Gamecca Magazine January 2015 by Gamecca Magazine

ISSUE 67 / Vol.6 January 2015

www.gameccamag.com

The Crew Lara Croft & the Temple of Osiris Secret Ponchos and more...

A New Experience

GeekXP promises great adventures

All the Colours... Razer’s Chroma range reviewed

road trip!

behind the wheel with The Crew

Simply the Best 2014’s top ten games

after dark Fight or flight in Dying Light...

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H OW O

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Gold Award

Given to games and hardware that score above 90

Silver Award

Given to games and hardware that score above 85

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Bronze Award

Given to games and hardware that score above 80

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Edâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choice

Given to products that stand out for various reasons. This award is not dependent on score.

appy New Year! This is the sixth time I am wishing you, our valued readers, all the best for the year ahead. May it be happy, healthy and prosperous. And may, quite frankly, it be better than 2014 was. The year that has just finished was a rough one on many levels, and the video game industry has felt the knock-on effects of a world that has been in a financial quandary. It all comes down to that, really: money. If there isn’t enough money, then everyone suffers, and the year-on-year drop in the South African video game industry (which made it into double figures this year) stands testament to that. Games are expensive luxuries, really, so when the cash is tight, they’re one of the first things to be deprioritised. But 2015 has a really bright ray of light coming up, in the form of a rather significant drop in the fuel price. And if you’re wondering what that has to do with video games, well, you need to do some basic financial studying. Everything comes down to the fuel price because every product, at some point or another, needs to be transported from point A to point B. And when fuel is more expensive, things go up in price. Across the board. That means not only one product increasing in price, but everything. The theory, then, is that when the fuel price comes down, prices of products improve, and there is more

From the Editor

Potential by Walt Pretorius

money to go around. So more space for game sales. At least, in a perfect system, that’s how things should work… the gap between theory and practice is there, of course, but this little ray of hope spells a potentially better year all round, if it is a trend that is to continue. That said, we here in South Africa are still suffering the effects of exchange rates that aren’t really favourable. The Rand is slowly spiralling downwards, which means that imported products are becoming more expensive. And games, after all, are imported. However, things may well balance out… we’ll just have to wait and see exactly what the first few months of this new year brings. For us here at Gamecca, 2015 holds tons of promise… and that means that you, our readers, will be benefitting. We have (I have mentioned this before) a ton of new ideas and initiatives that we want to introduce through the course of the next twelve months, and rest assured, you’ll be the first to know when we kick these new offerings off. And then, of course, there’s the question of all the awesome gaming potential that the year holds. We know about more than a few exciting titles already – things like Dying Light, The Witcher 3, Battlefield Hardline, Project CARS and many others are already set for release within the next few months, and there will doubtlessly be many more exciting announcements coming up soon. Ah, yes, potential. Lots of potential. That’s what we like to see at the start of a new year. g mgeect 2 c7a 6 7 ggl a ad

THIS MONTH’S COVER

Get ready for nightfall in Dying Light...

Regular: Did you know Some interesting facts from the world of gaming

Feature: Dying Light Darkness is coming...

PReviews: Games 13 upcoming games

Publisher / Editor: Walt Pretorius walt@novamentis.co.za

Publisher / Art Director Katia Taliadoros Katia@novamentis.co.za

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

Feature: Top 10 Games of 2014 Our top picks from last year

Reviews: Games 6 games investigated

Regular: Legacy The birth of the biggest genre...

Column: Ramjet’s Rantality Promises discarded

Letters: letters@gameccamag.com

Competition Entries: competitions@gameccamag.com

Newsletter Subscriptions: www.gameccamag.com

Marketing Contact: marketing@novamentis.co.za

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

GAMECCA is published by Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd

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Feature: 20 years of PlayStation Breaking records for two decades

reviews: Hardware 9 tech items reviewed

106

Regular: Internet Are monopolies taking over?

110

Regular: Security What to expect in 2015

112

Column: Technically Speaking Time to catch up

116

Gamecca Vol. 6 Issue 67 January 2015

Interview: GeekXP How to live the geek dream

122

Column: The Time Betwixt 2015 trends

124

COOL STUFF four bits of essential comic reading

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“Time is precious... waste it wisely.” - Anon

Features 12 46

Dying Light Top 10 Games of 2014

PReviews 18 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44

Protect C.A.R.S The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Citizens of Earth Dragonball: Xenoverse Total War: Attila Blitzkrieg 3 Bombshell A Rite from the Stars Hand of Fate Blackguards 2 There Came an Echo Titan Souls Toren

Reviews 58 64 66 68 70 72

The Crew Lara Croft & The Temple of Osiris Secret Ponchos The Muppets Movie Adventures Titan Attacks! Final Horizon

RegularS 10 74

Did you know Legacy

COLUMN 78

Ramjetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rantality

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1…

that Minecraft creator Notch bought a whopping big mansion? Everybody knows that Minecraft was a huge success, but just how big was it? Well, it seems that the game has been doing so well, that it has afforded creator Markus “Notch” Persson the ability to buy the most expensive house ever in Beverly Hills. According to various sources, the deal for the house was closed in an unprecedented six days, at a price of $70 million. Now who says making pixelated characters won’t make you rich?

2…

that Destiny’s Crota’s End Raid can be finished solo? Love it or loathe it, but Bungie’s Destiny still attracts millions of players each day – for whatever reasons. The studio last month released a host of changes, add-ons and a new Raid for players to tackle. These Raids have notoriously been difficult, requiring at least six players to complete. That theory was recently debunked as player ‘sc Slayerage’ managed to finish it himself in just over 30 minutes. According to the video he posted, he used a great number of weapons, and the ability to cloak to get past the main parts.

3…

that there is another Minecraft on the way? Speaking of Minecraft earlier, to no surprise there will be another Minecraft game coming to consoles later this year. But forget about building and crafting things from scratch, as this one will be something completely different. Being developed in conjunction with Mojang and Telltale Games, the new version of Minecraft will actually have a story. Called Minecraft: Story Mode, the title will release in a number of episodic installations. No plot has been revealed yet.

GAMING

Did You

Know?

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DID YOU KNOW

Mansions, raids, sequels and farming in style...

4…

that Rockstar Games talked about a new Red Dead Redemption? Red Dead Redemption was one of the hottest games when it came out, so it is only natural for gamers to feel a bit edgy when talk of a potential sequel is being tossed around. In a recent Question and Answer session, Rockstar for the first time directly mentioned the potential of a sequel. “As we’ve mentioned when asked in the past about new games in other series such as Red Dead Redemption, we don’t always rush to make sequels, but that does not mean we won’t get to them eventually. We have so many games we want to make,” it said.

5…

that Farming Simulator is getting dedicated peripherals? For some odd reason, 2014 was rather quiet when it came to gaming peripherals, but this year Mad Catz is taking that to the farming world. The group announced that they will be developing an authentic peripheral to go with all the virtual farmers in Farming Simulator 15. The steering wheel contraption will feature 900 degrees of turning and a wheel turning knob, as well as a Front Loader Control Stick “to give you precise control of your vehicle’s front attachments and fully programmable buttons for tool attach/detach, tool switching, reverse, lights, horn, cruise control, and more!”

6…

that GTA V is finally getting Heists? It almost seems like it should be showcased in a trivia section, and its partly why it is in this month’s Did you know, but in case you haven’t been paying attention to anything GTA V related, the almost mythical Heists has finally been announced and dated for Grand Theft Auto V. The feature was one of the selling points of the console, so it is rather sad that it is only making an appearance more than a year after release. Even so, no firm date has been announced, with Rockstar Games only saying ‘early 2015’. g

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E M re A tu G a Fe

Dying

GAMING

Beware of

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Dying Light

by Lein Baart

Light

f the dark

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E M re A tu G a Fe

GAMING

f ever there was textbook definition required for an oversaturated entertainment premise, the zombie apocalypse would be it. As a culture we’re obsessed with our re-animated dead and no matter the medium or the genre, zombies have found a way to sneak their adorable rotting hearts into it. We’ve had them walk, run, crawl and shamble, animated by magic, by viruses, by tech gadgets and even by funguses. They’ve appeared in games that run the gamut from sci-fi through to drama, and from platformers to shooters. We’ve become so accustomed to the idea of decaying resurrected humans that they’ve simply lost their power to terrify, and the one genre to which they truly belong, horror, has suffered for it. There is a developer though that seems to have at least the intention of restoring

zombies to their proper status as monsters in the dark, and for those who yearn for the dread inspired by the walking dead, Techland is hoping that Dying Light will offer up all the fear you can handle. While the Polish studio may not be a big player in the industry, Techland certainly has some credentials behind its name, having been the creative force behind the Call of Juarez games and, more importantly, 2011’s Dead Island and its expansion, Riptide. For those that never played the title, Dead Island was a first-person zombie bash-fest which saw players take up the role of one of four survivors on a decimated tropical island battling to escape an undead epidemic. It was a game that didn’t seek to break the mould so much as extend it, offering gamers countless hours of cathartic cranium smashing, weirdly stiff character animations

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Dying Light

and a par-for-the-course plot that served only to provide a convenient excuse to change locations. It was a diamond in the rough, pleasingly devoid of any weighty issues beyond which weapon would result in the biggest blood splatter, and it was much the same for Riptide. It was not however a horror title, and while moments of panic could certainly creep in, Dead Island was ultimately a game which allowed players to relax and enjoy splattering a few heads. It’s been just over three years though since the game hit the shelves, and now Techland is looking to take ramp things up a notch. At first glance, Dying Light may appear to be more a sequel to Dead Island than a separate game in its own right, though the developers are quick to insist this is not the case. Once again players will find themselves in a fictional location, this time Harran, Turkey, which

is under quarantine due to zombies having overrun the city. The game will not offer a choice of protagonists this time round though, instead allowing gamers the chance to step into the role of an undercover agent named Kyle Crane. Techland have promised that Dying Light will deliver a “thrilling story, complete more than a hundred side-quests”, though exact information on the plot remains scant at best. To be honest, this particular brand of horror isn’t best known for exquisite story-crafting (Dead Island included), so any effort to up the bar is a welcome one. Dying Light aims to distinguish itself from its predecessor in more than just narrative though. While the game will still remain open-world, with almost the entire city explorable from the get-go, Dying Light has ventured into realms of free-running, offering players

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GAMING

E M re A tu G a Fe

the ability to scale almost any building and engage in “parkour-style movement” as you clamber and leap to get from point A to B. Given its first-person perspective this should result in gameplay that has more in common with Mirror’s Edge than Assassin’s Creed, and the trailers seem to back this up, with Kyle being significantly less graceful in his navigation (and the rules of physics more permanent) than in Ubisoft’s offerings. There is more to Dying Light than just its movement mechanics however, and this will lie with the game’s implementation of its day and night cycle. While the sun shines, zombies will typical represent standard fare; slow-shuffling creatures whose only real threat lies in numbers, and who can be easily by-passed thanks to the

verticality the title is offering. By night though Dying Light promises to transform itself into a true horror title, unleashing enemies that are stronger, more aggressive and at least somewhat intelligent. While it’s impossible to state now whether it will truly deliver on its desire to terrify, what has been shown so far certainly seems to inspire fear. Survival will be the name of the game here, as these monsters will have the ability to rip you to shreds, and your only refuge will be the breaking light of dawn. It’s a dramatic shift in theme and tone compared to Dead Island, and could truly differentiate the title from zombie games in general. Techland is not throwing the baby out with the bath water though, and many of the core features that made its first zombie title so popular will be

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Dying Light

returning. Expect to see a decidedly heavy focus on melee combat (mainly in the daytime), with the hordes still being clobbered and dismembered with any likely tool that comes to hand. To supplement this crafting will once again feature, with players able to modify weapons to suit their needs and style. Likewise, the RPG system will offer a diverse range of abilities falling into three general categories, all built with an eye towards allowing you to better survive undead predation. Finally, beyond the expected four player co-op, Dying Light is moving with the times and will implement “asymmetrical multiplayer”, allowing players to take control of a Night Hunter and invade other people’s games. The Night Hunter will include its own levelling system, growing from a fairly weak zombie to a true monster.

The constant threat of invasion at night can only but added to the games horror elements, and while the idea might be somewhat derivative, this sounds like a truly fantastic implementation of the concept. Dying Light is ultimately a game that appears to be bit of a paradox, attempting to distance itself from its roots yet at the same time still incorporating many elements that made Dead Island a cult hit. Yet despite that there definitely seems to be enough on offer to get gamers excited at the prospect of once again plunging into a zombie infested world. While it’s impossible to say with certainty before the game is actually released, Dying Light looks to be a far more polished and ambitious experience, and one that seeks to return zombies to their proper status as enemies to be feared. g

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Protect C.A

GAMING

By the people, for the peopleâ&#x20AC;Ś

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Protect C.A.R.S

A.R.S

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those that haven’t realised what we’re talking about yet, Project C.A.R.S. Project C.A.R.S. has been in development for some time now, and enjoys the support of a community already several million strong. And a deal reached in July of 2014 saw Namco Bandai step up as official distributor, enabling the development of the game to move onto numerous platforms. The development even has a former Stig, Ben Collins, working with the developers. So what exactly does Project C.A.R.S. offer players? Well, it’s a racing simulation, but it isn’t the kind that will have you tearing around urban tracks and outracing pursuing cops. Rather. Project C.A.R.S. is less about a story (revenge or otherwise) and is more about celebrating

GAMING

here’s a lot of crowd-funding going on these days, and there are a number of extremely ambitious projects underway, thanks to the belief of, and financial support provided by, the world at large. One such project was launched by Slightly Mad Studios, the guys behind a number of racing games in the past. Slightly Mad’s approach has always been a global one (including working with veteran South African developer Steven Viljoen) and so it is small wonder that they have gone this route. But beyond financing, their latest effort allows those so inclined to assist with the development. It even gives rise to the acronym used in the game’s name: Community Assisted Racing Simulator. Or, for

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Protect C.A.R.S

C.A.R.S. will recreate all the conditions for you perfectly. There will, naturally, be a career mode available, but it will be free of many of the restrictions that other racing games impose on you. Slightly Mad are trying to create a realistic simulation that is still accessible to a wide audience in Project C.A.R.S., so that anyone who loves driving and powerful vehicles can celebrate them. If you love cars and the idea of experiencing realistically recreated virtual versions of them, then Project C.A.R.S. should definitely be on your radar. The massive amount of fan input that has already gone into the game, as well as Slightly Mad’s experience and experts that have been brought on board, should all add up to a game that is unique in many ways. g

AT A GLANCE Racing

With massive community involvement aiding the development process, this simulator should be rather unique. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Slightly Mad Studios Namco Bandai Megarom

Mar 2015

Platforms

GENRE

ETA

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

by Walt Pretorius

the art of driving. From Le Mans Prototypes, Supercars and GT models through to track day cars and even karts, Project C.A.R.S. will afford the player the opportunity to experience a wide array of motor vehicles from the world’s leading manufacturers. In addition to a massive vehicle roster, Project C.A.R.S. will visit some of the world’s most exciting race tracks, too, including the likes of Le Mans, Laguna Seca, Donnington, Watkins Glen, Brands Hatch and Silverstone. All of these will come with dynamic weather and lighting effects… in fact, the player will even be able to relive historical events, complete with the weather and lighting conditions prevalent on the day that they took place. Want to relive to 2002 Le Mans endurance race? Project

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The Witcher Wild Hunt GAMING

Return of the monster slayer

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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

r 3:

AT A GLANCE Action RPG

The Witcher games have built a strong reputation and following over the years, and the third title appears to be looking to meet expectations Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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CD Projekt RED Bandai Namco Games Megarom

ETA

May 2015

Platforms

GENRE

by Lein Baart

ark fantasy seems to have become all the rage in recent years, with grim brooding heroes (uneagerly) leaping at the chance to save their corrupted and dystopian worlds. Of them all however, few have managed to bring their universes to life with same subtly and nuances that The Witcher games seem to bring about so effortlessly, shoving players into a world of grey-mired moral decisions that truly bear consequences. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s little wonder then that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has drawn such huge attention from the gaming community, despite the recently announced release delay. For those that somehow managed to avoid the massive hype the game has generated, The Witcher 3 will once again see players stepping into the boots of Geralt of Rivia, a monster slayer seeking to uncover his lost past in a land riddled with intrigue, racism and greed. The biggest news by far for this release has been the move to open-world, with the game featuring an explorable area roughly 20% larger than that of Skyrim, according to developers CD Projekt RED. The Witcher 3 will also include streamlined combat mechanics, double the amount of Witcher signs (simple spells essentially), improved A.I., and the promise that even side-quests will provide weighty and meaningful encounters. As for the delays, the developers have been quick to assure that the game is not stuck in development hell, with absolutely no new content being added. Rather, the extra four months will serve as time to fully optimise the game engine and get rid of as many bugs as possible. Given the amount of scrutiny this game has drawn, CD Projekt RED undoubtedly want to get their game as close to perfect as possible. g

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

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Citizens of Earth

GAMING

Defend your World!

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Citizens of Earth

AT A GLANCE

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2015

Real Time Strategy

Turn-based combat that has no NPCs? Great!

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

ETA

Eden Industries Eden Industries TBC

Platforms

GENRE

by Charlie Fripp

aking on slightly cartoonish graphics, Eden Industries’ Citizens of Earth is an RPG that places you in the shoes of the Vice President of the World – which isn’t a small title to have. The titles aims to divert from the usual elements of traditional RPG games, in the sense that it approaches characters very differently. After returning to your hometown for some much needed rest, you realise that something strange is going on. Discovering some oddities, you enlist the townspeople to help you on your quest. And this is where the game is different. “There are no NPCs in this world. Every single townsperson is recruitable, each with unique combat abilities and playstyles. And like a true politician, the Veep never needs to get his own hands dirty . . . not while he’s got such a motley crew of constituents,” Eden Industries explain. Every person that you recruit into your band of troopers has unique abilities that will aide gamers in their quest of figuring out what is going on. The type of day job that they have will determine what sort of powers they have, like selling goods to the party, altering weather patterns, piloting vehicles, pushing boulders aside, or synthesizing new items from your old junk. In terms of combating the hordes of mutants, players familiar with the Earthbound and Dragon Quest games will feel right at home. The turn-based combat is straightforward – pick a couple of citizens, select their actions and start the battle. It might not be a game for everyone, but it is certainly brimming with content that will keep players on their toes.. g

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

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Dragonball Xenoverse GAMING

Time travelling tenacious tag tea

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AT A GLANCE Fighting

History has been altered and the Time Warrior must head back in time to rectify the battle between the Z-Fighters and their mightiest foes. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Dimps Bandai Namco Megarom

ETA

Feb 2015

Platforms

GENRE

by Nthato Morakabi

ams!

Dragonball: Xenoverse

lanet earth continues to rotate along its axis in relative peace, barely aware of the numerous battles that have rocked, shaken and very nearly destroyed it. At the heart of its peace are the Z-Fighters, earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mightiest warriors, who have faced and defeated countless foes all for the sake of the planet. However, a mysterious entity has changed the course of history, and the alteration of the space-time will change the fate of the world. A hero from the future must now travel back in time and rectify history, fighting alongside Goku and friends as they once again face the greatest evils to grace the universe and once again, protect the Dragonballs. Dragonball Xenoverse features a new storyline which includes the player into the original story. Time Patrol Trunks sends the player back into the past as a Time Warrior, in order to rectify the change in history. Players will be given the option to become any race from the Dragonball universe including Saiyan, Namekian, Majin and others; character customization will offer over 450 items and 200 super attacks. Dynamic battles will allow players to alternate their fighting strategy between one on one battles and no-holds barred team fights, moving from air to ground to water. Players will also be able to visit Toki Toki City, the hub for online multiplayer. Here players will be able to duel other online players or head off together on an adventure. Some of the original Dragonball characters will be available as trainers, teaching their specific special abilities to players. Dragonball Xenoverse is the 15th Dragon Ball fighting game released on home consoles since Dimpsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first Dragon Ball Z: Budokai game. g

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

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Total War: Attila GAMING

Huns at the Door

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Total War: Attila

AT A GLANCE Strategy

For fans of strategy, Total War: Attila is definitely one game to keep an eye on. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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The Creative Assembly Sega Ster Kinekor

ETA

Feb 2015

Platforms

GENRE

by Lein Baart

panning a range of eras and locations, the Total War games have always sought to encapsulate some of the most pivotal periods in human history, allowing players to immerse themselves in the hedonistic thrill of battle along with the measured joy of successful empire management. It’s usually resulted in a fantastically engrossing style unique to the series, and now The Creative Assembly is back to offer yet another new chapter in the franchise, this time with a somewhat apocalyptical slant. Set during the fall of the Roman Empire and thus the start of the Dark Ages, Total War: Attila will present a world on the verge of collapse as the ancients knew it. The Empire has split, and while Constantinople stands strong, Rome is under siege from a myriad of barbarian forces. It will be into this chaotic mix that players will take up the helm of one 9 playable factions (12 if you buy the dayone DLC or pre-order the game), battling to survive in a world threatened by the rampaging Huns. Attila is looking to shake things up by combining new and past features. Using a tweaked version of the Warscape engine that powered Rome 2 (hopefully without all the bugs this time), expect to the return of the family tree, along with enhanced siege mechanics, A.I., diplomacy options and spectacular visuals. Attila will also feature the first “Legendary Start Position”, whereby players ruling the Western Roman Empire will begin with huge armies and territory, though imperilled by invasion from all sides. While the developers are keeping relatively quiet regarding the exact changes Attila will offer, fans of the franchise can expect to once again lose hours to this new entry. g

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Blitzkrieg 3 GAMING

Replay history from three differe

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AT A GLANCE

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2015

Real Time Strategy

It might be worth checking out.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

ETA

Nival Games Nival TBC

Platforms

GENRE

by Charlie Fripp

ent fronts

Blitzkrieg 3

t can be argued that the World War 2 setting of video games have been done to death, but one thing that will remain constant is that developers will produce a title around one of the most import conflicts in history almost every year. Developer Nival’s efforts are no different, but at least the company has two previous titles under their belt covering the same topic. Their latest offering, the MMORTS Blitzkrieg 3, is the third game in the somewhat popular Blitzkrieg series, and to give gamers a better idea of what it’s like, it’s very similar to the Company of Heroes titles. The game will feature three different single player campaigns: ‘The Allies, 1943-1945: Rome’ campaign, ‘The Axis, 1940: Paris’, and ‘USSR, 1945: Berlin’. Seeing as the developer is from Russian, it only seems logical that they include a Russian part as well. Since the title will only be released later in the year, information about it is somewhat scarce at this point, but it will feature authentic weapons and vehicles, such as two versions of the Sherman tank, and the Pershing tank. As mentioned, the single-player campaign will be the main driver of the title, but there will be a free-to-play multiplayer aspect where subscriptions are optional. The problem with free-toplay multiplayer is usually that gamers find themselves paying to win, which irks many gamers. But Blitzkrieg 3 just might be different. From the assets that we have seen, the graphics looks pretty good and it might just be worth checking out - the previous two games were surprisingly entertaining. g

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

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Bombshell GAMING

Hell hath no fury like a half bionic woman scorned.

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Bombshell

GENRE

Action RPG

Shelly "Bombshell” Harrison lost her arm during the “Washington Incident”. Equipped with a newly fitted robotic arm, she embarks on a revenge mission. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Interceptor Entertainment 3D Realms TBC

ETA

Q1/Q2 2015

Platforms

AT A GLANCE

by Nthato Morakabi

he “Washington Incident” was more than just another bombing, for Shelly Harrison anyway. The resultant explosion did not just cost her an arm, but the squad she loved as her own family. Down but not out, she was approached with a mission to avenge her squad utilizing a mechanical arm structured from unidentified remnants discovered after the Washington Incident. Her mission send her on a journey across the galaxy, exploring four planets as a mercenary for hire now known as Bombshell. She continues on this path, no longer driven by just revenge, but by the fate of the president...and the planet. In the wake of the law-suit between 3D Realms and Gearbox Software for the intellectual property rights for Duke Nukem, 3D Realms and Interceptor Entertainment moved on to create a new IP which is coming in the form of Bombshell. This isometric action role-playing title is powered by Unreal Engine and is said to have a never-seen-before arsenal of destructive weapons. The developers were looking to explore the Action RPG genre and have included a host of genrecrossing gameplay such as experience points, upgrades, side quests and nonlinear levels. Bombshell’s mechanical arm will have more than 10 weaponized arm modifications and a set of finishing moves sure to give her an edge over enemies. Interactive environments offer dynamic gameplay, each environment designed to capture the unique planets such as Kyrron, a dying world consumed by its neighbouring sun and Zeroth a civilization frozen in time. The isometric view, RPG elements and action riddled gameplay look to make Bombshell a fascinating title. It will be available for PC and PS4 only. g

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A Rite from the Stars GAMING

Crowd-funded point-and-click

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A Rite from the Stars

AT A GLANCE Adventure

A Rite from the Stars appears to a charming addition to the adventure genre Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Risin’ Goat Risin’ Goat TBC

ETA

Feb 2015

Platforms

GENRE

by Lein Baart

ickstarter has become a pervasive force in gaming, enabling indie developers to create all sorts of titles that would never have seen the light of day otherwise. While this means that the site is rife with innovative possibilities, it also seems to draw a sizeable portion of the community that seems to primarily driven by nostalgia, with the likes of Tim Schafer, Obsidian Entertainment and Keiji Inafune all having received huge support on the platform. However, this also means genres that seemed to have been forgotten by the industry at large are getting catching a second wind, and like the 2D platformer, recent years have seen a resurgence in adventure games. Thus indie Spanish developer Risin’ Goat saw their opportunity, and after a successful crow-funding campaign, A Rite from the Stars is soon to hit the digital shelves. Created as a homage to the adventure genre, A Rite from the Stars will be a fully 3D point-and-click adventure set in the magical island of Kaikala, in which players will take control of Kirm as he begins his rite of passage into manhood and legend. Split into three different paths, namely wisdom, courage and strength, each section appears to feature a unique setting and theme, along with a different mechanic. Speaking of mechanics, Risin’ Goat has been rather reticent on how exactly A Rite from the Stars will play. Beyond the standard point-and-click gameplay, the developers have promised that the game will not require pixel hunting or pointless backtracking, and that there will be no inventory, so expect self-contained puzzles. Additionally, the game will allow players to swap between paths at will, and ultimately several different endings will be available. g

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E M W A VIE G E R P

Hand of Fate

GAMING

Testing the card-hand of Fate.

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Hand of Fate

AT A GLANCE

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2015

Card Game Adventure

The cards are dealt. Fate awaits. The battle begins on the table and is transported into the dungeons where an adventure plays out. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

ETA

Defiant Developer Defiant Developer TBC

Platforms

GENRE

by Nthato Morakabi

he wooden structure stands alone at the end of the world; a man awaits within. A hood is draped over his head, a cloth hides half his face to reveal piercing eyes that stare deep into your soul. This is where the game of life and death is played â&#x20AC;&#x201C; will you test the hand of fate? Another Kickstarter funded project to be released DRM-free for PC, Mac, and Linux, is Hand of Fate, a deck building action RPG. The team is made up of a combination of veterans from the video game industry, specifically Pandemic, THQ, Sega and Krome, as well as talented new staff. Inspired by Tarot and fantasy, Hand of Fate looks to offer players the opportunity to build a set of cards and create their own deck. Dungeon floors are dealt based upon the deck and the cards come to life once the player enters battle. These cards become 3D assets for the player to utilize during combat to clear the dungeon floors and defeat the Jack, Queen and King of each suit. A host of items, gear, armour, weapons, artefacts and other mysteries are collectable to ensure each play through is unique on this roguelike adventure. Unlike most Rogue titles focussing on randomness to increase difficulty, Hand of Fate will use unique deck building mechanics to offer players the ability to customize their own adventure. With the Kickstarter pledges fully funded, the developers are looking to see Hand of Fate make its way to Steam. Steamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Greenlight initiative lets voters select many upcoming titles from a variety of indie game developers, to be released into the Steam Marketplace as regular titles. g

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E M W A VIE G E R P

Blackguard GAMING

Turn-based and tactical

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Blackguards 2

ds 2

AT A GLANCE Role-playing game

While Blackguards 2 is definitely sticking close to the original formula, this looks to be exactly what fans appreciate Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Daedalic Entertainment EuroVideo TBC

ETA

Jan 2015

Platforms

GENRE

by Lein Baart

here is a long history of roleplaying video games drawing from their older pen and paper brethren, and while the spectre of Dungeons and Dragons tends to loom large over the genre, there have been a fair few adaptions which have been inspired by lesser known systems. Of these The Dark Eye , the German system which still remains hugely popular in the land of its birth, has seen a fair few attempts to bring it to life, and now once again German developer and publisher Daedalic Entertainment are set to plunge gamers back into the gritty fantasy world of Aventuria with Blackguards 2. The direct sequel to last year’s generally acclaimed released, Blackguard 2 will see players take the role of Cassia, a somewhat morally dubious noblewoman who is intent on securing the throne, mainly through force. While the plot was never the main focus of the original, Daedalic Entertainment are promising a narrative filled “brutal decisions”, and again your party will be filled by members who’s moral compass tends toward the skewed. It was the combat that the so enthralled gamers with the first title, and Blackguard 2 appears to serving up more of the same absorbing tactical battles. The game will still revolve around turn-based hex grid maps, though the developers have promised that they have listened to the feedback from the first game, and this instalment will feature an improved ruleset with line-of-sight implementation, better performance and stamina-based attacks. The actual RPG system, which was criticised as being confusing and muddled, has likewise received attention, and overall fans of the original can expect a more polished and honed game this time around. g

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There Came an Echo

GAMING

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hope your troops actually l

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There Came an Echo

listen

AT A GLANCE

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2015

Real Time Strategy

Making use of voice commands, it will make for an interesting premise. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

ETA

Iridium Games Iridium Games TBC

Platforms

GENRE

by Charlie Fripp

ridium Games’ next title might just be one of the most enjoyable, if not interesting games of the year. There Came an Echo is a real-time strategy title, but what sets this one apart from all the other games, is that player can use their voice through a series of voice commands to order their units around. The game was actually funded through a Kickstarter campaign last year, where it over-shot its required funds by a good couple of thousand dollars. The RTS draws on a heavy narrative aspect, and has managed to attract some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, such as by Star Trek regular Will Wheaton and internet sensation Ashly Burch. To give a better explanation as to what gamer can expect, think of it as an XCOM title, but the difference in this one, except for the voice commands, is that your troops don’t have any previous military experience – they all learn what to do as the game progress. In terms of plot, Iridium explains it as focussing on a 31-year-old cryptographer and inventor of a very particular encryption algorithm, one that currently holds safe a shocking secret. “His comfortable existence is interrupted by the enigmatic Val, who informs him that his life is in very imminent danger. His desperate attempts to uncover the truth are aided by a mercenary, Miranda; a vengeful young woman, Grace; and a mysterious British gentleman named Syll.” The graphics look amazing, although it is different to the norm. Taking place in the near future, it features some advanced technology like directed energy weaponry and personal energy fields. Anything with Will Wheaton should be pretty good. g

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Titan Souls

GAMING

Gargantuan Death to all!

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Titan Souls

AT A GLANCE Action-Adventure

Armed with but a single weapon, a hero searches between this world and the next for Titan Souls, engaging the gargantuan beasts on his adventure. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Acid Nerve Developer Digital TBC

ETA

Q1 2015

Platforms

GENRE

by Nthato Morakabi

hero stands before a quest for truth and power; armed with a single arrow ,he traverses an array of landscapes, battles countless foes standing against the once idle gargantuan titans now hulking above him, ready to destroy. His search for the shards of the Titan Soul send the hero between our world and the world beyond. What secrets shall he find? What adventure awaits? Charged with nothing but a solitary arrow, players will engage the titans ready for the inevitability of death. Simplicity of combat lies in the single arrow that returns to the hand when loosed, to unleash another forceful strike. Combined movement across the boss area and rapid escapes will guarantee epic battles, requiring players to dash, run and eventually defeat their larger than life foes, but not without suffering many deaths at the hands of the massive monsters. With over twenty titans to face, each unique in its look, brutalizing attack and hidden weakness, the epic beasts make for ferocious battles. Players will have to find each Titanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weakness to defeat it and consume the primeval power residing within the beasts. Unique environments will be explorable, each design captured marvellously with well-crafted pixel art ranging from snowy terrains to desert red landscapes. Concealed Titans lie hidden within the deepest corners of the expansive world, waiting to be discovered, fought and their souls retrieved for the power they hold. This title is reminiscent of past games in its look, gameplay style, top-down perspective and difficulty. Described as a Dark Souls meets Shadow of the Colossus, this title is sure to frustrate many who play and yet bring them back for more. g

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Toren GAMING

Explore a poem while uncovering meaning of life...

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Toren

GENRE

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2015

Puzzle

An interesting idea from a Brazilian developer, Toren may be well worth the effort. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

ETA

Swordtales Versus Evil TBC

Platforms

the

AT A GLANCE

by Charlie Fripp

t is not often that we see video games originating from Brazil, but somehow indie developer Swordtales has managed to get onto the world’s radar with Toren. The puzzle/adventure game is one of the first games being supported by Brazilian Cultural Incentive Law, and is being developed in partnership with indie publisher Versus Evil. The premise for the title is built around an epic poem, and aims to explore the greatest myth of all, the meaning of life. “With transformation in mind, it uses an environment with a constant threat: a relentless enemy. The experience desired for the player is the human struggle against time and mortality. It leads the player through an introspective and captivating journey using the deepest concepts,” the developer explains. For gameplay, the beautifully-crafted title takes players on a journey as they witness the birth and the growth of a lonely girl named Moonchild, guiding her on a dangerous journey of discovery and transformation as she unlocks the mysteries of the tower, known as Toren. Exact information about the title is in a bit of short supply, but Swordtales explained that understandably “Toren is the biggest project of our lives and we have been independently developing it for three years. It’s a unique, exciting, and beautiful game with a story that truly captivates the player.” The graphics look amazing and it seems like it is one of those games where you can just get lost in the folklore and storytelling. If you want to support a great indie studio from Brazil, it will be well worth picking up Toren – you never know, it might be really good. g

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TOP 10 GAMES OF 2014

2014 may not have seen a huge number of game releases, but some of the titles that hit the shelves during the year were truly great. To celebrate these awesome titles, we have compiled a list of the best games of 2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ten GAMING

of them, to be exact. So, without further ado, here are our top picks for the twelve months that were... 46

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TOP 10 GAMES of 2014

#10 Tropico 5

The Tropico franchise has been around for ages, and through the years the developers have managed to trim up the various systems and dynamics. This has resulted in Tropico 5 being a very well put together management title that proves to be challenging and engaging. Crammed with excellent humour and crazy concepts, Tropico 5 pokes fun at Banana Republics the world over. The humour tends to be a little dark, which is fun, and the overall game is beautifully presented, simple to play and wonderfully complex. Management isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cup of tea, but Tropico 5 makes is extremely enjoyable.

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civilization: beyond earth

GAMING

The Sid Meierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Civilization series has spent a great many years establishing itself as a prime example of management and longterm strategizing. And while most of the games have taken place with their feet planted firmly on the ground, Beyond Earth takes the player back to the stars (just like Alpha Centauri did) in a quest to colonise new planets and spread humanity beyond the edges of our solar system. Like any Civilization title, Beyond Earth offers excellent dynamics and balance, and caters to a wide variety of play styles. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a prime example of the genre.

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TOP 10 GAMES of 2014

wolfenstein: the new order Wolfenstein carries the legacy of being the original first-person shooter, but the game we see these days is very different from that first foray into the genre. 2014â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The New Order brought a lot of impressive aspects to the table. Tons of action was the order of the day, but surrounding that was an impressively developed game, complete with great graphics and excellent audio. The characters were beautifully realised, too, and The New Order provided players with a plot that they could sink their teeth intoâ&#x20AC;Ś a whole game for that, in fact.

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alien: Isolation

GAMING

There haven’t been a great many games in the Alien franchise that have been worth mentioning. But when Sega took the franchise back to the film series’ roots, they came up with a game that holds more of the spirit of Alien than any other. Alien: Isolation pits the player against a single xenomorph aboard a crumbling space station. While there is a misstep or two within the game, the experience is engrossing and often terrifying… exactly what it should be. Fans of the original film will love the homages and lowtech approach taken with the setting, and horror fans will thrive on the tension.

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TOP 10 GAMES of 2014

Forza Horizon 2 A year simply doesn’t seem complete without a great driving game, and in 2014 that title belonged to Microsoft’s Forza Horizon 2. The Xbox One exclusive took players to Southern Europe, and was all about fast cars, tense races and long road trips. The action takes place in numerous countries, under a wide variety of conditions and over all kinds of terrain. With some great cars on offer, excellent presentation and even the addition of off-road driving, Forza Horizon 2 is an exciting, challenging and above all satisfying racing simulator – yet another great game from Turn 10 studios.

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Destiny

GAMING

Love it orhate it, Destiny – the first collaboration between Bungie and Activision – has been getting a lot of attention. With an exciting new world to explore, tense action and tons of multiplayer co-op to be done, Destiny is a powerful and complex game. On top of that, it offers an extremely high level of longevity, and it was notably a game that wasn’t as plagued by multiplayer sever issues as some others were. In fact, the severs are still crammed with eager players, and probably will be for a good long time. It’s often pedantic playstyle may not suit some, but Destiny has certainly made its mark.

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TOP 10 GAMES of 2014

watch_dogs Watch_Dogs is an ambitious game that puts the player in the role of a high-tech hacker taking on a shadowy organisation in a virtual recreation of Chicago. While some feel that Watch_Dogs under delivered in certain areas, it is still a massively enjoyable title that proves extremely engrossing. The playground is huge in Watch_Dogs, and the action is intense. Additionally, the player is given a lot of freedom in terms of strategy and approach, making the game one in which players can truly express themselves. With tons to do and a long plot-line, Watch_Dogs will keep anyone busy for ages.

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middle earth: shadow of mordor

GAMING

Although it makes a departure from accepted canon, Warner Bros Middle Earth: Shadow of Morder provided players with more than a little excitement. This utterly engrossing game is set between the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings (the movies, anyway, not the books) and lets the player experience the rise of Sauronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s terrifying army. But beyond that, it provides the player with tons of freedom to explore and take on missions exactly as they want. In addition, the remarkable AI keeps track of who the player helps and hinders, and changes NPC reactions accordingly. This is a great fantasy adventure.

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TOP 10 GAMES of 2014

dragon age: inquisition While the second Dragon Age title may have left some feeling a little cheated, Inquisition goes a long way to mitigate the franchise. BioWare and EA deliver a massive playground to the player, complete with a huge number of story and subquestsâ&#x20AC;Ś none of which feel tacked on. Set in a vast and rich world, Inquisition will see the player rise to a position of absolute power as they battle against a demonic invasion that threatens the entire realm. It is a huge game, and will keep fantasy fans busy for a very long time indeed. And it has dragons, too!

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far cry 4

GAMING

Ubisoftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crowning achievement for this year was Far Cry 4, a game that takes the player into an embattled Himalayan country fighting for freedom from a despotic (and quite insane) ruler. Far Cry 4 gives the player such a wide range of things to do that it is almost mind-boggling. In addition, the player is granted the freedom to explore, as well as take on missions and combat situations in the way that suits them best. As far as first-person shooters go, Far Cry 4 is brilliant, and its rich setting, chaotic combat and awesome multiplayer make for an extremely enjoyable gaming experience.

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TOP 10 GAMES of 2014

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E M W A IE G EV R

The Crew GAMING

Who needs friends anyway?

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The Crew

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end up with seems a little paltry and worse-for-wear by comparison. What we were promised is not exactly what we got. All the elements are there, sure, but they just don’t feel like they live up to the hype. In The Crew, the player takes on the role of a guy who has been sent to prison for – and here’s where it gets all Hollywood predictable – a crime he didn’t commit. Accused of the murder of his brother, the founder of a racing club call the 510s (that’s fivetens, in case you were wondering) Alex is sprung from prison by an FBI agent who wants to bring down the 510s, now under the control of his brother’s murderer and a corrupt FBI operative. Alex, of course, is the key. It feels like a bad sequel to a Vin Diesel movie, and it never really gets better. The plot is little more than an excuse to have the player travel around the massive

GAMING

014 was a rough year for a lot of people, including developer and publisher Ubisoft. With relatively few game releases during the course of the year, Ubisoft’ S eggs weren’t distributed between too many baskets. And two of those baskets proved poor at delivering; the first was the lamentably buggy Assassin’s Creed: Unity, which the company had a lot riding on, and the second was their long awaited new IP, The Crew. Developed by Ivory Tower, The Crew was meant to be a game that put players behind the wheel of awesome cars as they partook in races and performed missions across the length and breadth of a virtual USA. And, to some degree, that is exactly what the game does. But it is the video gaming equivalent of a fast food menu… the burger looks great in the photograph, but what you

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The Crew

virtual setting and get up to all kinds of no-good. And that’s where one of the few joys of The Crew lies – it provides the player with a playground that is absolutely enormous, and offers tons of things to do. Naturally, these activities are all vehicle based, like setting jump or speed records, doing slalom challenges and even finding parts of cars that can be assembled into something a little more special. But in the long run is gets a little old pretty quickly, and numerous dynamics scupper the experience, even when the player isn’t partaking in main plot quests. For example, activating some of these side quests requires driving through an activation gate. If you go through the gate, the challenge starts… no matter what. Even in a heated car chase, you may well find your screen cluttered up by the pop-ups that the side-quests

bring with them. You can drive around the gates, sure, but that isn’t always practical, particularly if The Crew’s overzealous cops are on your tail. That leads to another frustration. The AI – particularly the cops – is rather elastic. That, combined with often unforgiving randomised traffic patterns, can make progressing through The Crew more of a chore than a pleasure. The cops are extremely aggressive, and it will take some really skilful driving to elude them at most times. This, once again, leads to something of an issue. The handling of the vehicles could have been much better. Sure, as you progress through the game, your car improves in aspects of handling, top speed and acceleration (more about that later) but even at high levels, The Crew feels less precise than it should. Spin

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a lot, The Crew offers a paltry selection of vehicles. The vehicles that are on offer are rather cool, and the player will get to modify them to meet the demands of the game, in terms of car class. Whether it be a street racer or an off-road raid car that is required, The Crew allows most vehicles to carry the required tweaks. These are unlocked slowly as the story progresses, and the player will need to travel to different cities for different modification types. Eventually fast-travel is available, but going to a place for the first time necessitates one of The Crew’s better aspects: really long road trips. This opens up the variety of scenery and settings that the game offers, but even though things might look different, The Crew’s experiences never really progress as the story does. It becomes a lot of grinding and completing missions that feel similar over and over again.

GAMING

out or have an accident because you made a mistake, hey, that’s cool, but do the same because your vehicle simply isn’t as tight as it should be… well, that’s an entirely different situation. Progressing through the game really is a matter of levelling up your car. The car is the character is this game, leaving Alex as window dressing (which is fine, because he isn’t all that interesting anyway). To do this, you need to complete missions – aside from very limited options, you don’t do much upgrading by buying parts with the tons of in-game currency that The Crew flings at you. But the main plot missions simply aren’t enough to keep your vehicle up to date. You will have to perform side missions to get your car up to where it needs to be for successful story progression. Speaking of cars, for a game about racing around

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The Crew

the developers did just enough so that they couldn’t be called liars – once again, fast food springs to mind. You can certainly have fun with the game, but you simply cannot expect the experience to be mind-blowing. It’s more of a game that’s OK for killing time, rather than the revolutionary multiplayer driving experience we were promised. As such, it’s a huge wasted opportunity, and it will leave a sour taste in the mouths of all but the most forgiving of players. Yes, you can have fun with The Crew. But whether it will ever become what it was meant to be (through a huge amount of massive patches, no doubt) remains highly debatable. For now, sadly, it is a little disappointing, even though many of its ambitions are sort-of addressed. It’s the wrong kind of step in the right direction. g

AT A GLANCE Racing

REVIEWED BY

It delivers on what was promised just enough so that the developers cannot be accused of being liars; ultimately, The Crew is disappointing, despite having some great ideas. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Ivory Tower Ubisoft Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

13+ gamecca67

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

ACCESSIBILITY

Hard-Core Medium Casual

PS4 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

69 63

by Walt Pretorius

And then there’s the multiplayer idea. The Crew is named The Crew because the player is supposed to work co-op with other players. But this idea is only ever encouraged a handful of times during the game and, quite frankly, a player taking the game on solo will do just as well as one who does it with buddies. But an online connection is required to play even the single player portion of the game, and dodgy servers and a lack of players online (at the time of writing) makes for a frustrating multiplayer – and even single player – experience. Not being able to play the game in single player mode because the servers have gone screwy is a big no-no, but you’ll get that here, and lots of it. The Crew is crammed with great ideas, but it feels unpolished. The game delivers on many of its promises, but it under-delivers, leaving the player with a feeling like

E M W A IE G EV R

Lara Croft & the Temple of Osiris GAMING

Tomb solving

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Lara Croft & The Temple of Osiris

GENRE

It’s all about the puzzles in this

by Alex Scanlon

isometric, co-op adventure title, and the developers have a few really tough

PARENTAL ADVISORY Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

12+ ACCESSIBILITY Hard-Core Medium Casual

Score

AT A GLANCE

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

REVIEWED ON

PLATFORMS

ones on offer.

Crystal Dynamics Square Enix Megarom

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Adventure

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

See, when you play through the six or so hours of the game in single player, the puzzles are challenging, and involve all kinds of different elements to get through. When you add other players to the mix, the puzzles scale up. In other words, a puzzle in single player will potentially be completely different in multiplayer, which adds a brilliant level of longevity to the mix. In addition, the game offers the usual loot to find and some collectibles too, which also add more to how long you will potentially be playing the game. The best fun to be had with multiplayer is when all the players are local, because it is simply easier to co-ordinate effort in solving some of the more complex puzzles when all the participants are in the same room. Other elements of the game pale in comparison, but none more so than the combat. Killing bad guys in Temple of Osiris is simply too easy, and lacks much of the depth that one would hope for. This side of affairs, if improved upon, could have resulted in a much deeper game. But the developers obviously chose to let things like combat and narrative take a distinct back seat to the game’s more important aspects. Still, it’s good fun to discover new weapons and items that buff abilities, even if enemies are generally not anywhere near as challenging as they should be. The strong emphasis on puzzle solving may well set Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris outside of the tastes of those who enjoyed the reboot, but the isometric view and co-op dynamics make it a fun, and sometimes very frustrating, title for up to four players to sink their teeth into. g

PS4

rystal Dynamics have Tomb Raider down. Whether it be the absolutely fantastic reboot that surfaced in 2013 (and made it onto next gen consoles the following year) or the more classic approach taken in games like Underworld, this developer understands how to bring the treasure hunter to life. Even 2010’s Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, with its different approach, showed an understanding not only of the characters and the settings that made Tomb Raider great as a whole, but also of the kind of game dynamics that fans are after. And now, in Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, they once again demonstrate their keen understanding of video gaming’s first lady, her world and her fans. Temple of Osiris is a sequel of sorts to Guardian of Light, and it uses a similar idea. It’s an isometric game, meaning that the viewpoint is almost top down. While some may feel that this removes the player’s connection with Lara (and it does) the truth of the matter is that, like Guardian of Light, Temple is less about Lara and more about the brain-melting traversal puzzles that are on offer. In fact, Lara is fairly quiet throughout the game, and the plot feels like little more than an excuse for awesome puzzling adventure. The voice acting is mediocre at best, and the narrative lacks any real depth. But that’s quite OK, because this game is about neither of those elements. Once again like Guardian of Light, Temple of Osiris brings the idea of cooperative play to the fore. This time around, up to four players can enter the adventure together, and this is where the game really starts showing off its smarts.

E M W A IE G EV R

Secret Ponc GAMING

The deepest end

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Secret Ponchos

by Rob Edwards

AT A GLANCE GENRE

Brawler

REVIEWED BY

It has some good ideas, but lack of variety and absolutely no tutorial make getting into it frustrating.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Switchblade Monkeys Switchblade Monkeys Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

16+ gamecca67

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

ACCESSIBILITY

Hard-Core Medium Casual

PS4 PLATFORMS

chos

like tutorials. I like to learn at a decent pace, get to grips with concepts and figure out what is going on before I am thrown into the deep end – or any end, for that matter. So that gives rise to the biggest gripe I have with Secret Ponchos. It’s all deep end, and even though it offers a “Rookie” mode for those that have just braved jumping into its chaotic combat for the first time, learning is still something that the player needs to do under fire here… which can be exceptionally frustrating. The premise is simple; it’s a stylised Wild West setting, with five characters on offer. Each offers a different approach, with primary and secondary weapons that act rather differently. But the only way you will discover the strengths and weaknesses of each character (which aren’t explained particularly well) is in the heat of battle, which can once again range from annoying to infuriating. This multiplayer-only battle game offers a scant five levels and three modes, two of which (deathmatch and domination) might as well be that same thing). Despite mastering characters offering a fair amount of depth, the overall experience can be somewhat limited. Each character can also be improved as the player slogs through match after match, but it gets pretty old quite quickly. More variety is something that the game would certainly benefit from, and an improved lobby system is critical at this time… because Secret Ponchos can get frustrating before the action even starts. It’s fun, but it needs a lot more to be anything other than mediocre – the unbalance between character depth and game style variety needs to be addressed. And a tutorial would have been nice. g

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

60 67

E M W A IE G EV R

The Muppets Movie Adventures Skin deep

Adventures is, when you dig down to it, a pretty average platformer that, aside from character skins, has nothing to do with the Muppets. The premise of the game is that Muppet characters are acting in films. There are five of these, each representing a level within the game. Each takes around 45 minutes to complete, which, if you do the mental arithmetic, adds up too not enough overall play time, yet far too much time spent per level. And this time per level seems even longer, because the game doesn’t really go beyond even the most basic of platformer activities and premises. Replayability is built into the levels by including several collectibles, some of which can only be accessed once the level is complete. But in order for that kind of system to really work, the collectibles need to carry some kind of incentive, lest they become litter in the levels that no-one

GAMING

hen you make use of a strong license to draw people – and money – to a product, you need to do a few things. First of all, you need to choose a license that has relevance to your target market. Secondly, you need to stay true to the license. Third, you need to deliver the fan service that using the license will reward users with… that is, after all, probably the biggest attractor to licensed products. The Muppets Movie Adventures fails at all three. Right off the bat, a game with dynamics so clearly aimed at youngsters needs a license that is a little more current. The Muppets are awesome, sure, but when last did anything really significant happen with the franchise? It’s been quite a while. The next two points are failed more or less together. And that happens because The Muppets Movie

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The Muppets Movie Adventures

s service (which would have made the generational appeal of this title much, much wider) is never even explored. The character of Kermit the Frog, for example, simply looks like him – there is nothing to make his character unique from any of the other Muppets in the game, aside from appearance; or, for that matter, from a stick figure or blob, or whatever. Beyond being a gargantuan missed opportunity, it verges on insulting to the Muppets fans who expect to experience a game that delivers a Muppets experience. After all, it has the Muppets on the cover, and in the name… would it be so wrong to actually expect a game that felt even remotely like it had anything to do with the Muppets? But no, this generic, mediocre platformer doesn’t even have that going for it – even the most ardent and forgiving Muppet fan would be at a loss to find reasons to experience this title. g

AT A GLANCE Platformer

REVIEWED BY

It might look like the Muppets, but that’s where the fan service ends. This is a solidly mediocre platformer that misses a valuable licensing opportunity at every beat. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Virtual Toys Disney Ster Kinekor

PARENTAL ADVISORY

7+ gamecca67

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

ACCESSIBILITY

Hard-Core Medium Casual

PSV PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

40 69

by Walt Pretroius

really wants to get. In The Muppets Movie Adventures, the latter is the case – there is absolutely no reason to go back and get the collectibles. Combined with long, repetitive levels, the replayability factor pretty much flies out of the window. While young kids may enjoy the action, it has very little to engage the player beyond a few moments. Perhaps most disturbing in this game is the lack of voice acting. Aside from a narrator introducing things and the odd yell from the director in-level, the Muppet characters never speak. And that’s a shame, because aside from distinctive, personality defining voices, the Muppets are known for solid verbal humour. All of that is missing here, leaving the characters almost totally devoid of personality. IT feels like the developers created a generic platformer (and not a great one at that) and then decided to simply skin everything with a Muppets theme. The potential for fan

E M W A IE G EV R

Titan Attacks GAMING

Revisiting the classics

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Titan Attacks!

by Alex Scanlon

AT A GLANCE GENRE

Shooter

REVIEWED BY

This brilliant nod to Space Invaders will keep you busy for many frantic hours.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Puppy Games Puppy Games Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

7+ gamecca67

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

PS4 PLATFORMS

here are reasons why the classics are the classics, and quite often it comes down to a simple yet thrilling game dynamic. This was the case for Space Invaders, first released by Taito in 1978. Here was a game that was incredibly simple to play, but brutally tough to master. Titan Attacks takes more than one leaf out of Space Invaders’ book. In fact, the homage is so direct that one could easily call Titan Attacks a Space Invaders clone. The only real differences come in the form of pace and upgrades. Like Space Invaders, this game will have the player moving left and right, and firing at enemies at the top of the screen. There really isn’t much more to it. But the complexity of the game doesn’t come from its control scheme. Rather, the break-neck pace that it offers is one source of this. You’ll get through the 100 levels on offer really quickly, because the game is that fast. Then it will (in the age old tradition) start at level one again, with increased difficulty. Another source of complexity comes from the upgrading system. Destroying enemies earns the player cash, which can be spent on various ship upgrades. These can make the game much easier than it should be, but the satisfaction of destroying hordes of aliens is still there. Titan Attacks is not a perfect game by any means, but it does provide the player with online leader boards and seemingly endless, mindless alien bashing fun. It gets a little easy towards the end, even for the five boss battles on offer, but it is a brilliant time-waster when all is said and done. g

ACCESSIBILITY

Hard-Core Medium Casual

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

70 71

E M W A IE G EV R

Final Horizo GAMING

Holding back the hordesâ&#x20AC;Ś

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Final Horizon

by Rob Edwards

AT A GLANCE GENRE

Tower Defence

A smart and tactically sound tower defence title that will have you coming back for more.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Eiconic Games Eiconic Games Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

7+ gamecca67

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

ACCESSIBILITY

Hard-Core Medium Casual

REVIEWED BY

PSV PLATFORMS

ower defence games are, quite frankly, cool – they offer excellent challenges, and the perpetual sort can get extremely difficult. Final Horizon is not a perpetual game, rather relying on the idea of individual levels that need to be completed. That doesn’t make it any less fun or challenging, mind you, and tower defence fans who also own PS Vita’s will be particularly pleased – with this being the best platform to experience the game on. Final Horizon takes place over numerous levels in a sci-fi setting in which the player (you guessed it) needs to defend against hordes of invading aliens. Different missions may have different objectives, ranging from destroying all enemies through to defending for a certain time period. All missions also carry secondary objectives, including things like kill streaks, not taking damage and so on. These secondary objectives are the ones that will keep you coming back for more, because besting a level with all objectives completed can be pretty tough. To help in their mission, players are provided with five attack towers, ranging from chain guns to rocket launchers and lightning guns, and one resource tower, which can be upgraded to a healing tower for nearby weapons. In fact, all towers can be upgraded and repaired on the fly, which is a dream when using the Vita’s touch screen. New towers and upgrades are unlocked as the game progresses, and extra challenge is added by way of the fact that not all towers will be available in some levels. And then the player has to deal with the fact that they have limited space on which to build their towers… It all adds up to a fast paced and rewarding tower defence game for those that enjoy the genre. g

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

79 73

cy a eg

Lega Wolfens GAMING

The Grandda 74

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Legacy: Wolfenstein 3D

acy: stein 3D

addy of Guns By Lein Baart

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cy a eg

odern day gaming has seen the first-person shooter come to utterly dominate the market, rivalling even the position that 2D platformers held in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Its prevalence is massive, with staggering sums being raked in by triple A releases, which have in turn become household names…for better or for worse. It is also a style of gaming that has remained relatively unchanged since its inception, with its earliest incarnations likewise requiring quick reflexes and moving at a blistering pace. Contrary to what most people believe, it was not Doom which began FPS’s on this path, but rather Wolfenstein 3D that not only created a genre, but laid down standards which to this day are still adhered to.

GAMING

Why was it created? The origins of Wolfenstein actually lie in the early ‘80s with Muse Software, a company that has long since shut its doors but in its time developed Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein. Radically different from the titles that later bore the name, Castle Wolfenstein was a top-down action adventure that introduced some of earliest stealth elements in gaming, and its innovation won it a fair amount of popularity. Muse failed to renew its trademark over the name after its bankruptcy however, and as such in 1991 id Software took it upon themselves to transform the premise into 3D. id Software already had a fair amount of experience working with then nascent 3D technology, having developed Hovertank 3D and Catacombs-3D, both

important titles in the development of the genre. Wolfenstein 3D was actually meant to resemble it source material in more than just name however, with ideas such as hiding bodies and stealth kills being cut as they due to performance and control scheme issues. What resulted however was title that would literally change the gaming landscape in years to come, featuring relentless action as players mowed down waves of Nazis with submachine gun and chain gun fire.

Why do we care? Wolfenstein 3D was a pioneer, both in terms of gameplay and marketing. While not the first to utilise a first-person perspective, it was a game that demanded skill from players in order to beat, as the combat was fast and intense. This was backed up by solid (if simple) shooting mechanics, and coupled with fantastic sound design, Wolfenstein 3D was considered amazingly immersive for its day. Though it would be Doom (also developed by id Software) that would later go on to popularise the genre, this was the game that a set a benchmark that still sees echoes to this day. Wolfenstein 3D also established shareware distribution as one of the most popular methods in the nineties, offering gamers the chance to play a third of the title without actually buying it. Though it has been mostly abandoned nowadays, shareware was at one time considered the best approach for small developers and publishers to get their games out to the public, and the likes of Epic Games and 3D Realms all utilised it during their early days. g

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Legacy: Wolfenstein 3D

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Ramjet’s rantality

hate New Year’s resolutions. I think that they are pretty pointless, because most people who make them have forgotten everything they promised by the time the hangover has worn off. Besides, why do these big decisions need to be made at a specific time, according to a calendar delineated by human thinking? Why can they be made on a Tuesday? Why does this big step need to be taken specifically at the point of a new calendar year starting? It’s pretty silly, if you ask me. But if I did think that New Year’s resolutions were a good idea, I would have a suggestion (or a few) for the entire video game industry… Let’s look at what 2014 brought us, in terms of gaming. It was a rough year for many people out there, and it was also not exactly a walk in the park for the video game industry. But you have to wonder if some of the things that happened to the industry were actually their own doing. 2014 brought us significant delays in the releases of certain key titles. Games like Watch_Dogs and Assassin’s Creed: Unity saw delays, and the new Battlefield game

didn’t even make it in 2014. This doesn’t please gamers much… in fact, delays are one of the main complaints that gamers have. And then there were buggy games. When a game is released with bugs, it just pisses people off. Even more so when those bugs are combined with a delay, as was the case with Assassin’s Creed: Unity. See, delays are meant to get rid of bugs, so when a game is delayed and buggy, it smacks of people doing things entirely wrong. There weren’t a lot of really great games released in 2014. And many that were released were less than perfect. It was, as far as gaming years go, extremely disappointing. And the blame lies with publishers – particularly, I suspect, with publishers’ marketing departments. The massive hype towards games which are then delayed and arrive with bugs just makes gamers mad. So, here’s my suggestion for a New Year’s resolution: don’t release games that aren’t ready, and start injecting a little humility and some honesty into the marketing. Gamers aren’t (for the most part) complete idiots, but they

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BY rAMJET

Broken Promise...

do tend to believe what they are promised. Breaking those promises makes them want to hurt things in a really bad way. Then again, there’s the fact that even though the gamers bitterly complain when these promises are broken, they still lap products up like starved dogs. So I guess the publishers have been trained into the idea that they can pretty much do whatever they want – people are still going to buy their products. And no, it’s not a case of “this is the way it is with the industry”. Not at all. Anyone who believes that this has become the natural cycle of the video game industry needs to simply look at one game that arrived in 2014 to realise that things don’t need to be this way: Far Cry 4. On time. Relatively free of bugs. Brilliant. If an ambitious title like this can be delivered with promises intact, why can’t they all be? So let’s hope that 2015 will see some changes in the video game industry, that more great games get delivered when they’re supposed to, and at the level of quality that your hard earned cash deserves. I doubt it will happen, but one can always dream… g

FeatureS 82

The Good Fight

HARDWARE Reviews 88 90 92 94 96 98 99 100 102 104

Asus Matrix Platinum GeForce GTX 980 Graphics Card Asus Z97-Pro Gamer Motherboard Cougar 700M Gaming Mouse Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma Headset Cougar 700K Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Logitech m280 Wireless Mouse Cougar Speed Gaming Mouse Pad Acer Aspire Switch 10 Tablet-Notebook Hybrid Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Chroma Keyboard Razer Deathadder Chroma Gaming Mouse

RegularS 106 110

Internet Security

COLUMN 112

Technically Speaking

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TECHNOLOGY

G F 82

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The Good Fight

The

Good Fight Two Decades of PlayStation gamecca67

TECHNOLOGY

tu a Fe

or many people out there, 2014 was a year of extremes. But in the world of technology, the juggernaut rolled inexorably forward, dragging us unsuspecting humans along with it. 2014 showed some remarkable technological achievements. Mankind even managed to land a probe on a comet, a pretty remarkable achievement if you consider even a fraction of the logistics involved. For those of us with our feet still firmly planted on the ground, though, there has been a massive amount of advancement through the course of this year, even though we may not be aware of all of it. While we obsess about our consoles and PCs and smartphones, scientists and technologists are preparing to make our world better, easier and more exciting in the years to come. Many of the technologies that researchers worked with in 2014 were extremely practical, including faster WiFi, faster processing speeds and improved batteries. But 2014 also saw scientists plumbing the depths of what was previously considered science-fiction. The end of 2014 – November, to be exact – saw Microsoft’s Xbox One take the lead in sales over the PlayStation 4 for the first time since both consoles were released. The reasons for this could be numerous, including the fact that Microsoft saw fit to stimulate the market by offering massive discounts which coincided with events like Black Friday, the post-Thanksgiving consumer feeding frenzy. Whether Xbox will be able to retain this lead over their long-time rival remains to be seen, but the fact remains that the PlayStation 4, on a global scale, has still sold around 50% more units than their rival. At the beginning of November 2014, the numbers were round 15 million PS4s sold, compared to 10 million Xbox One units. Xbox selling an estimated 200 000 more units in one month doesn’t mark the end of the war. Sony made massive strides in carrying the PS4 forward to market, and managed to capitalise on missteps made by Microsoft when

they announced the Xbox One. This clever strategy for the PS4 saw territories that were traditionally stronger for the Xbox One (like the US and UK) make moves towards stronger PlayStation support. Here in South Africa, the PlayStation brand is a wellestablished one, and it continues to hold a very firm position in the hearts and minds of South African console gamers. While the Xbox 360 made a very strong showing in the local market, it must be remembered that the original Xbox was never released in South Africa. The same cannot be said for the PlayStation – it was here from the word go, and the solid experience that even those original units delivered has stuck in this generally brand-loyal market. But the successful run of the PlayStation 4 cannot be put down to just clever marketing – there is a track record to be considered here, and one that has made the name PlayStation a household association for console gaming. On December 3rd, 2014, PlayStation celebrated its 20th birthday – a massive achievement in the console world. PlayStation was originally brought to South Africa by Ster Kinekor, a company with a thriving movie distribution business both in terms of cinema and home entertainment. Adding PlayStation the their home entertainment division allowed Ster Kinekor to not only supply PlayStation hardware and software to the market, but also expand on their software offerings through the years, resulting in the company becoming one of South Africa’s leading video game distributors in addition to their film business. The formulae that made PlayStation such a hit in South Africa were the same that made is a world leader in video game entertainment. From the 1994 release of the original PlayStation through to today’s PlayStation 4, Sony demonstrated a keen sense of what gamers wanted. The origins of the PlayStation as a platform go back to 1988, when Nintendo and Sony began working on producing a CD-ROM drive for the Super Famicom entertainment system. A disagreement between the two companies, however, Ken Kutaragi, the man who would later be dubbed as the father of gamecca67

The Good Fight

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TECHNOLOGY

tu a Fe

PlayStation, appointed to create a console to rival Nintendo’s projects. In essence, the PlayStation project started as a form of payback, after deals between Sony and Nintendo went sour and Nintendo opted to do business with Philips instead. Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc (SCEI) was formed in 1993, with Kutaragi working closely with Sony Music’s Shigeo Maruyama. This initial partnership with Sony Music was invaluable in SCEI setting up its initial structures. The PlayStation project, after years of development, was given the green light by Sony executives not long after. A demonstration of the new console as well as business and distribution plans to game publishers and developers in Tokyo in 1994 saw giants like EA and Namco express strong interest in working with Sony on making the PlayStation a success. The original PlayStation was released on 3 December 1994, as part of the fifth generation of consoles. Its main competition were the Sega Saturn and the Nintendo 64. Six years later, an updated version of the console, called the PSOne, was released, and within 9 years of first hitting the shelves, the original PlayStation became the first console to sell 120 million units. The PSOne coincided with the release of the PlayStation 2. This newer console preceded the release of the original Xbox and Nintendo GameCube by a year, although it did hit shelves fifteen months after Sega’s ill-fated, final attempt at a console, the DreamCast. The PlayStation 2 would also become a record breaker, selling over 100 million units within five years and nine months of its launch date. The original PlayStation took nine years and six months to reach the same goal. In 2004 a Slimline model of the PS2 was launched, bringing a much smaller option to gamers around the world. Although production of the PlayStation 2 officially ended in January 2013, it has been found that a large number of people in the world still own PlayStation 2 consoles. Here in South Africa it proved a very viable option for long into the lifespan of the PlayStation 3. Many people believe that the real “console war” started with the seventh generation console systems.

The big players in the market were the Xbox 360, Nintendo’s wildly successful Wii and the PlayStation 3. This console marked several important moves for the brand – it introduced motion sensing in its Sixaxis controller, and brought HD to gaming (including a Blu-ray drive). In fact, it is often theorised that part of the PlayStation 3’s success was due to the fact that it was, in addition to a gaming console, a very affordable Blu-ray player. But competition was far tougher for the PlayStation 3, particularly considering that Nintendo had brought a very strong offering to the market. Between its release in November 2006 and November 2013, the PS3 had sold more than 80 million units. While these sales figures could not rival the unprecedented success of its predecessor, it was still a remarkable achievement. The PS3 also saw two redesigned models released, one in 2009 and another in 2012. Through the first nineteen years of the Brand’s existence, PlayStation showed remarkable growth and a wide adoption across the globe. The stage was set for the release of the PlayStation 4, and many feel that this particular console will be SCEI’s crowning achievement thus far. With over 15 million consoles sold in around a year, the PlayStation 4 has shown remarkable performance. Whether or not it will break the PS2’s record remains to be seen, but many are already handing the victory of the eighth console generation race to Sony. With the weak performance of Nintendo’s WiiU, it certainly has become something of a two horse race… and PlayStation s well in the lead. Sure, Sony had a seven year lead start on getting into the console game over Microsoft, and their experience gained over the last 20 years certainly shows in their latest offerings. The contest is far from over, though, and the true dominator of the eighth generation will only be determined some time after the ninth generation of consoles has arrived. Win or lose, though, Sony has demonstrated for two decades that they have a keen understanding of the wants and needs of gamers… and for us that means great entertainment. g gamecca67

The Good Fight

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Asus

H C EW E T VI E R

Matrix

The master, untied…

TECHNOLOGY

sus like pushing limits – not only in their research, but also in the products they release onto the market. So a device like the Matrix Platinum GeForce GTX 980 graphics card showing up shouldn’t be too surprising. And yet what this card can do most certainly is just that. Not only does this card sport the mammoth GTX 980 chipset – which is a quick beast no matter which way you look at it – but it comes with a whopping 4GB of VRAM. Right out of the box, there are few that can compare with this card’s absolutely brilliant performance. Without any tweaking, it runs around 13% faster than reference models using the same chipset… and those reference models are really fast to begin with. Part of this performance boost is made possible with the cooling technology that Asus uses for the Matrix Platinum. It starts with the DirectCU II system, that we have mentioned many times before. By placing the 10MM heat pipes in direct contact with the GPU, and combining them with generous heat sinks, things look better already. But another part of the process are Asus’ new CoolTech fans. The curved blades and dust resistant design of these fans – of which the Matrix Platinum has two – ensure faster heat dispersal, with less noise. A quiet graphics card that runs cool

gamecca67

and really fast? Yes, please! However, for those that want to squeeze even more out of the Matrix Platinum, it is built for that, too. Several systems incorporated into this monster are designed to simply and improve overclocking. Say, for example, that you want to get into sub-zero overclocking. The card has an integrated memory defroster that can be turned on or off, which will help to mitigate any cold bugs that arise from your efforts. In addition, it comes with a VBIOS restore system. At the flick of a switch, any changes made to the card will be reset to safe defaults, meaning that a tweak or two that endangers the card can easily be rectified. And just as an added bonus, the Matrix Platinum has a built in LED indicator that indicates how much load the card is under. Those who use the card with a windowed PC case (or who work with an open case – will have access to a quick and simple visual reference that indicates just how hard the card is working. Asus have, yet again, created a real winner in the form of the Matrix Platinum GeForce GTX 980 graphics card. It’s performance, even out of the box, is truly remarkable, and it can easily, safely and effectively be pushed to even greater heights. Impressive is not a strong enough word to describe it. g

Asus Matrix Platinum GeForce GTX 980 Graphics Card

GeForce GTX 980 Graphics Card

AT A GLANCE:

by Walt Pretorius

SUMMARY This card is impressive right out of the box, but it can easily be pushed to greater heights thanks to its smart overclocking support.

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SCORE

96 A s us A s us w w w . a s us . c o m

TECH SPECS • • • • • • •

GeForce GTX 980 GPU 4GB VRAM DirectCU technology Memory defroster VBIOS restore GPU loading indicator

Asus

H C EW E T VI E R

Z97-Pro Simpler stability

TECHNOLOGY

ot every motherboard intended for a gaming rig needs to be all about overclocking. Some folks just want something that works well, without all the extra features (and expenses) related to activities that they may well never undertake. For them – the people that want something that is reliable, dependable and functional – Asus have motherboards like the Z97Pro Gamer. It’s a no nonsense board that provides exactly what the user needs, without going to great lengths that are not necessarily needed by everyone. Not that the Z97-Pro Gamer isn’t packed with features, mind you. Using an M.2 socket accompanied by two native PCI Express 2.0 lanes, for example, results in data transfer speeds of 10Gb per second. This is supported by high speed SATA Express ports for drive connection, as well as Intel’s Rapid Storage Technology. Building these aspects into the board shows a demonstrable speed increase, which means smoother performance overall, and particularly when under a heavy load like that demanded by modern games. This speed is further supported by a re-engineered LAN system that provides faster speeds through improved signal coupling. The LAN port even comes with integrated surge protection, which is a great thing when you’re living in a country with unpredictable power supply and lots of thunder storms (like South Africa).

In fact, there are a number of protective system built into the Z97-Pro Gamer that make it an even more attractive option; enhanced overcurrent protection, extended component lifespan, corrosion resistant coating and more add up to a motherboard that will not only perform well, but will last. Another protected system is the integrated audio. Using proprietary Asus technology, the audio chip is shielded against and isolated from other components on the board, resulting in crisp, clear audio that doesn’t suffer from interference generated by the Z97-Pro Gamer’s other components. Armed with an Intel Z97 chipset, the Z97-Pro Gamer supports up to 32GB of RAM. It also offers all the expected ports and connections, including six USB 3.0 ports and eight USB 2.0 ports. In short, this board makes an excellent option for those who want something that is going to work really well, without the added need to fiddle with it. It is an extremely stable and reliable board, and the improvements made to various ideas – particularly the data speed – show results that are tangible. It adds up to being an uncomplicated option, without sacrificing the added extras that are a mainstay of Asus’ motherboard range. As such, the result is a system backbone that is an excellent performer, and will provide the user with many years of great service, even under heavy loads. And that makes it extremely appealing to a wide market. g gamecca67

Asus Z97-Pro Gamer Motherboard

Motherboard

Summary It might not offer everything an overclocker would want, but a more conventional user will find lots to be impressed with in the Z97-Pro Gamer.

Tech Specs: • • • • • • •

M.2 socket Z97 Express chipset Up to 32GB RAM SupremeFX audio technology 6 USB 3.0 ports 8USB 2.0 ports

A s us A s us w w w . a s us . c o m

SCORE

89 gamecca67

by Alex Scanlon

AT A GLANCE:

Cougar

H C EW E T VI E R

TECHNOLOGY

700

Fast and feral

here’s something great about the fact that there are peripherals out there that work together. Aside from the aesthetic idea that a set brings about, there’s also the thought that having separate devices working in unison makes your life easier. Two such devices are the Cougar 700K keyboard (also reviewed in this issue) and the Cougar 700M mouse. Using proprietary software, these two used together enable the user to not only get good performance, but also to do things like record mouse macros on the fly, without needing to use external software. It’s ’n extremely handy function, called Cougar Fusion, that makes trimming up commands and macros much, much easier. Even on its own, the 700M is a very capable mouse. It comes armed with an 8200 dpi sensor that, while not the most sensitive around, certainly does the job very well. The entire mouse, which looks Spartan and pretty

Gaming Mouse

savage, is built around a rigid folded aluminium frame, which provides rigidity without adding unwanted weight. It also allows for a design that, thanks to large gaps in the mouse, allows for excellent airflow, resulting in a cooler, more comfortable experience. Speaking of comfort, the 700M allows a few customisations that should suit every user. Aside from colours that can be customised according to profile, the 700M also allows for weight adjustment, as well as adjustment of the palm rest angle. In fact, the user can switch between two palm rests (one smaller than the other) for maximum comfort. And all of these adjustments don’t require extra tools or a lot of work. The 700M features eight programmable buttons, which include (in addition to the expected buttons) a dpi switching button, a “fire” button to the left of the primary left mouse button and a “sniper” button set at 45 degrees

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Cougar 700M Gaming Mouse

by Walt Pretorius

into the thumb rest. All of the buttons, including two set at the top of the thumb rest, are relatively easy to get to, and the overall experience in using the 700M is really rather comfortable, once you have tweaked the weight and the palm rest to your liking. It’s not an ambidextrous mouse, unfortunately, but it’s overall design doesn’t lean towards that kind of versatility. The whole package is rounded out with gaming grade feet, and a generous braided cable that ends in a gold plated USB plug. When used in conjunction with Cougar’s UIX software (and hopefully a 700K keyboard) the 700M becomes a top performer. It is a fairly complicated mouse, allowing a lot of options to be adjusted and employed on the fly. That will suit those who want as much control in the palm of their hand as possible very well. And it’s solid performance and comfort don’t hurt either. g

AT A GLANCE: Summary

With numerous adjustment options, lots of buttons and a solid build, it delivers the goods admirably.

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

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Co uga r TBC TBC

Tech Specs: • • • • • • •

8200 dpi laser sensor 8 programmable buttons Adjustable palm rest Adjustable weight Cougar Fusion enabled 32-bit ARM processor 512 kb on-board memory

SCORE

90 93

Razer

H C EW E T VI E R

Kraken 7.1

TECHNOLOGY

Virtual surround master

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Razer Kraken 7.1 Chroma Headset

Headset

by Rob Edwards

azer have always delivered generally great peripherals, and their headsets are no exception. With scant few missteps in their history of providing top-notch audio for gamers (and, recently, for a wider audience) the Kraken 7.1 headset is one of their crowning achievements. It is a great headset, overall, and is now also available as part of their Chroma range. Chroma products, like the Kraken 7.1 headset, the Deathadder Chroma mouse and the Blackwidow Ultimate Chroma keyboard (both also reviewed in this issue) are all about colour customisation. Using the Razer Synapse software suite, users can customise the colour output on their device, selecting from a massive, full spectrum range of colours to add personalisation to their PC use experience. When all three devices are used in unison, it makes for a great visual effect and (for those, like me, that like sets) adds a feeling of unity to the PC setup. But the Chroma function is best utilised by the Blackwidow – for the Kraken and the Deathadder, it’s purely decoration. In the case of the Kraken, the Razer logo on the ear cups can be adjusted to display any desired colour. That’s pretty much as far as it goes. That said, the Kraken 7.1 headset is nothing to be sniffed at. It delivers great audio, with an excellent virtual surround sound engine delivering an excellent level of positional audio via the devices 40mm neodymium drivers. Combined with the closed, over-ear cup design, getting immersed in the audio of any game is easy with the Kraken 7.1 Chroma, just as it should be. The positional audio adds greatly to the experience, and can turn any game into a thrilling, immersive experience. The biggest downside on this particular Kraken model (there are several) stems from the fact that it uses a USB interface. The reasons are many, but mainly due to the virtual surround audio engine. And that really is fine for PC users, who will find the device to work perfectly for all their PC audio applications. It can be used with a PS4 as well, although the Chroma functionality doesn’t work with Sony’s console, and the lack of in-line volume control means that you’ll need to fiddle around in menus to get the best levels set. But the USB plug limits the headset greatly, tying it to the PC as it were. That won’t suit some potential users. As with all Kraken models, this Chroma version is super comfortable. The headband and ear cups are generously padded, allowing for extended periods of use without pressure pain. It also features a unidirectional microphone that retracts neatly into the left ear cup, complete with a flexible arm for optimal positioning. The Kraken 7.1 Chroma is a very good headset, as all Krakens are. The Chroma aspect will be a strong attractor for some, but not for others; it all depends on how important customisation is to you. g

AT A GLANCE: Summary

It’s another version of Razer’s Kraken, yes, but it is a really good one… and the customisation is great for those so inclined. Ma nuf a c t ure r D i s t ri but e r: Onl i ne :

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Razer Co re x w w w . c o re x. xo . z a

Tech Specs: • • • • • • •

40mm neodymium drivers USB interface Unidirectional microphone Over ear cups Chroma functionality

SCORE

82 95

Cougar

H C EW E T VI E R

700

Apex predator

TECHNOLOGY

ougar get the idea that people like their peripherals to work together beyond the normal expectations. For this reason they has developed the idea of Cougar Fusion, a system that allows a device like this 700K keyboard to integrate with, support and work with the 700M mouse (also reviewed in this issue). It’s a great system, and it really does make for a very good and convenient pairing. But even flying solo, the 700K is an impressive keyboard that, despite one or two odd choices, is crammed full of great ideas. Built around a brushed aluminium superstructure, this tough keyboard looks rather stripped down… and like it means business. The elevated keys are powered by cherry-picker mechanical switches (with a variety of options on offer for the same model) and are all individually backlit, allowing the user to define key groups and highlight individual keys. It’s a simple on/off system, so complex backlighting isn’t really an option, but it does still make visual key recognition much quicker. The 700K offers gamers an additional six programmable gaming keys. Five are arranged at the left side of the keyboard, while the traditional spacebar has been split, with the right half od it being the sixth gaming key. This is a little odd – one of those strange

Mechanical Gaming

choices mentioned above. The user will have to get used to this placement, and quick flicks of the spacebar will have to be far more accurate with this configuration. Additional keys include multimedia keys and a macro recording key, which is used in conjunction with the gaming keys. There are also three memory profile keys, adding up to a total of 18 programmable options for the gaming keys. It also features a win-lock and backlight key, and in addition it offers 3.5mm audio jacks, as well as a USB through port, to help cut down on cable clutter. And key press clutter is cut down by an N-key rollover system, which allows for unlimited simultaneous key presses, but only if the keyboard is plugged in via USB (a PS/2 adapter will negate this function) A generous writs rest can be fitted at the “bottom” of the keyboard, with an additional FPS palm rest that can be added for support while you’re concentrating on the WADS keys. Both the 700M and the 700K have striking, almost stark looks that may not appeal to some, but will drive others wild. Used together, they make for a formidable team (provided you make use of the Cougar Fusion system). But even on its own, the 700K is an impressive, responsive and rugged keyboard that is well worth considering. Even its looks help it stand apart. g gamecca67

Cougar 700K Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Keyboard

Summary

This keyboard look lean and mean, and it has a performance to match.

Tech Specs: • • • • • • •

6 gaming keys 3 memory banks Variable repeat rate Individually backlit keys Audio ports USB pass through Cherry MX switches

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by Walt Pretorius

AT A GLANCE:

Wireless Mouse

Mouse on the move!

by Alex Scanlon

Logitech

m280

Logitech m280 Wireless Mouse

H C EW E T VI E R

AT A GLANCE: Summary

If you need a mouse that isn’t tied to a desk, Logitech’s m280 is a reliable bet.

TECHNOLOGY

portable, wireless mouse is not necessarily something that every gamers wants, but the usefulness of such a device cannot be denied. If you’re in the market for a reliable mouse that can be used with a notebook or even game console, Logitech’s m280 is a very good option. With a battery life of around 18 months, the m280 will last a good long time before the AA battery needs replacing. Taking a leaf from their gaming mouse line’s book, the m280 features a grip-improving, comfortable rubber coating that makes using this three button mouse a breeze, and the improved optical sensor delivers good performance on pretty much any surface. The plug-and-play nano-receiver makes setting it up easy, too. All in all, it is a very good option for those who want a mouse that won’t be tied to a desk. g gamecca67

• • • • • • •

Advanced optical tracking 18 month battery life AA battery Nano-receiver Rubber grips

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Logitech m280 Wireless Mouse

Tech Specs:

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Gaming Mouse Pad

by Walt Pretorius

du ra b

ili ty

Cougar

Speed

Cougar Speed Gaming Mouse Pad

H C EW E T VI E R

AT A GLANCE: Summary Although it isn’t a solid pad, the Speed is very durable and makes for a great mousing surface.

TECHNOLOGY

o go with their high end peripherals, Cougar have brought out a variety of mouse mats to help improve performance. This Speed mouse mat provides just that; quick response. Available in three sizes, the Cougar Speed uses an HD surface, which provides a smooth experience while not compromising sensitivity. It also features a base designed for maximum comfort and surface grip, meaning that your mouse pad won’t go sliding around when you need it to stay still. And the heat treated edges mean that it will last much longer, with less tendency to curl or fray. As cloth or soft mouse pads go, the Cougar Speed certainly is among one of the better ones, and while it might not offer the durability of a solid pad, it is wonderfully portable, too. The thick base also tends not to retain curls, which is a bonus. g gamecca67

• • • • • • •

HD surface 4mm base Right angle wave base 3 size variants Heat treated edges

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Cougar Speed Gaming Mouse Pad

Tech Specs:

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Acer

H C EW E T VI E R

Aspire

TECHNOLOGY

Versatility & portability combined

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Acer Aspire Switch 10 Tablet-Notebook Hybrid

Tablet-Notebook Hybrid

by Walt Pretorius

he tablet boom may appear to have calmed down, but that’s only because these devices have become so pervasive in the market that no-one seems to pay them that much attention anymore. Seeing someone whip out a tablet no longer engenders any kind of awe, really, because they have become so commonplace that it’s weirder seeing someone not do it. But every once in a while a great idea comes along, like Acer’s Aspire Switch 10. This device seeks to bridge a gap by adding functionality to address one of tablet and smart-phone users biggest issues – the keyboard. The Switch 10 is a hybrid tablet. It comes with a fully keyboard that plugs into it, turning it into a small notebook. The keyboard can be closed over the screen, or can be used as a support to place the tablet upright for display purposes. Or the tablet can be removed and used as a traditional touch screen device. The versatility in this product is great, making it the perfect tablet for numerous uses. The one main downside of the Switch 10 comes in the form of connectivity. The device is purely reliant on Wi-Fi, with no 3G or LTE options built in. That seriously hampers connectivity on the go, but with Wi-Fi hotspots becoming more and more common, it shouldn’t prove to be too much of a problem. Even a smartphone Wi-Fi hotspot, or a portable Wi-Fi connecting device would take care of this issue and they, too, are becoming more commonplace. At its core is a 1.8GHz Intel processor, which doesn’t make it the fastest tablet around. However, it’s 2GB of low voltage DDR3 RAM helps processing along nicely, and the 64GB of internal storage (as well as microSD card support) means that it is fairly generous in terms of storage within its device class. The 10.1 inch multitouch LCD screen is also a great size, and the accompanying keyboard is large enough to enable comfortable use, while still small enough to be highly portable. The lack of rear mounted camera is fairly conspicuous, as most tablet devices come with that standard. It does have a 2 megapixel webcam integrated into it, but that doesn’t make up for this oversight. The Switch 10 is a rather unconventional device for a tablet, and isn’t an ordinary notebook either. It opens up a lot of versatility, but manages to miss out on some things that would be expected of a tablet. Additionally, it makes use of Windows 365 as an operating system, which makes it feel more like a notebook than a tablet (as Android seems to be winning the tablet OS wars hands down). But if it’s features suit your needs, the Switch 10 makes for a decent portable computing solution. g

AT A GLANCE: Summary

It leans more towards the notebook side of things, but the versatile convenience of the Switch 10 is undeniable.

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

Tech Specs: • • • • • • •

1.8GHz CPU 2GB RAM 64GB storage MicroSD compatible Wi-Fi Removable keyboard Windows 365 OS

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Blackwidow

A Colourful performance...

Razer

H C EW E T VI E R

TECHNOLOGY

azer’s Chroma range introduces a world of customisable colour to a number of their peripherals. But while it may be all for show in devices like the Deathadder Chroma mouse and the Kraken 7.1 Chroma headset (both also reviewed in this issue), the usefulness of the Chroma system in the Blackwidow Ultimate Chroma keyboard is absolutely undeniable. By adding Chroma to some of their best devices, they have created a great opportunity for creating matching devices, but the Blackwidow Ultimate really is the heart and soul of the Chroma experience. What makes the Blackwidow such an incredible fit for the Chroma idea is that every single key can be individually backlit. What that means is that, should you want to take the time to do it, you could make each key’s backlight a different colour, thanks to Chroma’s full spectrum 16.8 million colour options. While that may be overkill, it also allows the user to

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define colour zones, based on gaming profiles, that makes key zone identification visually quick. Essential key groups can be coloured for quick visual reference, according to the type of game played, and numerous profiles mean that the user could have all manner of colouring configurations stored for easy access. Setting this up does take time, but it adds a great feature to an already excellent keyboard. And for those that are less into mapping out key zones and want to rather create a personalised image, there are several modes in which the colours displayed by the keys can be set, including a colourchanging pulse and keys that remain illuminated for a few seconds after they are struck. In addition to being a full keyboard, the Blackwidow Ultimate Chroma also offers five additional gaming keys (with macros that can be recorded on the fly) as well as easy access multimedia keys. It also features audio inputs and outputs, as well as a USB port, all mounted in the right side

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Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Chroma Keyboard

Ultimate

Gaming Mouse

by Rob Edwards

of the keyboard housing. The extremely responsive mechanical keys make the Blackwidow Ultimate somewhat noisy, but these, combined with a 10 key rollover to avoid ghosting, means that the Blackwidow Ultimate Chroma delivers all the right kinds of performance where it counts. In short, whether it has Chroma or not, it is a great keyboard. But the Chroma is what really makes this device special. Even if you’re just after some funky effects, the Blackwidow Ultimate Chroma allows you to express yourself via a very dependable peripheral. If nothing else, it will be the talk of the town. Should you take the time and effort to set up your keys the way you want them, using Razer’s Synapse suite, the experience of using this keyboard will be very rewarding. Will it make you a better gamer? Well, that’s debatable… but it certainly can give you an edge, both in terms of exceptional performance and excellent visual guidance. g

AT A GLANCE: Summary

The Blackwidow Ultimate Chroma may not make you a better gamer, but its great performance and visual control guidance will certainly provide you with an edge. Ma nuf a c t ure r D i s t ri but e r: Onl i ne :

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Razer Co re x w w w . c o re x. c o . z a

Tech Specs: • • • • • • •

Fully programmable keys 5 gaming keys Audio jacks USB port Mechanical switches Chroma functionality

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H C EW E T VI E R

Deathadde A Colourful performance...

TECHNOLOGY

azer’s Chroma range is not only designed to give a new lease on life for some of their better gaming products, but also to allow the user to express themselves through customisation options. It is this aspect of the range that is strongest in the Deathadder Chroma. Already a great mouse, the Chroma functionality allows this particular Deathadder to become an extension of the user’s expression, while delivering great performance. And it looks awesome when the user has all the Chroma peripherals as a set… At the heart of the Deathadder Chroma mouse is a supersensitive sensor that can deliver a performance of up to 10 000 dpi. That’s pretty impressive in anyone’s book. Combined with a 50g acceleration, it makes for a very sensitive mouse. The Deathadder comes with five programmable buttons, which unfortunately means that it is not an

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ambidextrous mouse (two of those buttons are located in easy reach for the thumb of right-handed users). The overall design places all the buttons in easy reach, and provides the user with a very comfortable experience, which is essential when it comes to a mouse. Even the seven foot braided cable does a good job of ensuring that the Deathadder Chroma is comfortable and easy to use. While there have been slight tweaks here and there to the original Deathadder, the major addition to this version is the Chroma functionality. Like with the Kraken 7.1 Chroma headset (also reviewed in this issue), this really only comes down to customisable colours. The colour of the logo at the rear of the mouse, as well as the colour of the scroll wheel glow, can be adjusted using Razer’s Synapse software. It allows for full spectrum colour, too, so the choices are almost limitless. It’s a very nice tough but, when you come down to it, it doesn’t do anything to the way the mouse functions. It’s all about personalisation

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Gaming Mouse

Razer Deathadder Chroma Gaming Mouse

by Rob Edwards

which, for some people, is extremely important and for others doesn’t make a lick of difference. With that said, one cannot fault the Deathadder overall, and the Chroma version makes for a great option of you’re in the market for a new mouse. It is comfortable and sensitive, and performs at an extremely high level. If appearances are important to you, then the combination of the Kraken 7.1 Chroma and the Blackwidow Ultimate Chroma keyboard (once again, also reviewed in this issue) makes for a striking set. But the Blackwidow is the only device of the three in which the Chroma functionality brings anything really meaningful to the table. If you’re after a great gaming mouse, the Deathadder will certainly deliver the goods time and again. The workings of the mouse are really great, even though its apparent main selling point – the Chroma aspect – is little more than bling and window dressing. That will, of course, make all the difference for some. g

AT A GLANCE: Summary

The Deathadder is a great mouse, even if the Chroma functionality (in this case) is little more than window dressing.

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Razer Co re x w w w . c o re x. c o . z a

Tech Specs: • • • • • • •

10 000 dpi sensor 5g acceleration 5 programmable buttons 7ft braided cable Chroma functionality

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e rn

Shedding the Load

TECHNOLOGY

Can monopolies deliver the goods?

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mgeect 2 c4a 6 7 ggl a ad

by Suvesh Arumugam

forecast for next year). Truth be told, we don’t really have any say. It’s ironic that South Africa is a pioneer in consumer legislation, like the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) and the Electronic Communications and Transaction Act (ECT), which together govern the conducting of business between vendors and the public. So if your happy meal comes with an extra order of roach, or your online purchase ends up in Outer Mongolia, you’re totally covered.

deal between their parent companies, Dimension Data (IS) and Naspers (Mweb) - two of South Africa’s biggest corporate entities. Naspers will retain Mweb’s consumer ISP business and WiFi. Many would question Nasper’s decision to sell at this time, especially Video on Demand (VOD) being a priority for its media arm, MultiChoice, where there are many emerging competitors like Times Media’s Vidi and Altech’s Node. While DSTv’s Box Office has grown steadily, many people are turning to overseas services like Netflix and Hulu for a wider range and lower cost, so it’s a strange time to give up the leverage of being one of the country’s biggest ISP’s. For Internet Solutions, this is a coup of note. This announcement comes in the wake of the approval by the same Competition Commission of MTN’s purchase of a controlling stake in Afrihost, one of SA’s biggest ISPs. While MTN sought to consolidate their position by purchasing a major player in the market (previously MTN has only provide a business DSL service on a small scale, and were not known as a major web hosting provider), Internet Solutions (who previously hosted Afrihost’s network and web hosting) has been fostering smaller ISP resellers like Web Africa and OpenWeb. Adding a major player like

All our eggs in one basket? But what do you do when you only have one place to buy what you need. I think most people would say they’ll take what they can get, and they probably don’t mind that the seller sets the rules. But when the sellers say it’s your fault he doesn’t have enough supply to meet the demand and it’s also because you’re a cheapskate, that stings a little. On the 11th of December this year (or last year by the time you read this), the Competition Commission gave a green light to a proposed buyout of a major portion of Mweb’s assets, including core network assets, Mweb Business and Optinet (Mweb’s hosting arm). The deal is to move the assets to Internet Solutions, but it’s really a

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ost South Africans are still probably saying goodbye to 2014 and tentatively greeting 2015 with some trepidation. With threats of rolling blackouts due to power shortages, and stories in the press citing the possibility of nationwide black outs that could last weeks, most are probably using their holiday downtime to either plan for the future possibilities by looking at energy alternatives, or praying to their deity of choice (or whichever one will listen) that their business will survive and their families will affected as little as possible. The national energy crisis does call into question the wisdom of having all our eggs in one basket, in a single energy provider - Eskom. Now, I’m no engineer and I’m pretty sure that Eskom is made up of some very clever people who know a lot about providing electricity and the million and one things that have to happen in order for a lightbulb to do its thing when I flick the switch. But unfortunately we rarely hear from them, only from CEOs and Ministers. Eskom CEO, Tshediso Matona, tells us there is no crisis at Eskom and the problem is that we pay too little for energy, which is surprising since the last few years have seen unprecedented hikes in energy prices (with another 12-15%

e rn

TECHNOLOGY

Mweb to their ranks shoots them right into the top 3 (number wise) of DSL providers along with Afrihost and Telkom, and procuring Optinet also boosts their hosting ranking (which is already considerable), probably led by Hetzner at present. Is it starting to sound too much like big fish eating the smaller fish until there are only one or two left in the pond? From my earlier Eskom example, it would probably be the worst possible scenario for consumers to end up with only a single fish in the pond. If we had another power provider (as many other countries do) we could at least have a backup account or a neighbour who might be nice enough to let you boil your kettle (or store the groceries you just bought not knowing you wouldn’t have a working fridge for the weekend). If the same were to happen to ISPs, what could you do if a major provider has an outage? Pretty much nothing - i.e not internets. While ISPs preach redundancy, the reality it’s more cost effective to run the risk of outages if it means less complexity and man hours required to run the system. Is two fish in the pond enough? Not really. We also know that major telecoms providers have been accused of collusion and price fixing back when we only had two major

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cellular networks, and the accusations we rife that this was a deliberate ploy to undermine new players in the market. Interestingly, with Vodacom’s purchase of Neotel and MTN’s acquisition of Afrihost, it’s seems that the coaccessed are making a major play for your data spend. But what every industry needs is diversity. Big fish that are slow and boring but get the job done, and small fish that are fast and flashy - ready to take risks. And a vibrant market needs both. The real benefit of diversity in competition is in transparency. Fancy marketing and ad spend are pretty much meaningless now and most companies trade on trust and being open and accountable to their customers. However, when competition disappears, the need to be open goes with this. While we may have great consumer protection laws, the reality is that a well written set of terms and conditions protects any company to conduct business the way they see fit. Without the worry of a young start-up breathing down their necks, willing to cut margins, take risks and above all be completely transparent to their customers, the big companies are happy to leave us literally sitting in the dark. g

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Shedding the Load

sound too much like big fish eating the smaller fish until there two left in the pond? gamecca67

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i ur

by Iwan Pienaar

f the past 12 months have shown us anything then it is that issues around cyber security will not be disappearing any time soon. From celebrity photo leaks to Sony being hacked on numerous occasions, security has impacted individuals and large corporations alike. But what is on the horizon as we welcome 2015? Last month, Sophos released its Security Trends 2015 report that investigates this and explains the real-world impact of evolving threats on businesses and consumers. Here are the top ten things they want us to be aware of. 1. Patches are reducing vulnerabilities We all know how wonderful (insert sarcasm icon) patching one’s system is. However, Microsoft has invested in exploit mitigations that make writing attack code more difficult. This has resulted in some attackers moving to social engineering and also focusing on non-Microsoft platforms. 2. Internet of Things (IoT) We’ve touched on security and the IoT in a previous column but it is worth mentioning that as IoT devices become more mainstream so too will the attacks. Security needs to evolve to address this.

TECHNOLOGY

3. Encryption becomes standard In many respects, the security issues of the last 18 months have resulted in encryption finally becoming more of a default. Of course, this does impact the user experience as things tend to involve a slightly longer process and certain companies like law enforcement and intelligence agencies arguing it will impact the safety of citizens.

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4. Major flaws still an issue From Heartbleed to Shellshock, even cynics have been woken from their slumber when it comes to how many significant security flaws still exist in mainstream software. Cyber criminals are likely to continue to focus on these for the months to come. 5. Regulation, regulation, regulation In Europe and the United States significant regulatory changes are coming especially around data protection. Even in South Africa, the government is looking at new processes and legal steps that will be taken for non-compliance. 6. Attacks on mobile payment systems to increase Following the introduction of Apple Pay in 2014, mobile payment systems have gotten a huge bulls-eye painted on them. Not only will attacks on this and other similar systems increase, but cybercriminals will continue to abuse traditional credit and debit cards for a significant period of time. 7. Skills need to improve As technology becomes more integrated in our daily lives, the cybersecurity skills shortage is becoming more critical. Companies and governments are realising the importance of having specialists who understand the market and who can help protect systems against attacks. Unfortunately, some governments are forecasting that they will need until 2030 to meet the present demand for security professionals. 8. Attacks on mobile (and other) platforms on the rise With mobile platforms being so popular (and holding an incredible amount of personal

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information), it won’t be long until we see more crime packs and tools focusing on these devices. 9. The gap between industrial and real world security continues to grow Industrial Control Systems are typically 10 years or more behind the mainstream in terms of security. Over the next couple of years, Sophos anticipates that there will be far more serious flaws exposed and used by attackers as motives vacillate between state-sponsored attacks and financially motivated ones. In short, it is an area where many are at significant risk. 10. Rootkits, bots adapt with new attack forms Fundamentally, the internet is in the process of changing major protocols to meet growth demand. This means that a significant amount of flaws and other security risks could gain prominence. Cybercriminals are waiting in the wings to start exploiting this. Companies and consumers need to ensure that they browse using common sense and use all the latest security software at their disposal to protect themselves. If you take what Sophos says as gospel, 2015 is not looking particularly rose-coloured. However, bear in mind that many of these examples and trends are scenarios that companies have (in theory at least) been preparing for. This does not make it any less scary out there, but you also don’t have to curl up in the foetal position just yet. You can go to https://www. sophos.com/en-us/threatcenter/medialibrary/PDFs/ other/sophos-trends-andpredictions-2015.pdf to read the full report. g

Cyber Security Hot Potato

Cyber Security Hot Potato What to watch for in 2015

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Technically Speaking

anuary is traditionally a rather slow time for video game releases, leaving gamers with not much to do except maybe catch up on or complete the many games that could have been neglected over the last couple of months. There is a good deal of games that I know I can get back into, or at least explore a little bit further with friends. Most people think that video game reviewers have the best jobs in the world, but I will let you in on a bit of a secret: we have to play the horrible games as well. And not to the point where we can go “argh, it’s pathetic” and stop. Nope. We have to play the terrible games up to a point where we can make an informed decision and write a review – which is usually not in their favour. But on the other side of the coin, the majority of titles that come out are pretty good, and usually in quick succession. That leaves us poor reviewers with a bit of a conundrum: we love the game so much that we could play it for months, but we have to move on to the new game and review it. So for that reason, most game reviewers take the quiet periods to recollect their thoughts of an amazing gaming year by revisiting old titles.

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There were two games this year however, that I spent a lot of time on – probably more than I should have. No, one of them isn’t Destiny, although I have clocked over 180 hours on it before I made a clean break and actively stopped playing. Released a couple of months ago, Dragon Age: Inquisition has been commanding far too much of my time. It’s partly because I like the game, but the big part of why it has taken a good chunk of my hours, is that the game is huge, in missions and in playable area size. There is an old expression that says ‘too much of a good thing can be bad’, and I fear that I have played myself right into its hands. The game doesn’t get worse with time, it’s just that I’m getting bored with it. Although it is a bit more complex, most of the missions are your typical ‘fetch quests’, and there are tons of those. I like to play games through rather thoroughly, so powering through the main quests only is never an option for me. Taking my time to punch through most of the side quests, I realised that I have actually damaged the gaming experience for myself. I still love the Dragon Age franchise, but there is just so gamecca67

BYcHARLIE Fripp

The Quest to Complete Games...

much to do in Inquisition that I’m now bored with the title. Players sometimes complain that games don’t have enough content in them, but is there a point where it has too much? I knew from the start that the main quests only should take about 60 hours to do (and I rejoiced that), but can it also work against a franchise if it drags on for too long? It seems highly likely to me the more time I invest in Inquisition. At the time of writing, I have played pretty far into the campaign and only have about three or four missions left, but I find myself sidestepping the other quests just so that I can finish the game and notch it up as a win. Maybe a game like Dragon Age should be tackled in a number of session spread out over a couple of months, instead of cramming everything into the space a few weeks. So that is my dilemma: can games actually be too long, to the point where you lose interest? What are your experiences? Send us a mail at letters@gameccamag.com and let’s compare notes. P.S. The other title in which I sent far too much time was Far Cry 4. g

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Live the Dream

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The Time Inbetwixt

Cool stuff 124 126 128 130

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Aphrodite IX - Rebirth TP Vol.1 Danger Girl: The Deluxe Edition TP Fables: Werewolves of the Heartland TP Invincible TP Vol. 1

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geek experience…

Les Allen

Ever dreamed of attending an international video game or comics convention? How about visiting the sets of your favourite scifi or fantasy series? Maybe getting tips for your cosplay from a professional movie make-up artist, or getting your hands on a rare, autographed comic? Being a geek is great, but there are so many awesome things that are relegated to the realms of day-dreaming or “someday…” Until now, that is. GeekXP is an organisation that can help make all your geek fantasies come true, whether they be chatting to your favourite author or spending time rubbing shoulders with fans and celebrities at a con. And your chance of getting these experiences is earned by doing the geeky stuff you already do. We spoke to Les Allen, the brains behind GeekXP, to find out how it works, and how to get involved with this exciting initiative.

by:

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Walt Pretorius

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LARP? You’ll get some points. Once you’ve amassed an amount of GXP, you can then trade them in to enter competitions for a chance to win very cool prizes, like signed Alex Ross artwork or trips overseas. GM: What kind of experiences do you offer to those who participate? LA: We’ll offer experiences that cover the entire geek spectrum. Private sessions with experienced movie make-up artists for the cosplayers? We’re can organise. Structured tours to anime conventions in Japan? We’ve got it covered. Comic Con and Blizzcon swag? We’re already stockpiling. At rAge this year, we gave away a trip for two to one of five geek destinations around the world: Gen Con, Dr Who and Sherlock Holmes experiences in the UK, Game of Thrones movie location tour, Diagon Alley at Universal Studios in Florida or the annual anime convention in Japan. The winner of that competition is waiting to check on her university leave schedule before making her final choice. GM: What’s the catch? It sounds too good to be true! LA: No catch. We want to reward the community for doing what it does. GeekXP has a number of rules

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about how we want to operate, but above all of these is Rule 0: there is no rage like geek rage. We know that the moment geeks get a whiff that something is off, your credibility is gone. We’ll be up front about everything we do and how we do it. GM: How can participants get GeekXP LA: There are two ways. GeekXP will be working with retailers and organisations in the geek community, such as LARPs, conventions, formal gaming organisations, to reward the people with these points, and we’ll be launching that system in the first quarter of 2015. The other way is that geeks will be able to buy GXP, to help get a boost when trying to make the entry requirements for certain competitions. GM: Which companies and organisations are working with GeekXP thus far? LA: We’re dealing with a range of companies across the gamut of the community. So far, we’ve run competitions involving the two largest LARP communities in South Africa, coordinated achievement hunts at ICON Comics and Gaming Convention and for Dark Carnival’s GeekFest, and in January 2015 we’ll be running a major competition in tandem with Zombie Run SA and on behalf of Ster Kinekor Entertainment to give geeks access

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GM: So what exactly is GeekXP? LA: At the heart of GeekXP is the mission to help our fellow geeks get access to cool things and experiences. We want to help them get access to cool, hard to get items like signed comics, rare game pieces, trips overseas to the biggest conventions. We’ve developed a system where you can gain geek experience points simply for doing what you would normally do and have a chance to win cool prizes. GM: How did the idea start? LA: In short, I got sick of my geek friends hearing about the cool stuff happening and not getting to do those things as well. I’m in a position now with other work I do to go overseas regularly, to get to the big conventions and have a great time. The look of envy on my friends faces ... that made me want to find a way to get them over there, too. Because while great experiences are great, great experiences shared with your friends are even better. GM: How does it all work? LA: We’ve created GXP - Geek Experience Points - that you can earn by doing the things that you’re already doing: go to your local comic store? You’ll get some points. Write a module for a convention? You’ll get some points. Go to a

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your geek profile that you can complete on the website. We’ve found that while the various geek communities are growing in SA, they can be fragmented - groups over here not knowing what groups over there are doing, even though they’re in the same city. The calendar will allow geek organisations and communities to list their events, see what else is happening, and to spread the word among people who have identified that area (be it cosplay, CCG or what have you) as being of interest to them. On top of it all, we also run a podcast called “Release The Geek”. The best stories are those from people who are really passionate about what they do, and with “Release The Geek” we chat to them about what’s inspired them to be geeky, and continue on their path. We’ve already chatted to Raymond Feist, the crew at Legion Ink, Zombie Run SA and a host of others. GM: So why do this? What are the motivations behind GeekXP? LA: I’m a big believer in benevolent selfinterest: do enough for other people that you get what you want in return. Sounds sappy, but I really dig the feeling of being able to say to someone “Hey, you’ve just won a trip overseas to attend Gen Con!” I fully believe the geek community could

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Live the Dream

to be part of the Dying Light launch campaign. GM: How do people participate? LA: Firstly, get over to www.GeekXP.co.za and register! Fill out your geek profile so we know what you want to hear about, then follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@GXPza). We’ve got a packed schedule for the first quarter of 2015, and you’ll want to know about it as soon as it happens. GM: Are we talking all kinds of geeks, or is GeekXP specific to certain activities? LA: While we take the angle that to be a geek is to be incredibly passionate about whatever it is that interests you, that applies to pretty much everyone, in some way. In short, though, we’re dealing with the ‘stereotypical’ geek - gamers in general, CCGers, LARPers, cosplayers, boardgamers, anime fans and con goers. GM: What other activities and offerings does GeekXP bring to the table? LA: GeekXP is also building a geek activities calendar for the South African community. We’ll co-ordinate with all the organisations and companies about the happenings pertinent to the geek community, and you’ll receive weekly updates about what to do based on

do with an underpinning engine to help drive everyone forward. And as we build this channel for the community, so there’ll be companies that will want to talk to them and they’ll be bringing money. We can use that money to do much cooler things with bigger and better prizes. GM: What has the uptake been like so far? Are you seeing a lot of positive response? LA: The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive - who doesn’t like to win prizes? Plus, the calendar is big feature - to know about stuff that you like that’s happening in your neck of the woods is a huge win for geeks. GM: Where can those interested find out more details? LA: Head on over to the website www. geekxp.co.za, via Facebook or on Twitter @GXPza GM: What does the future hold for GeekXP? LA: Short term? Lots of feature launches we’re getting the point system up and running as we speak, and the calendar should be available by the end of January. Longer term? Well, we want to be “the” engine for the entire geek community ... wherever they happen to be. So we ask our fellow geeks to go start up the engine, and help us build something incredibly cool.

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The Time Betwixt

o another year has come and past. By the time you read this 2015 will have arrived, perhaps borne in on the wings of alcoholic fumes, and if so may the hangovers be short and the memories devoid of embarrassment. It has, as always, been a month of shitty repetitive carol music, over-played adverts and enough recycled Christmas films to make you want to beat Santa to death with a bloodied reindeer antler. But December has past, and while thoughts turn towards actually surviving January on bankrupted accounts, so too do we begin to look at what the year ahead holds in store for us. So in order to conform to the spirit of the new year, and to avoid anything that approaches

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serious though and consideration, I’ve decided to throw in my two cents and give my generalised, amateurish views on where I see gaming heading in 2015. 1. The rise of seamless multiplayer. There have already been a few titles that have implemented this form of multiplayer, but as concept takes hold expect to see more games blurring the lines between single player and multiplayer. It’s not suitable to every form of gaming out there, but with the likes of Dark Souls 2, Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry 4 all having proven the concept’s viability, expect to see this as a standard feature going forward 2. Trials of the Wii U Nintendo’s embattled console has seen relatively good fortune this past year, with a strong

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BY Lein Baart

Signs of the Time...

release schedule and an attractive price. It’s not out of the woods just yet however, as third party support still remains scant, though recent launches such as Bayonetta 2 have boded well for the Wii U. 3. Digital to the fore PC gamers have long enjoyed the benefits of solid digital distribution, but with both PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One having given serious attention to the model, expect this to become the de facto way in which gamers buy new content. Hand in hand with this though will be an even greater focus of indie game development, with both manufacturers making large strides to reach out to the community, allowing gamers of all stripes to enjoy some of the most innovative titles out there. g

Aphrodite IX

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Rebirth TP Vol.1 Title:

Aphrodite IX - Rebirth TP Vol. 1

Writer:

Matt Hawkins

Artist:

Stjepan Sejic

Publisher:

Top Cow (Image)

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by Clive Burmeister

The reboot of the Aphrodite IX series is set far in the future, where mankind has split into two distinctive subspecies, a technological race with mastery and dependence on their cybernetic devices, and a race of genetically enhanced individuals and the strange creatures they control. Now Aphrodite IX, being of both cybernetic and genetic enhancements, finds herself in the middle of a raging war between the two tribes which is nearing its cataclysmic boiling point. As she rediscovers herself, she must also find her place within this strange new world. Aphrodite IX is an expertly written, high paced action sci-fi, with strikingly detailed artwork by Sejic, who makes each and every page a thing of beauty.

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Danger Girl: The

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e Deluxe Edition TP Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher:

Danger Girl: The Deluxe Edition TP Andy Hartnell J. Scott Campbell IDW

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by Clive Burmeister

J. Scott Campbell is an artist renowned for his sexy and tantalizing images portraying women in comics, and Danger Girl was the book where he really made his mark in the comic industry early in his career, both in providing the spectacular artwork, and also in cocreating the title and story. Danger Girl is the story of a spy organization (by the same name) where a team of super hot female secret agents fight against the plots of crazed villains and mysterious terrorists in a rollercoaster ride of action, witty banter, and flirtatious encounters, in their attempt to save the day. Danger Girl might not be a recent book, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely a golden oldie, and one that puts the fun into comics.

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Fables:Werewolves

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of the Heartland TP Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher:

Werewolves of the Heartland TP Bill Willingham Craig Hamilton / Jim Fern Vertigo (DC Comics)

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by Clive Burmeister

Willingham’s Fables series tells the stories of some of the most loved (and not so loved) characters out of fable, mythology, and fairy tale, but set in the real world. Werewolves of the Heartland takes place deep into the story, when the Fables are looking for a new town, and Bigby (A.K.A The Big Bad Wolf) lands the mission of scouting for a new place to house it. The story does continue from the main series, but also provides some flashbacks into Bigby’s past, so if you’ve read any of the TP’s or played the game you should be fine. Willingham’s Fables books are amazingly written, captivating and enthralling. If you’re a fan of fantasy, or supernatural themed stories, or just looking for something different, you should try Fables.

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Invincible

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TP Vol. 1 Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher:

: Invincible TP Vol. 1 Robert Kirkman Cory Walker Image

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by Clive Burmeister

Invincible is a superhero comic. That puts a lot of people off. I mean if you’re reading superheroes you pick up Batman or X-Men or something, right? Maybe. But then again Invincible has been going for more than 100 issues, it is written by one of the top writers in the world, the man responsible for the Walking Dead, and it is totally brilliant. What Kirkman does with invincible is totally fresh, new, exciting, and in a way kind of real (for a superhero book). What’s Kirkman’s secret to success? A lot of talent, for sure, but also where the focus lies. Kirkman has a tendency to focus on his characters, how they deal with situations, how they develop. Invincible is a superhero comic, but it’s also so much more!

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THE OBSERVER

remember a time when privacy was not a disconcerting setting in a social media account or a necessary phone tweak. Over the last decade, digital technology has become the norm in our day to day existence and interactions. With all the wonderful perks and promises that have certainly made all our lives simpler and easier there is always that niggle that forces one to ask… do we really use technology without trading off something equally valuable? Don’t get me wrong, I will be the first to acknowledge that our lives are certainly richer in having easier access to basic essential needs; I mean why deal with a paper map when my smartphone can give me step by step directions to my destination, and offer me options in doing so. My GPS is freaking awesome! So much so that it also offers valuable information as to what my exact location is… should this really bother me? Well, yes actually. There are pros and cons with most circumstances in life and it really is no different when it comes to our tech existence. That said, we all blindly ignore the fact that through this form of social interaction and “togetherness”, smart phones and useful devices all come with a price, subtly creeping its way into our comfort zones and personal spaces. Have we

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become so consumed by the truly remarkable and positive inventions of our tech world that it is easy to ignore the growing concerns of privacy… or the lack thereof? Recently, Google and Microsoft were under scrutiny as millions of devices around the world, from cell phones to laptops, became their new database toy collection. After feeling the pressure, privacy settings were set in place and the unique identifiers for those devices were made public. Here is the best part: so if someone knows your MAC (Media Access Control) address, which is your device’s unique hardware number, they have access to not only your physical address but could also monitor your device’s every process. So, basically, our devices can double up as tracking devices, both for location and activities. Is it safe to say that the smarter our technology becomes the more easily we are distracted and manipulated into supressing our basic primary needs for solitude, space and confidentiality and that this is indirectly being used against us? Beyond online profiles, devices with memory, data mining and facial recognition devices, the simple day to day acts with your friendly cell phone can have disturbing consequences. Every time you

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take a photograph with your cell phone, your location is more than likely being processed and stored with the help of your GPS. Heard of cookies that cannot be deleted? Basically a cookie contains information about your browser and habits. Some cookies store personal information about you. These are the reason why you get ads thrown in your face that “know” you are the perfect target to buy any specific product! Data mining is very real part of our reality, by which your phone number, address and other personal information are displayed on websites that have accessed your information through these cookies. Marketing studies are brilliantly meticulous with subliminal messages, and are a lot more accurate because their information on their target market is simply abundant in private and confidential information. And whether we like it or not, we are a part of a tech-market-manipulation that puts everyone in a position of weakness. Technology can truly be a wonderful thing; unfortunately what we as society do with it is what makes it contradictory and even perverse. Because when studies have pegged you based on the pattern of your existence you become an easy target and you don’t even know it. g

BY Katia Taliadoros

The TradeOff...