both protect and guide Yorda through the environment. While a game-spanning escort mission might sound tedious, Ico rebounded with small details that could but only charm players, such as Ico and Yorda running hand in hand or save points that saw the two rest on each other’s shoulders. The development team, led

by Fumito Ueda, follow a philosophy they termed “subtracting design”, in which all extraneous elements that did not contribute directly to the gameplay or plot where removed. This pared the experience down to something unique and moving, a “boy meets girl” tale in which the entire focus was on the relationship between Ico and Yorda and their struggles to overcome adversity together, and the emotional bonds it forged between the characters and the player was unparalleled at the time. While the game did not sell particularly well it was lauded by almost everyone who ran across it, and it wasn’t long before Sony announced a follow up.

This proved to be Shadow of the Colossus, a title which received a far greater marketing budget than its predecessor, and thus was far more of a success in terms of sales. Generally regarded as a prequel

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The Last Guardian

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istory has taught us to beware of games trapped in development hell.

From Daikatana to Duke Nukem Forever, the history of gaming has shown that more often than not these are titles that seldom live up to expectations.

Thus it’s not without good reason that there a fair few older gamers that are approaching The Last Guardian with cautious enthusiasm. Yet to even understand why a new release that has been in development for over eight years has garnered so much attention, it’s necessary to look to a time when gaming had only just begun to reach mainstream public appeal, and the effect that Team Ico had on the industry in general.

When Ico launched in 2001 it was too little fanfare and even less awareness. Set around the adventures of the eponymous Ico and Yorda, the game related the story of how Ico, having been locked in a sarcophagus in a deserted castle by the men of his village due to the horns on his head, escapes and stumbles upon the mysterious girl Yorda, herself plagued by shadowy creatures.

What followed was an endearing tale of their escape, played predominantly as a puzzle platformer,

to Ico, this time the plot revolved around a man named Wander and his attempts to resurrect his love Mono by quite literally striking a deal with a devil. Thus players were tasked with killing sixteen colossi scattered across a secluded land, with each requiring a different tactic, and most involving an element of platforming as you scrambled up their gargantuan husks to reach a weak point.

Once again drawing upon subtractive design, Shadow of the Colossus was utterly unlike almost anything that had come before, and was perhaps most notable for the sense of isolation it created.

There were no other fights to be had other than your battles against the colossi, and the landscape you roamed on your horse Agro was entirely devoid of human life.

Indeed the relationship between Wander and Agro was central to the game, and to this end Team Ico strove to create a realistic representation of a horse’s behaviour, including moments where Agro would ignore commands.

Coupled with excellent audio and visuals, Shadows of the Colossus, like Ico before it, was the epitome of the idea of games as art, and for years both remained untouched with regards to the emotional

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reactions it could elicit from players.

Eight years is an age in gaming however, and with The Last Guardian having been delayed continually, partly due to Sony feeling that the PS3 was not powerful enough to fulfil the game’s potential and partly because Ueda left to form his own studio (though he has remained in charge of development), the face of the industry is very different to what it was when Shadow of the Colossus first released. However fans of Ueda’s past works can be confident that The Last Guardian has remained true to its original concept, and at this point certainly appears to evoke the same elements that made them standouts in history.

Using flashbacks as narrative device, the game will tell the story of an unnamed boy, who after being kidnapped and taken to a derelict castle, stumbles upon a giant bird-mammal hybrid called Trico with whom he must escape. While it appears to be a rather simple plot at first glance, the beauty of Ueda’s efforts have always lain in the journey rather than in complicated stories, and it certainly seems that The Last Guardian will follow in its predecessors footsteps. As such players can expect many familiar thematic

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elements to be present, including the use of fictional languages and an emphasis on the interactions between characters.

It’s this interaction between Trico and the boy that will lie the heart of the game, both in terms of narrative and gameplay. While footage has showed that Trico will genuinely come to care for the boy, he is nonetheless a wild animal, and as such the puzzle platforming that will form the core of the experience will be as much about coercing Trico as it is about navigating the environment.

Though Ueda has stated that over time he will become easier to control, it will require a very fine balance between realistic behaviour and gameplay in order to avoid irritation for players.

As far as aesthetics go it appears that delay has done The Last Guardian wonders, and in particular Trico should look stunning, especially when compared to the boy who seems oddly cartoonish when viewed together. Even from limited gameplay footage it is abundantly clear that Trico will capture the hearts of players, with a huge array of expressions, from quizzical looks to whimpering when separated from the

boy, that will bring the animal to life with astounding realism.

Some publications have raised concerns regarding the controls and camera, though it can be hoped that the delay in the release date will give the studios behind the game time to iron these issues out.

In the time that The Last Guardian has been in development we have seen the gaming industry grow rapidly, and with it has come a maturity in the nature of the stories we have been presented. The path that Team Ico blazed on the PS2 has been followed by the likes of Bastion and Journey, and as such now more than ever there is a realisation that games can be far more than mere adrenaline-fueled affairs. The success of The Last Guardian will lie in the attachment it can build between the player, the boy and Trico, and whether it will be strong enough to overcome any artefacts of a development cycle that has skipped an entire console generation.

There is little doubt however that Ueda and his studio genDESIGN have created something compelling, and while I am the first to caution against reliance on trailers, it is already evident that this should be a game that will have players enthralled. g

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Mass Effect An GAMING

New Horizons

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Mass Effect Andromeda

by Lein Baart

ndromeda

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while others instead opted to create a world in which all possible outcomes occurred, Mass Effect Andromeda is wiping the slate clean, rendering your past decisions entirely irrelevant. It’s a somewhat risky choice on the part of Bioware, though there are good reasons behind the move.

Set roughly 600 years after the events of the trilogy, Andromeda will have players awaken from cryo-sleep in an entirely new galaxy. The journey, which began during ME 2, is an attempt by several species including humanity to colonise the Andromeda galaxy, and the player’s character will act as a pathfinder for mankind, an operative whose role is to discover a new homeworld.

Andromeda, like the Mass Effect games before it,

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ass Effect is perhaps best known for the amount of choice it gave to players.

Beyond the excellent plot, memorable characters and competent gameplay, it was the persistence of the consequences of your actions that really made it one of the standout franchises of the last generation. Despite each game in the trilogy tending towards a linear path at the end, even subtle decisions from the original had repercussions far down the line, and it made each person’s time spent playing as Shepard a unique experience. The trouble however comes when trying to write a follow up to a series that contained so many permutations. While some studios have chosen to stick to the most popular ending,

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Mass Effect Andromeda

will allow players to select between a female or male protagonist, the twin children of N7 soldier Alec Ryder, though this will mark the first time that both characters will exist simultaneously in the world.

The change in setting has several benefits, both for returning fans as well as newcomers. In an interview with Game Informer creative director Mac Walters stated the intention was to recreate the sense of exploration and wonder found in the original whilst staying true to the feel of the series. The shift also allows for the new protagonist to experience a growth into the role of a hero that was absent in Shepard’s story, as he/she began as an already decorated veteran. Lastly it opens up Mass Effect’s world to

the introduction of new elements, such as additional species, of which we know of at least one.

Mechanically expect Andromeda to stick pretty close to the gameplay used by its forbearers, though apparently rather than predefined classes the game will allow players to spend experience on any skill. There does appear to be an emphasis on open environments however, with a host of planets being explorable through the use of the Mako vehicle, this timed called the Nomad, along with a jetpack to navigate environments.

Dialogue has always played a pivotal role in Bioware games, and to this end expect the return of the dialogue wheel, though it appears the studio has toned down the morality system in favour of more nuanced responses. g

AT A GLANCE Action RPG

Bioware are known as a studio that consistent produces great games, and there’s little reason to suspect Andromeda will prove the exception Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Bioware Electronic Arts Prima Interactive

Q1 2017

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Indie Dev The Sidekicks Online

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It’s not vandalism, it’s heroism PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

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AT A GLANCE 2D platformer

A platformer with humour and fun that is sure to be a breath of fresh air for puzzle lovers.

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by Sibonisile Motha

Splasher

plasher is the upcoming indie game from Romain Claude – a guy you can pretty much trust when it comes to creating games that you will enjoy because he has personally had a hand in the development of big gaming titles from Ubisoft.

This venture is in the form of a 2D platformer that will see you take on the role of a cool guy who is out to rescue his fellow colleagues in the very evil Inkorp factory. You will be armed with a paint cannon. The different paint colours have the ability to help you do certain things.

For example you can stick to walls with the one paint and jump with the other. Your use of the paints will have to be thought through in order for you to make it out alive and get your companions out too. As is when it comes to levels, there will be an increased difficulty as well more people to rescue on the way. Throughout the factory are traps that are in their own way quite humourous as well as challenging. You can survive having made it through a trap of saw blades only to get your ass handed to you by a chubby pig-looking creature. Oh, and the nice feature of dying (which will happen a few times, trust me on this), your blood is green.

This game has a lot of unique and quirky elements that add to its character and possible enjoyment.

The game utilizes simple visuals that are an essential practicality when it comes to creating the atmosphere of the setting as well as keeping a nice focus on the paint splashing everywhere. It is a canvas. g

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Battle Chasers: Nightwar

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Battle Chasers: Nightwar Survive the Grey Line

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Airship Syndicate THQ Nordic Apex Interactive

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RPG style games and based on the comic book series of the same name, created by Joe Madureira. A Kickstarter initiative from Airship Syndicate, the team consists of Joe Madureira and the founding members of Vigil Games, creators of Darksiders and Darksiders II. The story and setting takes place on an arcane-punk world, where technology and magic meet. The heroes of Battle Chasrers are Gully, a nine-year-old girl with a pair of magical gloves, Knolan, a powerful wizard who travels with Calibretto, a war golem, Garrison, a legendary swordsman and drunk, and Red Monika, a wanted fugitive with a

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

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murky history.

Each hero has a unique set of Dungeon Skills, from restoring health, to illuminating dark areas for secrets, to pickpocketing the enemy for more loot.

Players will have to select three heroes, fill a backpack with items, select the best weapons and abilities, then explore the dungeons.

With action-orientated, randomly generated dungeons, traps, puzzles, hidden secrets, and even 2D animated story elements from Powerhouse Animation Studios, Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a nostalgic classic with beautiful JRPG elements. g

AT A GLANCE RPG

Battle. Explore. Craft. Survive.

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by Nthato Morakabi

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n impenetrable wall of mist towers from the ocean crest to the dark sky above, hovering over the West Waters from the North to the South. This wall is known as The Grey Line. Aramus, a great hero, felt a calling from the Grey Line and embarked on a journey through it despite the dangers – and has never returned. Now, his daughter Gully and a band of unlikely adventurers, journey into the mist to find out what happened to Aramus‌ and what lies beyond the Grey Line.

Battle Chasers is a turn-based dungeon crawler inspired by Japanese

E M W A VIE G E R P

Halo Wars 2 GAMING

Know your enemy

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Halo Wars 2

by Sibonisile Motha

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(the captain and crew drifted into space whilst being a cryogenic sleep). The crew and captain awaken only to find that the major war that was being fought previously is now over. With them having taken the nap of the year, they have no idea how the war ended.

Another big thing that needs to be solved and seen is the current state of the world. Their only seeming tie to the answers they may seek lies in the emergency signal that has come from the Ark below. The team also meets Isabel, a logistics AI. Isabel herself is a unique AI as she is not one with a military role, and she is also an emotional wreck after having witnessed the loss of her team members. She wants her own retribution.

This is an element that the developing team is proud of

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s real-time strategy games continue to grow, evolve and keep people in a whoknows-what-year-it-is-in-the-real-world state, successful developers continue to create more titles to excite players globally. With this next instalment, Halo Wars 2 is taking what fans have come to know and love about its predecessor, and hopefully making it better with new ideas. To effectively create a good RTS game, 343 Industries teamed up with Creative Assembly for their RTS expertise.

Enabling the transition into implementing new elements into the game is the storyline. Halo Wars 2 is set 28 years after the events of the first game

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Halo Wars 2

in creating a new AI that is as unique as is special. On the other side, there lies a new enemy in the form of a faction called The Banished. This faction is a breakaway group from the old enemy Covenant led by Atriox.

He is a special kind of warlord Brute. He is not only the strongest brute, but he is also highly intelligent.

His ability to out strength, out combat and outthink his enemies makes him a very formidable foe to look forward to.

Both these factions are playable. The main campaign is said to contain thirteen missions that will also be able to support cooperative gameplay. And in true Halo style, there are various multiplayer modes to choose from. The online player mode supports up to six players.

There is Deathmatch mode where it is basically a fight until only one player remains. Domination mode are more focused on controlling bases on the map.

Deathmatch and Domination were the modes available for play during the beta. There are also modes called Skirmish and Blitz.

Art direction was something that was also worked on intensely. Players that choose to play as The Banished faction will notice that the visuals will be greatly contrasting the UNSC and will also be a true reflection of Atriox’s species.

The ambitions and improvements that 343 Industries aims to put into Halo Wars 2 hopefully won’t be a case of if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. g

AT A GLANCE Real-time strategy

Xbox patriots will have another reason to stay occupied with this title.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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343 Industries, Creative Assembly Microsoft Studios Microsoft

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Ghost Recon: W GAMING

Ghosts in the wild

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Ghost Recon: WIldlands

by Nthato Morakabi

WIldlands

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in the series delivers a unique exploration of this successful series.

Ghost Recon: Wildlands takes a giant leap in a new direction, introducing open world exploration to the tactics of the game. No longer bound to explicit directives as a particular U.S Army Special Forces soldier forming the Ghosts, Wildlands is set to allow players the freedom of not only creating their own characters, but defining their own objectives in order to accomplish the overall goal.

The gist of the campaign focusses on three main “bad guys” who run the Santa Blanca Cartel. Players are tasked with dismantling the Cartel by any means necessary. The antagonists come in the form of El Sueño, the brilliant tattooed leader of the Santa Blanca Cartel who is as brutal

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or eighteen long years, Tom Clancy graced gamers across all platforms with its definitive exploration of strategy shooters in simulated real-world situations, for PC, Xbox, Playstation and a couple of handhelds. The military tactical shooter from Ubisoft, Ghost Recon, has seen a number of iterations since it’s conception in 2001. Moving across time lines, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon has dealt with classic contemporary issues such as rescuing the president from rebels, to future “what if” militia operations using advanced near-future military technology. Throughout its history, Ghost Recon has continued to provide unique strategy based gameplay for players looking to do more than just run Rambo on enemies, and this latest chapter

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Ghost Recon: WIldlands

as he is religious and manipulative. The beautiful Nidia Flores who runs the trafficking operations, and El Cardenal, preacher and public image of the Cartel, who uses religion and education to influence civilians towards the Cartel.

While previous Ghost Recon titles had some form of character customization, Wildlands takes it to a whole new level for the series. How the character looks is all up to you. Customizing will include gender, facial features, hairstyle, tattoos and more. Select the clothing and accessories your character wears from civilian attire to full tactical gear, with the ability to tweak every piece of the outfit. Ubisoft promises billions of combinations for a truly personalized look.

As usual, players can select the type of operative they

want to be and the gear they want to use. With access to the latest military technology, a wide selection of weapons and tools will be at player’s disposal, catering for varying playstyles to be used for completing the job. From longrange rifles and silenced handguns for stealth operations, to assault rifles and shotguns for a more direct approach.

Each weapon has the option of being fully customized, from attachments defining the attributes of weapons, to magazines, optics, stocks and a number of attributes to affect the damage, penetration, rate of fire, range, accuracy, handling, and other aspects of the weapon.

Ghost Recon Wildlands puts the power right into your hands for a truly strategic experience. Are you ready to take down the Santa Blanca Cartel? g

AT A GLANCE Tactical Shooter

Create your player, customize your loadout, plan your strategy, and make your way into Bolivia to take down the Santa Blanca Cartel.

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Ubisoft Ubisoft Megarom

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Yakuza 0

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Yakuza 0 Disco brawl

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by Lein Baart

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o one can ever accuse the Yakuza series of straying from the beaten path. While it has evolved since the first game debuted in 2005 at its heart it has always relied on a trusted set of core mechanics and its own unique style. It’s therefore comes as no surprise that Yakuza 0, the latest entry to be localised for Western markets, will contain everything that fans have come to know and love, though it won’t be completely bereft of new additions to the formula.

A prequel to the original title, Yakuza 0 will be taking the franchise back three decades, thrusting players in to the hedonistic days of ‘80s Japan. Meant to relate the origins of both the series’ primary protagonist Kazuma Kiryu as well as fan favourite Goro Majima, the game will follow Yakuza’s now traditional story-telling method of multiple interconnected plots, and will once again be set in the fictional districts of Kamurocho and Sotenbori.

The biggest changes Yakuza 0 will lie in the fighting and levelling systems. While at its core combat will be familiar to returning fans, both protagonists will have access to three distinct styles which can be switched on the fly, hopefully alleviating past criticisms that fighting tended to become repetitive. Yakuza 0 will also be dropping its normal XP mechanics in favour of upgrades being purchased through cash, with players been given a variety of options to generate income, from random brawls to the management of real estate and cabarets. For those looking for a classic experience however fear not, as the game features all of the usual staples, including a ton of mini-games and its eclectic blend of sombre cutscenes interspersed with wacky gameplay. g

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AT A GLANCE Action Adventure

Despite the overhaul in setting, fans can still expect Yakuza 0 to contain everything they know and love

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Omega Force Koei Tecmo TBC

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Rage overcomes fear

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AT A GLANCE Action RPG

A game adapted from the deep story of this manga may be the anime fantasy fulfilled or a dreadful attempt at a fool-proof recipe.

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by Sibonisile Motha

Berserk & the Band of the Hawk

erserk and the Band of the Hawk is a game based on the highly acclaimed and very dramatic manga called Berserk. The games itself is a marriage between the story of Berserk and the hack and slash gameplay of Dynasty Warriors (Koei Tecmo’s series).

The story of Berserk follows the story of Guts and his rather painful journey as a fighter who ultimately crosses paths with Griffith, the leader of the Band of the Hawk (a group of mercenaries who fight to bring an end to a 100 year long war in the land).

A lost duel results in Guts becoming a member of the group. Along the way he continues to become a great fighter and leader of the raid unit. Griffith however has his own plans in mind – ruling his own kingdom – one way or another. This sparks a grim chain of events that lead to Guts having to come face-toface with demons at almost every turn. The manga has been around since 1989 so it is undoubtedly rich with content for a great storyline to the game.

Hack and slash gameplay was the best genre to go for a game with a setting as dark as Berserk. Guts conveniently has a great hack and slash weapon, a generously sized sword. He will also be able to play with crossbows and some firepower.

The world of Berserk is set in medieval like European city. Expect to see knightly armour and chariots. In the spirit realm, you can most definitely expect to see some not-so-good-looking demons and tough as nails bosses to defeat. A failure to execute a game with this much potential would be an epic fail indeed. g

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Horizon: Zero Da GAMING

A brave new world

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by Sibonisile Motha

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for players. It was not to be as simple as the very straightforward levels in a title like Killzone, but this would have to be one where it was as brave as it was authentic. When it comes to the open world, the most noticeable aspect is the many environments that are within the gameplay. You will encounter jungles, deserts, snowy mountain peaks and the very special ancient ruins. Environments true to their natures. To achieve this, a full daynight cycle has been done and as well as a dynamic weather features. This will enhance your gameplay as you explore the vast world around you. Being in a desert, you would not only be getting a harshlooking environment, but the conditions that go with

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n an ever growing world of games being developed and released, it is always refreshing to come across developers that are willing to take risks in doing what other would call out of their depth. Guerrilla Games, known for their highly successful title, Killzone, has taken a bold step in developing and creating a role-playing game for the first time. Horizon: New Dawn was not only just a bold move but a calculated one.

Guerrilla Games took their sweet time in crafting an RPG world that was to be played out like an action game as well. The challenge faced in their almost five year development of this game, was the dynamics that involved creating an open world

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it. This can include sand storms that would result in your decreased visibility and thus making your gameplay all the more challenging to get through.

You can only hope that the sand storm doesn’t catch you as you are fighting for your life. You can expect unique challenges in the various ecosystems.

Now an RPG is more than just the open world, it is the story. Here you will be assuming the role of Aloy, a fierce and fiery-spirited woman who is on a mission to discover the rest of the world she has been kept from seeing. She is not only more than capable, but her story of exploration will lead her on a quest that may alter all that she knew about herself, her origins and the world itself. At

her disposal are melee and ranged weapons. Her skills in combat and hunting come in highly useful in a world that is not only overrun, but ruled by machines. There is an elegant contrast to this setting. Man in an almost prehistoric survival mode surrounded by machines and even using the machines for their own survival. These machines that are also animal-like are all different in their abilities and personality. You can hunt them for the loot that they possess, or hack them to become your companion or ride. You can play this our way.

The sweet irony of Aloy’s brave story almost being a representation of Guerrilla’s very own brave move in creating this game. g

AT A GLANCE Action

A captivating and visually stunning openstorytelling-world to explore.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Sniper Elite 4 GAMING

Next-Gen World War Two elite snipin

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Sniper Elite 4

by Nthato Morakabi

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difference. Players take on the unique role of an elite marksman, using stealth to infiltrate and take down enemies. The 2012 rendition Sniper Elite V2, introduced a feature that would define the remaining Sniper Elite titles in the form of the X-Ray Kill Cam. The X-Ray Kill Cam is activated when players execute a successful skilled shot, following the trajectory of the bullet towards an enemy and giving a visceral, anatomically correct x-ray of the bullet at its point of entry. The result is a beautiful in-depth view of bone and organs exploding as the bullet strikes the target. Sniper Elite 4 has seen the system expanded to include stealth, melee, and shrapnel kills as part of the X-Ray Kill Cam, allowing players to witness a blade penetrate the heart, shrapnel blow a

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orld War II. A global battle involving over 100 million people from over 30 countries.

Karl Fairburne is but a single covert agent and elite marksman, an Office of Strategic Services (OSS) agent on a solo mission that requires both strategy and stealth. Following his success in Libya and Tunisia, his exploits take him to Italy for yet another daunting mission; assist the brave men and women who have formed the Italian Resistance in an attempt to free the country from the Fascists. Failure will lead to massive repercussions for the Allies in Europe – no Operation Overlord, no D-Day bombings and no V Day in Europe.

Sniper Elite is a third-person shooter with a

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body apart, and a punch to the face break the jaw in stunning detail.

Sniper Elite 4 explores the beautiful Italian peninsula in a recreation of its 1943 form, encompassing the sunny Mediterranean coastal towns, Monte Casino inspired expansive forests and disorientating mountain monasteries, to the colossal Nazi megastructures. The team at Rebellion have promised the largest and most diverse environments ever seen in a Sniper Elite game.

The usual Sniper Elite mechanics will still feature in the SE4 with players equipped with binoculars to pick out enemies. The new feature will give insight on the weapons they carry as well as a information about the character. Enemy AI has also seen major improvement,

making them more aware of their comrades and moving around frequently. The Officer is an enemy rank that will affect how AI will react to situations; killing an Officer early can cause his soldiers to flee while killing him last will result in enemies more dogged in trying to find you.

Killing someone will also result in the remaining enemies actively looking for their fallen comrade, creating opportunities to use the dead bodies as boobytraps.

SE4 will feature more melee attacks, an array of takedowns, ledge grabs for secondary kill mechanics and night missions for greater stealth tactics, letting you take lights out to remain hidden. Sniper Elite 4 builds up its repertoire for a more immersive experience, running in native 1080p on both Playstation 4 and Xbox One. g

AT A GLANCE Tactical Shooter

Karl Fairburne’s mission is not yet complete, now tasked with assisting the Italian Resistance force in their fight against the Fascists during World War II. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Rebellion Developments Rebellion Developments Apex Interactive

Feb 2017

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Gravity Rush 2

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Gravity Rush 2

Defy and dance with gravity

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interactions.

With controlling Kat, you can choose different styles of gameplay with controlling Kat’s gravity abilities. 2 new styles have been added to the gameplay. You can use Lunar, this is where Kat will be lighter an able to jump to much higher altitudes and also increase her speed. Jupiter will make Kat heavier and thus giving her attacks way more impact. Players will be able to simply switch between the modes accordingly to suit them in that particular moment. The original gravity control style from

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the previous game is also still in the game for players that have played the game before.

Enemies are still an inevitable part of the game, but Kat will still have the help of Raven, an ally from Gravity Rush. Raven will only be available in certain battles and will be an AI controlled character in the game. Players will also come to discover Kat’s mysterious origins in the story. It is said to have approximately 40 hours’ worth of gameplay. More hours in a game are always a good thing when the game is done right. g

AT A GLANCE

GENRE

Action RPG, Action adventure

A beautiful tale of mystery, beauty and purpose.

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ravity Rush 2 is the next step from SIE Japan Studios after the first game. In this title, player once again assume the role of Kat – the special young lady with amnesia who acquired the ability to manipulate and control gravity through a chance encounter with a cat. The world has not only gotten bigger since the previous title, but it is much more interactive for the player. Kat can now interact with the inhabitants of the improved town and you can expect to see organic reactions from the

Days of War

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Days of War Pining for the war

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TBC Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Driven Arts Driven Arts TBC

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by Lein Baart

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arly access games have proven to be a something of double-edged sword. As one of the major funding tools available to indie developers, the model has allowed a fair number of games to be released that would otherwise have forever remained locked in the imaginations of their creators. On the other hand by its very definition these titles are released incomplete, and it’s always a gamble as to whether the studio will remain open long enough to finish the project. While early access has had its success stories there have been enough failures that most approach it warily, which is a perception that any developer opting to go this route is going to have to battle against.

It’s an attitude that Driven Arts are taking head on with Days of War however. A World War 2 competitive online FPS “heavily inspired” by titles such as Day of Defeat, the game will be a team-focused multiplayer offering built using Unreal Engine 4. To this end expect a relatively pared down experience when compared to modern contemporaries, in which “bullets are what matter, not kill-streaks, not wall jumps, and certainly not drone strikes ordered from iPads.”

As such when Driven Arts launches its early access offering it will come with four modes, six classes and four playable factions, along with what appears to be a visually impressive set of maps that roam the European theatre.

The studio’s approach to DLC will also be a throwback to earlier times, with new content such as maps and modes being released free of charge. Last but not least players can also expect a comprehensive suite of modding tools, which the studio believes is vital to the success of the game. g

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AT A GLANCE FPS

Hoping to recapture the glory of past war shooters, so far Days of War appears to be moving in the right direction

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Watch_ Dogs 2 GAMING

Tech vandalism

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Watch_Dogs 2

by Walt Pretorius

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manage to see the massive dichotomy in his character.

Either way, it feels off. The stuff that Marcus does is so very similar to what Aiden got up to, but at least Aiden had the decency to not be chipper about it.

In fact, this more light-hearted approach goes beyond just Holloway. In the first game, DedSec felt like a shadowy, menacing organisation, capable of digging in to the deepest recesses of the cyber world and posing a serious threat to their enemies. In Watch_Dogs 2, DedSec feels like a bunch of millennial hacktivists who get their kicks out of pranks, vandalism, corny geek humour and making terrible videos. The game never manages to really feel serious because, even at its most emotionally charged times, you know that, in five minutes, everyone is going to be smiling and cracking jokes again, no matter how much damage is left in their wake. The addition of some kind of

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ne of the biggest complaints levelled at the original Watch_Dogs was that the game’s protagonist, Aiden Pearce, was a pretty unlikeable guy. Dour, angry and bent on revenge, he wasn’t exactly someone you would want to have polite dinner conversation with. So in Watch_Dogs 2, Ubisoft have gone to the other extreme. Marcus Holloway, the hero in this second outing into Ubisoft’s “hackers rock” franchise, is ultimately likeable. In fact, he is so likeable and friendly that his character creates an odd disconnection between the player and the game’s narrative. Here is a nice guy that cracks jokes and thinks about others first, who goes out and shoots a whole bunch of people during a mission, and then reverts right back to nice guy status. So either Marcus is a text-book psychopath, or someone on the development team didn’t

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moral or consequence system, like that used in games like Mass Effect, inFamous and Dishonored, would certainly not have gone amiss here… but as it stands, it feels a little like Watch_Dogs 2’s San Francisco is devoid of repercussions.

Maybe that’s what you get when the villain has a man-bun.

With that said, it doesn’t mean that Watch_Dogs 2 is a bad game. Quite the opposite, in fact. Ubisoft have managed to build a world that is full, vibrant and exciting, even if the main characters are far more care-free than they should be. There is a massive amount of stuff to get up to here, from taking selfies at famous landmarks through to taking on the nefarious villainous corporation, Blume. Players can take on electric cart races, driver others around to earn money in the game’s version of Uber, seek out collectibles and lots more. Even just driving around the game’s virtual version of San Francisco and the Bay Area is enjoyable,

with different feels coming into each neighbourhood.

From the squeaky clean Silicon Valley through to the down-trodden Oakland, it is a massive and entertaining playground to experience.

In taking on Blume, the player will need to undertake numerous missions. Both main and side quests often have to do with this technology behemoth, although players will also take on in-game versions of the Church of Scientology, big pharma and even Google (called Nudle here). The missions vary, from tech intrusions through to actually stealing physical objects, but they all have one thing in common – they allow the player to take numerous approaches. That’s possibly the biggest joy of Watch_Dogs 2, as you can express yourself through your play style.

While a stealthier approach is always more challenging, the player is given numerous tools to undertake this

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number of guns available to him (produced by DedSec’s 3D printing facilities), as well as explosives, and a nasty melee weapon with a cue-ball at its business end. He also has a stun-gun with unlimited ammo, if you want to keep things peaceful, but its slow fire rate means that going fullauto is sometimes a better option. The shooting mechanics in Watch_Dogs 2 are not bad, but they’re not the best we have seen either. Full combat situations need to be approached carefully and cautiously.

Another joy of Watch_Dogs 2 is its strong puzzling approach. Whether it comes down to a traversal puzzle to reach a high point that contains some extra cash or research points, or it is solving a hacking puzzle, the head-scratching part of the game is enjoyable. The hacking puzzles, particularly, are fun, because this time around they are superimposed on the environment,

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kind of approach. Remote vehicles, in the form of a RC “robot” and a drone, make sneaking into areas, performing remote hacks and scoping out the terrain not only easy, but also entertaining. In addition, hacking environmental elements adds to the fun; certain objects can be triggered to explode, or act as “proximity mines”, while cars can be remotely operated, communications can be interfered with and even gangs and police can be directed towards specific enemies. The results are almost always chaotic and playful, keeping in step with the near flippant nature of the game’s protagonist. Using these tools, players can fairly effectively use stealthy infiltration and distraction methods to achieve the goals of their various missions.

Things can go wrong, though, and when they do, the full-combat option becomes a necessity. Marcus has a

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complete with hard-to-reach nodes. The mechanic comes up fairly often, but it never feels over-used.

Another mechanic that is used far less than in the original, is car chases. You’ll do a lot of driving in Watch_ Dogs 2, but chases are actually relatively rare, unless you really stir stuff up. And while you can now shoot while driving, personally I never did – hacking traffic lights, steam pipes and road blockages along the way were enough to get out of danger. The driving is better than in the original game, but still feels pretty arcade like, for the most part, with brakes that are as sharp as can be.

Watch_Dogs 2 has been struggling with its multiplayer component since launch, and aside from the occasional multiplayer mission, it mostly feels pretty forgettable.

There are those that will enjoy the stalking of other players, of hunting down those with a bounty on their

heads, but Watch_Dogs 2 provides a solid enough single player game that none of those things are actually necessary to get a full experience.

On the whole, Watch_Dogs 2 shows a great improvement on the original, and shows that Ubisoft are working hard at improving their open-world game approach overall.

It’s a good looking game, and the voice acting is of an excellent standard. Mostly competent controls are the order of the day and, aside from the odd frame-rate chug when there is a lot going on, it’s a smooth, satisfying experience. The only real problem is one that comes down to personal taste. It simply feels far to happy-golucky, too flippant to be taken very seriously. A little darkness in the mix would certainly have benefitted the game overall. But that doesn’t ruin the game… Watch_ Dogs 2 is great fun to play. g

AT A GLANCE Adventure

REVIEWED ON

Although it feels too light-hearted for its own good, Watch_Dogs 2 is an exciting and enjoyable open-world, puzzle and strategy title.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Ubisoft Montreal Ubisoft Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

18+ gamecca90

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

85 51

E M W A IE G EV R

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare GAMING

The emperor’s new clothes…

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Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

by Walt Pretorius

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be better. The astounding thing is that many of these people had already determined who the winner would be, without having played either of the games. It’s either amazing foresight (doubtful) or unbridled fanboyism (highly likely) that drove these comments. Now that both of the big games (and a number of others) have been released, one can finally, with research and knowledge, declare a winner. And that winner is not Call of Duty: Infinite War. It’s not entirely a loser, either, though. It sort of just is. There have been numerous shooters this year, and the battle for supremacy has come up against other titles, like the rather remarkable Titanfall 2 (which, in my humble opinion, is the best shooter to hit the market in 2016). So with very steep competition, Call of Duty: Infinite War needed to be exceptional. Instead, the end

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he verbal war between the two big shooter franchises – Call of Duty and Battlefield – certainly was hot this year. Perhaps it was because both franchises opted to move in new directions; Battlefield moved back in history, a trip to the conflicts of World War 1, while Call of Duty shot further into the future. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare follows the trend that has been established over the last few iterations in the franchise, which have been becoming increasingly sci-fi in their approach, and takes it to the stars. In this version of the popular shooter series, you get to fight in space. Whether that’s a good thing or not depends largely on the personal taste of the person playing.

Back to the verbal war. So for several months, people have been back and forth about which game would

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result is only “not bad”, which just isn’t enough in this tough year. It doesn’t get relegated to the bottom of the pile (like those fanboys would want) but it simply doesn’t shine brightly either. Now that we can make conclusions without assumptions, Call of Duty: Infinite War can be categorised as “ok”.

The single player campaign could have been an area in which this new approach truly stood out. Instead, it is a short burst of action that manages to excitedly look in a lot of directions, without moving significantly in any – like a dog in a room full of bouncing tennis balls. It chases after space dogfighting a little, but never really commits to it. It toys with stealth, but soon shifts attention to something else. Zero gravity combats catches its attention, but then it gets distracted. Selectable side missions get it excited, but then it rushes off after

something else.

The end result is a game that has some great ideas, but they never really get far past the ideas stage. Most of what goes on in the single player campaign can be fun, but almost all of it feels a little under-cooked, from the plot line through to the roll out of equipment. And then just after the long slog through the missions ends, and things really start getting great, it ends.

And it is a slog – for such a short campaign, it certainly feels long… particularly when loading sections are covered by walking around your battle ship or launching your Jackal fighter.

In terms of plot, some pretty great voice acting manages to deliver a story that – when you really get down to it – is the same rinse and repeat stuff that Call of Duty has used since they moved into modern combat. This time,

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either aboard a Jackal fighter, or in zero gravity. Both could have been handled better, really; ship combat is plagued with an overly arcade feel to the fighters, despite some exciting moments, and zero gravity combat feel slow and lacking in control (which it probably would be, but still). Attempts to make this feel like a gritty nuts and bolts sci-fi shooter fall over from time to time, and Call of Duty: Infinite War tends towards space opera every now and then.

With a mission pacing that is off-kilter, weapon roll-out that keeps all the best toys ‘til far too late, enemies that are far too bullet spongey and a mixed bag of other offerings (none of which really, truly deliver) the single player campaign is fun but forgettable. It’s sad, because there really is potential here…

So, moving on to the multiplayer, then, the shining light of

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the usual names have been supplanted… the USA becomes the United Nations Space Alliance (UNSA, or USA with an extra N) and the bad guys are from Mars (not the Middle East or Russia) but still want to destroy the U(N)SA and the freedom for which it stands. So, really, nothing new there.

Additionally, the AI varies between thick as a brick and super-smart, which adds an inconsistency to the experience. The enemies have become harder to kill, too, which impacts the generally fast pace that Call of Duty made use of in the past. Give that bulletsponginess to a smart enemy, and combat becomes challenging in all the wrong ways… there is a lot of frustration to be had playing this game, despite some of the fun toys that it rolls out eventually.

The only really new thing is space combat, which is

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the Call of Duty franchise for quite some time now. Well, things are pretty similar to what we saw in Black Ops 3.

In fact, you could easily accuse Call of Duty: Infinite War of being a carbon copy of its predecessor, were it not for a few tweaks. The Pick 10 system, as an example, is still present, and works just as well as it did before.

Multiplayer has the expected game modes and a variety of maps, but it brings with it a stronger reliance of peer to peer game hosting – a big mistake, particularly in countries like South Africa, where ping is always a concern. Using a dedicated server levels the playing field, but a p2p system always places the advantage with the host player, and simply has no place in a game in which timing is so crucial.

The real winner here is the zombie mode. Zombies in Spaceland only features one map, but it takes the co-op

nature of the game to a new level, adding tons of fun to the mix. Additionally, dying send the player to an afterlife theme park in which they can play mini-games to win their life back. It’s zany and irreverent, and well worth playing.

Call of Duty: Infinite War is not a bad game. But it isn’t an important game, either. It simply exists as yet another yearly instalment in the franchise. However, when you consider what it could have been, it becomes clear that this is a wasted opportunity, and the developers made mistakes in making the game that seem pretty rookie, when all is said and done. It’s an interesting new direction for the franchise, but it certainly doesn’t go anywhere near as far as it could have. Sure, fans will lap it up, but it doesn’t do enough to make it into the top tier of 2016’s crop of excellent shooters. g

AT A GLANCE First-person shooter

It’s not a great game, but it’s not a broken game, either. It just simply is, which is not good enough for a 20116 release.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Infinity Ward Activision Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

18+ gamecca90

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

REVIEWED ON

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GENRE

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Score

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Assassin’s Cree The Ezio Collect GAMING

Wasted opportunity…

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Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection

by Rob Edwards

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yammer on about the glory days of Assassin’s Creed 2, will be drawn to this collection. But they may well be in for a bit of a hard surprise…

Let’s start with what The Ezio Collection does right: the steady frame rate (30fps at 1080p) is welcome, if maybe a little disappointing. Also, the loading times are down to a fraction of what they used to be. Also, the sometimes annoying pop-up that AC2 had on its native PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms is a thing of the past, and the grand vistas on display at vantage points are now truly grand.

Beyond that, someone either dropped the ball, or didn’t put enough thought into this remaster. The most jarring problem is that many of the textures and lighting effects in the game - particularly the Assassin’s Creed 2 portion – look worse than they did before. Things look flatter and duller than they did when Assassin’s Creed 2 was first

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ssassin’s Creed 2 was, almost without argument, the highest point of this long run and beloved franchise. It seems that this is an ideal that Ubisoft has been trying to return to over successive games, and even though games like Black Flag and Syndicate have managed to improve mechanics and the overall way the game plays, they still haven’t managed to capture the magic that arose from the story-telling in the adventures of Ezio Auditore.

And so Ubisoft have released Assassin’s Creed 2, along with its expansions Brotherhood and Revelations, in a single bundle. As a product, in concept, it’s great, and long-time fans of the series may well be excited about seeing the firm favourite assassin of the franchise make a debut on next-gen consoles. Even newcomers to the franchise, who have undoubtedly heard veterans

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released. Sure, the vistas are pretty, but down on the streets, things start looking drab, and not in the good “we have designed it to look like this” way. The softness and “magic” of the original has been replaced by harsh, jagged looks.

Even worse, some of the characters look… well… like bad pre-schooler drawings, if I must be honest. Facial features on some characters have been overstated, and poorly defined at the same time. They look like they belong in a game from the late ‘90s, not one that was released in 2009 and certainly not in a 2016 remaster. How exactly this came to be I could not even hazard to guess at, but it does seem that the care and attention granted the original release has been brushed aside here.

Additionally, the multiplayer aspect of the game has been left out entirely but, quite honestly, most people

won’t notice. What they will notice, however, is that the mechanics of the game are pretty much exactly as they were when first released. While veterans may feel a little nostalgic pang, newcomers will balk at the dated control system, which has been improved upon in subsequent titles. Ezio still clings to surfaces that he shouldn’t, and climbing and getting around – not to mention combat – lacks the fluidity of the newer Assassin’s Creed games.

You could defend this all by calling this game fan service, but that’s no argument here. Almost every remaster is fan service to some degree, as well as an opportunity to lure newcomers in. The Ezio Collection pretty much fails at both. It feels like little more than a rushed out stop-gap to fill in for the fact that there is no new Assassin’s Creed game this year. It is a squandered opportunity to revisit the series’ high-point, when all is said and done. g

AT A GLANCE Adventure

REVIEWED ON

Lots of content, but not lots of remastering; The Ezio Collection feels more like a rushedout stop-gap than a celebration of a great game.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Ubisoft Montreal Ubisoft Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

18+ gamecca90

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

68 61

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Dishonored 2 GAMING

A fork in the road

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by Walt Pretorius

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In Dishonored 2, the player can take on the role of either Emily Kaldwin, the Empress who is usurper by her evil aunt, or of Corvo Attano, Emily’s father and the hero of the original game. It’s a choice that comes up early in the game, and one that needs to be fairly carefully considered… it’s going to stick with you for the entire roughly sixteen hours that you’ll be spending on a play through.

The likelihood is, though, that you’ll go back and play again as the other character, or as the same one a few times over. The reason for this is quite simple: Dishonored 2 has an amazing amount of depth to it. So while each of the characters has different abilities granted to them (if you choose to play with them, of course) even using the same player twice can lead to differing results.

It breaks down further than going in all violent or

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hen the first Dishonored game was released, it garnered a lot of praise. Arkane Studios managed to create a deep and thoughtful experience in the original game, and brought it all together with the glue of consequence. Virtually everything the player did changed the game world in the game, particularly in terms of using violence. The more violent a player was, the more the terrible rat plague that infested the city of Dunwall became. A stealthier approach, although far more challenging, kept its spread at bay.

But perhaps what was most fun about the original game was something that has resurfaced in the sequel, Dishonored 2 – the idea that the player is part of a full, vibrant, living world. This makes palying Dishonored somewhat unique… but we’ll get to that a bit later.

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choosing the stealthy approach, too. While these different approaches will have an effect on the end of the game (and less so on the meat of it) there is also the fact that, in this massive and beautifully crafted world, there are just so many options.

Take powers, for example. As powers are earned and developed, several different powers can be used to achieve results in different ways. But powers can also be creatively strung together. One example of this would be Emily’s ability to link enemies together… what happens to one happens to the other. That’s fine and well, but if the player were to then link those enemies to another power, namely creating a doppelganger of herself, the player can sit back as the enemies effectively kill themselves by killing the doppelganger. This kind of creativity is generally in short supply in games these days, and it is part of what

makes Dishonored 2 so much fun to play. And there are countless variations, and opportunities to use them.

Another star of the show is the world itself. It is varied and rich. In certain areas (and only there) players and enemies will be periodically blinded by dust, while in others enemies have similar magical abilities to the player.

In yet others the environment itself needs to be altered and adjusted to progress. But these special locations (of which there are several) are not the only thing appealing to the world.

There is lots to do and explore, and often times there are rewards for doing so. Climbing through a nondescript window, for example, may lead the player to an otherwise inaccessible alleyway where a side quest awaits. There are no hints or markers showing the way – these nooks and crannies simply exist, waiting to be discovered. The

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altercation won’t necessarily ruin the efforts of a stealthmaster. But they might. It’s a fairly complex system, and the variety of endings makes multiple play throughs viable.

Combat is fairly competent, and the player will be able to make use of several types of equipment, as well as numerous lethal (and non-lethal) techniques to eliminate enemies. Even during a heated sword-battle, the player can, after a well-timed block, opt to choke an enemy out, rather than run him through. Things like this are one of the joys of Dishonored 2, because the player can truly approach the game in so many ways, with split decisions sometimes carrying great consequences.

As do the two characters. Neither is better at violence or stealth than the other – it is simply their powers that differ.

At lower levels, there powers are quite similar, but as the game progresses, differences between Emily and Corvo

GAMING

result is that the player will likely spend longer than the average playing time, simply exploring the world. And it’s a worthwhile exercise… not only will the player find tons of lootable stuff, like ammo and money, but they will also find titbits of information (some of which may help with missions, while the rest adds flavour to the world) and will be able to explore the depth of this lovingly crafted, highly detailed playground. Taking your time in Dishonored 2 isn’t something you have to do, but it may well be something you want to do.

Speaking of wilfulness, there are essentially two overarching ways to take on the story in Dishonored 2. You can go guns blazing, or blade in the shadows… or anywhere in between. Dishonored 2 using a sliding scale according to the amount of chaos you cause, so a situation going belly up and ending in a violent

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become more and more apparent. Yet another reason to play it again. Four times seems to be the sensible minimum, really.

It’s a pity, then, that the story is a little lacklustre. It’s a reworking of the original tale, really – usurper on the throne, hero leaps to the rescue type stuff. But while it might not be heading for a Nobel prize in literature, the narrative is serviceable for the experience that the player is undergoing, and the characters within the tale are beautifully represented and voice acted.

Not everyone will go nuts for Dishonored 2. It does seem to prefer a balance that is more on the stealthy side, even though both characters can hold their own in a toe-totoe brawl. Being sneaky and literally pranking enemies to death is just more enjoyable here, which may be frustrating for some. But, at the very least, Dishonored 2

is worth a try.

For those that do take to it’s unique, steam-punky setting and tough challenges, Dishonored 2 will prove to be an immensely satisfying experience. There’s just something awesome about stringing together a series of powers into a combination that has potentially hilarious results, and besting some of the game’s challenges is extremely satisfying. Even just time spent exploring the nooks and crannies of this wonderful world can be a great experience.

Dishonored 2 feels like a living, breathing world, and those that take to it will likely have many exhilarating adventures in its virtual streets. Don’t be surprised if your friends who play it start swapping war stories and anecdotes about their adventures, either… it is just that kind of engaging game. g

AT A GLANCE Adventure

REVIEWED ON

With so many options, so much to see and so many things to do, Dishonored 2 is a great experience.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Arkane Studios Bethesda Ster Kinekor

PARENTAL ADVISORY

18+ gamecca90

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

92 67

E M W A IE G EV R

World of Final Fa GAMING

Digital diabetes

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World of Final Fantasy

by Rob Edwards

antasy

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way that only a franchise us un-cohesive as Final Fantasy could. It’s one of the things that sets the series apart, but it is also one of the complaints that some critics of it have: there is really nothing that binds the franchise together, save for certain elements. But that lack of massive tie-ins between the games is also part of the franchise’s joy, and makes something like World of Final Fantasy possible.

The player takes on the role of two cute protagonists (and, from now on, consider the word “cute” as an adjective for virtually everything described here… I don’t want to wear the C U T and E keys out on my keyboard) who travel the somewhat vertical world of Grymoire collecting monsters called Mirages. These Mirages are mostly nods to previous Final Fantasy games: cute versions of the monsters that have appeared in the series previously. Every now and then, even a hero from an older

GAMING

inal Fantasy has made appearances everywhere, particularly on the fringes of the franchise. While the main games have almost always delivered depth and breadth that numerous game developers only dream about, some of the more peripheral titles in the Final Fantasy series have left a bit to be desired. Let’s be honest… when you stick a Final Fantasy game in to play, you’re expecting incredible graphics, a deep story that can get extremely complex (and even confusing) and lots of things to explore, evolve and gather up.

What you’re not really expecting is a sickeningly cute game that manages to be extremely long (ok, they’re all long, but anyway) without ever really doing all that much. And that’s pretty much, in a nut-shell, what World of Final Fantasy is.

This game, above all, is fan service, delivered in a

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game makes an appearance.

The player collects these Mirages, levels them up and develops them, and then does battle with them in a turnbased combat system. Yes, it sounds, and feels, almost exactly like a Pokémon game, save for the setting.

In all honesty, World of Final Fantasy is fun at the start, with lots of creatures to collect and tons of development to do. Players can also dig fairly deep into combination strategies, using combinations of different Mirages for their battles.

Things is, though, that there isn’t much else to do in the 60-odd hours you’ll be playing the campaign. Exploration is far more limited than one would expect in a Final Fantasy game, and the various settings that the player visits start feeling repetitious before long. Additionally, while the saccharine cuteness of the game – from the character art

through to the pun-riddled dialogue – feels sort of unique for a Final Fantasy at first, it leaves you feeling like you have developed digital diabetes after just a few hours.

It would be great to say that World of Final Fantasy is great for youngsters, but it is rated at “12” by PEGI, so that doesn’t really come into play here.

Be warned – this game is not what you might expect.

It doesn’t have the gravitas or mood that the series is known for, and it’s increasingly weird plot line doesn’t make up for its shortcomings in so many other areas.

But worst of all is the fact that it becomes tedious pretty quickly, and features some design choices (like the fact that you can only buy stuff in-game in one location on Grymoire) that simply don’t sit well. Really deep Final Fantasy fans may get a kick out of the nostalgia and references. g

AT A GLANCE Adventure

REVIEWED ON

It’s super-sweet fan service for the wellloved franchise, but it gets tedious pretty quickly.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Square Enix Square Enix Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

12+ gamecca90

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

70 71

E M W A IE G EV R

Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 GAMING

Protector of history

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GENRE

Part arena brawler and part

MMO, this is a

by Alex Scanlon

great adventure for

DBZ fans – it

makes moves in the right directions for

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

12+

Dimps Corporation Bandai Namco Megarom

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

79

AT A GLANCE

PARENTAL ADVISORY

REVIEWED ON

PLATFORMS

anime-based gaming.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Brawler

XO

things like controls, but a host of powers, power ups and other factors makes for a very deep degree of variation that the player can experiment with. Additionally, button mashing isn’t going to get you anywhere in this game. Rather, fighting in Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 becomes a careful balance, with the player needing to manage Ki and stamina expenditure while stringing together long combos for maximum effect. There is even an element of baiting opponents into pointless resource expenditures, in this way managing to take advantage of their weakened condition. The strategy extends beyond combining the best equipment and techniques; it is also necessary in the fights, making it a far more measured and thoughtful (even though that thoughtfulness has to be based on quick thinking and strategic manoeuvring) fighting title.

There are, of course, little niggles. The way that side quests are represented on the map can be irritating, and their objectives are not listed in the journal. Some problems crop up in fast travelling, too – and there’s the camera we mentioned before, which can really mess with directional controls that are relative to the position of the player’s character. But all of these things can be overlooked, particularly when you’re running into (or up against) famous DBZ characters and events.

It is a good idea to have at least a passing knowledge of the Dragon ball Universe when playing this game.

While it doesn’t really get into the deep, enthusiast stuff, a passing knowledge of the world is necessary – but it is also enough to make Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 a great experience. It’s fan service, yes, but for fans of all levels. g

Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2

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nime fan-service games are generally a mixed bag, when you get down to it; rabid fandom allows players to overlook things they normally wouldn’t in other games, which means that the developers of these games, thanks to their captive audience, could really get away with being a little slack. But if Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 is anything to go by, the times are changing.

What we have here is a game that not only allows players to experience their favourite anime universe (and let’s be honest, Dragon Ball has a lot of fans) but also do so in a way that ups the bar for this kind of game.

That’s not to say that Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 is a perfect game – it has a few issues, like a very eager camera that tries to keep up with the intense, multidirectional action, sometimes letting the player down as a result. But, for the most part, it really is a very decent progression.

In this game, the player takes on the role of a Time Patroller, charged with keeping two new bad guys from messing with the history of the DBZ universe. To this end, the game is principally an arena brawler that takes advantage of every possible direction, opening up from the more traditional ideas used in fighting games. It also features light MMO elements that blast the game’s potential play time, wide open – even after the 30 or so hours it takes to crash through the single player game, there is still a lot to be done and experienced in the MMO version, including co-op play.

Combat is, of course, king in any game based on Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2 offers the player a surprisingly deep experience in this arena.

Nothing here is particularly complex in terms of technical

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E M W A IE G EV R

Darksiders: Warmastered Ed GAMING

War rides again!

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Darksiders: Warmastered Edition

by Walt Pretorius

dition

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A

guilty to justice.

It’s a fun premise, and one that served Darksiders very well when it was first released. It still does; even though there are many ideas here that are dated, Darksiders: Warmastered Edition is a great game overall. With a campaign that lasts a little longer than fifteen hours and a steady 60fps at 1080p (something which Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition couldn’t manage) this is arguably the better port of the two, and the bright, cartoonish graphics and unique character designs carry well onto the more modern platforms.

Darksiders never had much by way of side quests, and it’s free roaming world was ever so slightly linear when all is said and done. The same counts here, but so does the fact that the entertaining (if simple) combat, awesome arsenal of weapons and brilliantly portrayed setting and characters

GAMING

little while ago, we were treated to a remastering of Darksiders II. The Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition brought us back to the tale of Death as he stalked a massive world, gaining new powers and abilities, and fighting tons of enemies along the way. Even though it was enjoyable, Darksiders II; Deathinitive Edition was only really a mediocre remastering – the strength of the original game was really what propped it up. So when THQ Nordic decided to work on a remastered version of the original Darksiders game, many developed a keen interest to see how they would handle it.

Darksiders: Warmastered Edition takes us back to the start of the whole mess… the apocalypse is triggered early, and War (he of the four horsemen) is blamed for causing it. Proclaiming his innocence and vowing to find those responsible, War undertakes a journey to bring the

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made the original (and this remaster) great fun to play. It’s an action packed romp that shouldn’t be taken too seriously, but its great looks, solid controls and highly entertaining story make it very worthwhile to play – even for those who finished the original title.

Which leads to an interesting question… since the release of both Darksiders games, THQ (the original publisher) has gone the way of the dodo, with Nordic games picking up the license for this franchise in the process. Developers Vigil Games also broke up, with the lead creator on the Darksiders franchise now working on other THQ Nordic projects. But one cannot help but wonder if these two remasters aren’t a sign of things to come. There was always a degree of speculation that the Darksiders franchise would be at least a trilogy (or maybe even four games, considering that there are four Horsemen of the Apocalypse). Could it

be possible that THQ Nordic (the name that Nordic games took on after the acquisition of the Darksiders franchise and a few ex-THQ staff members) are looking at creating a new Darksiders game? It is certainly possible, and a new instalment in this franchise, designed for the current generation of hardware, would be very welcome indeed.

At this time, nobody has confirmed or denied this possibility, but it does seem to make sense that THQ Nordic would take advantage of this valuable and well-loved franchise – particularly after doing the work on remastering both games. Time will, as always, tell.

In the meantime, though, we have the Darksiders: Warmastered Edition to enjoy. Despite one or two minor quibbles, it is a great remastering, and delivers the goods: great visuals, solid controls, tons of action and an entertaining story. War rides again. g

AT A GLANCE Action

REVIEWED ON

A well-handled remastering sees the original Darksiders game make a welcome move onto modern hardware.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Nordic Games Nordic Games Apex Interactive

PARENTAL ADVISORY

18+ gamecca90

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 77

Just Dance 17

E M W A IE G EV R

Just Dance 17 Track 8…

last year? Well, then you know what to expect this year...

PS4

PLATFORMS

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

dance routines that we have seen seven times before.

Unless you don’t have a dance game, or you are a massive Just Dance fan, this latest version simply doesn’t scream “you must own me”.

The series has fallen into a pit of repetition and, while it can still be all kinds of embarrassing fun, it simply is the same thing over and over again.

A whole new release for things that could really have been provided to fans as DLC seems to be a bit much.

Just Dance is in serious need of original content. g

Ubisoft Paris Ubisoft Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

3+ gamecca90

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

Did you play Just Dance

REVIEWED ON

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

GAMING Bound of flame

AT A GLANCE 78

Dance

title.

Just Dance Machine, the name of the new mode, has players refuelling a UFO with the brilliance of their dance moves, and the variety of dance styles that it incorporates is pretty impressive. But that’s all that is new here, save for the 40 tracks that the game brings with it. There are some new songs, and some classics. The game also makes use of the same apparently hallucinogenicfuelled graphic style that either appeals or doesn’t. And it uses the same zany kind of themes for its

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by Rob Edwards

I

f there is one thing that the video game industry does know how to do extremely well, it is how to milk the hell out of a franchise.

Just Dance was funky and fresh back when it was first released, but eight games in things are starting to feel a little tired. And while previous iterations of the game got all experimental with new modes and such, Just Dance 2017 almost seems to shrug and say “whatever.” There is only one new mode in this title, and while it is fun, it isn’t much of a reason to rush out and buy the new

E M W A IE G EV R

Super Dungeon Bros GAMING

Couch co-op

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GENRE

A fun couch co-op dungeon brawler with a decent

by Walt Pretorius

risk-reward model, technical

Super Dungeon Bros down.

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

7+

React Games Wired Production Apex Interactive

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

60

AT A GLANCE

PARENTAL ADVISORY

REVIEWED ON

PLATFORMS

issues bring

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

gamecca90

Action

PS4

of the online component for Super Dungeon Bros simply isn’t working. Whether it is because of technical issues or a lack of players we couldn’t say, but many of the games micro-transactions aren’t working, either, so we’ll hazard a guess that it is the former.

Another issue is that progress sin a dungeon crawl cannot be saved, which leads to a lot of frustration for those who take this title more seriously. Not that anyone should – it’s a light hearted game, more Magicka than Diablo. But still, it can get pretty frustrating, particularly if some of the players are carrying others a little in terms of ability.

And then there’s the theme. Super Dungeon Bros makes a big deal of its rock theme right at the beginning, complete with heavy guitars and back-tracked records delivering instructions. And then without much fanfare, the theme gets pretty much ignored for the rest of the game. It’s a bit jarring, and while it doesn’t take away from the fun that can be had with the game in any real terms, it does feel that the whole affair has been underutilised. As it stands, the theme feels more like an intro, and an afterthought, than an element that brings cohesion to the experience.

Super Dungeon Bros is fun for four players sharing a couch, but it is little more than that. It has a few technical issues that bring it down – most notably in online play – and while it does offer a degree of depth, there is little that will keep players coming back. With that said, it can be a fun time-killer, and the decent risk-reward mechanics of the game, including the shared lives idea, makes for a lot of fun to be had. It’s not a great game for playing alone, though, so make sure you have enough mates and controllers to go around. g

Super Dungeon Bros

w

ith the runaway success of the Diablo franchise – particularly the exemplary Diablo III – it is a little surprising that we don’t see more procedurally egenrated dungeon crawlers coming to the market from big name developers and publishers.

This lack, however, does leave the market open for indie developers and smaller companies to take advantage of this well-loved genre, and Super Dungeon Bros tries to do just that.

Super Dungeon Bros makes some very good moves. It provides the player with a great co-op game that is always changing up, thanks to the procedural generation.

It leverages a risk-reward system extremely well; the longer the players stay in a particular dungeon, the more loot they are likely to find… but the more monsters will appear. This can lead to massive amounts of tense fun, because every group will invariably have at least one cautious player, and at least one wanting to push as far as possible.

This is made even more interesting by the fact that the party has a limited number of lives. Quite simply, the lives that are available are shared by the whole party… if one goes down, that’s one less life for the whole party to use. Downed allies can be revived, but the fast, chaotic combat can make this particularly difficult.

Through the course of the game, weapons and equipment can also be upgraded, making for more powerful parties. This, along with simple controls and a fairly decent variety in settings and enemies, makes Super Dungeon Bros a fun time killer.

You certainly will want to play this game as a co-op title, but you’re going to be restricted to couch-co-op; at the time of writing, much

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82

Sedate and thoughtful, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture tells an emotionally charged tale, rather than relying on fast paced action.

REVIEWED ON

PS4

PLATFORMS

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

The Chinese Room SCEE Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

16+ gamecca90

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

Adventure

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

AT A GLANCE

GAMING Bound of flame

Investigating beauty...

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by Walt Pretorius

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture

et in a sleepy English village in which the habitants are mysteriously disappearing, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture is one of those games that straddles the divide between pure gaming and pure art. It is a beautifully created game, with a rich and detailed, thoughtfully constructed setting that draws the player in wonderfully.

Additionally, great sound and music add a strong emotional charge to the experience, making this game something of a powerful one. And all the while the player needs to try and find out why people are simply vanishing, helped by a small cast of very interesting and well-played characters.

It is not a simple task. Aside from subtle hints, the player is pretty much left to their own devices, and the story is delivered in fragments, rather than in any form of linear progression.

Because of this, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture feels like a real mystery, and the player will likely be constantly revising and reviewing their theories on what is happening.

With a fairly sedate pace and a few odd mechanics, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture is not for those who want their action flowing hard and fast. It is more of a cerebral exercise, and one in which the menace is not in your face, even though it is evident.

The simple controls also hint at the fact that the developers prefer the player to absorb the surroundings and situation, rather than have to think about what their hands are doing at the controls.

In short, while not everyone will enjoy Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, those that dig into it will discover a beautifully crafted, engaging and emotional tale of mystery at its heart. g

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture

E M W A IE G EV R

The Deadly Tower of Monsters

E M W A IE G EV R

The Deadly Tower of Monsters B-grade bashing…

It’s a B-grade festival of cheese... a fun, funny distraction, but little more.

REVIEWED ON

PS4

PLATFORMS

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

ACE Team Atlus Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

12+ gamecca90

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

I

n The Deadly Tower of Monsters, the player controls Dick Starspeed, the hero of a cheesy B-grade sci-fi film, as well as his two companions: a voluptuous blonde and a robot that looks like he is made out of a trash can.

It’s all on purpose, because the presentation of the game puts the player in the role of someone watching the film, complete with the often hilarious director’s commentary.

In tying all of the B-grade together, the developers did a great job; there are strings holding up aerial enemies, the surrounding look like they have been made on the cheap, and some enemies even use stop motion animation.

The acting of the main characters, as well as the dialogue, is as bad as one would expect in a film of this nature… and the director’s commentary ties everything together really well.

As a homage and a poke at B-grade sci-fi, The Deadly Tower of Monsters holds up pretty well. Sadly, it’s game dynamic is secondary to this theme, and the player will spend most of their time mindlessly hacking and slashing copy-and-paste enemies and performing simple tasks to solve puzzles.

While the theme of the game is obviously the developers’ main focus, there is still room in a project like this for a better level of player engagement. Having the player a little more involved would not have taken away from what they were trying to do – it would probably have enhanced it. Still, The Deadly Tower of Monsters is good for a bit of mindless time killing, and for more than a few laughs. What the game is missing in mechanics, it makes up for in presentation. g

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EW

VI

R

TE

IN

Sustaining

Taking Gian

G

amers at heart, the team at Supergiant Games continue to move forward in their

game development achievements... powered by

GAMING

ambition, experience and more than a little passion 86

gamecca90

Indie View

nt Strides

By Nthato Morakabi

g Ambition for playing (and making) video games. We spoke to Creative Director Greg Kasavin about what drives the crew, where their inspiration comes from and what projects they have on the go. gamecca90

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EW

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IN

GM: Supergiant games has been around for quite a while now, what’s the story behind the name?

SG: The studio had been around for about a year and we were about to release Bastion, our first game. We still didn’t have a name and had to figure out what we were going to call ourselves. After a process of elimination, we settled on Supergiant Games as it reflected the scale of our dreams – not how big we wanted our team to be, but how much we wanted to imagine with our games.

GM: That’s a great goal, and would you share the brief history of Supergiant Games as well?

SG: Supergiant was founded by Amir Rao and Gavin Simon. We all worked together at Electronic Arts in Los Angeles on Command and Conquer 3. In 2009, after having worked on C&C 3 and Red Alert 3, Amir and Gavin moved into a house following the success of small independent developers like the creators of Castle Crashers and Plants Vs Zombies. They felt they had an interesting point of view too. I joined Amir and Gavin a year later, while also working at 2K games as I wasn’t sure if I could work in a start-up environment but a year later we announced Bastion.

We’ve been able to do that since 2009 and can only hope to continue.

GM: And what role do you play at Supergiant Games?

GAMING

SG: I’m the Creative Director, which involves a lot of writing and design work. I build the levels, environments and to some

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extent design the game’s system, scripting and audio… among other things.

One of the nice things about a small company is that everyone gets to do a lot of different.

GM: I don’t know if everyone will agree that’s a nice thing.

You’ve had quite an interesting history, working at EA and 2K Games and now Supergiant Games.

Where did it all start?

SG: EA was my first game development job after working in the media side of games for almost 12 years, ten of them at Gamespot since 1996, until I stopped at start of 2007 when I moved to EA. I’m one of those people who have always wanted to make games, even as a little kid. I tried teaching myself to make games in high school but I struggled with programming. I loved writing and loved playing games so much, I wanted to do something about it so I started writing game reviews. It eventually led to writing for smaller publications until I got the internship at Gamespot.

Eventually I got the opportunity to work on Command and Conquer.

GM: That’s quite an impressive résumé! On the topic of loving games from a young age, was there a particular game that stood out for you, I know Final Fantasy back in 2000 blew my mind, do you have a game like that.

SG: I’ve been playing games for a long time and on everything from arcade to console to PC. For me, it was a role-playing game called Ultima 4 which I

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played when I was 8 years old, on an Apple II computer.

Skyrim today or anything from BioWare, owe a lot to those old games. Although from a presentation perspective, they don’t match up to Skyrim, but they were also open world games with open ended moral choices that modern games are still doing now, and the Ultima games were doing back in the ‘80s. I kept thinking, some human being made this, I don’t know how but it’s amazing.

GM: So clearly gaming plays a massive role on your life, I mean it guided your career choice and all, but how massive is it really?

SG: It’s really important to me. My honest answer to that would probably be embarrassing but gaming has been the one constant in my life. It has always been there and I could probably go through each year of my life and tell you what games I was playing. No matter what was going on in my life, games were something I could always fall on and that made things better for me.

My parents thought it was just a phase that I would grow out of but at this point, it’s probably never going to happen.

GM: Now did that mean you studied with the intention of going into game development?

SG: Not necessarily. I actually studied writing and I also got a business degree through online classes. By then I was already working part-time at Gamespot and even though there were places like DigiPen in Vancouver offering game development classes, I was aware that most people in the industry were self-

Indie View

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GM: On the topic of frustrations, what are some of the challenges you have face both as an individual and as Supergiant Games?

SG: There’s a shared answer on this which answers both; a big challenge for us is finding a pace that we can sustain over a long period of time.

There’s simply a lot of work involved, and an industry where a person’s job and passion are interconnected can get to a point where you’re working more than is healthy, because you love what you do. In that state, you don’t have enough perspective to realise it which makes you work inefficiently, making mistakes. So you work even more and it becomes a cycle.

There are plenty of cases where someone will work themselves to the bone and eventually quit the industry because they look back on the experience and feel it wasn’t worth the personal cost. So for us at Supergiant Games, we want to ensure we can sustain our ambition without resorting to hiring more people.

GM: That’s amazing.

So… what inspires you form a creative level?

What inspires Supergiant Games?

SG: I’m always at a loss for words every time I have to answer this question. I don’t have a sappy “going for a walk” kind of answer.

Life is inspiring for me. You learn about life as you live it and one of the nice things about games is that they are an abstraction. You hit a button and a lot of stuff

happens. They are a way of interpreting the world, in addition to them being fun of course, but when you play a game that connects to you on an emotional level, you see aspects of the world around you reflected in that game. The world around me and how I perceive it inspires me.

And as a team, we all take pretty personal inspiration in the work we do. We don’t even talk about a lot of it, or go into a project stating you have to watch these movies or play these games. We just do our own thing and try and find the middle ground on what we’ve compiled. I mean, we all have that game that inspired us as much as Final Fantasy inspired you, and we’re all trying to create something that will make others feel the same way we did with our personal games.

GM: That was a deep answer. And on the topic of inspiration by other developers, are there specific indie developers that you inspire you?

SG: What’s really amazing for us at Supergiant games is that a lot of these indie developers now regard us as peers. I mean, I had the chance to meet the developer of Ultima 4 and inwardly I’m thinking “Oh my god!” while outwardly I’m like “Hello sir”. This is the guy whose games influenced a lot of my life and without him my life would have been completely different.

Then there’s the developer who does everything alone like Lucas Pope who developed Papers Please, an impressive game that’s genius and shows incredible talent. Jonathan Blow has done brilliant work on Braid, and The Witness. I don’t think it’s fair to single out

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Indie View

taught. In the end I had writing as a fall back, which was less frustrating for me.

these two as for me there’s an entire list I could rattle off.

GM: Well in closing let’s talk about your game, Pyre, which you are currently working on at the moment. What can you share with us so far about it?

SG: Pyre is essentially a party-based role playing game where you command exiles to freedom through a series of mystical competitions. Our focus was to have an ensemble of casts rather than focus on specific characters. We also a setting where you form strong connections to characters and have an influence on what happens to them in the story.

You’re travelling through the world deciding where to go, who to interact with and what you say. Then you arrive at these celestial lands where you face other exiles who are also fighting for their freedom. We wanted to create a highstakes competition where your characters have a shared goal for freedom but each have a backstory and your foes have their own story as well, all with reason to achieve their goals.

GM: Is there a release date, platform release, etc.?

SG: We’re making Pyre for Playstation 4 and PC via steam and we’re just in the thick of building everything out, so we’re not sure when it will be released but it will be sometime next year.

GM: Thank you once again for your time. This has been an insightful conversation and I look forward to playing Pyre when it is released. g

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Legacy: Diablo

: Diablo

e and Listen

By Lein Baart

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Condor to change to real-time, and

new under the sun, and while

even then only after the majority of

this is certainly true for most

the development team voted in favour

things, every once in a while we

of it. From this point onwards however

experience a leap in ingenuity

things proceeded rapidly, with the

that inspires a new generation of

game being reworked a couple of

thought. Gaming is no exception

times to include iconic features such a

to the rule, and while in the last 10

multiplayer support, and Blizzard were

years or so there seems to have been

so confident of Diablo’s success that

precious few games released that are

they even bought Condor out months

entirely original, the nineties saw a

before release, rechristening the studio

slew of experimentation and creativity

as Blizzard north. By New Year’s Eve

that still reverberates today. Titles

the game was ready to ship, and only a

like Doom and GTA were so influential

few months later it began to change the

that for years after they inspired

RPG landscape.

wholesale imitations, and for the RPG it was Diablo that launched an entire subgenre, along with a wave of clones.

Why was it created?

While most remember Blizzard as

Why do we care?

From the outset Diablo receive

critical acclaim, with its graphics, sound and gameplay all building

the studio behind the seminal game, it

towards an entirely new take on what

was in fact an entirely separate team,

had previously been seen as a stale

at the time called Condor, which was

genre. RPG’s at the time were typically

responsible for Diablo’s creation. The

turn-based affairs that predominantly

then recently formed studio spent

focused on story and stats to the

most of its efforts on creating generic

expense of all else, and many felt they

sports games for consoles, however

had become generic and tedious. It was

cofounders Max and Erich Schaefer

Diablo’s emphasis on both intuitiveness

(brothers) and David Brevik dreamed

and excitement that elevated it above

of creating a modern version of classic

its competitors, and it wasn’t long

roguelikes such as Angband. It was a

before “Diablo clones” began to appear

vision that was flatly turned down by

thick and fast, and even traditionally

most publishers, however a chance

slow paced RPG series looked to move

encounter with the then newcomer

towards real-time gaming.

Blizzard, who completely unknown to

This move towards real-time gaming is

Condor were creating a SNES port of

perhaps Diablo’s most enduring legacy.

the same game they were making for

For years afterwards it remained the de

the Sega Genesis, eventually lead to

facto standard in terms of layout and

the creators of Warcraft agreeing to

design, and this was only solidified by

publish Diablo.

the immense success of Diablo 2. While

Development was not without its

the hack and slash subgenre has faded

problems however, especially since

in prominence over time elements of its

Diablo had been conceived as a turn-

DNA can be still be seen to this day in

based dungeon crawler. Indeed it

a fair number of action RPG’s, and even

took multiple attempts by Blizzard

the likes of WoW owes some small debt

cofounder Allen Adham to convince

to the original. g

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t is written that there is nothing

HARDWARE Reviews 98 100 102 104

Tt eSports Ventus Z Gaming Mouse Roccat Skeltr Gaming Keyboard MSI Z170A Gaming M7 Motherboard MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Gaming X Graphics Card

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H C EW E T VI E R Tt

eSports

Ventus Z

Gaming Mouse

Let it flow!

TECHNOLOGY

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t’s always great to see new ideas come into products, but the extremely simple idea that makes the Tt eSports Ventus Z stand out is really, really clever.

Anyone who has spent a long time using their mouse – say for an intense gaming session – knows that horrid palm-sweat that eventually shows up. Well, the Ventus Z is designed with a simple air-flow vent system right under the user’s palm, to help keep their hand cooler. It’s not even all that complicated – it really just allows improved air-flow by creating a raised, vented back plate on the mouse… the rest is up to Mother Nature.

A nice cool hand doesn’t make a winning mose, though. But the Ventus Z has that covered in numerous other areas. It starts with the 11 000 dpi sensor, which comes with on-the-fly dpi adjustment. The Ventus also offers five on-board profiles, allowing saving of a huge

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amount of macros.

Those macros tie in, obviously, to the device’s programmable buttons, of which there are ten. That;s a lot of buttons, and most of them are extremely sensibly placed. There are the two traditional main buttons and scroll wheel, two well-placed thumb buttons (along the top) a thumb-accessible “sniper” button (near the bottom), two buttons at the outside of the principal left button (with one being a bit hard to reach) and two along the mouse’s spine (also with one a bit hard to get to). The main buttons make use of tough OMROM switches, too, so there is a lot of clicking that can be done.

The Ventus Z has a unique, textured finish that feels not quite like plastic, and not quite like rubber. This ties in to a great ergonomic shape that makes the Ventus Z very comfortable, and Teflon feet reduce drag for a smooth experience.

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Tt eSports Ventus Z Gaming Mouse

by Alex Scanlon

AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY

TECH SPECS • • • • • • •

Great new ideas, excellent performance and a host of customisation options make the Ventus Z a mouse to own!

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11000 dpi sensor 10 buttons Weight adjustable RGB lighting 5 profiles On-the-fly dpi

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Customisation comes in two forms. First off, the Ventus Z features RGB lighting that can be changed for colour and lighting behaviour. The lights aren’t overpowering here; things are kept to the mouse wheel and logo (beneath the vented plate) for a more stylish, down toned look.

The other customisation option comes in weigh adjustment, although the access plate to get to the removable weights is a little tough to get to.

Ts eSports – by Thermaltake – is a fairly prominent brand, but they haven’t quite cornered the market like other names have. However, with devices like this – capable, cleverly designed and effective – they will certainly make impressions in all the right places. The Ventus Z is a joy to use, and offers tons of customisation options for those who really want to trim up their experience and get the most out of their mouse. g

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H C EW E T VI E R Roccat

Skeltr R

Gaming Keyboard

TECHNOLOGY

Integrate your life

occat are very keen on you having a fully integrated desktop that works seamlessly together, mouse and keyboard in perfect harmony. That’s why they use technologies to ensure that using Roccat devices together makes for a better experience, with more options. But they have extended their sights beyond just their own devices, and are now aiming at the ubiquitous smart devices that are in almost everyone’s lives.

The Roccat Skeltr keyboard aims to integrate smart devices into the desktop experience too. It’s not something we haven’t seen before – Logitech have had similar ideas in the past – but Roccat have taken things a bit further. Instead of just providing software and a stand for smart devices, the Skeltr actually makes then a true part of the experience.

It does so by incorporating a Bluetooth system that allows communication with the smart device.

This means several things for the end user. First off, Swarm software allows them to monitor various settings and statuses while using their PC. That’s handy, but it gets even better. Text messages can be entered from the keyboard after the press of a toggle, which is super handy, and voice calls can be answered and routed through the keyboard’s audio and mic jacks. That’s pretty awesome if you’re getting an important call while gaming, but you may want to check

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the saltiness of your gaming banter if it’s your mom on the phone.

Last but not least, the Skeltr features a passthrough USB plug for device charging.

These are ideas that tie very directly into the modern lifestyle, smartly bringing two sometimes separate elements together very well. And on top of that, it’s a rather decent keyboard, too. It features eight macro keys (five down the side and three in easy reach of the thumb) and a detachable wrist-rest. RGB illumination is customisable through five zones on the keyboard, and offers precisin and silence from the keys (yes, it’s not mechanical).

In short, it’s a great keyboard for those who are in constant contact with others, and who aren’t adamant about needing a mechanical keyboard. The communication abilities takes its usefulness beyond gaming, too… it’s a great keyboard all round, in fact, and it’s excellent smart device integration is very clever indeed.

If you’re after this level of integration – not to mention the efficiency that it delivers – then the Skeltr is the keyboard for you. Sure, there are arguably better keyboards out there for gaming specifically, and the use of a membrane system isn’t to everyone’s liking, but the Skeltr is still a very capable gaming performer, and its great features wil go a long way to pushing it over the top for many people. g gamecca90

Roccat Skeltr Gaming Keyboard

AT A GLANCE:

by Alex Scanlon

SUMMARY By delivering true smart device integration, the Skeltr becomes a one-of-a-kind gaming keyboard.

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Smart device integration Bluetooth 3.0 8 macro keys Swarm software Customisable backlighting Audio jacks

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H C EW E T VI E R MSI

Z170A Gaming M Motherboard mastery

TECHNOLOGY

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uman nature, it seems, dictates that the devices we own define us. Having a better product than the person next to you is a status symbol, an ego boost… even if you do not fully utilise, or even understand the product in question. Electronics manufacturers understand this, and while they generally produce a wide variety of devices – because it makes sense to provide options across a broad budgetary spectrum – making sure that people understand the hierarchy of their devices ensures that they tie into that idea. So when you see the MSI Z170A Gaming M7 motherboard, you know that the “M” stands for “master” and that the “7” is better than the “5”. M7, basically, is the pinnacle of MSI’s motherboard bragging rights pile. And in case you weren’t sur, the packaging boasts an “enthusiast” logo, complete with a winner’s trophy and seven stars. I

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am pretty sure that MSI also know that purely owning and using a Z170A Gaming M7 won’t make the user a winner, but they probably don’t care.

However, being the owner of a MSI Z170A Gaming M7 does make you a winner in one particular sense – you were bright enough to get hold of a really great motherboard.

And while that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to dominate in whichever game you’re currently obsessed with, your system will be running well, win or lose. And yes, improved system performance can lead to improved player performance, sure (but only so much).

The Z170A chipset is only the start… as is so often the case with motherboards, it is the effort that MSI put into this that makes the difference. It starts with Military Class V components, including titanium chokes and dark CAPs, as well as other parts, that improve power efficiency and lifespan of the device.

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MSI Z170A Gaming M7 Motherboard

M7

Motherboard

by Rob Edwards

AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY

TECH SPECS

Right at the top of MSI’s list is the Z170A Gaming M7, a reliable motherboard for those who want top performance.

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• • • • • • •

Z170A chipset Military Class V components Reinforced PCIe port Optimised gaming LAN Nahimic Audio Enhancer Twin Turbo M.2 technology

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But the real things you should be after are speed and security, and the Z170A Gaming M7 offers both in spades. Twin Turbo M.2 technology squeezes a ton more speed out of SSDs, while boosted DDR4 RAM performance and priorities gaming LAN traffic help get that all important performance boost, too. And it terms of safety, the Z170A Gaming M7 comes not only with a host of protections against the various electrical and systemic dangers that motherboards face, but also has features like steel reinforced PCIe ports ( an apparent standard in MSI’s new boards).

The MSI Z170A Gaming M7 is a true performer, and fully deserving of its spot at the upper end of motherboard offerings. It is a very nippy performer overall, and comes with more than enough special features to make it stand out. This is a great offering from MSI. g

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H C EW E T VI E R MSI

GeForce GTX 105

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The little guy

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Graphics Card

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It’s new technology, but the GTX 1050 Ti is less powerful than some cards from a few generations ago.

AWARDS

AT A GLANCE:

SUMMARY

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

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not more raw power. So while it’s theoretical performance may be behind a GPU several generations older, the use of new technology still means that it is an upgraded level of technology.

The other advantage from the GTX 1050 Ti is that it demands far less in terms of power.

Those who have less powerful PSUs will be able to run the significantly less powerful GTX 1050 Ti, where they might not be able to use a 1080.

Lastly, there is the price… the GTX 1050 is significantly cheaper than other models in the 1000 series, putting the new technology within the reach of a larger audience.

This MSI version sports 4GB of GDDR5 RAM, which has become something of a standard amount these days.

In addition, it makes use of two Twin Frozr VI fans which, as part of the new MSI cooling system, means cooler running and quieter performance.

And also in keeping with new MSI approaches, the card is resplendent with LED lighting, including an illuminated logo and accent areas.

When all is said and done, the MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Gaming X is a great version of the GTX 1050 Ti, but the chipset as a whole is not the ideal GPU. It’s fine for those who are seriously cash strapped, but even moving to a 1060 is a better bet, if it is possible. g

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GTX 1050 chipset 4GB GDDR5 RAM Twin Frozr VI technology HDMI optput DisplayPort DVI output

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by Rob Edwards

etting upgraded hardware can be a tricky thing because, let’s be honest, PC hardware isn’t exactly the cheapest thing around. But for a system to remain viable, upgrades are necessary. If money is no object, then it is easy to go relatively wild and spring for something like a GeForce GTX 1080. But that is not a luxury that many people have, particularly not with the global economy being what it is.

Nvidia have manufactured a number of varieties of 1000 series chipsets, including the 1070 and 1060… and now we have the GTX 1050 Ti. The question is, is it the card to get?

Based on a pure gaming performance index, which collates all kinds of numbers into an overall, catch-all score, the GTX 1050 Ti is not a particularly impressive card.

When compared to the GTX 1080, the bigger 1080 delivers an index 2.64 times higher. In other words, if the 1050 was running at 100%, the 1080 would be performing at 264%. The 1070 would clock in at 217%, the 1060 at 158%, and the GTX 980 at 163%. Even the much older GTX 780 Ti outperforms the GTX 1050 Ti on paper.

But that’s one of the advantages that the GTX 1050 presents; it is newer technology, and therefore capable of more tweaks and adjustments, if

MSI GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Gaming X Graphics Card

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Blowing the whistle

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by Suvesh Arumugam

accepted as fact and tobacco culture was still in its heyday. Wiegand’s revelations did more that show that cigarettes were bad for us, but they showed that the tobacco companies had knowingly buried research showing the addictive nature of nicotine over the past 30 years (which the US Surgeon General in 1988 had described as being “as hard to quit as heroine or crack cocaine”), had bullied or intimidated major news and scientific communities to suppress information, and had further spent even more money trying to get more people addicted to nicotine by using chemical enhancers like ammonia to increase the effects of the drug.

It was no easy task for Wiegand to blow the whistle, due to various contractual obligations in one of the most famous non-disclosure agreements. His contract was so prescriptive it even prohibited him from disclosing that he had a nondisclosure agreement.

While a heated court case ensued between journalists, Wiegand and the big tobacco companies, Wiegand himself was harassed, threatened and shunned from the scientific community that gave him his livelihood, eventually becoming a high school teacher on a much smaller income.

Wiegand exposed a level of corruption and conspiracy that went to the very heart of the some of the biggest economic entities on the planet. And it was a game changer. Studies estimate that while the smoking population in 1996 was close to 35% of young adults and 25% of older ones, those figures could be lower than 12% now (based mostly on US studies).

The revelations paved the way for antismoking laws, clear health warnings on products and (probably most importantly) advertising and product placement bans for cigarettes.

You might say that it’s not a fair comparison because the government were the good guys and big tobacco was the evil corporation. Fair enough, but thinking about Snowden’s circumstances makes one realise how much scarier the picture is for him. Not only is he facing a mammoth organisation with a huge amount of

“Jeffrey Wiegand doesn’t mean much to you, it won’t be surprising...”

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As White as Snowden

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veryone loves a good conspiracy!

From 9/11, to JFK, to whether Stanley Kubrick helped NASA fake the moon landings - the best ones are probably the ones we can’t ever answer, because knowing the truth kinda ruins the conspiracy part. We’ll never really know who Jack the Ripper was, so there’s always room for new theories. It can be easy to forget the doubt, the shock and the sheer gravity of a major conspiracy that unfolds in your time.

The controversy around WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden has generated a lot of conversation, almost to the point where a Snowden leak is like a meme of itself.

Your friend who tells on the group at the office is the Snowden of the team. When you send a racy email to your best bud, he jokes that the NSA are watching. It’s all become very every day, normal, and boring.

It’s hard to remember what life was like before there was Edward Snowden, and how it has changed since. Sometimes it takes a cheesy Hollywood rendition of the truth to really bring home how much change things have changed and what the cost of the change is to the individuals who drive it.

To really understand Snowden’s story (and how it could end), it might help to look at one of the biggest whistle-blowers of our time, and how that story played out in full.

If the name Jeffrey Wiegand doesn’t mean much to you, it won’t be surprising.

But the effects of Wiegand’s actions are still around us today, almost 20 years after his whistleblowing struggle. Wiegand was a leading research scientist for big tobacco, who eventually left the company and tried to bring to light evidence that cigarettes companies were lying to the public about health and addiction issues.

Now, let’s be honest, prior to 1996, lots of people suspected that cigarettes could be bad for you. In fact, many anti-tobacco movements made claims regarding the addictive nature of nicotine and possible links to cancer. But this had never been

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resources and the will to chase him down to the ends of the Earth, but also with the ability to change laws, influence policy and partner with foreign governments to ensure that he can never find solace anywhere on the planet.

Like Wiegand, Snowden had a story to tell, but was bogged down in legal precedent, oaths taken as an intelligence officer, and frightening treason laws. It’s worth noting that while America hasn’t charged anyone with high treason since the Second World War, the death penalty for treason was only repealed in the 1990’s.

Also like Wiegand, Snowden’s tale is now the subject of a major Hollywood movie.

Played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, under the direction of Oliver Stone, the movie aims to accurately describe the events that led up to the now famous hotel room meeting between Snowden, Laura Poitras

“The difference between treason and patriotism is only a matter of dates”...

TECHNOLOGY

and Glenn Greenwald, which was also brilliantly captured in the Academy Award winning documentary “Citizenfour”, based on Poitras’ own video footage of the interviews. The documentary brilliantly captures the unfolding of events, Snowden’s complex, but detailed description of the NSA programmes that blatantly violated the privacy of billions of people, as well as the frightening extent to which people’s communications and online footprint was being monitored and recorded.

While “Citizenfour” accurately depicts the facts and details, the Hollywood depiction, “Snowden”, really brings out the human aspect of the story. The movie shows Snowden’s fierce patriotism, while his belief in his government is slowly eroded. We really begin to understand his motives are ostensibly to serve his country in the highest possible way, and there is a moment in the movie when we realise that the full weight of what he is about to do has dawned on him, and he understands that any possible life will end

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for him before he reaches the age of 30.

Just seven short years ago, much like nicotine in cigarettes, we didn’t really believe the rumours about government spying, the extent of the collusion with social networks and major telecoms with intelligence agencies, and the broad powers granted to those agencies to investigate and prosecute. Even though many of these were hinted at in the Patriot Acts, it just seemed too farfetched, too implausible, yet just a few years later we’ve taken it all for granted.

The massive emphasis on cyber security, privacy, personal encryption (on services like Facebook and Whatsapp) and an almost Orwellian fear of agencies like the NSA that a few years ago most people would not even have known about.

Much like people are much more aware of cigarettes, their health risks, the risk of being in proximity to cigarettes and having legal guidelines to abide by for restaurants and offices; the revelations of Snowden have changed how we behave on the internet, how we scrutinise software for security, and brought about laws like the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act and The Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-Related Information Act (RICA), which govern how companies can use (or share) personal information and strict guidelines to prevent government agencies from abusing their power to obtain information deemed private.

Jeffrey Wiegand is no longer a school teacher and now travels the world as an advocate and consultant to governments for better control of the tobacco trade, as well as lecturing at schools and colleges. Right now, it’s hard to imagine that the US government will be as accommodating for Snowden.

“The difference between treason and patriotism is only a matter of dates”, said Monsieur Noirtier in Alexandre Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo”, in reference to his support of the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte. It may be some time before the dates align for Edward Snowden, but we hope that history will eventually judge him fairly. g

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Of BOTNETS & IoT

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Playing your part in cyber-crime…

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By Iwan Pienaar

That brings us to DDoS. A distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attack floods the servers that run a Web site or online service with requests until they collapse and the sites they serve stop working.

For a DDoS attack, criminals need to send an enormous number of requests, and that is why they need a lot of devices to do it. For a DDoS attack, they usually use armies of hacked computers, smartphones, gadgets, and other connected things. Working together (but without their owners’ knowledge or consent) these devices form botnets.

The first component of the attack used botnets against Dyn, one of the largest DNS providers in the world. It included tens of millions of devices (those same devices that drive the fundamentals behind IoT). These botnets flooded the Dyn site with requests — a claimed 1.2 terabits per second (not too shabby considering the average internet connection in South Africa is 4 megabits per second). The estimated damage to Dyn alone was approximately $110 million.

However, the criminals responsible did not ask for ransom or make any other demands. In fact, they did nothing but attack, and they left no fingerprints. However, hacker groups New World Hackers and RedCult have claimed responsibility for the incident. In addition, RedCult promised to follow up with more attacks in the future.

So why should you care about this?

Even if you were not personally affected by this, it does not mean you might not have played a part in it. Confused yet? To create a botnet, criminals need a lot of devices with internet connections. How many connected devices do you own? A phone, perhaps a smart TV, your DSTV decoder, a Webcam? Maybe a connected fridge or washing machine? Hacked gadgets serve two masters at the same time: For their owners, they work as usual,

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Of botnets and IoT

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he Internet of Things (IoT) is all around us in more ways than one. We can all see that there are more devices connected to the internet today than ever before.

Look around and you will see not only the likes of Wi-Fi, tablets, and smartphones, but also fitness devices, baby monitors, door bells, fridges, microwaves, and anything else you can shake the digital stick at that has internet access.

Last month, we touched on some of the security risks associated to this crazy new world. This time round we take a closer look at the rise of a new kind of security threat – you! That’s right, the IoT brings with it a wealth of consumer connected devices that, if compromised, can be used to cripple our online experience.

A couple of months ago, almost 100 major Web sites went down or were so slow they were practically unusable. Think not being able to watch Netflix, connect to the Sony PlayStation Network, order from Amazon, or even use Twitter. It was that bad.

Once the digital dust settled, experts determined that it was just three attacks that ‘killed’ the internet for a short time for millions of people. Before we can go any further, we’ll let one of the Kaspersky Lab security experts explain the fundamentals behind the attack.

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the system that hooks up your browser to a Web site. Essentially, each site has a digital address, a place where it lives, as well as the user-friendly URL. For example, blog.kaspersky.com lives at the IP address 161.47.21.156. A DNS server works as an address book — it tells your browser at what digital location a site is stored. If a DNS server does not respond to a request, your browser will not know how to load the page. That is why DNS providers (especially major ones) form an important part of critical internet infrastructure.

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but they also attack Web sites at a criminal’s command. Millions of such devices took down Dyn. This gigantic botnet was created with the help of malicious software (malware). The malware scans for IoT devices and tries a password on whatever it finds. Usually people do not change their default settings and passwords, so the devices are easy to hack — that is how they get conscripted into the zombified armies of hackers.

And that means that your connected TV could be a part of botnet, and you would never even know it.

In September, someone used similar malware to take down the blog of an IT security journalist, overwhelming the server with requests from almost 400 000 zombified devices at up to 665 gigabits per second. The provider tried hold the line but eventually gave up. The blog started working again only after Google intervened to protect it.

Soon after that attack, a user published the source code of the attack on an underground forum.

Criminals of all stripes grabbed it at once. Since then, the number of these bots (now called Mirai) has increased constantly; the Dyn attack occurred after less than a month.

DDoS is a very popular type of attack. And using smart devices in such attacks is appealing for criminals as the IoT is buggy and vulnerable. That is not likely to change anytime soon. Developers of smart gadgets do little to secure their devices and do not explain to users that they should change the passwords on cameras, routers, printers, and other devices. In fact, not all of them even allow users to do so. That makes IoT devices perfect targets.

Today, there are almost 19 billion devices connected to the Web. Even if one looks at conservative estimates, that figure will reach 50 billion in the next five years.

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Almost certainly, most of these devices will not be powerfully protected. In addition, gadgets compromised by Mirai are still active — and new ones join its army of bots every day.Criminals often use botnets to attack core industrial infrastructure — electrical substations, water utilities, and DNS providers.

Botnets are getting bigger, and when those attack-tests are finished, it is not unreasonable to believe a full-scale attack will start. Imagine dozens of simultaneous attacks as powerful as the Dyn incident was and you will understand what damage can be done. Entire countries could lose their internet.

Scared yet?

One person cannot stop botnets from crashing the internet. But working together, we can do a lot by not joining a botnet. You can start with making your devices more secure so that Mirai and similar malware cannot take control of them. If everyone did that, botnet armies would shrink into insignificance.

To stop your printer, router, or <insert favourite IoT device name here> from plunging the world into internet darkness, take these simple precautions.

1. Make sure you do not leave default passwords on your devices.

Use reliable combinations that cannot be brute forced easily; 2. Update firmware for all your gadgets, especially the older ones; and 3. Be selective in choosing smart devices. Ask yourself whether this device really needs an internet connection to be useful? If the answer is “yes”, then take the time to read about the device options before buying. If you discover that it has hard-coded passwords, choose a different model.

So, let us all work together to be more pro-active when it comes time to protect our IoT devices.

You really can make a difference! g

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Of botnets and IoT

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Doctor Strange

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Acer Revo Build Orico QSE-5U Romoss Freemos 10

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Mission: Red Planet Hit Z Road Fuse

RPGs 136 137 138

Tales of the Demon Lord Pathfinder: Bestiary Savage Worlds Horror Companion

COMICS 140 142 144 146

Batman/ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #1 Invincible Iron Man #1 Serenity Firefly Class 03-K64 No Power in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Verse #1 Slam #1

BOOKS 148 150

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The Galaxy Far, Far Away gets even bigger with its first ever spinoff movie.

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hen Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, one of the first

things announced was that there were going to be a lot more Star Wars films. In addition to a new trilogy that continues the story of the Skywalker family postReturn of the Jedi, there would also be a series of standalone movies set in the Star Wars universe. The very first of these standalones â&#x20AC;&#x201C; releasing this month â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

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THE NEW ERA OF ANTHOLOGY FILMS Of course long-time fans know how huge the Star Wars universe is. Since the first Star Wars movie, Episode IV: A New Hope came out in 1977, comics, novels, games and animated series have all expanded the beloved sci-fi-fantasy franchise. We’ve visited other planets; encountered dozens of alien species; learned more about intergalactic peacekeepers, the Jedi, and their millenniaold foes, the Sith; and plunged into several of their wars.

Until now, though, all that material has been relatively peripheral. The big screen was solely reserved for the saga of the Skywalkers – a family balanced precariously on the line between Light Side and Dark Side.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story changes that. As the first of what have been labelled Star Wars Anthology films, Rogue One takes the “extra” franchise content and places it in the spotlight. Right there in the cinema like the movies that started it all.

Some of the spin-off Anthology films, like Rogue One, promise to fill in gaps in the main Star Wars timeline.

Others are intended to delve deep into the backstories of certain key characters. At all times though, the movies won’t over-complicate and intertwine with the main storyline of Episodes I-IX. Star Wars Anthology films are self-contained and exist only to enhance our understanding of events. Or so we’re told.

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WHAT’S AT STAKE IN ROGUE ONE? Did you ever wonder how the Rebel Alliance got the plans for the Death Star?

The same plans that pass from Leia to Luke via R2-D2 in A New Hope. Well, in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, we get to see that incident play out.

Set between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope, Rogue One focuses on the mission to steal plans for the Galactic Empire’s most devastating, world-destroying weapon. That means risking everything and going up against impossible odds at a time when the Empire is at its strongest.

With the Jedi evidently extinct, the mission is entirely reliant on ordinary people fighting back against the might of the Empire. Leading the squad is hot-headed, and morally complicated, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones). Even within the Rebellion, she’s not entirely trusted, but there’s Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) at her side, and he’s a respected military leader. In addition to Andor’s troops, the band is rounded out by blind warrior Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen); his loyal companion, ex-assassin Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen); hulking droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) and Clone Wars veteran, the partcyborg Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker).

Of course, what would Star Wars be without its boo-hiss villains? On that front, there’s Orson Krennic, the Empire’s merciless Director of Advanced Weapons Research – played by Ben Mendelsohn. And, even more intimidating in this Dark Side Glory Age, is the presence of the Emperor’s right hand man, Darth Vader (voiced once LIFESTYLE

more by James Earl Jones).

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EXCITEMENT LEVELS SET TO LIGHTSPEED In comparison to The Force Awakens, Disney actually has relatively modest box office expectations for Rogue One. At this point though, predicted interest and actual excitement levels don’t seem to match. The latter is sky-high. And eagerness is sure to ramp up even more as 16 December approaches.

So what can we look forward to?

For Star Wars fans who still hold the original trilogy above all else, Rogue One’s placement in the franchise timeline means it will replicate the look and technology of Episodes IV-VI. And Darth Vader is there of course, for extra nostalgia value.

Meanwhile, as with The Force Awakens, Rogue One features improved on-screen representation. Although she’s (somewhat problematically) the only woman in the team, Rogue One’s lead, Jyn, is a feisty female character. Meanwhile, her squad mates are drawn from across the international cinema spectrum.

Of particular significance is the presence of Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen. Star Wars has a huge following in Asia, and the inclusion of these two Chinese stars is a nod to that market. It’s the first time Asian actors will appear prominently as heroes in the franchise. In addition, Yen is an accomplished wushu practitioner, and it’s clear from the Rogue One trailers that his character Chirrut Îmwe will be delivering some devastating

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close-range combat with his staff.

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SOMETHING DIFFERENT & DARKER

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According to publicity, the Star Wars Anthology films are meant to feel different from the main series. It’s not even clear if Rogue One will start with the signature Star Wars title scrawl.

With filmmakers supposedly free to establish an individual identity for each Anthology movie, director Gareth Edwards – whose most famous project to date is 2014’s Godzilla – has said that Rogue One is going to feel more like a gritty war movie, with complicated characters. In fact the film has the same cinematographer as Zero Dark Thirty.

It remains to be seen if Edwards’s distinct, darker vision reaches the screen intact, though. Rogue One underwent extensive reshoots in mid-2016. They were completed by Edwards, with the assistance of writer-director Tony Gilroy, who was responsible for scripting the first three Jason Bourne movies, as well as The Bourne Legacy. The unofficial line is that Rogue One has been reworked to make it lighter and more fun. However, Edwards still insists audiences should expect something similar in tone to Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.

There are only a few more weeks to wait until we find out. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story releases in South African cinemas, the US, and many other countries on 16 December. You can watch it in 2D, 3D and 3D IMAX.

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STAR WARS MOVIES IN THE PIPELINE In addition to Rogue One, we have lots more Star Wars goodness to look forward to in the coming years. In fact, whether they’re part of the new sequel trilogy, or standalone spin-off stories, there’s a Star Wars movie scheduled basically every 12 months through to 2020.

Episode VII: The Force Awakens – 18 December 2015 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – 16 December 2016 Episode VIII (Untitled) – 15 December 2017 Han Solo movie (Untitled) – 25 May 2018 Episode IX (Untitled) – 24 May 2019 Untitled Star Wars Anthology film – 2020. g

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ost TVs can accept input from a laptop or computer these days, which is great for viewing videos and other media directly from the device. Controlling the laptop can be a pain, though… but now Logitech have a device that serves as a distance controller, just like your TV’s remote control.

The K400 features a full keyboard and a generous touch screen (for mouse control), meaning that you can do whatever you need to on the laptop without leaving the comfort of your couch. It’s easy to set up and features a really long battery life, as well as enhanced controls for the touch pad. g

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QSE-

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any people have come across the problem of too many chargers, and not enough plug pointsâ&#x20AC;Ś Rather than switching out chargers, invest in the Orico QSE-5U. This is a five port desk-top charger that will charge five devices while taking up only one plug point. As long as the device uses a USB cable and falls into the 5, 9 or 12 volt rage, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re good to go.

The QSE-5U makes for a great charging hub for the family running multiple smart devices, and it cuts down on plug-point clutter. It also makes use of Qualcomm 2.0 quick charge technology, for a little bit of saved time. g

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Romoss

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Power when you need it most

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The Freemos 10 Wireless Charging Power Bank is another great device, which will enable you to recharge any device via USB cable, or wirelessly, if the device is QI-enabled. It has a high quality 10 000mAh battery, and can recharge 1000mAh in three and a half hours. A great device in a pinch!g

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Mission: Red Plane

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Interplanetary colonialismâ&#x20AC;¦

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AT A GLANCE

#of Players: Play Time: Manufacturer: Distributor: Online:

Strategy 2-6 Players 45–90 minutes Fantasy Flight SolarPop www.fantasyflightgames.com gamecca90

Ages

It’s a fairly complex game, but once you come to grips with it, Mission: red Planet can be lots of fun.

14+ 79 Score

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Genre:

Summary

et

love-child of Ticket to Ride and Risk.

While there is never truly direct conflict between players, there are numerous ways to undermine the efforts of your opponents, and well timed usage of specialists is crucial to success. But luck can also come into play, in the form of the modifiers…

The main issue, really, is that there is a lot to keep track of here, and new players will easily get overwhelmed by the game.

But after a few sessions, Mission: Red Planet can be an engaging and enjoyable game, provided everyone has a firm grasp of what is happening. It’s not very friendly towards newcomers, really, but those who persevere will discover a fun game on the other side of the steep learning curve.

Mission: Red Planet is beautifully presented, too, with everything tying in to the awesome steam punk theme that the game makes use of.

It takes a fair amount of space to set up, because just as the game has lots of things going on, it has lots of components to describe the action.

A quick note – the two player game is actually played using four sets of astronauts, and gets a little complex. This is a game best played with three or more players, with the maximum number (six) providing the best results. If you’re up for really learning how to play a game, and enjoy strategy and underhanded tactics, Mission: Red Planet is a decent option. g

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ike any steam punk space ship, Mission: Red Planet has a lot of moving parts. This is both a good and a bad thing; while the game gets to be wonderfully strategic once all the players have a full grasp of what is going on, getting to have that full grasp will take some time. You certainly won’t come to grips with exactly how the inner working of Mission: Red Planet fit together in your first few play throughs – it is a game that will take some time to understand, never mind master.

The premise is that each player is the boss of a mining company, and that the minerals they’re after are on Mars. And so players must rush to get astronauts aboard space ships, and to get those space ships to the red planet. From then on, it’s a matter of numbers in an effort to dominate the various areas on Mars.

But things are never that simple in Mission: Red Planet. First of all, mineral pay-outs only happen at three times during the game (a handy round tracker indicates when that is). Next, there are numerous modifiers that can come into play, but they also occur at specific times, for the most part.

The player may also have missions to complete, if they happen to have drawn a mission card. And lastly, each player has nine specialists that can seriously hamper the efforts of others.

If a comparison must be drawn, it feels like Mission: Red Planet is the

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CATAN

Building a mini empire

Hit Z Road LIFESTYLE

Apocalyptic road trip

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a lot of thought into the overall presentation of their products, and

few elements; resource management, riskreward strategies and a bit of dice-rolling

did. The game is presented as having been

luck. In terms of strategies, it is a game

created by a youngster who travelled with

in which the easiest road may not deliver

his family from Chicago to Los Angeles

the most resources, but it will also provide

in the wake of a zombie apocalypse, and

the player with the least casualties.

is based on those adventures. Now, as

Additionally, sometimes sticking to

one could well imagine, there aren’t a lot

the easier path isn’t the best ideas, as

of printing and manufacturing companies

resources that could have been gained

left after such a calamity, so to create the

from a tougher route may be needed later.

game, scraps and scavenged parts would

And screwing over other players may

need to be used… and this is where the

come back to bite you in the behind a little

real charm of the presentation comes

later, too.

Hit Z Road is a somewhat light-hearted

repurposed poker chips, cards are made

game, even though it has a pretty stark

out of old playing cards found along the

and disturbing theme. It is extremely

way, and so on. It works really, really well.

easy to learn and play, but possesses a

The great presentation goes further

strategic depth that is almost surprising.

though – for example, each card

Additionally, the randomness of the dice

illustration is unique, making Hit Z Road a

and card selections keeps players on their

visual feast.

toes and necessitates quick thinking and risk-taking… pretty much as one assumes

The premise is the same journey from

a trip across a massive, zombie infested

Chicago to LA. Using the cards, specific

continent would.

routes are describes, and players then bid

The real winner here is the presentation,

to see who picks their routes first. These

which is pitch perfect and actually

bids are paid for using the three resources

transports one into the idea of being a

collected along the way, but the resources

zombie apocalypse survivor wonderfully.

are also needed to complete actions –

Even the repurposed game box ties into

so resource management, although not

the theme beautifully (describing the rules

extremely deep, is vital.

for an entirely different game on the back).

Along with resources, the player gets

It’s complete, too, with no little chinks

a number of survivors, too, and more

showing, for that added suspension of

can be gained along the way. But zombie

disbelief.

attacks can also take survivors out. These

Quick to learn and well-paced, Hit Z Road is a decent way to kill an hour or

the player’s given route, and are resolved

so.g

Genre: #of Players: Play Time: Manufacturer: Distributor: Online:

Thematic bidding 1-4 Players 30-60 minutes Asmodee SolarPop www.asmodee.com gamecca90

Summary

attacks are determined by the cards on

Ages

Easy to learn and beautifully presented, Hit Z Road takes you on an apocalyptic road trip

12+ 80 Score

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by Alex Scanlon

Playing the game is extremely simple.

AT A GLANCE

Ultimately, Hit Z Road comes down to a

the team behind Hit Z Road most certainly

in. Tokens are flattened bottle caps or

d

using dice with specialised faces.

COOL STUFF: BoardGames

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t’s great when game creators put

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CATAN

Building a mini empire

Fuse LIFESTYLE

10 minutes to destruction

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number of players). This means that if

engage in playing board

a card requires a red dice showing 3, it

games get to relax and

may not be available. Players need to

go with the flow. But when it is your

work together to best ultilise the dice

mission to diffuse a number of bombs

each turn.

within ten minutes, there is no time to sit back and take it easy. And that’s part

mathematical formula (like “X+Y=Z” or

of what makes Fuse so much fun.

“X=X=X”) but some require pyramids

The overall premise is that the

or stacks of dice to be built. If, during

players are aboard a space ship, and

the frenzy, there are knocked over,

that enemies have made it on board.

the player must begin again on that

In an effort to totally destroy the ship,

particular card.

they have placed more than twenty

It can get pretty frantic, particularly

bombs around the vessel. The players

when the timer starts getting to very

are members of an elite Bomb Defusal

little time left. Speaking of which, any

Team, and they have a scant ten

ten minute timer will do, but Renegade

minutes to get every device disarmed

Game Studios have made a smart-

before disaster strikes.

device app available for download,

The bombs are represented by cards,

which carries the look and feel of Fuse

each of which has a number of symbols

into the timer, too, complete with alarms

on them. These symbols show exactly

and flashing lights.

The most complicated thing about

and the actions required to do so are

Fuse is learning what the symbols on

accomplished by placing dice that match

the cards mean (which isn’t all that

the instructions on the card in question.

difficult) and understanding the math

Once the correct combination of dice is

(which you either do or don’t). It’s an

placed on a card, it is removed and the

intensely quick-thinking game, and

player selects a new device from five

those who battle to manage stress may

face up cards to work on. That selected

find themselves sweating when the dice

device is replaced by one from the draw

aren’t favourable.

Fuse is also one of the growing

pile is done… or until the ten minutes

number of games that has a single

run out.

player option, which is pretty fun when

There are a few complications along the way, though. First of all, only four

there is no-one else about.

If you’re after something that is easy to learn, and very quick to play,

turn, and rolled for random results. Each

then Fuse is a great option. It might

player may then select a certain number

not be great for your blood pressure,

of those dice to use (depending on the

though...g

Genre: #of Players: Play Time: Manufacturer: Distributor: Online:

Dice placement 1 - 5 Players 10 minutes Renegade Game Studios SolarPop www.renegadegamestudios. gamecca90

Summary

dice are selected from the dice bag each

Ages

It’s fast paced and requires quick-thinking…

Fuse is a dice placement game with a tough time limit.

13+ 80 Score

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how the bombs need to be defused,

pile of cards, and lay proceeds until the

AT A GLANCE

Most cards show some kind of

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ost of the time, people who

Tales of the Demon Lord Dark times...

System: Manufacturer: Distributor: Online:

Fantasy Shadow of the Demon Lord Schwalb Entertainment

Summary

LIFESTYLE

AT A GLANCE 136

Genre:

province of the game world of Urth. If played in order, these tales develop into a complex and exciting story that places the very fate of the world in the players’ hands (and we wouldn’t want it any other way, now would we)?

Naturally, a copy of Shadow of the Demon Lord is necessary to play through Tales, and most of the information (like monsters and so forth) vital to this campaign can be found in the main rules.

Tales introduces a few new things, though, which can be used here

DriveThru RPG www.drivethrurpg.com gamecca90

or in other Shadows campaign.

Additionally, GMs could use the individual scenarios as stand-alone adventures, but why would they want to?

This is a collection of thoughtful, well-crafted adventures that not only provide great entertainment, but can also inspire players and GMs in their future Shadow of the Demon Lord sessions. Although you likely won’t play it through more than once with the same group, it really is a fun and engrossing tale that is well worth experiencing. g Score

A great collection of eleven adventures that tie into a sweeping campaign… really fun stuff.

78

by Walt Pretorius

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hadow of the Demon Lord really is a breath of fresh air in fantasy role playing, because it moves beyond tried and tested tropes and introduces a bunch of new ideas to the mix – including horror, more advanced technology, and so forth.

If, as a GM, you’re looking to run a lengthy campaign in this setting, Tales of the Demon Lord is a great bit of source material. This is a sweeping campaign, set over 11 adventures that take place in the Northern Reach, the northernmost

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Cool Stuff: RPGs

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Pathfinder: Bestiary A beastly book!

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System:

Fantasy Pathfinder

Manufacturer:

Paizo

Distributor:

Paizo

Online:

Summary

LIFESTYLE

AT A GLANCE 137

Genre:

www.paizo.com gamecca90

Score

All the essential creatures and monsters are right here, as well as rules for creating more… and even playing as one.

88

by Walt Pretorius

hat would a fantasy role playing game be without things to slay – or to slay you? You needs goblins, orcs, trolls and all manner of other nasties to do battle with, and that’s where Pathfinder’s Bestiary comes in. This book – the first of several Bestiaries to be used with the Pathfinder role playing system – is crammed with tons of creatures to serve as enemies, villains and other kinds of evil-doers (and sometimes, maybe, even allies) for any fantasy RPG session.

Veteran role players may notice the similarity between these creatures and those from D&D. This is largely due to the fact that Pathfinder has its roots in D&D 3.5 edition, but as one works through successive Bestiaries, the creativity of the Pathfinder team shows through more and more.

And, in addition, this book features comprehensive rules on creating creatures, and even for using monsters as companions and player characters.

As with virtually any book in the Pathfinder library, the Bestiary is an invaluable guide to truly making the game your own. But it is also an essential book, because it details the very creatures that you will need to populate your fantasy world. And then it breaks open the creativity potion, allowing the GM and payers to once again express themselves beautifully in a fantasy role playing setting, by not restricting who they can be, or what they face.

While having all of the Bestiary books is ideal, this particular one is not negotiable… it will be one of the most useful tools in and GM’s arsenal. g

Savage Worlds Horror Companion Getting scary

System: Manufacturer: Distributor: Online:

Horror Savage Worlds Pinnacle Entertainment Group

Summary

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AT A GLANCE 138

Genre:

so by getting hold of one of their extremely useful Companion guide sourcebooks, like the Savage Worlds Horror Companion.

As with any of these valuable books, the Horror Companion serves partly as a rule adjustment resource, and partly as inspiration. While it covers a vast number of options, horror is an extremely vast concept… but the book will provide the GM with enough information and inspiration to run pretty much any kind of horror in their game. From gothic creatures like vampires and werewolves, though

DriveThru RPG www.drivethrurpg.com gamecca90

to more modern concepts, the Horror Companion has it covered.

Not only does it introduce some dreadful enemies to face, but also brings in ideas on how to play characters that are these dreadful creatures. As with each of the Companions, the Horror Companion blows things wide open for creative GMs to enhance their adventures and get their players quaking in their boots.

Fantasy western horror sci-fi? Sure, why not… that’s what Savage Worlds is all about. g Score

Add all kinds of thing that go bump in the night with this useful sourcebook.

79

by Walt Pretorius

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orror role-playing can be an extremely entertaining and rewarding (not to mention bone-chilling) experience, but it doesn’t often get blended in to other genres to great effect – largely because the rules for other genres don’t take it into account too much, or simply gloss over the idea of scaring the living daylights out of players in a few paragraphs.

That’s where (once again) the Savage Worlds system is so great.

GMs that want to introduce virtually any kind of genre to a game can do

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GET GRAPHIC

Batman/ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 Matthew K. Manning Jon Sommariva IDW / DC All Ages

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by Clive Burmeister

Following on the heels of a successful crossover miniseries of the regular titles of Batman & TMNT, Nickelodeon presents a similar crossover but set in the animated worlds. This is the kind of comic that can make people excited about comics again, or better yet, for young readers, excited about comics for the first time.

With an art style straight from the cartoons, fast paced and action packed story, humour and intrigue, this comic will have young and older readers alike glued to the pages.

And not only do we see our favourite heroes from different universes, but also all their big bad guys too. Ever wanted to see the turtles take on Clayface (or Mudbutt as Mikey calls him)? Well now you can!

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Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher: Rated:

COOL STUFF: Comics

GET GRAPHIC Invincible Iron Man #1 Brian Michael Bendis Stefano Caselli Marvel Teen

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by Clive Burmeister

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a new Iron Man in town, or rather a new Iron Woman. With Tony Stark out of the picture, super genius Riri Williams tries to fill his rocket powered boots, and discovers this whole hero business is not quite as easy as Tony made it look. But with a new suit of armour, of her own design, and her individual approach and personal experiences; Riri tackles the challenge head on and makes the title of The Invincible Iron Man her own.

Bendis, probably the most acclaimed and accredited writer at Marvel Comics, gives this new hero the spark of life that should see her gain in popularity as the unique character that she is, but experience has also taught writers that the die-hard fans donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like to see their old heroes replaced, and Bendis has an answer for this too.

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Title:

Serenity Firefly Class 03-K64 – No Power in the ‘Verse #1

Writer:

Chris Roberson

Artist:

Georges Jeanty

Publisher: Rated:

COOL STUFF: Comics

GET GRAPHIC Dark Horse Teen +

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by Clive Burmeister

The TV show Firefly may have been cancelled, but the franchise has seen a movie and several comic mini-series continue the story, not to mention tons of merchandising to support the dedicated fan base. But why is it so popular? You need only watch the series to know why.

After a bit of a hiatus in comics, Firefly returns with a new book, “No Power in the ‘Verse” which sees Captain Mal Reynolds and his crew back in action.

After uncovering one of the Alliance’s dark secrets (see Serenity the movie), Mal and his crew are considered wanted criminals throughout most of the galaxy, and have been forced to small smuggling jobs and hasty salvages to keep their bird in the air, but when an old friend puts out a call for help, they all get dragged back in to the conflict.

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Title:

Slam #1

Writer:

Pamela Ribon

Artist:

Veronica Fish

Publisher: Rated:

COOL STUFF: Comics

GET GRAPHIC Boom Teen +

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by Clive Burmeister

Roller Derby, although not a new sport, has definitely gained in popularity over recent years, giving women a voice and an outlet in the form of a contact sport. It was only a matter of time till a comic hit the shelves incorporating this fast paced sport, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great that Pamela Ribon and Veronica Fish were the ones to do it. Slam is aptly named, as issue one slams the reader with a story that is bound to get a following of its own, as two young women from very different backgrounds, find friendship in each other as they find a way forward through this newfound sport.

Written with passion and illustrated with emotion, Slam is not only a good read for fans and new comers to Roller Derby, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also something I would easily recommend to young women.

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Cold Counsel A path of vengeance

Title:

LIFESTYLE

Author: Publisher: Genre:

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Cold Counsel Chris Sharp Tor Books Fantasy

COOL STUFF: BOOKS

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lud of the Blood Claw Clan has been raised by Aunt Agnes, a witch with ties to an ancient era and a blood saturated war. Saving Slug as one of the last living trolls, she moulds Slug into a fierce warrior through incredible ties that sharpen his mind and build

his strength. Now the time has come to seek revenge on the Goblin clans that rule the mountains, with Slug as the harbinger of death and revenge for the old witch; for cold is the counsel of women.

A story enriched by an ensemble of fascinating characters, ancient magic, and deep ties to the descendants of those who battle on Ragnarok, Cold Counsel brings these fantastical creatures to life in jarring beauty. None are spared from the wrath of the witch nor from the cold brutality of the giant troll. Written with visceral clarity, exploring motivations of a goddess wronged and just how far one is willing to go for revenge, Cold Counsel is an imaginative foray into fantasy that is worth every word in this short yet engaging tale. g

By: Nthato Morakabi

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Binti

The cultural divide

Title:

LIFESTYLE

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Binti Nnedi Okorafor Tor Books Sci-FI

COOL STUFF: BOOKS

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e Himba don’t travel. We stay put. Our ancestral land is life; move away from it and you diminish. We even cover our bodies with it… Here, in the launch port… I was an outsider; I was outside.” This idea is

central to much of the tale that Binti tells. This book, by Nigerian author Nnedi Okorafor, not only looks at a future for mankind, but also at the impact that traditional values can have when juxtaposed against modern ideals and ambitions.

Binti is a girl from Africa, and after having grown up in the galactic backwater that is Earth (a theme used far too commonly in sci-fi, really) she is accepted into a prestigious, offworld university on a scholarship.

The early stages of the book explores the divide between old and modern cultures beautifully, but the tale undergoes something of a devolution in the latter parts, when aliens and other oft-used science-fiction tropes get injected into the mix.

Still, Binti is an enjoyable read, and features a near breathless pace that drives the novella along at an engaging, addictive pace. Most of all, it shows great potential for the author, and we can look forward to great things – with a

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Walt Pretorius

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Ramjet’s rantality

very day we hear calls for one or another kind of activism. Whether it is saving our precious rhinos from poachers, or protesting high prices, there are tons of things that people get unhappy about.

And so folks send out online petitions and make demands on social media. And they get absolutelt nowhere.

It’s a noble gesture, to sit in your comfy chair and type up a rant-fuelled petition appeal, using your expensive hardware to decry the injustice of the world while you sip at an imported espresso. But it is only noble in your mind, my friend, because you might as well be farting into the wind for all the effect your efforts are having.

The only way that these things could ever really have any true impact is if people stand together and take real, tangible action. There was, a few years back, a group of people that complained about the fuel price, and they decided to boycott the purchase of fuel for 24 hours.

The calculated effect of this action was billions of Rands, a knock that the fuel companies cannot afford.

The actual effect of this action

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was, well… nothing. Because no-one stuck together. People still purchased fuel on the day that the boycott was supposed to happen. A whole bunch of them were probably happy that there was less traffic at the service stations.

It’s a sad reality of life that everyone is out for themselves.

For true action to take place in any situation like this, people would have to stand together, but most are only willing to do so if it is convenient for them.

And that counts for gamers, too.

Let’s take a look at a situation that is currently a huge problem in the South African market: the price of video games. Oh, and before I get further into this, I am in no way advocating this kind of thing… I am just trying to illustrate a point. If gamers really wanted change, they would organise a proper boycott of any given product. A big name game, for example. They would all agree, and no-one would buy it, in any format, ever.

At least not until the demands of the boycotters were met.

It will never work, and here’s why. Because there would be people that would go ahead and buy it anyway. Actions

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BY rAMJET

No Solidarity...

like this take solidarity, and there simply is none in a subculture that constantly picks on its own. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that gamers are one big happy family – we aren’t. We constantly bicker and fight within our ranks, and when one of us gets attacked by an “outsider”, we look the other way. As long as it isn’t happening to us, we’re ok. As long as other people are doing important stuff, we don’t have to. As long as we have our game (through whatever means) we don’t care that others cannot afford it. As long as I am OK, everything is OK. We’re proud of being gamers.

We wear the label like a badge.

Maybe we should start standing together in 2017, ignoring concepts like race, sex, age and platform of choice. It would make for a refreshing change.

Oh, and just in case you get ideas about boycotting stuff, keep in mind that a few thousand sales in South Africa are nothing compared to the millions of sales in the rest of the world. All it would do is hurt the local industry. And maybe we should find ways to stand by them, too. g