Gamecca Magazine July 2015

ISSUE 73 / Vol.7 July 2015

www.gameccamag.com

Batman: Arkham Knight LEGO jurassic World Hatred Yoshi’s Woolly World Kholat and more...

In the Dark

Br each!

Rainbow Six Returns

Arkham Knight investigated

Be the Maker

A new direction for Cooler Master

Another Life

Get LARPing with Tales of Teana

e3 2015 Our picks from LA

Gamecca!

Six years of awesomeness...

Free Online Mag

They Grow up so fast!

O

H OW

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Bronze Award

Silver Award

Gold Award

Platinum Award

Ed’s Choice Award

Given to games & hardware that score 80-84

Given to games & hardware that score 85-90

Given to games & hardware that score 90-94

Given to games & hardware that score 95-100

Editor’s Choice Award for products that make an impression

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From the Editor

SeasonVII

by Walt Pretorius

T

he start of a new volume – in this case the seventh – of Gamecca Magazine is a time that I reflect on what has gone before, and look to what is on the horizon. The last six years have been full of challenges, and it is truly amazing how much the world – even the world of video games – has changed over the years. For example, the almost pervasive tablet devices that everyone now seems to be using didn’t exist (at least not publically) when the first issue of Gamecca came out.

The Xbox 360 and PS3, as well as the Nintendo Wii, were the stalwarts of the console gaming community, and the 3DS and PS Vita didn’t exist yet. PC Gamers were using NVidia’s 200 series chipsets, or Radeon’s 5000 series.

Games of the moment were Prototype and inFamous, the Sims 3 and Fuel. And our first issue had 60 pages.

A lot has changed since then. The video game industry has changed and evolved, with a whole new generation of consoles and PC hardware pushing new limits. Games have become more complex and intense. And at 178 pages, this has been one of the biggest issues we have ever worked on, almost three times bigger than that first tentative step we took in July 2009.

It’s also been a year since our new format saw the merge of Gamecca and Gladget magazines, and we introduced

lifestyle items like comics, board games and gadgets to the digital pages of Gamecca. It’s also been a year since we reworked out logo.

And quite a year it’s been… there have been many ups and downs for the video game industry since July 2014, and there have been some great and some not-so-great game releases. All in all, it’s been another exciting year for the Gamecca Crew. And it looks like the year ahead will also be a great one.

I have learned not to make promises, because from concept to final product is always a complex process. But I will say that we have some big plans that we want to put in place over the next 12 months… we’ll be sure to keep you posted.

It’s also with some sadness that we will bid farewell to one of South Africa’s longest running gaming publications this month.

NAG magazine has published its last issue and although the team behind it will still be continuing with other endeavours, the print mag will be sorely missed.

So I guess it’s time for me to extend my thanks; to the readers who peruse our pages every month and provide us with valuable feedback, to the industry that keeps us in games, hardware and other cool stuff, and to the Gamecca Crew who’s efforts are invaluable in producing this magazine every month, I want to say thanks for a great year, and here’s to an awesome 12 months ahead.

Happy 6th birthday, Gamecca… welcome to volume 7! g mgeect 2 c7a 7 3 ggl a ad

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THIS MONTH’S COVER

Rainbow Six: Siege is getting ready to kick your door down!

Publisher Walt Pretorius

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Regular: Did you know More bits of awesome information

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Feature: Breach!

Rainbow Six prepares to bust a few doors down

walt@novamentis.co.za

Publisher Katia Taliadoros

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Previews: Games 10 games to look out for

44

Feature: e3 2015 roundup Our picks from the LA show

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Reviews: Games 16 games investigated

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Regular: Indie View A chat with Quintin Pan

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Regular: Legacy Waves of RTS change

katia@novamentis.co.za

Writers: Alex Scanlon Clive Burmeister Charlie Fripp Christo van Gemert Iwan Pienaar Lein Baart Katia Taliadoros Nthato Morakabi Rob Edwards Suvesh Arumugam Walt Pretorius Letters: letters@gameccamag.com

Competition Entries: competitions@gameccamag.com

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www.gameccamag.com

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Technically Speaking

Vicarious living...

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Copyright © Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd 2009 - 2015

Ramjet’s Rantality

Where’s the QA?

Marketing Contact: walt@novamentis.co.za katia@novamentis.co.za

Ed’s Note

The next chapter...

Newsletter Subscriptions:

The Time Betwixt

All out of proportion

Taking fun seriously!

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

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The Last Word

A long road

GAMECCA is published by Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd

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Feature: Be the Maker A new direction for Cooler Master

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reviews: Hardware Eight things you want!

146

Regular: Internet A little goes a long way...

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Regular: Security Keeping an eye on the kids

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Feature: Another Life Living another life in Tales of Teana

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COOL STUFF: Board Games Some great table top gaming...

166

COOL STUFF: Comics More great reading material

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Megarom Hamper

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Razer Seiren

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Gamecca Vol. 7 Issue 73 July 2015

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s e d’ c E oi h C

“Batman: Arkham Knight has all the elements that fans expect from the series, combined with great presentation and enough fresh ideas to add significantly to the experience. ”

Barman Arkham kNIGHT

Features 14 44

Breach!

Gamecca’s E3 2015 Roundup

PReviews 20 24 25 26 28 30 34 36 40 42

Need For Speed Tachyon Project Legend of Kay – Anniversary Skyanders SuperChargers Smash Derby Call of Duty Black Ops III Back to Bed Star Wars Battlefront Trans-Galactic Tournament SteamWorld Heist

Reviews 80 86 90 92 94 96 97 98 100 102 103 104 105 106 108 110

Batman: Arkham Knight LEGO Jurassic World PayDay 2: Crimewave Edition Hatred Massive Chalice Super Exploding Zoo Swords & Soldiers 2 Heroes of the Storm Yoshi’s Woolly World Ultratron Futuridium High Strangeness Nihilumbra AirMech Arena Harvest Moon 3D: The Lost Valley Kholat

RegularS 12 112 118

Did you know Indie View Legacy

COLUMN 122

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Ramjet’s Rantality

gamecca73

1…

that Project CARS 2 has already been announced?

Project CARS, billed as one of the most realistic and beautiful games on current consoles, has been through a number of development issues before it was released. After several setbacks, the game finally came out in a couple of weeks ago – but gamers aren’t too happy. The studio behind it announced in late June that a sequel is already in the works. Many have been asking “why so soon?”

2…

that only 100 Xbox One consoles were sold in Japan?

One would think that Microsoft’s Xbox One console is a pretty big deal around the world, but that would be entirely untrue. To prove that point, between June 8 and June 14, Microsoft only sold 100 Xbox One consoles in Japan. That is right: one more than 99. To make matters worse for the tech giant, Sony’s PS3 sold 2 533 more consoles during the same time, and PS4 sold over 10 000.

3…

that Fallout 4 will be in 1080p at 30 frames a second?

Fallout 4 will be one of the biggest games of the year, and gamers have been looking forward to the title for many years. With frame rates an issue in many circles, developer Bethesda was quick to explain in late June that the fifth main game will be running at 1080p at 30 frames per second on all consoles, and it will be unrestricted on PC. “Fallout 4 is 1080p & 30fps on Xbox One and PS4. Resolution and FPS are not limited in any way on the PC,” Bethesda said in a tweet.

GAMING

Did You

Know?

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DID YOU KNOW

Fallout, Hellblade and the Witcher 3...

4…

that Fallout’s mobile game is making more money than Candy Crush?

Candy Crush has been one of the most successful games for mobile platforms in the last couple of years, but it seems like people are trading their candy time for some bottle caps. When Fallout 4 was announced at E3, Bethesda also announced the Fallout Shelter mobile game. Gamers wanted to take care of vault hunters so desperately, that it has generated more revenue than Candy Crash Saga.

5…

that Hellblade with focus on a character with mental health issues?

Enslaved and Heavenly Sword developer Ninja Theory will be tackling one of the biggest no-nos in the video game world: metal health. That will be the focus of their upcoming title Hellblade, where gamers take on the role of Senua – who has mental health issues.

She has to deal with psychosis after being traumatised by the arrival of Viking invaders.

6…

that The Witcher 3 sold 4 million copies in two weeks?

The Witcher 3: TheWild Hunt was billed as one of the biggest games of the year when it was announced, and even though it might be unseated later this year

by Fallout 4, it still sold like hot cakes. How well? Well, just like the heading, it managed to sell over 4 million copies in just two weeks after its release. It translates into a 608% increase in sales over The Witcher 2. That is how well. g

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Rainbow Six to make a 14

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Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

by Lein Baart

ach!

a smashing comeback.

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T

he first-person shooter has been dominated by the likes of Call of Duty and Battlefield over the last decade, bringing about an age of railroaded campaigns that seem to be only lightly interspersed with any gameplay that hints at actual thoughtfulness. Driven by the desires of a community ever more obsessed with multiplayer, the hours long cutscenes that generally characterise a “modern day” shooter’s single-player are a far cry from the efforts of yesteryear, as fans of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six series will well know. Hailing from a different time, the franchise has always shown a willingness to challenge players while retaining a sense of realism, providing both a satisfying solo experience along with an enjoyable multiplayer.

It’s been over seven years since we’ve been treated to an instalment, but with Rainbow Six Siege just a couple of months away, many gamers are eagerly waiting to see what the eighth addition will bring to the series.

1998 proved to be a seminal year for gaming. With legends such Baldur’s Gate, Thief: The Dark Project, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, StarCraft and Grim Fandango all being launched, it is considered one of the greatest years in the industry. The FPS was likewise getting special treatment, and in terms of the genre 1998 is nowadays usually defined by the release of Half-Life, one of the most important games in history.

However this was also the year that saw Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six hit the shelves, itself a title that would create a subgenre of its own.

Developed by Red Storm Entertainment, a studio cofounded

by Clancy himself, the first Rainbow Six was a game that introduced a whole new dynamic

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Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

to shooters, one which aimed to bring realism to the fore. Centred on an international special forces unit, and with a plot that was at least in part written by Clancy, the original debuted a new style of FPS focussed around tactical decision-making and realism in close-quarter combat environments. Even compared to the games of the day it was considered difficult, with health bars only worth a few bullets at best and each mission requiring multiple play-throughs to perfect.

Though not to everyone’s taste, general feedback from the public was positive (for the PC version at least), and with a solid online multiplayer base, Red Storm knew their take on the FPS had struck gold.

Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear and Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield (the second and third games respectively) did little to deviate from the core gameplay of their predecessor, instead opting to focus mainly on improved AI, graphics and immersion, as well as expanding the franchise’s multiplayer component. Both were still considered hard as hell, and with plots worthy of Tom Clancy’s name the series rapidly gained popularity, especially on the newly launched XBox. Things began to take a turn for the worse however with the release Lockdown and Critical Hour. The first, which launched in 2005, attempted to push the series in a more action-orientated direction, with any tactical depth that had become a hallmark of Rainbow Six games lost amidst the flurry of bugs and infuriatingly stupid AI. It was a situation that Critical Hour attempted to redress the following year, however a short campaign that rehashed select missions from the first two games along with lacklustre visuals and audio meant that the game felt more like a cash-in than

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a true attempt at a sequel.

Then along came Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas. Released just months after Critical Hour, Vegas and its sequel, Vegas 2, succeeded where Lockdown had failed, managing to break the series off from its hard and fast adherence to realism with additions like regenerating health.

However, thanks in large part to greatly improved teammate AI and a revamped control scheme, the game still managed to be every inch a tactical shooter, providing countless satisfying moments that would you see you and your team work in utter harmony to perform perfect takedowns. Coupled with a great multiplayer system that include a co-op mode called Terrorist Hunt, Vegas received almost universal acclaim, a feat which Vegas 2 managed to replicate despite criticisms that it lacked innovation.

Given the franchise pedigree then, it’s easy to see why expectations are high for Rainbow Six Siege. Seven years however is a long period to wait in such a young industry, and what players have to come to expect from FPS’s has rapidly changed in that time. To this end Siege has had to adapt the typical fare we expect from the series, and as such players can expect the game to heavily emphasis multiplayer.

Indeed almost everything that Ubisoft Montreal has revealed thus far has centred on a 5v5 mode that will see one team defending a hostage while another attempts to extract him/ her. While this might sound like a rehash of an old game mechanic, Siege has several tricks to lure gamers in.

To begin with, players will be able to select from a total of twenty different “operators”, Special Forces members who each possess a unique ability. gamecca73

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

These range from a sledgehammer wielding behemoth to a master of explosives to an electronics expert able to jam communications, and while there is usually a counter-balance to be found in a different operator, the fact that only ten gamers can be playing at any one time should mean that each round will play differently. But the biggest wow factor is the destructibility that Siege will offer. Almost anything, from walls to kitchen counters, can be blown apart, and in a close-quarters combat game the potential to alter the map on the fly adds a huge amount of appeal.

It will be literally possible to make your own entrance, allowing you to get the drop on enemies in what will hopefully be a thrilling and tense multiplayer offering.

One thing that has been conspicuously absent however is the announcement of a singleplayer campaign. Only recently has Ubisoft revealed a trailer which proclaims that you will be re-establishing Rainbow Six, but whether this is just flavour or the beginning of a narrative remains to be seen. What the studio has confirmed is the return of Terrorist Hunt, now branded TerroHunt, which will see you take on stacked odds in a variety of scenarios, either solo or in co-op. Given the history of the franchise however, and especially considering that it still bears the name of one greatest espionage/ military writers of all time, a lack of any plot would probably considered a major betrayal of the series’ heritage. Whether the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege can survive on just multiplayer is a question that only time can answer, but for those who love the competitive scene broadband internet has brought us, this a game that looks to be tactical shooter in all the places that count. g gamecca73

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Need For Speed GAMING

Pimp my Ride

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Need For Speed

by Charlie Fripp

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everything that they wanted. It had racing, the latest cars and the vehicles could be customised and upgraded as needed.

So with that, it is probably a good thing that the next game in the franchise’s storied history will take some inspiration from Underground 3. While EA and developer Ghost Games said that the new Need For Speed game will be a reboot of the entire franchise, it will be incorporating some elements from U3.

In this version of the open-world racer, players will have to rip up the city at night. That can be either a good thing or not, but it will definitely take some getting used to. Ghost games has also hinted that the title will have a plot, and we are just hoping that it is

GAMING

eed for Speed as a franchise has been around longer than what some gamers have been playing their favourite titles. It is one of the most iconic gaming series in pretty much the whole of the video game industry, and has managed to rake in millions of dollars for Electronic Arts.

That is not to say that every game has been a runaway success. On the contrary, there have been a number of NFS titles that weren’t exactly well received, but the games that made the most impact with players probably have to be the Underground sub-series.

It was a glorious time for EA and the NFS franchise as a whole, as players felt that it delivered almost

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Need for Speed

actually something exciting that binds all the racing action into one cohesive form.

“With over 20 years of history in its rear view mirror, Need for Speed returns with a reboot that delivers on what Need for Speed stands for - rich customization, authentic urban car culture, a nocturnal open world, and an immersive narrative that drives your NFS game,” EA explained.

On the customisation issue, Ghost Games explained that they have worked rather closely with the NFS community to gauge what gamers need and want in the title. According to them, “you’ll be able to carry out deep customization on each and every car in the game” so that you can create something that is

individual and unique. That is a huge step forward from the previous games, and once again, it was an aspect that made Underground such a big hit.

But what good is customisation is you don’t have some good tracks to spin on? Well, for the reboot, all the night-time racing action will take place in the factious city of Ventura Bay. It promises to be roughly twice the size of Need for Speed Rivals, and it will comprise of a number of different areas, each suited to a specific style of racing.

It should be needless to say, but if you are a need For Speed fan, there should be no reason why you wouldn’t want to pick up a copy of it when it gets released. g

AT A GLANCE RPG Adventure

With lots of material to draw from, this title should be just as good as its predecessors Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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2K Australia 2K Games Megarom

Q3 2014

Platforms

GENRE

ETA

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

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Jul 2015 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Eclipse Games Eclipse Games TBC

PLATFORMS

Bright Lights and Bangs

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

AT A GLANCE Twin-Stick Shooter

A bright and frantic shooter that builds on the genre’s staples.

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by Lein Baart

Tachyon Project

hen one thinks twin-stick shooters, AAA gaming isn’t exactly the first thing that springs to mind. It’s relatively simple nature, which involves you moving with one stick (or keyboard) and firing at waves of enemies with the other (mouse for the PC), smacks more of what you’d expect to see at an arcade or in a mobile app store than on today’s latest hardware.

This style of shooter has proved to be rather enduring however, and since Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved’s resuscitation it has held a steady role as a popular niche genre, particularly in the indie market. Now small Spanish developer Eclipse Games is throwing its hat into the ring with Tachyon Project, a game that certainly seems to draw a lot of inspiration from Bizarre Creations’ hit.

While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, that doesn’t mean the studio has been content to merely clone Geometry Wars. Tachyon Project will feature a full narrative, in which you take the role A.I. Ada, searching for your creators across cyberspace. While it remains to be seen whether the plot manages to deliver anything interesting, at the very least the fantastically fluorescent graphics will match the setting.

Tachyon Project also boasts six different main weapons, nine secondary weapons, seven unlockable perks and over thirty types of enemies, as well four-player local co-op. While none of this is particularly new, where Eclipse Games does hope to offer innovation is in the introduction of a stealth mode.

While the gameplay trailer does little to show how this works beyond darkened levels, one can hope that this will allow Tachyon Project to stand out from the competition. g

Tachyon Project

E M W A VIE G E R P

Legend of Kay – Anniversary

E M W A VIE G E R P

Legend of Kay – Anniversary The return of a PlayStation cult classic.

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Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Nintendo Software Technology Nintendo Core Group

PLATFORMS

GAMING

Q3 2014

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

by Nthato Morakabi

t has been 10 years since the initial release of Legend of Kay on the PlayStation 2 (also making its way to the Nintendo DS in 2010) and now this title, deemed a Cult Classic, sees its Anniversary Edition coming to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Wii U. The mystical land of Yenching is a land inhabited by animals of various kind. Cats, Pandas, Hares and Frogs are the main creatures populating the world, which is guided by a religious code known as The Way. Sadly as generations passed, the youth slowly defected from this Way, allowing the land to be invaded.

Players will take up the role of the young, hotheaded martial arts student Kay who decides to go on an arduous journey following the closing of his martial school. Armed with his fists as well as a stolen sword of legend, players can look forward to epic battles against various foes.

Legend of Kay is still to feature 25 different levels to explore and battle through, fighting the 15 enemy types intent on causing serious harm including the big bad enemy bosses. Kay will utilise 3 different primary weapons, each weapon type to have a distinct combat style: these weapons will be Sword, Hammer and Claws.

Parts of the main quest will include a variety of mini-games including racing on a wild boar, riding on a wolf or even taking to the skies flying on the back of a dragon.

This 2005 title is to be a thoroughly remastered version of the original title, featuring high-resolution textures, character models with greater depth of detail, modern rendering techniques and improved, clearer surround sound. g

GENRE

AT A GLANCE Puzzle

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

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Skyanders SuperChargers GAMING

Leading the charge against evil

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Skyanders SuperChargers

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AT A GLANCE Action Adventure

Kaos once again seeks to bring destruction and chaos to Skylands with his ultimate weapon and only the SuperChargers stand in his way.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Vicarious Visions / Beenox Activision Megarom

ETA

Sep 2015

Platforms

GENRE

by Nthato Morakabi

he Skylanders franchise needs no introduction; with only four years since its initial release, its fifth title is about to come to the fore.

The continued growth in both its fans and its titles is sure to propel the franchise forward, especially with this latest instalment in the series: SuperChargers.

The premise once again revolves around the evil maniac Kaos and his nefarious plans to bring destruction to Skylands with his most evil contraption yet – the The Doomstation of Ultimate Doomstruction. Thankfully, Skylands is a chock-full of heroes who are just waiting for their time to shine and in this case, the SuperChargers are ready to roll.

The Skylanders franchise is known for its toy-to-life concept in which a collectible figurine can be placed on a “Portal of Power” and that figurine come to life as a useable in-game character.

SuperChargers will feature a larger Portal of Power, to accommodate the latest figurine additions to the series, which come in the form of vehicles.

The SuperChargers will allow the Skylanders to take race three tiers of vehicles: land, sea and air. Each vehicle will be customizable with the purchasable and unlockable upgrade mod-parts available in game. Activision have released info regarding the SuperChargers stating that the correct combination of vehicle and Skylander unleashes the SuperCharge state, which will grant the vehicle additional abilities.

All 300 characters from previous Skylanders’ titles can be used in SuperChargers, with 20 new figurines (which include the vehicles) and some returning characters coming to market.

Co-operative play will also feature though only one vehicle will be useable at a time due to space limitations on the Portal of Power… but surely this will not deter fans of Skylanders. g

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Smash Derby

E M W A VIE G E R P

Smash Derby Absolutely smashing!

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Fenix Fire Fenix Fire TBC

PLATFORMS

GAMING

Q3 2014

trap infested battleground, lasers bouncing off of each passing vehicle, explosions rocking the stadium with every collision – this is what Smash Derby is all about. Developers Fenix Fire have taken the concept of the demolition derby and put a futuristic twist to it but with all the metal crunching goodness of a true demolition derby.

Single player game modes will include arcade, survival and strategy modes against AI hovercrafts built to ensure the player vehicle is nothing more than a hulking mass of burnt metal. Competitive and Co-op local multiplayer games modes will include a

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

team based mode as well as the regular ol’ Deathmatch.

This upcoming, fast paced, vehicle combat title will also feature treacherous lasers, destructive turrets and player dropped mines amongst the arena hazards and traps scattered across the battlefield, all in effort to cause as much devastation and carnage as possible.

Smash Derby’s animated girls, flashy lights, stunning particle FX all encapsulated within a Game Show style façade, is sure to bring intense arcade fun to all who enjoy a little bit of carnage. g

AT A GLANCE Racing

An arcade demolition derby featuring hovercars, lasers, turrets and boobytrapped battle arenas for intense explosive fun.

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by Nthato Morakabi

A

desire for demolition and destruction seems to hit the right kind of spot with a lot of gamers, making in-game events like destructible buildings, breakable walls and car explosions incentive enough for an entire game. Looking at the destructible environment of Battlefield 4, the impressive car crashes and explosions of Burnout, the mayhem of either GTA or its parody Saints Row, we can that there is that little bit of joy in wreaking havoc in a game.

Now imagine a large scale arena, abuzz with the roaring engines of hovercars zipping across the metallic,

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Call of Duty Blac GAMING

Bring war into the future

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Call of Duty Black Ops III

by Charlie Fripp

ck Ops III

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The next game to make a spin on consoles and PC is Black Ops III, and should be hitting the shelves around November. The title is naturally the sequel to 2012’s second Black Ops game.

Developer Treyarch is meshing the clandestine with future combat by placing the game’s plot in a dystopian future set in 2065. The story arc from the previous game will also carry over, with the events taking place 40 years later.

Taking a leaf from what is slowly happening today, robotics play a main role in combat. But unlike today, that technology has been used to create super soldiers who power through the battlefield. Not a lot in terms of story arc has been announced yet, only that players will

GAMING

s there anything that can be said about the Call of Duty franchise that players don’t know about already? Well, in case some have been living under a bricked console or PC for the last decade, Call of Duty is one of the most successful first-person shooters available today.

The game has been spun into at least three different directions since its initial launch, with each focussing on different aspects of warfare. The base CoD games were World War II focussed, while Modern Warfare was pretty self-explanatory, and Black Ops had a bit more of a clandestine twist. A number of Advanced Warfare games were also released, taking war into the future.

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Call of Duty Black Ops III

be part of a black ops team of soldiers with super soldier capabilities.

One of the more exciting things about the game is that it will feature four-player cooperative gameplay and that the campaign, multiplayer and the Zombies mode of Black Ops III have been completely overhauled.

Players will be able to fully customise their chosen male or female soldier, and there will also be the ability to get through levels differently each time the game is played. Other things that can be customised will include the weapons with the new Gunsmith feature, a Camo Designer, and a new class system called Specialists.

For the gamers who enjoyed the zombie modes, those too will be returning in the third game. An all-

new narrative separate from the campaign will see the zombies encompass their own story and multiplayer modes, and both of those mode will feature a brand-new XP system.

Call of Duty is without a doubt a smash hit every year, and even though people jokingly say that every iteration is “just a map pack� to previous titles, that has been proven to be false. With every game, the developers bring new ideas to the table, and Black Ops III will be no different.

There is no doubt that it will once again be a great success and a competitor for an eSports title, so if you are a fan of the every-growing franchise, you best keep an eye on this one. g

AT A GLANCE FPS

Every year Call of Duty is a success. This will be no different.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Treyarch Activision Megarom

Nov 2015

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Back to Bed

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Back to Bed

Playing in the lands of Escher and Dali

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Bedtime Digital Games LOOT Interactive TBC

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GAMING

Q3 2015

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

by Nthato Morakabi

n the year 2011, a couple of students came together to create a game so surreal, so unique, that it garnered the attention of both their local as well as international press.

Their premise: guide Bob the sleepwalker back from his office to his bed through the help of his guardian Subob. The title went on to win an award at the IGF (Independent Games Festival) in San Francisco and eventually backed to be released in 2014 on the mobile platform and on PC via Steam.

A standout feature of Back to Bed lies in its visuals. The dreamlike artwork seems to straight out of a surrealist painting, flat fish as platforms gigantic apples haphazardly placed across the levels, bubbling trashcans, chimneys and various objects thrown in as both in-game objects as well as depictions of the occurring dream.

Players will take on the role of Subob whose single purpose is to ensure Bob does not fall to his death within the dream. Placing the various objects around the level guides the sleeping Bob around the perilous levels, shaping his path towards a bed he so desperately longs for in his slumber. Subob’s movement is unconventional across the detailed 3D levels, able to walk along walls and platforms as though the world had turned sideways.

Although released already, Back to Bed is making its way into the Sony atmosphere with a PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita release. This isometric puzzle adventure looks to be quite a unique experience for all PlayStation players who have yet to enjoy the surreal gameplay that is Back to Bed. MC Escher would be proud. g

GENRE

AT A GLANCE Puzzle

Subob must guide is slumbering human counterpart to safety within the surreal and ever so dangerous dreamscape.

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Star Wars Battle GAMING

Sticking to its roots

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Star Wars Battlefront

by Lein Baart

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extremely faithful recreations of everything from the Rebel soldiers’ gear to the foliage of Endor. The Frostbite 3 engine should be put through its paces here, but even the pre-alpha gameplay footage has shown amazing renditions of some of the most iconic moments from the films.

Whatever the game may turn out to be, at the very least it should be easy on the eyes.

For those that have not played any of the previous titles, Battlefront will see you take up the role of either an Imperial Stormtrooper or Rebel Alliance soldier, and, like the first game, will be almost entirely focussed on multiplayer. While the developers have been rather tightfisted with information regarding the various modes available at launch, what they are trumpeting is Walker

GAMING

he last quarter of 2015 is shaping up to be quite an epic time for Star Wars fans. While many will be praying that Episode 7 will erase the memories of the George Lucas’ bumbling attempts at directing, there are more than couple of gamers that are hoping that Star Wars Battlefront will recapture the glory of Pandemic Studio’s original series. With EA having passed the responsibility of the franchise to DICE, who seem to be taking a short break from the Battlefield franchise, questions have been swirling over how exactly the Swedish studio will reinterpret one of the best multiplayer shooters of the last decade.

To start with, it’s clear that DICE are sticking very close to the source material (the good trilogy), with

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Star Wars Battlefront

Assault; 40 player battles which will also include driveable vehicles such as AT-AT’s and allow players to pilot crafts like X-Wings. DICE have also revealed that hero characters such Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and Han Solo will be playable, though how exactly these will be unlocked remains to be seen. Those looking to take the action offline will unfortunately not be able to play through a singleplayer campaign, though DICE will offer co-op “Survival” maps which will see you fending off hordes of enemies.

In terms of actual gameplay Battlefront will be shooter that allows players to switch between first-person and third-person perspectives. Given DICE’s background in FPS’s it would be understandable to assume that the game would be heavily influenced by Battlefield mechanics,

however somewhat surprisingly it appears that studio has opted for a more old-school approach, with even iron-sights being dropped. The reboot will have the option for players to upgrade abilities, weapons and gear however, and will even allow players to share upgrades with a chosen partner.

With only four maps available at launch (Endor, Hoth, Tatooine and Sullust), along with an upcoming DLC release in early December, Battlefront may struggle with lasting appeal, though other modes could alleviate this. However the game’s dedication to the original trilogy is clear even at this stage, and all things considered Battlefront should be an absolute treat for fans of one the most iconic franchises in history. g

AT A GLANCE 1st/3rd-Person Shooter

It’s obvious that Battlefront is going to offer plenty of fan service, though DICE are not being particularly forthcoming with details Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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EA Digital Illusions CE Electronic Arts Prima Interactive

Nov 2015

Platforms

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ETA

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Q3 2014 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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MOBA comes to console

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

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AT A GLANCE TBA 2015

Quirky, zany characters bout it out in a 4v4 online battle arena, changing the rules of the popular MOBA genre for fast frantic gaming.

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by Nthato Morakabi

TransGalactic Tournament

f there was one genre in the gaming world that generates countless views, heralds international champions and launched gaming into more than just a pastime, it is MOBA. The likes of League of Legends, Heroes of Newearth and DOTA propelled the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena genre to be more than just a minigame and more than just another game mode.

Trans-Galactic Tournament is yet another Free-to-Play MOBA title though unlike most MOBAs which are PC based, this will be available as a PS4 title. However, unlike most MOBA titles, Trans-Galactic Tournament or TGT as its creators have dubbed it, is all about fast paced action and customizable characters to suit each player’s unique play style.

Three launch modes that were revealed for this 4v4 include a Capture-The-Flag meets the Thunderdome from Mad Max, a King-of-The-Hill style Conquest and the classic Deathmatch.

Dubbed as “a love-letter to the FPS deathmatches of our youth as any MOBA”, TGT is all about the frantic kill-or-be-killed moments built around an exciting all about battle of wits, timing, strategy and a little bit of luck. There will also be no in-match levelling, instead leaving that to prematch champion customization and in-game play.

10 champions will be launched with the game, a roster of characters drawn up from the depths of profound madness, creative ingenuity and other places where fearless amphibians, alien alligators and … platypi, run rampant on large scale arenas – 6 available from the day of launch. Each week will also have a free champion rotation, allowing players the freedom of testing out the various champions available.

PlayStation Plus members can look forward to exclusive content as more champions, arenas and game modes are introduced post launch. g

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SteamWorld Heis GAMING

SteamWorld reinvented

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SteamWorld Heist

AT A GLANCE 2D Turn-Based Shooter

A rather bold move from the developer, SteamWorld Heist will offer players a completely different game to Dig Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Image & Form Image & Form TBC

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Q3 2015

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by Lein Baart

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ny indie title is going to require spades of innovation to make it stand out, and 2013’s SteamWorld Dig provided just that, with a blend of 2D platforming, exploration and mining that won the hearts of many. So successful was the game in fact that it made the rare jump from handheld console exclusive to multi-platform, and two years on its still receiving praise. It takes a brave developer then to completely abandon the gameplay of its most successful title, though Image & Form’s SteamWorld Heist appears to have plenty to offer returning fans.

Set in the same universe as SteamWorld Dig, albeit at least several centuries in the future, Heist will have players take up the reigns of Captain Piper, a robotic space-age scavenger (and seemingly pirate). It’s a time in which SteamWorld has been utterly destroyed, and robots are forced to fight each other for scarce supplies of water, meaning that raiding and combat are the order of the day.

SteamWord Heist will almost entirely eschew the platforming that was a central part of Dig’s premise, instead opting to become a 2D turn-based shooter. While this might sound like a strange combination, the gameplay trailer definitely makes a compelling argument, as your will crew engage in shootouts that offer plenty of tactical delight, with cover, ricocheting bullets and various weaponry all being featured. Heist will not completely abandon its roots however, and fans of the previous game can expect the charming western-inspired graphics to make a return.

Image & Form have chosen to stay loyal to the 3DS, so while the game will be launching on most platforms, owners of the Nintendo handheld can expect to get the first shot at the game. g

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

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Picking the best games out of a show like E3 2015 is really difficult. There were a lot of top-notch titles on display in LA. Our round-up features 70 games that caught our attention.

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GAMECCA E3 2015 ROUND-UP

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nd-Up

These by no means cover the entire scope of what E3 2015 had on offer, but serve to illistrate that, once again, it’s an exciting time to be a gamer... So, on with the show! gamecca73

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nother year, another E3. By all accounts, E3 2015 was one of the best showings from the expo in recent history, and a number of really great games were revealed, or elaborated on, at the LA show.

As always, the three big names – Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft – took to the press conference stage to strut their stuff and show off what they have in store. But the focus this year was spread around, with less clear competition between the three giants.

Microsoft used their time on stage at E3 2015 to talk about games and technology.

The tech that they revealed included a look at the Xbox One Elite controller. Another, which drew a lot of attention, was backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 games - although the compatibility is not native, as such, and makes use of downloading rather than playing the games natively on your Xbox One using 360 disks.

The Hololens also got some press, with a new Minecraft demonstration showing off what the device could do. Once again, there seemed to be some smoke and mirrors here, as careful camera angles were used apparently to obfuscate the device’s limited field of view.

On the game side, Microsoft delved into Halo 5: Guardians,

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Gears of War 4, Forza 6 and the remastered Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, all of which are going to be exclusives.

They also showed off Rise of the Tomb Raider, Sea of Thieves and a number of other games coming from third party developers.

Sony, on the other hand, moved their concentration onto their game line-up, which included the return of several popular franchises. First up they revealed the fact that The Last Guardian is still around, with Fumito Ueda still directing. A 2016 release window was given.

Horizon: Zero Dawn was revealed as an exciting new IP, while veteran Hitman took to the stage to show just what the gameplay would be like on PS4.

A new IP from Media Molecule, the team behind LittleBigPlanet, was revealed. Called Dreams, it will focus on what happens in our heads when we sleep.

The intriguing Firewatch was also shown, and exclusive downloadable content for Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate was announced.

One of the show-stealers was the announcement that there would be a remake of Final Fantasy VII, one of the best loved instalments in Square Enix’s long running fantasy JRPG saga. And while the Morpheus wasn’t a huge hit during the conference, a new IP for it, called RIGS, drew some attention.

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Another show stealer, of course, was a thrilling Uncharted 4 demo, showing a game that looks incredibly exciting.

Nintendo’s showing was purely software based, but they brought out some big names.

Star Fox Zero, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes, Metroid Prime Federation Force, Super Mario Maker and a number of other titles were shown, demonstrating Nintendo’s ardent adherence to the embattled WiiU and ever-popular 3DS. Software reigned supreme at E3 2015. Numerous potentially huge games were on display, with several of them forming part of long running and wellloved franchises. Some daring new IPs also made a showing, like Ubisoft’s For Honor. But the really big stars were the returning heroes; titles like Need for Speed, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Mass Effect: Andromeda and Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst (to mention just a handful) look exciting and invigorated by new technology and ambitious development teams. The remainder of 2015 is looking very promising, but with all the big names coming out people are really going to have to start saving up – or the game industry will have to brace for lacklustre sales on individual titles as consumers’ attention gets spread thing by all the gaming goodness.

GAMECCA E3 2015 ROUND-UP

Adrift

PC/PS4/XO September 2015 What would you do if you had to go on a space mission, only to have yourself severed from the mothership? Well, that is exactly the scenario that players will have to deal with in Adrift. It takes place in zero gravity, and gamers will have to float and move their way to safety.

Anno 2205 PC November 2015

The Anno series is about to get out of this world... literally. With the ability to colonise and harvest resources on the moon, Anno 2205 will allow players to build truly massive cities. In addition, islands in the game will now be up to five times bigger than before, allowing truly huge expansion.

BattleBorn PC/PS4/XO Q4 2015

Describing Battleborn as a “hero shooter”, Borderlands developer Gearbox Software have decided to take on the MOBA with their first original IP in six years. Featuring a roster of 25 characters, the FPS/ MOBA hybrid will include three modes as well as solo/co-op campaign for those who don’t wish to head online. gamecca73

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Battlecry PC Q3/Q4 2015

In light of the Black Powder treaty signed by the Great Empires, history has been reshaped by technological advancements and the golden age of industrial manufacturing and design.

Players become part of a team of elite warriors; factions tasked with maintaining peace in brutal, bloody battles of competitive, fast-paced multiplayer.

Battlezone PC/PS4 TBA

Not a lot of players will remember the 1980’s arcade classic, but thankfully the coinoperated tank battle game is about to get a reboot. It not going to be just any old reboot, but it will be made specifically for Sony’s Project Morpheus virtual reality headset.

Blood Bowl 2 PC 2015

GAMING

American football and the fantasy world of Warhammer are set to collide again in Blood Bowl 2, the second video game adaptation of Games Workshop’s insane and brutal board game. Humans, orcs, elves, dwarves and many more will do battle with the spiked ball! It’s going to be crazy, violent fun.

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Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate PC/PS4/XO October 2014

Unity may been met with less than a stellar reception, but that hasn’t stopped Ubisoft from pushing ahead with AC Syndicate. For the first time in the series featuring two playable characters, Jacob and Evie Frye, Syndicate will be set at the tail end of the industrial revolution and will chronicle the twin’s rise to power through the use of the gangs of London.

Introducing a whole new suite of weapons as well as a rope launcher for easy travelling, gamers can look forward to a version of AC that will hopefully be free of the bugs that plagued Unity.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 PC/PS4/XO/PS3/X360 November 2015

Another gaming staple, CoD has been with gamers almost as long as gaming has been around.

The third Black Ops game will take place a good couple of years of the conclusion of the second title, and it will surround supersoldier trying to keep the peace in the most clandestine way possible, of course.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided PC / PS4 / XO TBA

Jensen is on his way back, and ready for more augmented action. Set two years after the events in Human Revolution, Mankind Divided will allow the player to explore all-new locations and experience new augmentations in this dark and brooding cyberpunk thriller... it’s going to be epic!

Dishonored 2 PC/PS4/XO Q2 2016

GAMING

2012’s Dishonored was one of the best stealth games we’ve seen thus far this millennium, and expectations will be high for Arkane Studios next instalment. Set 15 years after the events of the first game, gamers will now be able to choose between playing returning protagonist Corvo or Emily Kaldwin.

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GAMECCA E3 2015 ROUND-UP

Dark Souls 3 PC/PS4/XO Q1/Q2 2016

The Souls games have long held a reputation as the pinnacle of hardcore gaming, a challenge that only the most tenacious can bear for any length of time. Even DS 2, which some have felt was generally more forgiving than its predecessors, never let up for a moment, and now From Software, who recently released the spectacular Bloodborne, have announced the final chapter in what has become a legendary series.

With a redesigned control scheme to make movement more intuitive, as well as expanded movesets for various weapons, Dark Souls 3 is bound to have many diehard fans frothing at the mouth.

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Disney Infinity 3.0 PC/PS4/XO/WiiU/PS3/X360 Q3 2015

Disney and Marvel character figurines have been coming to life in the homes of gamers, thanks to the amazing technology behind Disney Infinity.

Version 3.0 brings together the Marvel, Disney and newest to the fold, the Star Wars universe, together for a larger and diverse roster, more adventure and more fun.

Doom

PC / PS4 / XO Q2 2016 It was bound to happen the game that redefined the fledgling FPS genre is making a welcome and undoubtedly terrifying comeback.

Aside from the hours of demon-blasting fun that Doom will offer, players will also be able to engage in arena style combat and create their own maps.

Dreams PS4 TBA

GAMING

We don’t know a hell of a lot about Dreams yet, except that it has to do with sleep and presumably the wild imagination of the subconscious.

And if anyone knows wild imagination, it’s Media Molecule, the team behind the hugely successful LittleBigPlanet series.

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GAMECCA E3 2015 ROUND-UP

Earthbound Beginnings WiiU Q3 2015

Already available for download via the Nintendo eShop, Earthbound Beginnings is the western release of Mother, a RPG that first saw release in Japan in 1989. VERY oldschool in approach (right down to its 8-bit graphics) fans of Dragon Knight should check this out, just to scratch that nostalgic itch.

Fallout 4 PC / PS4 / XO November 2015

Even though the news was leaked just before E3, Fallout 4 still made a welcome appearance at the show. It promises a massive (if desolate) world crammed with tons to do and see, as well as the expected high degree of character customisation and freedom that we have come to expect from this series.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Blackwater WiiU Q3/Q4 2015

Mt. Hikami is a place of death and darkness, plagued by mysterious suicides and the once holy water flowing from it. Three interconnected tales of deaths converge into one unfolding drama as three individuals use the power of the Camera Obscura to fend off evil spirits only they can see. gamecca73

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FIFA 16

PC/PS4/XO/PS3/X360 September 2015 The FIFA franchise has for a long time been staving off the competition, and every year it seems that EA manages to come up with something different. This year will be no exception, as the game will feature better graphics than before, updated physics models and all the football action.

Final Fantasy VII PS4 TBA

Square Enix has finally seen fit to remake Final Fantasy VII, easily the most celebrated Final Fantasy game in history.

A complete update of the original, FF VII will even include new story content, though how far the plot will deviate has yet to be revealed.

Gigantic PC/ XO Q4 2015

GAMING

It seems that MOBA’s are currently the latest trend in gaming, and with it is coming a host new takes on the classic DOTA formula. Designed by indie studio Motiga, Gigantic will offer players the chance to battle the opposing team with the aid of Guardian, a colossal mythical creature.

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GAMECCA E3 2015 ROUND-UP

For Honor PC/PS4/XO 2016

New IPs are always a risky venture, and with Ubisoft’s last major attempt, Watchdogs, having failed to really impress, the pressure must be high at Ubisoft Montreal to get things spot on with For Honor. Blending strategy elements with third-person action, For Honor will be a multiplayer action title that will allow players to battle it out using a new system called the “Art of Battle”.

Selecting from characters from one either the Chosen, the Warborn or the Legion (representing samurai, Vikings and knights respectively), the new mechanic will force players to think on their feet rather than just button mash.

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FORZA 6

XO September 2015

GAMING

The Forza franchise is arguably one of the biggest racing franchises on Microsoft’s console, and there seems to be no stopping it. Developed

by Turn 10 Studios, the sixth game in the series, if you ignore the two Horizon games, promises to give gamers the best and most realistic driving experience ever. That is a very bold claim to make, but the franchise has proven over and over again why players flock to its virtual steering wheels.

The game will include 26 tracks, of which 10 that are new to the franchise, and it will also feature wet-weather driving.

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GEar of War 4 XO 2016

For players who are Xbox fans, there is a very good chance that they have at some point in their gaming escapades played a Gear of War game. It was one of the biggest franchises when the Xbox360 was still going strong, and the four games in the series is aiming to reclaim its place on the Xbox One. During this year’s E3 conference, not a lot was revealed about the game, but players did get to see some gameplay footage.

The oh-so-familiar Lancer rifle and cover system is still in place, and the enemies look as badassed as ever.

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Ghost Recon: Wildlands PC/PS4/XO TBA

GAMING

Ghost Recon Wildlands, brings its first open world title to the franchise, set in Bolivia and carrying no story narrative. Featuring an expansive world across nine different terrains ranging from jungles, mountains and deserts to the inner markets of the city. Players step into the shoes of elite United States soldier unit, Ghosts, in an ever changing world shifting from day to night, filled with interactive characters all of which impact the game.

With tactical freedom at the fore Ghost Recon Wildlands looks to be a title worth an investment.

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GAMECCA E3 2015 ROUND-UP

Godzilla PS4/ PS3 Q3 2015

Appearing to be more fan service than anything else, Godzilla will allow fans to step in the role of the legendary monster while battling enemies and bosses from the established canon.

Releasing for both PS3 and PS4, Bandai Namco have confirmed that the PS4 edition will also include online multiplayer.

Guitar Hero Live PC/PS4/XO/WiiU/PS3/X360 October 2015 The battle for the best rhythm game will once again start brewing this year, after being in a bit of a hiatus. The latest instalment of the plastic instrument craze will feature a better fret board for players to see the notes, but the biggest change is that gamers will be made to feel as if they are actually part of a band.

Halo 5: Guardians XO October 2015

Master Chief has gone missing and it is up to a new Spartan Hero to find him, to help fend off a new alien menace. That’s the story behind Halo 5: Guardians, and it goes to show that Microsoft won’t let go of this valuable franchise... and it will be an Xbox One exclusive, which may just make it a console-seller too. gamecca73

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Hitman

PC / PS4 / XO December 2015 Travel the world, visit exotic locations, meet interesting people and end their lives in this new edition of Hitman.

The game promises an ever-expanding world and an experience that will deepen and grow as the game progresses. Players will be given massive amounts of freedom, too, to perform their hits.

Hollowpoint PC/PS4 2015

A sci-fi themed thirdperson shooter that will use 2.5D (a blend of traditional 2D and 3D perspectives), Hollowpoint features procedurally generated levels as well as RPG system to allow players to step into the role of mercenary looking to build his own outfit, and will be playable solo or in co-op.

Horizon: Zero Dawn PS4 2016

GAMING

What can be better than hunting dinosaurs in an open world environment?

While it might sound like fun, there is a bit of a catch though – the dinosaurs are actually robotic animals with razorsharp teeth, heightened senses and a thirst for blood. It’s a bit more complex than that, but it looks positively awesome.

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Hyrule Warriors: Legends WiiU/3DS Q3 2015

Dynasty Warriors meets the legends of Hyrule as the famous and infamous characters from the Legend of Zelda series face off against hordes of enemies. Hyrule Warriors will be a combat focussed title featuring all the weapons from the Zelda series as well as amazing special abilities customized for characters.

Just Cause 3 PC/PS4/XO December 2015

Massive explosions! Insane action! A grappling hook!

The third game in the insane Just Cause series will once again allow gamers to cause as much havoc as they possibly can, while naturally attending to the game’s plot.

Rico is back, and this time he has to take back his home island from an evil dictator.

Just Dance 2016

PS4 / XO / WiiU / PS3 / X360 October 2015 Don’t say you didn’t see it coming. This sleeper hit from a few years ago has become a true juggernaut and a stalwart entry on the yearly gaming calendar.

While not much has been said yet, we can assume new tracks, new routines and more than a few new surprises from Ubisoft’s dancing franchise. gamecca73

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King’s Quest: A Knight to Remember PC/PS4/XO/WiiU/PS3/X360 July 2015

One of gaming’s most beloved adventure series is getting a new instalment, with the new King’s Quest being released in a five-part episodic format with the first being titled A Knight to Remember. Not entirely a reboot, the games will retell past events but with twists and content.

Kingdom Hearts III PS4/XO TBA

Sora and Riku return for yet another adventure with Disney stars Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy in this eighth instalment of the beloved Kingdom Hearts series. Kingdom Hearts 3 will feature Keyblade transformations based on the various worlds players will traverse along with new abilities and gameplay mechanics.

LEGO: Avengers

PC/PS4/XO/WiiU/PS3/X360/PSV/3DS 2015

GAMING

The LEGO titles have over the years grown from strength to strength, getting better with each iteration. Combining popular movies, pop culture and one of the most recognisable children’s toys, even adults adore them. Throw in a very successful graphic novel, and surely you have a recipe for success.

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LEGO: Dimensions

PC / PS4 / XO / WiiU / PS3 / X360 / 3DS ? 201?

Fitness is a huge market across the world, and when combined with a little gameplay, it could actually make it less of a chore. Ubisoft’s newest fitness title aims to do exactly that, by making it actually fun and exciting to get back in shape.

Mad Max PC/PS4/XO September 2015

The chaotic action from the Mad Max films combines with video technology for the first time to bring this year’s action-packed film of the same name to life.

The franchise has a storied history, but by sticking to the events and crazy antic of the film, the game should be blood-gushing good.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam 3DS March 2016

Two worlds collide in this mash-up of Mario and Luigi with their flattened counterparts from Paper Mario, for a massive adventure within Mushroom Kingdom. Players can expect amalgamated gameplay from both worlds, combining elements from Paper Mario and its characters and the Mario series in an interactive 3D world. gamecca73

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Mass Effect: Andromeda PC/PS4/XO Q4 2016

GAMING

When the first Mass Effect games came out for the Xbox360, there were immediate hits among the gaming fraternity.

Andromeda, the fourth major release as part of the Mass Effect series is aiming to bring all the action role-playing thirdperson shooter goodness to the Xbox One, and its going to be sweet. If you didn’t know, this time around it won’t be starring Shepard as the fearless leader, but with a new set of characters in an all-new galaxy, Andromeda. Players will once again be able to play as either a male or female human character and will pilot the new Mako spacecraft.

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MGS V: The Phantom Pain PC/PS4/XO/WiiU/PS3/X360 September 2015 Despite Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes receiving mixed reviews due to its extremely short length, Hideo Kojima has pressed on with his plans for The Phantom Pain, which should be a far more fleshed-out continuation, building on the same gameplay elements from the prologue, and utilising a new day-night cycle.

Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst PC/PS4/XO February 2016

The original Mirror’s Edge tried to do something original, and while it was semi-successful, the spiritual successor will be aiming much higher. Playing as Faith, players will once again has to parkour their way around the levels, while solving intricate puzzles in first-person view.

It is worth to keep an eye on.

No Man’s Sky PS4 TBA

We don’t know much about this apparently Asimov-inspired space saga, but the little that we have seen looks pretty exciting.

It’s been a while since there has been a great space game to sink our teeth into, so here’s hoping that No Man’s Sky delivers a great mix of depth and action. gamecca73

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Need for Speed PC/PS4/XO November 2015

GAMING

To say that many gamers grew up with Need For Speed would be a bit of an understatement, but thankfully the franchise hasn’t lost its appeal.

The latest game in the series, set for release a bit later this year, will see driver take on other speed freaks in a new setting – racing at night.

Considered to be a reboot of the franchise, it will however share some similarities to probably the most loved NFS game, Underground 3. Not a terrible lot is known about the title, but it is said that vehicle customisation will make its return.

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PES 2016

PC/PS4/XO/PS3/X360 September 2015 Pro Evolution Soccer returns once again to bring world class football, high end graphics and accurate human motions to create a realistic football simulation. PES2016 will continue to feature the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Super Cup with improvements on existing game modes for an in-depth experience.

Pillars of Eternity: The White March PC TBA

Obsidian Entertainment’s RPG Pillars of Eternity has already achieved critical acclaim since its release in March this year, and E3 2015 saw the announcement of The White March. The expansion pack will include a new storyline, as well as an increased level cap, new party companions and new abilities.

Rainbow Six: Siege PC / PS4 / XO October 2015

It’s been a long time since we saw an installment of this squad-based shooter, based on the writing of the late Tom Clancy. But with Siege, Rainbow Six looks to make a triumphant comeback, with a wide variety of character classes and massively destructible environments. Teamwork will be key here... gamecca73

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Rise of the Tomb Raider XO/X360 November 2015

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We have seen a number of classic titles revamped, recreating a much loved hero (or heroine) into a modern beauty, including the much loved Tomb Raider franchise. Since its initial “origins” brought to life a younger, less experienced Lara Croft to the scene, it was inevitable that her legacy would continue.

Players explore Siberia for the ancient city of Kitezh, with the aid of Jona Maiava. It is a race against the organisation Trinity for the secrets of “immortality” and players must survive the harsh Siberian wild, ancient tombs and those attempting to stop Lara as her destiny unfolds.

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Runbow WiiU Q3 2015

The colour saturated action adventure platformer Runbow, is all about fast, frantic fun, a multiplayer game with a unique art style and a never seen before colour mechanic.

The game will feature an adventure mode against the nefarious Satura or multiple game modes that encourage online and offline party play.

Sea of Thieves PC/XO 2016

What would you say to a MMO pirate game?

Well that is what players will get from developer Rare. The seafaring, swashbuckling game will allow players to form bands of misfit pirates and take on other ships in an epic online quest for the biggest pile of booty.

Shadow of the Beast PS4 TBA

With a lot of games getting remakes this year, Shadow of the Beast also felt the need to jump into the queue. The original sidescrolling platform was rather successful in the late ‘80s, which saw players take on a variety of monsters. The title’s remake is development for the PlayStation 4, and if it triggers any nostalgia, it succeeded in its task. gamecca73

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Shadow Warrior 2 PC / PS4 / XO 2016

The follow up to Shadow Warrior will be crammed with more off-colour jokes, tons of bad guys to shoot at and a story-line drawn from legend.

Lo Wang will be able to take on his enemies in four player co-op this time around, meaning that the action will likely be even more intense than it was in the first game.

Skylanders: SuperChargers PC/PS4/XO/WiiU/PS3/X360/3DS September 2015

Kaos is back with another nefarious plan: bringing destruction to Skylands with his most evil contraption yet – the The Doomstation of Ultimate Doomstruction.

Thankfully Skylands heroes are able to rise against the evil with their newest machine, the Superchargers and a bigger portal of power for these new vehicle figurines.

South Park: The Fractured but Whole PC/PS4/XO 2016

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Once again playing the New Kid, gamers will have the chance to join Coon and Friends as they battle against Professor Chaos.

While no confirmation has been given, the game should use a similar turnbased mechanic as The Stick of Truth, along with a healthy dose of Parker and Stone’s wit.

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Space Hulk: Deathwing Platforms TBC TBA

Based on Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40K universe and the Space Hulk board game, this title will see small groups of heavily armed and armoured Space Marines take on hordes of evil Genestealers. At least that’s what we’re assuming, because there isn’t much information about it yet...

Star Fox Zero WiiU Q4 2015

Fox McCloud and his Arwing craft, as well as his faithful comrades return to do more barrel rolls in this Wii U exclusive title.

Featuring new game mechanics thanks to the WiiU gamepad and its gyroscopic controls as well as new transformations for the various vehicles.

StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void PC TBA

Finally getting to seemingly everyone’s favourite race, StarCraft 2: The Legacy of the Void will revolve around Artanis attempting to unite all the Protoss tribes in order to ensure the continuation of the species.

Featuring approximately thirty missions, Blizzard are also releasing a free prologue called Whispers of Oblivion. gamecca73

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Star Wars: Battlefront PC/PS4/XO November 2015

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Galaxies far, far away will come to the homes of Star Wars fans in this upcoming third instalment of the Star Wars: Battlefront series.

Developed by renowned developers DICE, utilizing the powerful Frostbite 3 engine, this revamped collaboration for Battlefront franchise has been called a “match made in heaven�.

Players will have the option of playing as either a Rebel Alliance soldier or Imperial Stormtrooper in online or offline cooperative play. Missions will include faces waves of enemies in Survival missions, playing as iconic characters Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader and others in Hero Battles and more.

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Street Fighter V PC/PS4 March 2016

The long running fighter series has partnered with Sony, is powered by Unreal Engine 4 and is set to feature stunning visuals thanks to the power of Next-Gen consoles. With iconic World Warriors Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and M. Bison returning and exciting game modes available online and offline.

Sword Coast Legends PC/PS4/XO 2015

Almost by default an RPG, Sword Coast Legends will be set on geekdom’s favourite stretch of shoreline, and will feature five races and six classes, all based on DnD fifth edition. The game will also ship with a Dungeon Master mode, allowing gamers to test their wits against user-created campaigns and dungeons.

Tales of Zestiria PC/PS4/PS3 October 2015

As war rages across Glenwood between the Hyland Kingdom and Rolance Empire, Sorey seeks to return peace to the land. With dark entities known as Hellion wreaking havoc from the negative energy and the last remaining beings known Seraphim helping to save humanity, Sorey’s adventure is sure to change lives. gamecca73

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The Division PC/PS4/XO March 2016

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During the biggest shopping day, Black Friday, a disease spreads throughout the country, collapsing the United States government within five short days. A task force of self-supported agents is given direct authority by the President, to help eradicate the virus and find the source of the threat. This team is known as Strategic Homeland Division, also known as The Division.

Players become part of this task force in a dynamic New York as an open world environment, built for exploration and cooperative play including seamless multiplayer. Threats are around every corner from thugs and gangs to the virus itself.

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The Last Guardian PS4 2016

Despite being stuck in development since 2007, it appears that gamers will finally be able to get their hands on The Last Guardian next year.

Drawing on gameplay from the amazing Ico and Shadow of the Colossus games, The Last Guardian will be a puzzle-based with action elements.

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes 3DS Q3/Q4 2015

Triforce Heroes is a cooperative dungeon crawler featuring three renditions of protagonist Link, all working together to progress through various levels and save a kingdom. Sharing a single health bar to encourage team play, every puzzle will require collaboration between players either with AI in local play or online multiplayer.

The Tomorrow Children PS4 2015

When a failed experiment destroys most of humanity, it is up to a group of surviving engineers to search out human DNA in the Void and try to recreate mankind through projection clones.

From what we can see, this will be strategy and management all rolled into one. Good stuff! gamecca73

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Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 PS4/XO/PS3/X360 September 2015

One almost has to do a double-take on the year, as it is indeed time for a new Tony Hawk skating game. The previous titles were huge in the late ‘90 and early 2000s, so it about high time that we get a skateboard game with updated graphics and better physics.

Until Dawn PS4 August 2015

Adventure survival horror games have been making a huge come-back over the last couple of years, and Until Dawn squarely wants to tap into that spinechilling goodness. Starring Hayden Panettiere as Sam, various characters spend the night in a log cabin, oblivious that they are actually being hunted by a crazy killer.

XCOM 2 PC TBA

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Just before E3 2015 opened, the announcement was made that XCOM would be getting an eagerly anticipated sequel. This turn based strategy title will see the player’s forces as freedom fighters, rather as defenders of humanity.

The future of mankind hangs in the balance...

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Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End PS4 Q1 2016

Naughty Dog have been rather quite since we had our breath taken away by the amazing The Last of Us, with only a couple of hints as to how the development of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End was coming along. Clearly the studio has been hard work however, as its E3 display this year was nothing short of amazing.

Featuring some of the most impressive graphics and emergent gameplay to date, Uncharted 4 will see Nathan Drake once again embarking on a quest of global proportions, this time to aid his longlost brother track down a mythical pirate colony and its treasure.

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Batman: Arkham GAMING

A Knight to remember‌

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by Walt Pretorius

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In this new iteration of the Arkham franchise, Rocksteady present us with a version of Gotham City that is vast, thrilling, decrepit and lively, all at the same time. Although ordinary citizens have left the area, the streets are crawling with malcontents, providing Batman with more than a few jobs to get done on this one very important night. The city feels alive, with a definite sense of dark malice hidden behind the crumbling facades of the buildings and in the trash-strewn streets. It has a character like never before, and it is bigger than ever before, with a massive play area that the player can explore using either more traditional modes of traversal (zip lines and gliding) or in the game’s latest addition: the highly-anticipated Batmobile.

That’s a good place to sink our teeth in. The inclusion of Batman’s celebrated vehicle is something of a double

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ocksteady’s latest trip into the world of Batman has left a sour taste in the mouth of PC gamers due to numerous issues. But on console, Batman: Arkham Knight performs admirably, and brings the player a dark, brooding tale full of fatalism and dark overtones.

Gotham City has been evacuated after a broadcast from Scarecrow threatens to dump his fear gas over the entire city. The streets are deserted except for criminals and malcontents, and villains of all types crawl out of the woodwork to try and fill the void left by the death of the Joker. And a new threat, in the form of the mysterious Arkham Knight, seems set to turn the city streets into a war-zone as he pursues a very personal vendetta against Batman. In this game, the caped crusader has his work cut out for him.

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edged sword for Arkham Knight. It adds a new dimension to the game, but that dimension feels a little out of keeping with the Batman mythology – which we’ll get to. And it handles like a greased brick on an ice rink, so driving around the streets of Gotham feels a little chaotic.

This is largely due to the fact that the default controls are… odd. They support quick switching to “battle mode” but rely on a face button for braking and reversing. That just feels all wrong. Thankfully, a quick change to “toggle mode” in the options will enable you to use triggers more braking and reversing, and improves the overall feel of controlling this super-fast vehicle, leaving you a little more space for dealing with its loose handling. You’ll get used to it, and the situation will improve, but it does take a bit of time to read how the Batmobile will react to your input.

The battle mode is where the overall feel of the Batman

universe takes a bit of a knock. Batman is known for being a super-hero that doesn’t kill. Yet this mode turns the Batmobile into a tank, and vehicle battles are not only common, but they’re integral to breaking the Arkham Knight’s hold on the city. Sure, the tanks you battle are unmanned drones, but it still feels a lot more overt than it should. That said, these battles are fun, and numerous unlockable gadgets will make them even more interesting and tactically charged as the game progresses. Before long the player will be using rechargeable missile packs and drone hacks to best enemies, not just machine guns and cannons.

The Batmobile, when driving, also adds a feeling of not exactly sticking to the shadows to the game. Pedestrians scatter at its approach, but you kind of have to wonder if the ones that you do bump actually survive the impact. It’s

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lot to do in Arkham Knight. Between rescuing hostages, disarming bombs, liberating areas, fighting fires, tracking serial killers and a bunch of other stuff, the main story line starts to feel a little lost. That said, it is a powerful tale, and it presents the player with a few heart-wrenching shocks here and there. And it is delivered at a high level thanks to excellent voice acting by the cast.

This is naturally supported by a level of visual quality that is off the charts. The rain spattered streets of Gotham reflect the garish neon decorating expected Gotham landmarks, like Ace Chemicals and Wayne Tower, and the animation of characters, fabrics and virtually everything else in the world is fantastic. Visually, Arkham Knight is extremely engaging.

In terms of playing as Batman, Rocksteady have trimmed the experience to a great level. The Dark Knight feels

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implied that they do, of course, but still…

The Batmobile adds a lot to do. It can be used to pull objects over or charge up generators and a bunch of other stuff – including some challenging race tracks that form part of the Riddler’s expected challenges.

But the reliance on the Batmobile feels a little heavy in the early stages of the game. It evens out after a few hours, though. The vehicle can be summoned at almost any time, too, adding a fast and effective ground-based traversal method to Batman’s travels. In addition, moving by more traditional means, like zip lines and gliding, have been improved, and the overall control scheme has been trimmed up to provide players with a smoother, more enjoyable experience.

The overall mood of the game ties in heavily to the main plot. But, as with other Batman games, there is a

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more effective than ever, and a host of great gadgets complement not only the stealthy taking down of enemies, but also the extremely fluid nature of the brawling combat that forms an important core of this series. The player truly feels empowered playing as Batman, without the need for memorising a massive number of complicated combos. In addition, from time to time the Dark Knight is joined by allies like Nightwing and Catwoman, allowing larger groups of enemies to be taken on.

These fights are particularly fun – the player can instantly jump between characters, while the AI controlling allies is very sound. The player can even set up takedowns which employ both characters, adding an impressive visual feast to the already exciting combat. The enemy AI is a little predictable across enemy types, but there are numerous types to contend with, which manages to maintain a

degree of excitement and freshness in every fight.

Batman: Arkham Knight is, despite production problems and delays, a high point for the franchise. It is crammed with activities, ranging from combat to vehicles challenges to puzzles and mini-games. It is crafted beautifully, retaining Rocksteady’s interpretation of Batman’s reality that we first encountered in Arkham Asylum. It brings together a massive cast of characters, and provides the player with a thrilling, engrossing playground to be the Batman in. In short, the franchise has, aside from a bump or two, been working its way towards this point. Batman: Arkham Knight has all the elements that fans expect from the series, combined with great presentation and enough fresh ideas to add significantly to the experience. It is a fantastic experience, and stands as the pinnacle of this long running and well-loved series. g

AT A GLANCE Action adventure

This latest instalment of the franchise stands as the pinnacle of the series’ achievements. Batman: Arkham Knight is a great game when all is said and done, and not just for Batman fans.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Rocksteady Warner Bros Ster Kinekor

PARENTAL ADVISORY

18+ gamecca73

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

REVIEWED ON

PS4 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

95 85

E M W A IE G EV R

LEGO Jurassic W

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The cutest dinosaurs ever‌

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by Walt Pretorius

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fit for the LEGO idea thematically. And that is the case here.

The Jurassic Park movies, as whole (which is what this game addresses) are rollicking adventures, yes, but there is a tension – a slight touch of scariness – to them that simply doesn’t translate into the LEGO paradigm. So while LEGO Jurassic World gives the player a massive experience that spans all four films, it doesn’t bring the edge that makes the films great with it. It feels sensitised and silly, rather than tense and exciting.

Not that a LEGO game could really be tense and exciting.

Silly is kind of a theme for the whole franchise, which has always poked more than a little fun at the properties it has been based on. And while that might work for Harry Potter and the Hobbit, it feels desensitised here.

Still, LEGO Jurassic World is an enjoyable experience, particularly for youngsters. It contains everything that one

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t seems, at times, that the LEGO game thing is being taken a little far. Not in what they cover, but in the fact that so many properties get given the LEGO treatment. It is hard not to start seeing this as a cash cow – particularly when the games are so similar. In fact, the differences between the games are relatively minor as you move through the overall LEGO franchise. Sure, you’ll spot vast changes between LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Jurassic World, but if you move through the games chronologically, it becomes obvious that these changes come more in the form of small steps forward, rather than huge leaps.

And then there’s the question of appropriateness. Not in the sense of actions undertaken within the game being inappropriate for kids or that kind of thing, but rather in the way that some properties simply don’t seem to be a good

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would expect from a LEGO game, including puzzle solving, co-op play and tons of studs to collect. Once each level is completed, it can be revisited with different characters from the game’s large cast (which includes some obscure characters from the movies) and fully explored. The game has four parks on offer, with two of them (Isla Sorna and Jurassic World) being really large.

The big addition here is the player’s ability to control dinosaur characters, and this novelty is enough to give LEGO Jurassic World the spark it needs. Much like the human characters, different dinosaurs have varying special abilities, and the player will need specific ones to solve certain puzzles (particularly if they’re trying to get everything unlocked in free play).

Other than that, nothing much has changed, which will suit fans down to the ground, because the experience they

expect is pretty much exactly what they will get. However, LEGO Jurassic Park does contain more bugs than one would expect from a game in this series, including characters getting stuck behind geometry, character falling through the world and players getting “locked” into certain characters after switching (particularly dinosaurs, for some odd reason).

A lot of the dialogue was also lifted straight out of the films, leaving cute LEGO characters saying things in tense, emotionally charged voices that simply seem out of place. It’s a little jarring.

The LEGO franchise needs a big shot in the arm to drive it forward, beyond the mediocrity that is has created for itself.

While LEGO Jurassic World does bring some fresh ideas to the table, it doesn’t do enough to set itself apart from other LEGO titles. Fans may love it, but it doesn’t quite become the “killer app” it should. g

AT A GLANCE Adventure

REVIEWED ON

While it is fun, the Jurassic Park theme feels out of place in a LEGO game, and the title doesn’t do much to distinguish itself from previous LEGO titles.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

TT Games Warner Bros Ster Kinekor

PARENTAL ADVISORY

16+ gamecca73

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

PS4 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

70 89

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PayDay 2: Crimewave Edition All about the Benjamins…

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can play it solo, but the lack of a single player campaign, plus the fact that AI team-mates are little more than ineffectual space fillers, means that the single player experience is not one that is going to blow your hair back.

Nope, this game is meant for those that like to do things in groups.

Playing PayDay 2 as a co-op title can be massively rewarding, as its current longevity hints. This game allows four people to plan the perfect heist, and execute it, as long as the team works together. Splitting up jobs and sticking to tasks is vital here, and teams that work well together will earn all the swag they need to buys the game’s copious upgrades and weapons.

And to keep the action fresh, levels and missions are procedurally created, meaning that you won’t be playing the exact same thing twice. Camera positions, guard habits

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emastered releases of older titles are more common within the latest console generation than ever before. The upside of most of these is that they come with DLC included, which is a big bonus (in addition to the fact that many of them are great games that deserve longer lifespans). But few games come with quite as much DLC as PayDay 2: Crimewave Edition. This massive amount of DLC is also why the game has survived for so long, with such a strong cult following on PC – the developers demonstrate a true enthusiasm when it comes to this title, and they have been supporting it tirelessly with masses of new content since its initial release. That means that payday 2: Crimewave Edition is simply jam-packed with missions, weapons, masks, equipment and tons of other great stuff.

At its heart, PayDay 2 is a team based game. Sure, you

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balls to the wall.

The real gem here – and it will take a patient player to get past the game’s technical quibbles and weaker points to find this gem – is the fact that Payday 2 does co-op right. It is one of a very small number of games that require actual teamwork, as opposed to everyone running and shooting together in the same general direction. The apportioning of tasks and reliance on individual performance within complex tasks means that if you’re the guy watching the drill to make sure it doesn’t overheat, that’s what you need to focus on. Likewise, if you’re herding hostages or keeping the cops at bay, you need to focus on that and hope that your team mates are good at what they do.

It’s a very real feeling team work situation, and those that appreciate co-op that is really co-operative may just get a kick out of this cult hit. g

AT A GLANCE First-person Shooter

It may have more than a few warts, but this undated, DLC crammed version of PayDay 2 still gets co-op right in a way that few games do.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Overkill 505 Games Apex Interactive

PARENTAL ADVISORY

18+ gamecca73

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

REVIEWED ON

XO PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

79 91

by Alex Scanlon

and layouts can change every time the “same” mission is undertaken.

Not that PayDay 2 is without its flaws. The game isn’t the prettiest, even though the graphics are decent. The AI leaves a bit to be desired at times, too, although enemies tend to be fairly smart. And there are a few technical bugs that creep in on these new console editions that, while not ruinous, can be irritating.

The biggest problem, though, is that the player will never really be able to do anything sneaky, like picking locks to prepare for a job, without first donning their conspicuous mask. What’s more, even though PayDay 2: Crimewave Edition trumpets about the fact that you can use stealth rather than guns-blazing, stealth is unreasonably difficult at times, and with rewards sometimes being noticeably lower for a quieter approach, it makes more sense to just go it

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Hatred Getting your kill on?

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least uncomfortable, or even disturbing to you… for about five minutes. Because it only takes around that long for any kind of sane revulsion you might feel for the title to become replaced with frustration and annoyance.

Hatred is, at best, inconsistent. It offers the player wonderfully designed, massive areas to play around in, but then takes away the pleasure of exploring the large areas by making the terrain unpredictable. You can, for example, vault over some low objects, but other objects of the same height don’t offer the same facility. Or you get stuck behind things (often due to the presentation of the game, which I’ll get to). This can also be a result of the game’s controls, which are close to twin-stick as a PC game can get.

Hatred gives you plenty of victims, too, but the inconsistency is here as well. First of all, the AI –

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hen Hatred was first announced a while back, people started getting into the kind of rabid frothing that we haven’t seen the likes of since before Jack Thompson got told to give up on his game-violence ambulance-chasing. The outrage at what was going to be a massively controversial “murder simulator” was pretty big, so much so that folks like Steam initially didn’t want anything to do with the title.

Quite frankly, the subject matter of Hatred is pretty disturbing. You play a guy who basically wants to kill as many people as possible before dying violently himself.

Sure, we kill lots of pixelated enemies in video games, but we rarely plan to shred through scores of innocent victims on a psychotic killing spree akin to the worst mass murders our society has ever seen. And, if you are at all even marginally well adjusted, Hatred will be at

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hammed up voice acting for the main character, who seems to think of himself as the love-child of Charles Manson and Satan, the visuals are a little problematic. I can see what the developer was going for, but presenting everything in black and white, with hints of colour from cop cars and explosions, makes playing the game trickier than it should be. Not in a challenge kind of way, but rather because you’re constantly squinting at the screen to discern shades of grey in an effort to see what’s going on.

Ultimately, Hatred could have been a far better game.

It’s a mindless distraction at best as it stands, and it fails in its obvious, heavy-handed attempts to be shocking and controversial. The idea is there but the execution – if you’ll excuse the turn of phrase – is simply lacking in polish and precision. g

AT A GLANCE Action

REVIEWED ON

Hatred could have gone places, but it fails to be anything but inconsistent and frustrating.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Destructive Creations Destructive Creations Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

18+ gamecca73

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

PC PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

40 93

by Rob Edwards

particularly in terms of path finding – is pretty thick. That’s OK, really, because it just makes you want to shoot them even more. But the shooting seems off. At times it is razor-sharp in its accuracy, and at others it feels like you couldn’t hit an elephant in the ass with a bazooka at three yards. That makes the game frustrating, particularly when the person you’re trying to shoot is a cop, or soldier, or one of the rare armed civilians… all of whom are trying to put you down.

Speaking of which, healing is done by means of executing wounded victims. These mini-cutscenes are far less brutal and shocking than the developer thinks they are and, coupled with the difficulty in going for a purposeful wounding shot, are more of an annoyance than anything else.

And then we get to the presentation. Aside from the

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Massive Chalice

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All in the breeding‌

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by Alex Scanlon

ouble Fine have produced some great games in the past (including the great Brutal Legend)… which makes the lacklustre nature of Massive Chalice stand out a little more than it should.

Don’t get me wrong; Masive Chalice can be great fun for those who enjoy their action turn-based, but the game feels like it could have used a lot more depth.

The player takes the role of an immortal leader of a kingdom that is under attack by an equally long-lived evil. By managing the kingdom and “cross-breeding” different character classes, the player can trim his fighters into a variety of new and powerful classes, further modifying the play experience. There is also research to do, and buildings to construct.

There are a variety of weapons and enemies, equipment and activities. Massive Chalice has all the ingredients required to make it more than just another XCOM clone, and it allows the player to really personalise their experience.

And yet, even with all of that, Massive Chalice doesn’t feel like it reaches its full potential. Rather, it feels a little rushed and cobbled together, from highly stylised graphics through to static cut-scenes.

It could have been a far better game, particularly given Double Fine’s track record, but as it stands, it will only really appeal to the most hard-core of turn-based fans… and then only for so long. Which really is a pity, because one can see the glimmer of greatness beneath Massive Chalice’s surface. It simply wasn’t ever pushed and polished as much as it should have been.

Had the developers just given the game a little more love and attention, it could have been a really engaging and enjoyable experience, complete with quirky characters and off-centre humour. g

AT A GLANCE GENRE

Turn-based Strategy

REVIEWED ON

XO

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Double Fine Double Fine Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

16+ gamecca73

PLATFORMS

Massive Chalice is fun, but it never rises to meet its full potential.

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

65 95

Y

96

Puzzle A puzzler blessed with a surprising tactical depth, Super Exploding Zoo is a decent way to relax while

REVIEWED ON

PS4 PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

AT A GLANCE

GAMING Bound of flame

Making cute go boom

flexing your brain.

PLATFORMS

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Honeyslug Honeyslug Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

7+ gamecca73

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

Super Exploding Zoo

72

by Alex Scanlon

ou would be forgiven if, at first glance, you dismissed Super Exploding Zoo as a simple, fartoo-easy puzzler. You might do that at any point during the first handful of levels. But push through to the second area, and you will be pleasantly surprised by the depth that developer Honeyslug (who also developed the decidedly strange Hohokum) injected into this seemingly simple title.

See, the premise is simple… you control a number of adorable, big-eyed zoo animals. You tell them where to go, and when they get there, they explode.

This ability allows you to take out enemy monsters and achieve other objectives, and it really isn’t a difficult thing to manage at first. But when you start getting numerous monsters and objectives to deal with simultaneously, things get really tricky.

However, the developers introduced a tactical mode, allowing the player to pause the action and issue orders. This brings a strategic element to Super Exploding Zoo that is not often seen in puzzle games.

In addition, the various kinds of animals that the player gets to control have different strengths and abilities, and employing these effectively is part of the greater tactical approach that is needed to get through the game.

It’s not the most challenging puzzler around, but Super Exploding Zoo can serve as a fun distraction for those that want to flex their brain muscles. It features a very distinctive look – something that Honeyslug seem keen on – and gets fairly complex later on. It’s a great game to kick back with, because it isn’t too demanding, and the quirky humour and off-colour cuteness add some appeal to it. Not everyone will want to get through it, but the bug will certainly bite those that enjoy puzzlers. g

Super Exploding Zoo

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Strategy Side-crolling and strategy might not seem to go together, but Swords & Soldiers 2 does a decent job in creating an enjoyable title.

REVIEWED ON

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

GAMING

GENRE

AT A GLANCE

The never-ending march…

PLATFORMS

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Ronimo Games Ronimo Games Nintendo

PARENTAL ADVISORY

12+ gamecca73

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

Swords & Soldiers 2

70 97

by Walt Pretorius

ot every strategy game needs to be an isometric basebuilder. Sometimes you can attain a surprisingly deep level of strategy with what seems to be the simplest of ideas.

Take Swords & Soldiers 2 as an example. It’s an extremely simple concept, on paper, but it reaches surprising levels of complexity none the less.

This game is a side-scroller.

That means that your soldiers move on a single plain towards the enemy. But while that might seem to defeat the complexities of a strategy game (and, in some ways, it does) the truth is that the tactics come into troop selection and management, as well as resource management.

It’s no-where near as complex as some of the real-time strategy titles out there, but it certainly does have its place.

Between keeping an eye on resource production, selecting the right spells to hurl at enemies and choosing which of the game’s myriad troops to send marching inexorably to their doom. It might not be the kind of strategy most people are used to but, in later stages of Swords & Soldiers 2, things can get pretty tricky.

The game also features modes in which the player can construct their own armies of cute, savage warriors, mixing and matching from the various historical cultures and mythological creatures on offer.

Swords & Soldiers 2 may not be the most complex strategy game around, but it certainly has merit – even if only for pushing the whole strategy idea in a somewhat new direction. Victory can be quite sweet in this game, once you get past the easier earlier sections, and the overall effect is a title that manages to be relaxing and challenging at the same time. g

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Heroes of the Storm Blizzard snowballs MOBA

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good grasp on the MOBA idea, but still need to figure out the implementation properly.

Blizzard uses Heroes of the Storm to celebrate the awesome characters that punctuated their rich history, and it is great to see cast members of StarCraft rubbing shoulders with famous faces from Diablo, WoW and other Blizzard properties. It makes for an eclectic, zany blend that smacks a little of one of those SEGA or Nintendo mash-ups, with characters that seem to have no business sharing the stage working together beautifully.

And that’s something that Heroes of the Storm allows for – the heroes themselves are well balanced, and a team with the mind to do so can really plan a great strategy with the variety of abilities, skills, strengths and weaknesses that these characters bring to the fore. That is if the team has managed to progress to the Hero League.

GAMING

very now and then a new idea takes hold in video gaming, and everyone jumps on the band wagon to some degree. But there have been few band wagons quite as popular as MOBA. These team based strategic battles have proven so popular that not only are they now a very solid part of the eSports world, but every developer and his dog wants in on the action. The problem is, of course, that the original few MOBAs, like League of Legends, are so well entrenched that taking a run at their supremacy is like challenging WoW in the MMORPG arena.

Funny thing is, even though Blizzard possess that particular unassailable online role-player, they see no problem with mounting an assault on fortress MOBA. This comes in the form of Heroes of the Storm, and with this first attempt Blizzard demonstrate that they have a

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Heroes of the Storm

pounding along a lane in one of the seven maps, but the game has a heavy reliance on side objectives that can sway the course of battle. That’s not too bad if your side activities are balanced or consistent, but Heroes of the Storm seems to want to experiment with the idea, and the result is a mixed bag that can really lead to a lot of frustration.

Blizzard certainly is onto something with Heroes of the Storm. Their experience with micro-transaction driven titles like Hearthstone will allow them to take this new MOBA to great heights, as long as they manage to iron out some of the sillier wrinkles that make the game not compare favourably to its direct competitors. But this is Blizzard, folks… that’s exactly what they’re going to do.

Heroes of the Storm may have a way to go, but it will get there, no doubt. g

AT A GLANCE MOBA

REVIEWED ON

Although it has a few rough edges that need sorting out, Heroes of the Storm shows a lot of potential for Blizzards MOBA aspirations.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Blizzard Blizzard Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

12+ gamecca73

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

PC PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

75 99

by Walt Pretorius

Between installing and that lofty goal, however, is the one thing that might just see a lot of players turning their back on Heroes of the Storm: Quick Match. Initially, players will need to spend considerable time in Quick Match to earn enough heroes to quality to the main league. The grind is quite extreme, and it is exacerbated by the fact that players have little to no control in setting up trams and strategies in Quick Matches… because they’re blind. You won’t know who is in your team until the game starts, and that means no advanced planning. Big problem for anyone who takes their MOBA seriously.

If you’re not keen on the grind you can always pay your way through to the Hero League, but with heroes costing between US$4 and US$10, that can be quite an investment (particularly if you consider exchange rates).

The game itself has highs and lows, too. It’s great fun

E M W A IE G EV R

Yoshi’s Woolly World GAMING

Overdose on cuteness…

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Despite a truly brilliant presentation,

inconsistent experience, in which the great parts are too few and far

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

3+

Nintendo Nintendo Core Group

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

79

AT A GLANCE

PARENTAL ADVISORY

REVIEWED ON

PLATFORMS

between.

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Yoshi’s Woolly World is an

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

gamecca73

platformer

Wii U

unlock buffs and abilities can have a significant effect on the game.

But despite the light, cute fun and potential for replayability, one cannot help but return to the fact that the game is inconsistent. Many good ideas, like Yoshi’s ability to remake body parts to deal with different situations, rub shoulders with poorer implementations. The levels that are sterling in their construction – the ones which feel like they were specifically designed to be taken on by Yoshi and his skillset – only serve to make the blander levels seem even more ordinary and unimaginative.

And interesting ideas are underutilised more often than not.

Is Yoshi’s Woolly World a wasted opportunity? Not quite, but it comes close.

However, the developers certainly could have given this game a little more love and attention. Had a little more planning gone into things like levels and mechanics implementation – say at the level of attention that the presentation got – then Yoshi’s Woolly World would have been a game that would have made people pay attention. It relies too much on style, and not enough on substance, ultimately, and that reliance has resulted in an overall experience that some may love, but most will probably find a little disappointing.

It’s surprising, really, that the great level of attention that went into certain areas of the game didn’t get spread around more, because Nintendo could have really shone with this title. Instead, Yoshi’s Woolly World exists in the realms of “a bit better than average” and will (sadly) not get the recognition it could have had a little more effort gone into things like level design and boss battles.

Thankfully, when it is good, it’s great. Sadly, that’s not often enough. g

Yoshi’s Woolly World

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am not a massive fan of “cute” games, and so when I had played only a few minutes of Yoshi’s Woolly World I was getting worried about increased chances of developing diabetes.

This game is thoroughly saccharine, with cute little characters made out of yarn and buttons and other stuff like that. But although I found it annoying, I have to hand it to Nintendo – the detail in the realisation of this world is fantastic, and after a while the cuteness dissolves into an addictive game dynamic that, at times, is on par with some of the best platformers that Nintendo have ever created.

At times because, when Yoshi’s Woolly World shines, it really shines brightly… but those moments aren’t as common as they should be.

The result is an inconsistent, albeit enjoyable, experience that will leave the player hoping for more of the game’s occasional greatness each minute they spend trudging through the lamentably more common mediocre bits.

Nintendo may, once again, have been hoping that Yoshi’s Woolly World would be the “killer app” they needed to reinvigorate the distinctly lacklustre performance of the Wii U. But while many will find this new adventure appealing, Yoshi’s Woolly World is no console seller. Even the most ardent Nintendo fans will find that the pacing of this game is just a little off. It provides so much potential, but much of that goes unrealised.

Still, Yoshi’s Woolly World presents the player with a solid ten hours or so of play, and has numerous reasons to go back and seek out the numerous collectibles that it has on offer. The different types have different advantages, of course, and some are more worthwhile than others. Even the purely cosmetic ones, like collecting yarn to unlock new looks for the game’s knitted hero, can be rewarding, and others that

Ultratron

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Ultratron

All robots must die!

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overload and chaotic action – not for everyone, but certainly addictive.

Wii U

PLATFORMS

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Puppy Games Curve Digital Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

7+ gamecca73

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

It’s a little bit of sensory

REVIEWED ON

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

GAMING Bound of flame

AT A GLANCE 102

Shooter

by Rob Edwards

ometimes you just need to shoot stuff.

Lots of stuff. And that’s exactly what you get to do in Ultratron, a retro-feel top down twin stick shooter that pits the player’s character against seemingly endless waves of robots intent on the destruction of humanity.

Using a simple system of buying upgrades between waves, Ultratron allows the player to build up quite a powerful arsenal as it progresses. But shield replenishment and other aspects important to basic survival need cash spent on them as well, so the player may well be hard-pressed between filling up shields or getting a new upgrade from the game’s fairly substantial list of boosts.

Enemies don’t vary much in the game, and will almost always attach in similar fashions; Ultratron isn’t trying to outsmart you, it’s trying to overwhelm you. At times there is so much going on on-screen that keeping track of stuff gets tough. This is further reinforced by the game’s presentation, which verges on sensory overload from time to time. And that’s just fine – it adds to the frantic nature of the title, which is quite addictive. If you’re the kind of player who enjoys a simple yet engaging twin stick shooter that doesn’t pretend to be more than a bulletfest, Ultratron may be your new crack.

The game isn’t without its faults. The AI is a little predictable, and the pounding sound effects and the sometimes glaring visuals can leave you with a headache after a long session… it is a game best enjoyed as a quick fix. The bosses attack pretty unimaginatively too. Yet there is a definite feeling of accomplishment that comes with getting through each stage of this addictive, somewhat strange game. g

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Futuridium Forging ahead

and a simple, effective game dynamic, Futuridium is a great shooter when

PS4

enjoyed in short bursts.

PLATFORMS

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Futuridium will lull you into a false sense of security early on, only to throw really difficult, frustrating levels at you without much warning.

The game makes use of simple yet clear visuals and a thumping techno sound-track, placing a heavy reliance of game mechanics. Thankfully, these are great, and remind one of a bygone era when game-play was king.

It’s far from perfect, and some levels feel a little muddled and unclear, but as an overall experience, Futuridium is an exciting game that works well when enjoyed in bite-sized chunks. g

MixedBag Srl MixedBag Srl Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

3+ gamecca73

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

With a classic arcade feel

REVIEWED ON

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

AT A GLANCE

GAMING

Shooter

of this needs to be done before the space ship runs out of power. Power is gained by destroying cubes, but it lost if the player’s ship is damaged in any way.

As a cross-buy on PS4 and PS Vita, Futuridium offers decent value for money, although it doesn’t feel exactly at home on either console.

With that said, it can be an exciting and exhilarating title, if played in relatively short bursts.

One of it’s main issues is that the learning curve gets pretty steep rather quickly, and doesn’t get any friendlier as the game progresses.

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F

uturidium EP Deluxe is, essentially, a port from the mobile version, Futuridium EP. That might sound a little weird (and besides, no-one really likes a port) but the truth is that this title offers a great amount of challenge in a very simple fashion.

Armed with a spaceship that is constantly moving forward, the player has to use sideways movement, boosting and 180 degree turns to blast through levels, destroying a number of small cubes until the level’s core is revealed… which also needs to be blown to bits. And all

High Strangeness

E M W A IE G EV R

High Strangeness A great idea, but…

High Strangeness never really manages to develop into anything beyond a

Wii U

short-lived novelty.

PLATFORMS

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

With that said, the game can be fun, if you don’t expect too much from it. The saddest element here is the fact that the plot, which could have carried the other short-comings (based on its earlier stages) just fizzles out, becoming lacklustre and rushed-feeling.

High Strangeness really is a wasted opportunity, because it has such great concepts at its core, and pays homage to a golden age of adventure gaming, without ever really realising its own identity. Perhaps the next outing for developer Barnyard Intelligence Games will yield results that don’t feel halfbaked. g

Barnyard Intelligence Midnight City Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

7+ gamecca73

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

Crammed with good ideas,

REVIEWED ON

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

GAMING Bound of flame

AT A GLANCE 104

Adventure

well written, and then starts feeling flat and rushed. The 12 bit idea brings a few novel concepts – like passageways that can only be seen in one particular mode, or enemies that ca only be fought in either 8 bit or 16 bit – but doesn’t do enough with the idea to feel like a fully-developed game mechanic.

Zelda-style inventory based puzzling and combat dependent on stamina are also introduced, but are never fleshed out to a point that they feel like consequential game dynamics. In other words, almost everything about High Strangeness feels little more than half-baked.

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by Walt Pretorius

H

igh Strangeness is one of the most aptly named games around, for several reasons. Not only is the plot weird, but the overall game dynamic is what the developers are calling “12 bit”. It requires the player to switch between 8 bit and 16 bit game modes during the course of the title’s rather short play time. But what is even stranger is that the developers had some great ideas for High Strangeness, yet never seem to develop them beyond the most basic of levels.

This counts for everything; the plot, for example, starts out really funny and

A

RPG Adventure While Bound by Flame has many faults, forgiving gamers will discover some great dynamics hidden

REVIEWED ON

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

GAMING

GENRE

AT A GLANCE

Nothing means anything…

within it.

PLATFORMS

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Developer Publisher Distributer

PARENTAL ADVISORY

7+ gamecca73

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

Nihilumbra

68 105

by Alex Scanlon

ihilumbra is a game that won’t make you feel good. It’s not meant to. It’s pretty much about nihilism and futility and how nothing means anything, really… so if you’re prone to depression, you should probably avoid this melancholic title.

The player takes on the role of a small piece of the Void, which has to recover the rest of the void through this 2D platform puzzler world. Or five worlds, more accurately. It’s a pretty game, if you’re into the “indie artistic game” thing, and a large part of the game comes down to the player applying splashes of colour to the world.

Different colours have different movement effects, so the player will be able to traverse virtually any environment with ease.

Too much ease, in fact.

Nihilumbra is far too short, and far too easy. At least, it is until you finish the game and unlock Void mode. Then it’s time to check your ego at the door; this new mode will provide a learning curve so steep you might as well be running into a brick wall. This new mode is as demanding as the first part of the game isn’t; it wants precision timing, pixel-perfect jumping and lightning fast reactions.

If you are into the whole 2D platformer thing and want a game that is, in its later stages, going to offer you a great amount of challenge, then Nihilumbra may be worth looking at. But its initial easiness may put some off, and the fiddly nature of the controls on the Wii U game pad may prove a little frustrating for those harder stages later on.

In all, it’s a decent effort, but it could have benefitted from a more even learning curve. g

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AirMech Arena GAMING

Fast and furious

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AirMech Arena

C

by Rob Edwards

ombining genres to create something a little different is something we see a lot of these days. And when those genres potentially work really well together, the results can be more than a little interesting. That’s the case for AirMech Arena, a free-to-play title that seeks to combine real-time strategy and MOBA ideas. It’s been available for a while, but it has now seen a fresh overhaul for the new generation of consoles, as well as improvements to what used to be really terrible multiplayer servers.

The player directly controls a rare and powerful AirMech, a transformer style battle machine that can transform between an air vehicle and a ground based battle mech.

Using this machine, they do battle against their opponents and move units around the level as needed. While it can descend into pedantic and fiddly bits, the overall effect is a fast-paced, action packed title that is quite satisfying.

AirMech Arena works best when played with other humans, but also offers a decent single player campaign against a competent AI. In addition, it gives the player tons of different units, upgrades and more, most of which can be purchased with Kudos, the ingame currency.

There is also a cash element to the game – the player can spend real money on new equipment, mech pilots and other cool stuff. Thankfully, this issue is never forced; AirMech Arena doesn’t carry that terrible “pay to win” flavour. And the developers aren’t in your face about spending money either, which is pretty refreshing.

It also feels different from both genres which inspired it, making it a breath of fresh air in multiplayer gaming. Be warned, though, that teamwork is pretty vital here. g

AT A GLANCE Action

REVIEWED ON

Action This RTS-MOBA hybrid is crammed full of action, and works best when played by a solid team of human players.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Carbon Games Ubisoft Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

7+ gamecca73

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

x0 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

77 107

E M W A IE G EV R

Harvest Moon 3D: The Lost Valley Enter the agoraphobic farmer…

T

the control scheme. Lost Valley feels crisp and responsive, which is always a good thing. This is particularly true of the terraforming part of the game… what could easily have turned into a painful experience is sharply tuned, leaving the player hardly ever feeling frustrated when they’re moving around bits of earth.

The game looks good, and feels good, at least in terms of control. But that good feeling withers on the vine when the player starts realising that the timing of the game is off. Terraforming happens instantly, but harvesting crops takes unnecessarily long, with the player’s avatar proudly displaying every single vegetable they pluck from the ground. Every. Single. One. The seasonal changes have also disappeared, leaving the player with either summer or winter. And winter seems to last forever, sending the player into a video-game version of

GAMING

he Harvest Moon franchise has been around for many years, but The Lost Valley is the first time – due to a whole bunch of legal reasons that we won’t go into – that publisher Natsume is also handling development. And the thing is that, you would think, after years of publishing the game, they’re have a solid grasp on what it was that made it a favourite among fans. But, it seems, they didn’t.

They did do some things right. For example, the player can now terraform the terrain. This aspect, long missing and often requested in the past, makes the game great for those who want to express themselves in the way that their farm landscape looks. And that’s a good thing, because they’re going to spend a lot of time there. But we’ll get to that.

Another thing that Natsume got near-pitch-perfect is

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these reasons are truly good enough when you realise the negative impact that this has had on the overall experience.

The whole courtship-marriage thing is thankfully still a feature in the title, but it feels like the developers were really only paying lip service to the idea, rather than trying to make it an integral part of the experience. It feels almost tacked on, and thee choice of potential suitors isn’t particularly big either.

Nice try, but no cigar. Perhaps next time around, Natsume will keep elements like the terraforming while reintroducing trips outside of the borders of the player’s farm. That would be the near-perfect Harvest Moon experience. As it stands, though, Lost Valley is almost ruined by this huge omission.

The real mystery here is why Natsume made these choices in the first place… are they that disconnected with their audience? Surely not? g

AT A GLANCE Farming

REVIEWED ON

Although The Lost Valley introduces terraforming, which is great, the developer axed one of the most enjoyable elements of a Harvest Moon game... the village.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Natsume Natsume Core Group

PARENTAL ADVISORY

3+ gamecca73

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

3DS PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

50 109

by Walt Pretorius

cabin-fever as the cold seems to endure forever.

Even worse, though – and this is potentially ruinous, particularly for fans of the series – is the fact that Natsume removed the player’s ability to go to town. Completely.

A large part of previous Harvest Moon games was the ability to go to a nearby village, for whatever reason. Now, though, the player is pretty much confined to their farm, like some weird kind of agoraphobia or house arrest. Instead, villagers come to the player’s door to have the kinds of interactions that the player would have enjoyed in a village previously. It’s a massive misstep, and one that show that Natsume somehow didn’t realise what it was that players wanted from Harvest Moon. Sure, it’s all about farming and stuff, but there was always more to the game than picking carrots, and a large portion of that has simply been axed for… streamlining? Focussed game play? None of

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Kholat GAMING

Chilled to the bone

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GENRE

Despite a few flaws,

Kholat is a

atmosphere, mood and emotional engagement in

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

12+

IMGN.PRO IMGN.PRO Online

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

79

AT A GLANCE

PARENTAL ADVISORY

REVIEWED ON

PLATFORMS

spades.

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by Walt Pretorius

game that brings

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

gamecca73

Horror

PC

bleak feeling is excellent voice acting, delivered by Sean Bean. As the player progresses through the game, they will find clues and information that allow them to piece together “what really happened” in 1959, and the plot slowly weaves together into a chilling vision of what might have been.

Kholat never lets you feel secure, but some decisions made to enforce this only add frustration into the mix. For example, autosaves are few and far between, represented by diary pages that also contain plot information and clues. You could spend hours not finding any, always at risk of running into one of the game’s nasty antagonists – which will most certainly deliver a one-hit kill, leaving you to trudge around the dreary, snowy and often very similar looking mountainside again.

Predicting how to react to the AI is not really going to work, either, because it is inconsistent. Sometimes it will ignore you in plain sight, and at others it will track you down no matter how well you are hidden.

These factors are unfortunate, because IMGN. PRO really did a superb job in creating an effective mood with Kholat. Not only will you feel tense and ill-at-ease for most of the game’s duration, but the constant snow, howling wind and desolate landscape may even get you shivering.

A little more attention to mechanic details would have made Kholat a masterpiece.

As it stands, though, it is a flawed gem. What it does well– mood, atmosphere and emotional connection – it does superbly. Sadly, though, the elements like inconsistent AI and frustratingly spaced autosaves detract from the overall experience to a degree… had frustration not entered into Kholat, it would have been a supreme horror title. g

Kholat

I

n 1959, a group of ten hikers in the northern Ural Mountains in Russia, met an untimely end. On the night of February the 2nd, the terrified skiers ripped out of their tents from the inside and fled their campsite – some of them barefoot in the snow.

When their bodies were discovered on the eastern side of a mountain called Kholat Syakhl (which means “Dead Mountain”, although it was likely named this for the lack of wildlife that live on it) they showed no signs of struggle. And yet the injuries sustained by these victims included fractured skulls and broken ribs. Although many theories abound, no one truly knows what mysterious events lead to these deaths, and the so-called Dyatlov Pass Incident remains a mystery to this day.

Polish developer IMGN. PRO have used this realworld mystery as the basis for Kholat, a game that tasks the player with finding out “what really happened” on the slopes of Kholat Syakhl. And while it is a game that does have flaws, it is also a truly immersive and often terrifying experience.

The atmosphere is the real star of the show here. It starts right from the beginning, with the player standing on a snowy train platform in the middle of nowhere.

There is no direction, no mission orders. You’re just standing there in the snow.

After trudging around for a few minutes, you may well discover where to go next… and this displays the very nature of the game beautifully. While feeling lost in many games is a really bad thing, it’s part of the point in Kholat. You’re alone, unsure of what’s going on, and a little in the dark about what to do next. This uneasiness is what makes you easy prey for the game’s chilling atmosphere and sometimes intense frights.

Supporting this stark,

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LivingtheD

Digging into the worlds of Quin

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t is with great pleasure that I begin us on this adventure through the Indie Game scene,

taking a peek into the industry and the people

GAMING

who are helping to drive it forward. One of Red

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Indie View

Dreamfall

ntin Pan and Red Thread Games

By Nthato Morakabi

Thread Games’ Lead Designer is South African developer Quintin Pan, who took the time to answer my questions about getting involved in Indie Development, what gaming means to him and more.

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GM: Let’s begin with a brief intro and history of Red Thread Games … How did you get involved with them, especially as a South African working with an International company?

QP: Red Thread Games started with a bunch of us from Funcom, and I’m actually the only international in the studio, so I enjoy adding a splash of South African colour where I can.

We wanted to have the creative freedom to make our own games, “games with soul” that connect meaningfully with players through the stories and worlds we create. This has allowed us to finally make the much anticipated sequel to Dreamfall and The Longest Journey, which our fans have waited many years for.

GM: How did you start developing games?

QP: I’ve always loved telling stories and when a friend brought me my first game (Space Quest 2) on a floppy drive to copy onto my family’s 286 computer, I fell head over heels in love with the medium.

The rest just fell in place from there; no magic or secret formula, just following my heart. I made games with every opportunity I was provided, whether it was for school, university or on my own.

GM: What did you study

QP: A double bachelor in Film Production and Computer Science at the University of Cape Town. By then I’d had my hand making quite a few smaller games and doing a part time job as a designerprogrammer at a small mobile game startup.

My first full-time job was here in Norway at Funcom where I worked as a designer on Age of Conan and The Secret World.

GM: What role does gaming play in your life in general?

QP: A pretty big one. I take a keen interest in many forms of gaming, from PC and console to pen and paper RPGs and board games. Video games, in particular, I believe to be the most powerful medium around that can really connect with someone like no medium before it.

GM: How integral is the gaming community to your development both as a designer and as a gamer?

QP: Dreamfall Chapters is a Kickstarter funded project and therefore the gaming community is very integral to the process of making our game. Some of our biggest fans aren’t even gamers, which was a change from the nongamers I meet who think of games only as either Candy Crush or Battlefield. The community took our little spark and turned it into a fire and in the end it wasn’t just our game, it was theirs.

I hope we can soon move away from the “gaming community” seen as the insular bunch of DOTA and LOL players, and more along the lines of what a film buff or a book lover is. Gaming has

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so much to offer, so looking at our game’s community, I’m very happy to see those typical definitions breaking down.

GM: How difficult is the industry?

QP: The industry today, from a job perspective, is a pretty tough place due to the obvious economics of it. Gamers are growing more demanding every year, but at the same time unwilling to part with their money, given the current trends towards free-to-play and 90% off sales on Steam.

GM: Care to share advice as an Indie developer?

QP: Make what you love, not what you think the market wants. You’re more likely to make something great when you’re passionate rather than something mediocre in a saturated market. South Africa is a great place to be an indie startup. I haven’t been in touch with the local scene for a long time now, but I really do hope we can get a vibrant dev community going. With exciting projects like Stasis popping up, I’m very hopeful for the SA scene.

Joining an established studio, particularly if you’re South African, will require you to move a long way away from home. From an employer’s perspective, a studio with an existing pool of employees, is not going to bother with a job application from a newbie a million miles away.

GM: What is your source of inspiration both in and outside of gaming?

QP: What inspires me the most today is still what I originally fell in love with many years ago as a kid in school, the games that gave me that sense of wonder like the old

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and what was your first big break in the industry?*

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you use and why?

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

GM: What machine do you use?

QP: I think I have mad respect for pretty much all indie developers, looking at the amazing stuff people make with the tiny amount of resources afforded to them compared to triple A studios. To get a sense of what it’s like, I definitely recommend seeing Indie Game: The Movie, if you haven’t already.

In particular though, mad respect to ThatGameCompany for making Journey, and The Astonauts for The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.

GM: How has it helped shape with your own development?

QP: Seeing what other people do is always inspiring. For any indie, they’re pretty much sure to be doing it for the passion, and it’s always inspiring to meet these guys and hear them talk about why and how they do it.

It’s also really interesting to learn from each other (since we’re all similarly resource constrained). Everyone has slightly different philosophies, frameworks, pipelines and tech for making their specific games. There’s a lot to gain.

GM: What software do

QP: We’re using Unity at the moment for Dreamfall Chapters. It was just the best fit for the game and we could easily go for a different engine on another kind of game.

Unity afforded us the most flexibility for making a game, any game, and you can create your own frameworks and systems on top of that in a modular way.

QP: I’m a die-hard Mac guy (yes, let the hate begin), so I develop on a quad core 27” iMac with a Geforce 680MX and 24GB RAM. It’s an awesome rig, runs Unity and the game well, does not make my eyes and brain bleed the way Windows does, and has the added benefit of being able to deploy to iOS devices natively. You also get a full set of powerful Unix tools out of the box with a Mac. So it’s a total win for development.

GM: Would you tell us a little about Dreamfall Chapters? What is the key feature that makes your game?

Dreamfall Chapters is the third game in the much loved The Longest Journey series. A story driven title of choices and consequences, played out with a few classic adventure game elements in a fully explorable 3D world.

It’s set across twin worlds, one a dystopian cyberpunk future, the other a magical fantasy landscape. The player follows the journeys of the lead characters in these two worlds, and sees how these two stories interplay.

We wanted to dynamically weave these together into your journey as you see your actions

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impacting future events and the characters around you.

GM: What platform are you looking to release it on? Is there a release date?*

QP: We’re currently on PC (Windows, Mac, Linux/ SteamOS). We’re also working on a PS4 release soon, though with no promise on the date since we want to focus our resources mainly on the game itself.

We released Book One, the first of five episodes, in October 2014 and Book Two a few months later. At the time of writing, we’re super close to releasing Book Three so keep an eye out for it on Steam and GOG. We’re looking to finish all five episodes by the end of the year.

GM: What are you currently playing?

QP: I try to play everything I can get my hands on from big Triple A titles to obscure fan-translated Japanese visual novels. But most recently I’ve spent my gaming hours on Witcher 3, Life is Strange, Dex, and Invisible Inc. Also checking out Homesick, Technobabylon, Toren, and Not a Hero.

GM: If there was a game you would love to work on, what would it be?

QP: Am I allowed to say Dreamfall Chapters? No? Well, outside of that the Torment universe has been incredibly fascinating to me and I’d love to dive into and I’m very excited to see what they’re doing with it in Numenera.

As to IPs that aren’t already out there... I’ll have to keep mum on that. You’ll just have to watch this space, we’ll have a lot of exciting stuff in the pipe soon. g

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Sierra adventure games and later titles like Planescape Torment and The Longest Journey.

Outside of games, films inspire me the most. It’s also the closest medium we have to games in how it tells a story visually. The amount of beauty and nuance you can convey in just one moment on screen is incredible, and inspires a lot of what we do.

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Legacy: Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness

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t’s often said that in this day and age gaming lacks a sense of innovation. While most titles launch with a gimmick or two to make it stand-out from the crowd, this pales in comparison to the originality that was regularly on display in the eighties and nineties.

However not all of our most fondly remembered games from yesteryear broke a lot of new ground, though they always left their mark. Such was the case for Warcraft 2, which while owing much to Westwood was nonetheless instrumental in defining modern gaming.

Why Was It Created?

The mid nineties were a boom time for the fledgling RTS genre, and with Westwood’s Command and Conquer leading the charge a new style of gaming was rapidly spreading amongst PC gamers. Blizzard’s first attempt at recreating Westwood’s pioneering formula with Warcraft: Orcs and Humans had resulted in a title that was a solid success, allowing the then-small studio to both expand and reach for more ambitious goals.

Blizzard’s intentions was to create a sequel that would completely blow away fans of the first game, and

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to this end they initially envisioned a modern-day Azeroth that called for, amongst other things, a dragon battling fighter jets. Thankfully realising that the concept was a little over-the-top, and that their fantasy setting still had plenty to offer, they set about building on their previous efforts instead. What followed was a short but relatively uneventful development period, and in little over a year Blizzard produced a game that by itself would have immortalised them in gaming history.

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Why do we care?

Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness was a superior offering to Blizzard’s previous efforts in almost every way.

To begin with, AI and pathfinding had been completely overhauled, making the somewhat short but enjoyable campaign a much smoother experience. The game also enjoyed a vastly expanded roster of units, including the addition of heroes, naval and air units, which significantly expanded the strategic depth of the franchise. All of this was lovingly brought to life in magnificent SVGA graphics, and small touches such as increasingly humorous responses when clicking on units showed the care the developers lavished on the game.

Warcraft 2 also introduced several innovations to the genre, with the largest by far being a fog-of-war that required a unit to actively observe an area. While so commonplace that it doesn’t even bear mentioning in modern titles this was a major game-changer in 1995, and further expanded on the complex gameplay Warcraft 2 had created. Additionally the inclusion of a map editor, coupled with the use of Kali (look it up) to play over the internet, meant that game lived long past its predicted sell-by date, and even in 2002 Battle. net was still hosting matches.

Warcraft 2’s biggest contribution to both the genre as well as gaming in general however lay in its rivalry with Command and Conquer. With the two games released just a few months apart, and both being superb titles in their own right, together they launched RTS’s into the mainstream, which has since become a staple of modern gaming. g

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he PC vs console wars recently saw a massive salvo fired.

And it came from a third party, a company not involved in the direct production of any products central to the debate. The company involved doesn’t make PC components or consoles. It makes games, and one of its most anticipated games brought stark differences in development processes to light. That game is Batman: Arkham Knight.

While console gamers, using their PlayStation 4s and Xbox Ones, had a great time playing the game, PC gamers were tearing their hair out in frustration at the fact that the PC version of this much anticipated title was severely broken.

So much so, in fact, that publisher Warner Brothers pulled the game from sales.

That’s a pretty big step for a game that was so important to their release schedule for 2015, and it speaks volumes about just how bad the situation was.

But this article isn’t about the PC vs console war, not directly. While I laughed out loud at the massive middle finger that was given to the “PC Master Race” (and do I need to point out the Nazi overtones

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in the fact that they even consider using this term to describe themselves?) I am simply dumb-struck at what occurred. While PC gamers grumbled that the game didn’t work on their “superior hardware” and console gamers chuckled knowingly as they zip lined through the street of Gotham without a whisper of a problem, I had to ask myself a question. How did this even happen?

Warner Brothers isn’t exactly an indie publisher.

But perhaps that is the problem. Even after the game had been through significant delays, Arkham Knight hit the shelves broken. And that is simply ridiculous coming from a developer with the pedigree of Rocksteady and a publisher the size of Warner.

So why did it happen?

Because maybe, just maybe, they’ve gotten too big for their boots. Maybe they have lost sight of the fact that they are supposed to produce good products.

Surely there was someone, somewhere, that thought “we should make sure this game works”? It’s not that it gives problems on some configurations – it seems to be causing problems on almost any setup you could imagine. And therein lies part of the problem. PC

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BY rAMJET

Where’s the QA?

gaming simply has too many variables for a developer to absolutely guarantee that a game will run effectively – particularly a big, complex and demanding game like Arkham Knight.

QA departments can only be so big, only so many configurations can be tested. And while most games can be approached with broad strokes in testing, something truly complex obviously needs a lot more attention.

That’s why developers head for consoles. Because it’s a set configuration.

It’s easier to test on two or three systems than twenty. And that’s one of the reasons why games are being developed for console and ported to PC. If you’re a PC gamer, you may not see the logic in that. But it’s there when you’re dealing with big business.

Still, the multiple testing systems needed for PC development is not an excuse when it comes to Arkham Knight. Maybe if it didn’t work on a few configs, sure. But not when it gives so many problems. More likely it’s a case of a rushed out product, without proper testing. And the outcry from the PC community in this case is more than justified.g

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Be the Maker

HARDWARE Reviews 132 134 136 138 140 142 144

Speedlink XEOX Pro Analog Gamepad – USB Palit Jetstream GTX970 Graphics Card Raidmax Atomic Mini ITX PC Case Avexir Blitz Series 1.1 Gaming Dragon RAM ASRock Z97 Extreme6/3.1 Motherboard Speedlink Jugger 2.1 Subwoofer System Razer Blackwidow Tournament Edition Chroma Compact Keyboard

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Technically Speaking

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Computex is always an exciting event for the tech world. All kinds of new ideas and technologies come to the fore, at around the same time that the gaming world is treated to E3. Computex was particularly important for one company this year; Cooler Master used the show to launch a whole new approach to the products they bring to the end-user.

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Release the Maker

the Maker all about expression & creativity.

makers, Cooler Master – who have been a prominent manufacturer in the PC space for many years – brought the world new ideas of freedom, expression and creativity.

We caught up with Shane Alborough, Cooler Master’s Marketing Manager for Middle the East and Africa Region, S.APAC, freshly back from his trip to Computex, and asked him to tell us all about it. gamecca

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GM: Computex was important to Cooler Master this year. What went down, exactly?

SA: We announced our new slogan – ‘Make It Yours.’ and debuted MasterCase 5 and various other products at Computex.

The slogan (Make It Yours) kicked off a new drive to harness ‘the maker spirit’ in Cooler Master’s products and community.

People want unique products to express themselves, that’s human nature. We publicised the fact that over the past few years we had been working in collaboration with Power Users, Case Modders and the PC community to develop our Master Concept. Alongside this we showcased our forthcoming product range that would allow you, as the end-user, full customisation and control over how your products look, feel and function.

GM: What was the response to this like at the show?

SA: The response was awe-inspiring, similar to what we experienced with the launch of our iconic products in the past like the first ever aluminium chassis- the ATCS- and other market leaders such as the Cosmos and Stacker. It showed us just how desperate the current PC industry is for change and strengthened our motives behind bringing forth this revolution.

GM: Tell us more about the new “Master” concept?

SA: The MasterConcept is our flagship case; our “concept car” if you will. It was developed in collaboration with a team of leading expert Case Modders and power users through lengthy workshop sessions. The Master Concept was built to be modified and altered and to showcase new proprietary technologies as they are developed and discovered. It is the ultimate case from which our new consumer product, the MasterCase 5, is derived.

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GM: What kinds of products will make up the range?

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SA: The MasterCase 5 and MasterCase Pro 5 have just been launched, however the products that are soon to follow include a digital Power Supply Unit, a customisable wireless Cooler Master Headset, a customisable ambidextrous mouse and many more.

GM: Will there be various models available within each product category?

SA: Yes, there will be. For example mouse products will be named as: MasterMouse, MasterMouse Pro and MasterMouse Maker, with the Maker being the most high-end product in each category. Other categories include: MasterCase, MasterKeys, MasterAir, MasterLiquid, MasterGel, and MasterPal.

GM: How does this new approach benefit end-users?

SA: This new approach will allow end users to easily identify which product fits their need. It also makes it easier for the end-user to recall the product, and makes it easier for the end-user to understand their journey in upgrading their product should they choose to do so at a later stage.

GM: Where does this leave existing product ranges?

SA: Our existing product ranges will slowly but surely be streamlined and filtered into these new product lines, with naming being adjusted as such. The transition period will definitely take some time. We’ve only had positive feedback so far, our fans love the changes we are making.

GM: And the CM Storm sub-brand? Will that be continuing?

SA: The Cooler Master brand is a world renowned brand. We have always been associated with everything gaming for many years now. Our new product lines will not only be associated with gaming, but also with design, technology and other related fields.

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GM: What impact do you think this new approach will have on the South African market?

SA: The South African market is ready for change. South Africans in general are a very DIY based community. We love to build, upgrade and make it our own. Just a look at the car mod culture in Durban will find evidence of this. Products that can offer South Africans the opportunity to customise and ‘Make It Yours’ will be readily accepted by our market. We have a very positive outlook for the South African market.

GM: Will these new products be affordable to the average user?

SA: Yes most definitely! Our fans and endusers can expect the same competitively priced products that they are used to from Cooler Master.

GM: When can we expect to see the new products arriving in South Africa?

SA: The MasterCase 5 and MasterCase Pro 5 will be available at the beginning of September.

Other new products will follow a roll-out launch but we hope to make them available soon.

GM: Where do you see this trend going in the future?

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SA: At Cooler Master we envision an entire range of fully customisable products. Not only us… the entire PC sector will follow this route sooner or later. We also see the potential for a software platform that is App based, unifying all of our product categories, and allowing the user options to change fan and temperature settings, LED profiles, see graphs of performance and much more. We hope to be working with the community right here in South Africa to further develop new and innovative products as well as educate and inform end-users of the possibilities.

Imagine an entire community of makers such as modders, artists, game designers, VR developers and 3D printers working together towards a new future, one where an individual can make a huge impact on the PC industry. g

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AT A GLANCE:

SUMMARY Those looking for a gamepad that offers excellent value for money have a good bet in the form of the Xeox.

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for those who want one. The Xeox connects to the PC via a fairly generous 1.9m cable that interfaces via a USB connector.

The Xeox isn’t exactly like a 360 gamepad, though… it’s slightly more comfortable. The underside of each grip has slight ridges worked into it, which guide the users fingers into a more comfortable position. And the entire unit is coated in a matt rubber coat that not only repels moisture, but also adds a little grip. In addition, the entire unit is at a very comfortable weight. All of these elements combine to create a comfortable experience, even after extended play time.

In terms of performance, the Xeox gets the job done really well. It is responsive and accurate, with a great resistance and centre-snap on the analog sticks. The triggers also provide a great level of pressure, but the face buttons feel a little stiff and require a fair amount of travel before responding. The D-pad is contoured for easy direction identification… it’s rocker-like-action feels a little weird initially, but one should get used to it fairly quickly.

The Xeox also offers a great vibration feedback.

On the whole, the Xeox Pro Analog Gamepad is a very good gamepad to consider. For those that don’t like the wired nature of it, there is a wireless version. But the cable, thanks to its length, is generally not too much of an issue. g

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Dual analog sticks Dual analog triggers Xinput & DirectInput Rapidfire switch 1.9m USB cable Rubberised

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by Walt Pretorius

aving a game pad is not something that only console gamers get to do – many PC gamers have found the advantages that gamepads offer to their playing. While they may not surpass the mouse and keyboard for some types of games, gamepads can be an invaluable companion in others. And so purchasing a gamepad, for the serious gamer or player who enjoys things like fighting and sports titles on PC, is almost a nobrainer.

Speedlink’s Xeox Pro Analog Gamepad is a nononsense option. With a great design and sensible control implementation, this gamepad is a great one for those who haven’t taken the plunge yet.

The Xeox is compatible with both Xinput and DirectInput systems, so there really shouldn’t be any problem when it comes to using it with your favourite game. It is styled very similarly to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 controller, in terms of shape and button layout, so there is an instant familiarity for anyone who might have used a 360 style gamepad before.

That means that the Xeox has two analog sticks, with the left one offset to a more comfortable position, as well as dual analog triggers and two shoulder buttons above them. It also features four face buttons and a D-pad.

Set next to the D-pad is an easy-to-reach rapid fire switch,

Speedlink XEOX Pro Analog Gamepad - USB

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Jetstream GTX

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Top performance in the 970 arena

W

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hile there are certain brands that get the lion’s share of attention here in South Africa, other brands can prove to be better options. South Africans tend to be brand-loyal, though, and for a make like Palit to make the kind of impact it deserves in the GPU market can be difficult. And yet it is a brand that PC gaming enthusiasts really should be paying attention to.

Right out of the box, the Palit Jetstream GTX 970 is around six percent faster than its competitors. Like other Jetstream cards, this one is among the fastest devices in its weight-class, and delivers a performance that is comparatively excellent.

That’s because it comes overclocked out of the box.

Those that feel inclined can push even more performance out of it using included overclocking software, but it is such a fast-paced card as it is that only the most frame-rate hungry enthusiasts would be likely to do so.

At its core is a GTX 970 chipset, supported by a generous 4GB of GDDR5 RAM. That’s a lot of power right there, and its excellent performance demands good cooling. To this end the Jetstream employs twin smart fans with alternating rotation and a custom fin design. These fans are supported by a triple slot cooler that offers a massive

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cooling area, but does mean that the card is a bit larger than others, increasing the space it needs within the case.

And the card is a little power-hungry, with greater consumption than a GTX 980 reference design. Still, it should work perfectly well if you have a decent sized PSU in your PC case.

The Jetstream GTX 970 operates remarkably quietly under load, and moves into a passive operation system when under low load. That means that even though it may want more juice when running high-end graphics, it is pretty tame at other times.

Another great feature is that the card supports three DisplayPort outputs, meaning that the user can set up a flawless 4K monitor surround system, taking advantage of a wider field of view. It also features an HDMI and DVI output for those not using DisplayPort.

The Plait Jetstream GTX970 is certainly a card that should make PC enthusiasts sit up and take notice. It might not be as “in vogue” as a 980 chipset card, but its punchy, reliable performance and excellent design in terms of heat and noise are certainly factors that are worth exploring. Add to that the fact that it lands at a pretty decent price, and you may well want to swing your attention away from other, possibly more prominent brands in favour of a graphics card that is a true performer. g

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Palit Jetstream GTX970 Graphics Card

X970

Graphics Card

by Rob Edwards

AT A GLANCE: Summary

The brand may not be a household name, but Palit’s Jetstream GTX970 is no slouch when it comes to performance.

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GTX 970 chipset 4GB GDDR5 3 x DisplayPort HMDI output DVI output 4K monitor surround

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Atomic Small and sensible...

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AT A GLANCE:

SUMMARY If you want a smaller PC setup, this Raidmax box could just be the perfect housing for it.

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of the 120mm rear mounted fan. That fan can also be switched out with a 120mm radiator, if you choose.

The GPU is mounted across the width of the case, meaning that cool air from the fan blows in underneath it.

The fan also blows air directly at the front-bottom mounted PSU. The motherboard is stashed away neatly at the side of the box, where it gets the full benefit of that big fan.

But that’s the only cooling you’re going to have – this box only supports one 120mm cooling device. That shouldn’t be a problem, given the fact that 120mm in this small case is quite a big gap, but you’ll still want to keep your interior as uncluttered as possible to maintain good air flow.

The Atomic sports two PCIe slots and can support graphics cards up to 265mm in length and a CPU cooler with a height of up to 165mm. That cooler will also fall directly into the path of the air rushing in via the fan, but you may want to consider implications on airflow if you use a larger cooler.

In short, the Atomic is a sensible and stylish mini ITX case that will safely house any components, provided (as with all cases of this size) that you pay attention to interior clutter. It looks great and is solidly constructed, providing great protection to your beloved PC. g

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Mini ITX 120mm fan 165mm CPU cooler support 265mm GPU support 1 USB 3.0 port 1 USB 2.0 port

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by Walt Pretorius

hile we have seen a few smaller form factor motherboards in the past, it isn’t often that we get to look at a case that would house them and their associated components. There are several solutions around, of course, like the Raidmax Atomic. This particular mini ITX case is sleek and stylish, almost cube-like in design and perfect for those wanting a smaller housing for their PC system.

In terms of looks, the Atomic is relatively understated (when compared to some of the more garish “gaming” cases on the market) and serves as a discrete, good looking addition to any office or entertainment area. It is finished in brushed black metal, with shiny side and front panels that include a large window in the one side.

A simple, single power switch is located above the front panel, and a single USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 port, flanking audio outputs can be found at the front of the top panel.

In terms of cooling, the Atomic keeps airflow constant by moving possible blockages to the peripheries of the case.

A single 3.5 inch HDD fits into the top rear of the box, while two 2.5 inch SSDs (or one 3.5 inch HDD) can be fitted to the floor right below that. This places all drives in direct line

Raidmax Atomic Mini ITX PC Case

PC Case

Avexir Blitz Series 1.1

Gaming

RAM

A speedy beast

by Rob Edwards

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AT A GLANCE:

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he red dragon emblazoned on the black heat spreaders of Avexir’s Gaming Dragon RAM looks suspiciously like the one used by MSI to mark their gaming products, right down to the colours. But that’s really neither here nor there when you get down to what really matters… its performance.

These RAM modules are fully tested and carefully balanced to give users the best performance possible, and they really shine when put under the extra load of overclocking. They are tweaked to work well with high-end chipsets, too. In other words, this is performance RAM for performance PC systems.

The care and extensive testing that has gone into the manufacture of Gaming Dragon RAM is obvious, based on the way it performs. It’s impressive memory, to say the least, from a company that specialises in performance memory. You could do far worse that Gaming Dragon RAM. g

Avexir Blitz Series 1.1 Gaming Dragon RAM

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SUMMARY Avexir’s Gaming Dragon RAM is all about fast performance, particularly under the strain of overclocking.

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TECH SPECS • Detatchable heat spreaders

• Intel XMP enhanced • LED lights • Voltage stabilizing generator

• Server grade

An awesome Megarom hamper!

Courtesy of Megarom TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us which game was our “Game of the Year” for 2014 Insert “Megarom” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com (Optional) Like Gamecca’s Facebook Page (Optional)

Competition closes 31 July 2015. South African residents only.

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

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

WIN

ASRock

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A speedy connection

A

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dvances in motherboard technology are often below the hood, and are not immediately obvious (unless you’re doing all kinds of benchmarks). But the recently announced USB 3.1 standard provides not only a performance boost for compatible devices, it adds visual evidence of the changes thanks to the type C port.

This rounded port allows for connection of a plug more easily, because it doesn’t have an “up” or “down” idea… no more having to check that your plug is turned the right way. It just plugs in, and provides twice the speed of a USB 3.0 port. That’s pretty fast.

ASRock’s Z97 Extreme6/3.1 gains the distinction of being the first motherboard we have seen here at Gamecca that sports a USB 3.1 port. It isn’t integrated into the board, but rather comes on a separate PCIe x4 card that can be fitted if needed. This card has a type C connector (which you may not have any compatible cables for yet) as well as the more traditional type A USB connector. In addition, the board also offers ten USB 3.0 ports and five USB 2.0 ports, spread across front and back access. That’s a lot of USB connectivity.

At the Z97 Extreme6/3.1’s core is a Z97 chipset that performs exceptionally well.

Although this isn’t as updated as a Z99 chipset, and the board doesn’t support the exciting new DDR4 RAM standard, it still manages to pack enough of a punch to

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carry you well into the future.

In addition to these, the Z97 Extreme6/3.1 makes use of top grade components to ensure longevity and performance, while reducing heat. Extra-large heat sinks, finished in a stylish metallic blue, help prevent excessive heat. This is further supported

by NexFET MOSFETs, which also improve efficiency.

Further stability and power consumption improvements are provided by way of premium alloy chokes and dual-stack MOSFETs, and longevity is increased through the use of Nichicon 12k capacitors. Even you harddrives will perform better and last longer, thanks to integrated HDD Saver technology.

Naturally, the Z97 Extreme6/3.1 comes with all the expected bells and whistles, like dual LAN, integrates Purity Sound 2 for audio, gold contacts in PCIe and DIMM slots and access to ASRock’s App Shop.

As a Super Alloy motherboard, the Z97 Extreme6/3.1 is very stable and extremely reliable. It performs well under pressure and can handle quite a lot of strain before breaking a sweat. The real treat here, though, is the blazing-fast USB 3.1. If you’re doing a lot of work with external devices (particularly storage) you will notice a difference right away. Even charging devices is faster, thanks to this new technology, and the technology makes the Z97 Extreme6/3.1 a speedy companion, in addition to being reliable. g gamecca73

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NAME OF ASRock Z97 THE Extreme6/3.1 PRODUCT Motherboard

6/3.1

Motherboard

Summary Aside from being a great, stable and reliable motherboard, the Z97 Extreme6/3.1 offers blazing fast USB 3.1

Tech Specs: • • • • • •

Z97 chipset USB 3.1 10 x USB 3.0 ports 5 x USB 2.0 ports HDD Saver technology Super Alloy Ma nuf a c t ure r: A SRo c k D i s t ri but o r: TV R C o m p ut e rs w w w. tv r. co. z a

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by Walt Pretorius

AT A GLANCE:

Jugger

Speedlink

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ound… you can’t play games effectively without it. Or watch movies or listen to music.

But let’s stick to gaming for now, shall we?

Finding the right audio solution can be tricky, because there are so many options out there.

Do you want personal audio, or do you want sound to fill your world? How about stereo or surround sound?

If you’re after a great stereo solution that won’t sit directly on your ears, Speedlink have the Jugger 2.1 Subwoofer System for you. Aside from a slightly odd name, there really is very little to find fault with here.

The Jugger system is comprised of two satellite speakers and a subwoofer, just like any other similar system would be. The powerful, throaty subwoofer is designed to be placed beneath a desk or entertainment unit and doesn’t require much interaction from the user when it is in place, aside from adjusting the bass volume

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2.1 Subwoofer System

and the bass-treble balance. All other volume controls are handled via a wired remote that is far easier to get to.

This remote also allows for the connection of headphones and a 3.5mm auxiliary audio device. From this device, controlling volume is easy, and its large knob makes adjustment easy, even at the smallest levels.

The Jugger interfaces with devices via either 3.5mm jacks or RCA jacks. That means that direct connection to a device that is natively HDMI is a little problematic, and may need creative solutions. Still, if used with a TV, a direct stereo line-out should take care of any issues.

Accompanying the sub-woofer is a pair of stylish, tilted satellite speakers that deliver, in combination with the subwoofer, rich, full-bodied audio. Their slight upwards tilt improves the direction of the audio, too, which results in even better sound.

Both the satellite speakers and subwoofer make use of

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Speedlink Jugger 2.1 Subwoofer System

by Walt Pretorius

Big drivers for big sound 102mm drivers, which are a great size for decent sound reproduction. The large housings of the speakers also enable louder volume, with a 30W RMS output that can peak at 70W for limited periods (because you don’t want to blow them up).

The design of the satellites has an almost retro feel to it, and is complemented by large metal mesh grills that take up the entire front of each satellite – also lending the device a serious appearance. There are varied colours available, too, so your Jugger should fit your setup and style quite perfectly. The subwoofer also has a large metal mesh covering, bringing a level of consistency to the round satellites and the boxy sub.

The Jugger might not offer full surround sound, but those that appreciate their audio in stereo will do well to investigate it as an option. Its easy controls, simple setup and great audio are worth looking in to. g

AT A GLANCE: Summary

The Jugger produces loud, clear stereo audio from either your desktop or your TV.

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

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Tech Specs: • • • • • • •

102mm drivers Bass volume control Bass/treble balance Wired remote Auxiliary input Stereo

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Blackwidow Tourn Killer on the move…

Razer

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azer are really getting behind their whole Chroma idea, but most of the devices we’ve seen from it are literally just reworked version of what came before. The same could be said for the Blackwidow Tournament Edition Chroma keyboard, which is based on a design that first came out around three years ago. That said, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it; the original Blackwidow TE was a great compact keyboard when all is said and done.

The biggest change in the Blackwidow TE Chroma is, of course, the introduction of the Chroma system, which makes more sense for keyboards than any other devices. It allows the user to specifically assign colours to individual keys across numerous profiles, meaning that on-the-fly, at-a-glance key recognition is much easier. Of course, you can also have it run through a number of lighting presets, too… whatever suits your needs and style.

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Another update to the device is the use of Razer’s new mechanical switches, which have been designed for improved gaming performance. The result is a keyboard that is crisp and accurate in terms of response, and is also very loud – great for those that like their keys “clicky”.

For those not familiar with the Tournament Edition idea, the Blackwidow TE Chroma is a compact version of the standard Blackwidow keyboard. It is around three quarters the length of the standard unit, and features keys that are slightly smaller. Additionally, to keep things compact, the entire numpad area of the keyboard has been left off, allowing for a smaller, more portable device.

To help with that idea, it comes with a detachable braided cable. There is even a stylish hard carry case in the box, making moving one of the unwieldier components in a PC setup that much easier.

Another conspicuous omission from the keyboard’s

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Compact Keyboard

Razer Blackwidow Tournament Edition Chroma Compact Keyboard

nament Edition Chroma

by Alex Scanlon

layout – and this may be a deal-breaker for some folks – are the macro keys. You’re not going to be using traditional macro keys here, even though macros can be assigned to any of the standard keys, complete with onthe-fly recording.

In essence, this compact Blackwidow provides you with everything you need, even if it doesn’t give you everything you may want. It is a beautifully responsive keyboard and is very comfortable to use. It’s haptic feedback on key-presses is great, allowing the user to confidently go to battle, and the concave keys make keeping your fingers in the right place a lot easier.

While the lack of some keys may not suit some, the space-friendly and easy-to-transport Blackwidow Tournament Edition Chroma is a top-notch performer and a great bet for those that want a compact keyboard. The Chroma functionality is both aesthetic and functional, and the overall quality of this product is great. g

AT A GLANCE: Summary

It might not have all the keys of a larger keyboard, but this device has performance and comfort in spades… not to mention all those pretty colours!

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

Tech Specs: • • • • • • •

Chroma enabled Removable USB cable Razer mechanical switches Compact layout Anti-ghosting Gaming mode

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No Privacy No Way!

TECHNOLOGY

Little things can tip the balance‌

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by Suvesh Arumugam

registrations for any commercial website.

Now, aside from the occasional blog, pretty much any website could or does have commercial applications - it would seem the definition would even extend to donations and fundraising. At the moment, a website owner wanting privacy can pay an additional fee to their registrar who will register the domain by proxy to keep their contact information private and only a court order can essentially compel them to reveal the owner’s information. While you may want to trade openly on the internet, you may want to hide your home phone number if you’re selling confederate flags in the US right now, for example.

The change is apparently being pushed by global entertainment companies, presumably to have more access to see who is selling content and to be able to quickly enforce copyright infringement action. However thousands of website owners, large and small, have taken exception to the move as it essentially opens them up to trolling, spam, intimidation, identity theft and possibly worse. In a recent edition of “Last Week Today”, one of my favourite people in the world, John Oliver, highlighted some of the scary and inexplicable stories of cyberbullying that plague the internet today, including very real death threats.

Now this alone may not be enough to tip the internet to a massive change, but I think we’re closer than we think. The privacy and anonymity of the internet has been one of the biggest factors in terms of capturing youth, millennials and by extension, businesses who want to sell their products to them. The proliferation of social networks on the internet today, from major players like Facebook and Twitter to obscure networks like Tinder (a rather odd and at times brutally honest dating site), reddit, NING and many more springing up daily, is staggering. Social networks have grown so strong that many businesses now focus more resources on social than on traditional advertising and in some cases even client services. Facebook recently announced its Messenger App will eventually handle payments, VoIP calls and even an app platform for image and media sharing.

The entire world is moving forward on the assumption that social networks are here to

We needed to know the facts

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No Privacy No Way!

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t’s very easy to look at the world the way it is today, warts and all, and make the mistake of thinking that things will be the same tomorrow. For most South Africans, for example, assuming that load shedding is simply a part of life and that we will just have to work around it is becoming a stark reality. But it’s so easy for change to tip one way or the other, that many people would probably be surprised (and also resentful that they invested in a R20k generator that they could have avoided).

Before you throw away your candles and battery lights, this is not a rant about changing the electricity supply, but more about how things change when they tip in a certain way. I’m also certainly not going to try to rewrite Malcolm Gladwell’s excellent take on this topic (“The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” for those of you who haven’t read it). But this is an issue that we could become more mindful of in everyday situations, to realise that any small change has the power to bring about massive change, and it’s all about timing.

Take the latest proposal by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) to limit privacy for website owners. ICANN, for those not familiar with it, is an international organisation that pretty much controls the management of namespaces on the internet. We, members of the public, buy domain names from a registrar, like Enom or TuCows, and they in turn reserve name spaces with ICANN in order for them to be recognised. So, for example, they would reserve the TLD (top level domain) ninja. za and then I can go and register suvesh. ninja.za with a registrar I choose. So they’re pretty important in that space.

ICANN caused some grumbles last year when they introduced mandatory verification of contact details on certain top level domains. Now, despite these grumbles, this was mostly a good thing. To prevent rising internet fraud and domain squatting (a.k.a cybersquatting - a quick Google search will tell you how rockers Jethro Tull won the rights to jethrotull.com and pop star Sting lost the rights to sting. com due to cybersquatting). But ICANN recently angered the internet when it was revealed that they planned to end proxy

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stay.

But a recent study showed that an incredible 55% of young people surveyed would do away with social media completely if they could start afresh.

With growing concerns around privacy in light of social media networks being hacked, government spying (or collusion with networks) and all other manner of snooping, data mining and information trading, 73% percent of those surveyed said they were likely to deactivate their personal accounts if the trends continue.

Now while the younger generation have traditionally been less guarded about trading information for functions and services they value, there is clearly and increasing mistrust of how their information is handled and especially government or regulatory involvement with their privacy.

The walls of privacy are stripped down

TECHNOLOGY

This should also raise a few eyebrows amongst the Zuckerbergs of the world, because if the youth leave, eventually so will the paying businesses and advertisers that make them their millions.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you should cancel your Facebook account now, ‘cause it won’t matter in a year.

Though if I had said that about Foursquare two years ago I would probably been hailed as a tech or financial genius. Foursquare was launched at SXSW 2009 (Twitter is the other great Southby success story) and at its peak claimed at least 45 million users.

Today, after several rebrands and a failed attempt to launch its own social network called Swarm, Foursquare is all but checked out. What changed? Little things. Location options on Google, Facebook and Twitter made some of its features redundant. They angered their users by trying to force their own social network on them, and people just didn’t like the way it worked or felt.

Either way, it didn’t happen in a day. The important thing I take away is that once it started, there was almost no way back for them. Despite massive injections of funding and resources, I don’t think I have seen a single Foursquare post in 2015. So while your Facebook account is probably safe for now, who knows that the catalyst will be to spell the next era of the internet. g

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hether it be social networking, instant messaging, or sharing content in other ways, our children are more connected today than what we ever were. And if you are worried about your own safety online, can you imagine the repercussions of a child’s safety in the internet age?

When I was growing up, my dad used to joke (like so many other fathers) that he gets me to programme the VCR (how many of you know what that is?).

Well, today’s parents who are not technology literate rely on their children to help them with Facebook, email, browsing the internet and such like. But who is keeping them safe? In this month’s column, I take a look at some tips and tricks to help protecting your child.

You may think that because your child only playing a game, or researching a term paper, or typing a homework assignment, he or she cannot cause any harm. But what if, when saving her paper, the child deletes a necessary programme file?

Or what if he unintentionally visits a malicious Web page that infects your computer with a virus?

There is a range of dangers that can affect kids online. Contact with undesirable people, including being approached by paedophiles in chat rooms, being targeted by online bullies, and being tricked into disclosing personal information about your child or about you.

Then there is inappropriate content, such as sexually explicit material and downloading of pirated materials such as music and video files.

And then there are

computer security issues.

Think of drive-by downloads whereby simply visiting a Web site can result in malicious programmes being automatically installed on your child’s computer.

Malware infections from peer-to-peer (P2P) filesharing programs can give other people access to your child’s computer. And finally, the seemingly benign unwanted advertising, pop-ups, and adware programmes that are often automatically installed when freeware or shareware programs are downloaded.

So what can you do?

Talk to your children about the potential dangers that they may face online. If possible, put the computer in a family room. Try to make the computer a shared family experience and encourage your children to talk to you about anything they experience online that upsets them or makes them feel uncomfortable.

You can also restrict the content that can be accessed via the computer.

There are many tools that help you do so, many freely available online. Most Web browsers also have some form of content advisor or access control built-in. If you are going down this road, you need to provide guidelines that let your child know what they are allowed and are not allowed to do online.

For example, your guidelines could tell your child whether they are permitted to: • Register with social networking or other Web sites; • Make online purchases; • Download music, video or programme files; • Use instant messaging programs; and • Visit internet chat rooms.

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If you allow your child to use instant messaging tools or visit chat rooms, it will be worth explaining to them that it is dangerous to chat with or send messages to anyone that they do not know and trust.

You should also install an anti-malware product that is capable of defending the computer against malicious programmes and hackers.

Many internet security software products combine anti-virus capabilities and advanced Parental Control features that make it easier to protect your children when they are online.

These should provide for filtering and blocking so you can limit access to certain sites, words, or images.

Some products decide what is filtered; others leave that to parents. Some filters apply to Web sites, others to email, chat, and instant messaging. I had the wonderful responsibility of creating Afrikaans words to watch out for on our children’s computers. Let’s just say my vocabulary increased significantly on that day.

Parent Control software should also block outgoing content. This prevents kids from sharing personal information online, in chat rooms, or via email. You can even limit your kid’s time online and set the time of day they can access the internet.

Ultimately, it is vital to be involved. Consider activities you can work on together. So if it is playing a game, researching a topic you had been talking about (think holiday spots, a hobby, or helping with an assignment), or even putting together a family newsletter. This will allow you to supervise your child’s online activities while teaching about good computer habits. g

Keeping Your Child Safe

Keeping Your Children Safe

How to protect them in the online world

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Vicariously...

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Technically Speaking

here are very few characters in games that I actually get attached to. Of the top of my head, I can remember that I carefully crafted every question, response and action for my female Shepard in the Mass Effect franchise.

Relatively recently, I took some degree of interest in the well-being of character in Dragon Age: Inquisition, but if something went against what I had originally planned, it didn’t matter that much to me.

But recently, I came across a character that I deeply cared for. I tried to make sure that the character was happy for most of the time, carefully thought about answers that might influence the outcome of events, and generally had its well-being in mind.

I was harsh to townsfolk when I needed to be, was firm yet constructive if the situation arises and dealt with threats and inconsiderate NPC the best way that I could.

The problem is that I think I got a little too involved in the life of my character - and that character was Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

For reasons that I don’t think I can explain, I put Geralt’s emotions, feelings and attitude before anything else. I have played the previous Witcher

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games, but this was the first one where I really had a vested interest in what he did.

I really wanted him to be happy. I kept multiple save games on my console, just in case I came across a situation that would negatively affect his time in Temeria. By extension, I also deeply cared for happened to Ciri, and the relationship between Geralt and her.

I don’t know if I could relate to Geralt in some way that made he have this huge connection to him, but if it wasn’t psychological then bravo to CD Project Red for tricking my mind into thinking that Geralt was an extension of me.

The concerns I had with Geralt only started to manifest about 25 hours into the game, after I figured out how everything works and got his powers up to speed.

I remember that I was rather distraught when I found out that I inadvertently chose the wrong partner for Geralt.

I had his best interest at heart, and wanted him to shack up with Yennefer. But only realising well beyond the point of return that my actions would bound him to Triss, I tried to rectify the course of their relationship.

Without giving away spoilers that can’t be found online in gamecca73

BYcHARLIE Fripp

Living

game guides, my corrective measures meant that Geralt will forever be alone. That made me really sad, to the point where I considered replaying the game on the easiest difficulty just so that I can undo the nuptial damage that I caused.

Reliving the events in my mind and constantly reminding myself that it is only a video game, one part of my brain kept on saying “...but I want Geralt to be happy.”

That is how much I cared about Geralt and his emotion. If you have played the game you probably realised that Geralt and Yennnifer complement each other rather well, even if they disagree on some topics. So not having him end up with her actually hurt me more than I think it did him in the game.

Who is the last video game character that you really connected with? With who did you have a virtual bond that made you do everything in your power just to protect them and their emotional state?

You might think that it is really silly for me to have such an emotional connection to a virtual, 3D created character, but after spend almost a 150 hours with the same person in two weeks, you start to see them as part of you.

Surely I can’t be the only one? Surely? Anybody? g

Storage for every application.

FeatureS 156

Another Life

COLUMN 162

The Time Betwixt

Cool stuff 164 165 166 169 170 172

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Heroes of Normandie Shadows over Camelot Constantine: The Hellblazer #1 Giant-Size Little Marvel: AVX #1 Groot #1 Starfire #1

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GAMING

Do the rigors of the real world get you down? Have you ever dreamed of escaping to a fantasy kingdom, away from the trials and tribulations of modern life? Even though that sounds like the start of a sales pitch, there is a way that many people set aside their daily grind

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Tales of Teana

er Life

nd an escape from the real world

and live a “second life” full of intrigue and adventure…

LARPing.

We recently spoke to Russell Goldman, Head of Plot for Tales of Teana, a long running, popular and successful LARP taking place right here in South Africa.

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GM: What is LARPing, exactly?

RG: LARPing stands for Live Action Role-Playing. In a LARP, a group of players takes on the role of various characters that get involved in a series of storylines, both global and personal. As their characters, players interact directly with one another and with the world around them, physically saying and doing whatever their characters would.

GM: Is there a large LARP community in South Africa?

RG: In terms of the country’s population, the hobby is relatively small; boasting a community of maybe a couple of thousand active participants, across all the provinces and different types of LARP, but this is actually a significant number when you consider that LARPing is a niche activity within the realm of gaming.

GAMING

GM: Tell us more about Tales of Teana…

RG: Tales of Teana is a boffer-LARP. It is based on the Nero system and is actually an acknowledged Nero affiliate, although we make use of our own custom setting we have developed. Tales of Teana focuses on intensive role-play and story-telling. Power rests in the hands of the nobility (NonPlayer Characters, portrayed

by Players who volunteer their own time to create an immersive experience for their fellows) and the commoners (active Players) either strive to impress them or, at the very least, not to offend them. We try to cater to every taste: whether players wish to play the political game and grasp after status, hunt monsters and smite invaders, seek the wealth and the respect it brings or participate for the social aspect and spend a fun weekend away from the stresses of “real life” with their friends. Plot lines and stories are created to be Playercentric so Players can expect their Characters to be the focus of storylines, in which each

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player is given the opportunity to shine. In the end, it is the Players who drive the stories, who give life to the land and bring the setting to fullness.

Setting-wise, Tales of Teana is based in Arnhelm, a fantasy kingdom controlled by humans.

It has become a refuge to many different races who have run away or been chased from their homes… many of whom arrived having only narrowly avoided a terrible death on the way.

Terrible monsters lurk just outside the borders of civilisation, waiting for their chance to ambush or raid, while cloying politics cling to the noble lords and ladies and their courts.

Somewhere between the terrors without and the intrigues within, the commoners eke out a living or strive for recognition.

GM: Who plays Tales of Teana?

RG: We have Roleplayers, Wargamers, CosPlayers, PC Gamers and even people who just enjoy Fantasy film and literature and are looking for a more immersive experience where they have a stake in the story. So, basically, Tales of Teana is open to anyone who is interested in the genre and is looking for an opportunity to escape from their normal lives for a weekend every four months.

GM: Do you have specific times and venues for Tales of Teana?

RG: Yes and no. We have a pool of venues around the Magaliesburg region that we make use of for our main, weekend-long events and we run three main events per year, one in spring, one in summer and one in winter. Players are normally made aware of the exact date and venue about three months before our next main event.

During each “between-event” period, we publish dates on which our Plot Marshals are available to oversee the running of half-day mini-events specific to individual characters and their friends.

Individual Players book for these gamecca73

dates and then we write tailored adventures for those specific characters, so that they can then follow up on Plot threads and Story leads that their characters have become involved in.

GM: It sounds like quite a complicated thing to manage… how do you structure the LARP?

RG: Well, our organisation is run on an entirely voluntary basis. We have five departments that are used to govern all aspects of the game. Our Finance department manages our budget for events, props and costuming, while also handling all of our players payments and financial queries. Our Admin department manages all of our character updates, printing of character sheets and inventories for events and transfer, sale and loss of items and gear. Our IT department manages the incredible website they built for us and handles and problems or queries our Players might have with the web interface. Our Rule department constantly evaluates the rules that we are using, implements any changes that they feel necessary, adjudicates rules at events and resolves Player rules queries between events.

Last, but certainly not least, ou Plot department is responsible for the story of the game and the world. We develop, track and implement both global and personal storylines, the running of adventures at main events and mini-events, wrangling of NPC volunteers, writing of adventures and stories and world building and development, approval of character backgrounds, reading and logging character journals and, of course, responding to story-related Player queries.

At the weekend events themselves, the players get to be their characters for most of the weekend, interacting with the stories and the non-player characters who will portray the monsters or townsfolk or nobles they deal with. Each player however will also spend six hour

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taking their turn at playing the NPCs, so that we can run all the stories and adventures.

GM: Are there rules adjudicators, or does the game work on something of an “honour system”?

RG: The game operates by relying on both an honour system and Rules Marshals, empowered to adjudicate rules, where necessary. Given the chaotic nature of, and large number of individuals involved in, events we have to trust Players to police themselves for the most part.

That being said, however, our team of Rules Marshals is always available to referee characters’ covert actions, such as theft and cabin raids, which cannot be undertaken without the presence of a Rule Marshal, as they often involve interacting with other individuals’ personal belongings.

Our Rules Marshals also oversee the majority of combats, where they monitor Players for major rules infractions and ensure that combat remains safe.

GAMING

GM: How is the plot determined?

RG: Our plot is developed on two levels. On a macro-level, our Plot department is responsible for the creation and maintenance of Global story-lines, which are introduced at main events. We monitor how the Player-base responds to, and interacts with, our global storylines, then meet post-event and modify our plots in accordance with character feedback, taking into account character actions and closing out any global story-lines that we deem to have now been resolved.

On a micro-level, one month before every event, we have a secret raffle where we pull a number of character names for players who have already booked and paid for the event.

Those characters pulled from the hat will have personal adventures crafted for them by the Plot team, taking into account their unique backgrounds, interests, motivations, goals and interactions.These adventures

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are typically open-ended, encouraging Players to follow up between events, through Adventure days or Story requests, as individual plot-lines are normally too complex to be neatly resolved in an episodic fashion. If Players are reluctant to get more involved between events, their characters will continue to be entered in our secret raffles, so long as they book early, giving them ample opportunity to continue their characters’ stories at main events.

GM: How would one get involved in Tales of Teana?

RG: Come and visit us at our website (https://www.teana. co.za/ ). Everything a new Player needs can be found on our website once you sign up, including downloadable versions of the Nero rulebook and the Tales of Teana campaign guide.

If you run into any trouble, all of our staff email addresses are also available on the website and we are more than happy to field any queries and help with any problems. Or, if you’re looking for more direct interaction, feel free to contact us through our Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/ groups/245203972191613/).

GM: What about gear? Are there people producing costumes and props locally?

RG: Absolutely! We have a number of individuals that produce custom costumes, props and even weapons for our LARPers, although many members of our community have opted to try their hands at creating their own costumes props and weapons and the Nero rulebook includes detailed instructions for weapon and shield creation.

GM: Can you tell us about some exceptional events and moments that have occurred? gamecca73

RG: There are so many! It’s hard to pick out just a few.

At our third event, one of our volunteer builders created a giant wicker-man for Arnhelm’s Fire-Festival, while another player had arranged for her troupe of fire-dancers to come out and put on a display for the Players. Everyone was treated to a spectacular break in the action just after it got dark on Saturday evening, as the firedancers put on a heck of a show that culminated in lighting the wicker-man with a blast of flaming breath!

At our fifth event, Players arrived for a wedding celebratio and ended up thwarting a peasant revolution that was largely sprung at them out of the blue on the Sunday morning The Players spent easily an hour fighting their way through peasant barricades, contending with fake ballistae raining grapeshot down on them and fighting through narrow corridor to rescue the royal family. It was a tense and harrowing experience for everyone involved, but the players won th day and were richly rewarded fo their trouble!

At our sixth event, the Players were tasked to help the standin armies of the Kingdom in the quelling of a rebellious Duke and his noblemen, who were slaughtering the peasantry for attempting to rise against him. The Players arrived on Friday night to be greeted by a torrential downpour, where they were told that they would have to capture their camp if their characters wanted a place to sleep, as the camp represented an enemy town where they would be setting up their base for the weekend. For the whole of Friday night, our Players and our NPCs clashed in the mud and rain until the Players finally managed to take the camp at about one A.M. It was one of the craziest and most epic weekends many of us had ever experienced and it really felt like actually being in a war. It was completely fantastic and utterly memorable!. g

Tales of Teana

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The Time Betwixt

o Feminist Frequency founder Anita Sarkeesian has once again taken to Twitter (because 140 characters is the perfect length to discuss complex social issues) to express her disgust of the portrayal of women in video games, this time with the treatment of the Witcher 3’s Ciri. Taking umbrage with the insults hurled at Geralt’s adopted daughter, which include the use of the word “c*nt”, Sarkeesian has commented that Ciri receives invectives purely based on her gender, while Geralt suffers due to his self-inflicted mutations and is often labelled as “freak”. Her reasoning seems to be based on the fact that in a world which includes ghouls and wraiths, gender issues should not exist in a fantasy setting …What? Why would the existence of magic in a fictional setting preclude the use of gender stereotypes?

The Witcher 3 is a game

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based on medieval Slavic mythology, and history quite readily reveals that this was a time of great inequality for women. Ignoring the actual arguments and rebuttals, which a quick internet search will turn up in spades, I’m going to instead focus on damage that idiotic rants from SJW’s (social justice warriors) can inflict on the very causes that they fight for.

To begin with, and I hate having to make qualifying statements like this, there are many points that feminists make that I find myself in agreement with, both in gaming and life in general. The industry and community is filled with immature shitheads, and screaming obscenities at a woman gaming just because of her gender is so blatantly wrong I cannot fathom how those mouth-breathers function in society to begin with.

Likewise there have been a ton of games in the past that have reduced women to little more than

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BY Lein Baart

Mountains out of Molehills...

decorative furniture, and while not every title can or should have a strong female lead, it’s not really any secret that even in this age of political correctness men are still vastly overrepresented.

Where Sarkeesian is hurting is her cause is that this was a nonissue to begin with, and ranting and raving about is only going to reduce her credibility. Granted she may not care about how the generally maledominated gaming public feels about her, but crying wolf over and again over moronic issues is not going to sway opinions, let alone see any real change in the industry. Yes Ciri is subjected to genderbased obscenities, but this comes from enemies only and is never once voiced by any of the protagonists.

Blowing things out of proportion may grant temporary headlines, but continued use of this tactic will eventually see Sarkeesian’s voice ignored and forgotten. g

A Razer Seiren Microphone!

Courtesy of Razer TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us in which issue we reviewed the Razer Seiren Insert “Seiren” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gladgetmag.com (Optional) Become a fan on Gladget’s Facebook Page (Optional) Competition closes 31 July 2015. South African residents only.

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

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

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Heroes of Normandie

erious table-top strategy games are often intimidating to the uninitiated, and comes with more rules than you could shake a ruler at. But for those who want to get a taste of what strategy gaming is like, or who want a lighter version of tactical play, there is Heroes of Normandie.

Set in the summer of 1944, Heroes of Normandie takes on the battles between American and German troops at a time when the Second World War started to change course. It’s a bit of a lighthearted game considering its subject matter, but it is also a game that combines sound strategic principle with the unpredictable chaos of all-out war.

A skirmish level game, Heroes of Normandie is inspired more by Hollywood than history. It’s

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an over-the-top strategy game, and combines solid moves and tactics from players with the unpredictable element of playable cards. In doing so it creates a game that is exciting and ever-changing, requiring a player to both plan long term strategies and think on their feet.

Unusually, Heroes of Normandie is a two player game. It pits Americans against Germans, meaning that there are only two seats at the table. But even though it isn’t a party game, it is immense amounts of fun, with simple yet well-structured rules carrying it through all its potential chaos.

The well-made pieces and boards are a bonus, too, and clear cards and game elements mean that the chaos comes only from the in-game action. This is great fun for those who want a light strategy game to enjoy. g

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Shadows over Camelot

rthurian legend is rich and full of intrigue, as is Shadows over Camelot, a semi-cooperative board game based on this rich English mythology. Between three and seven players can undertake a game, which sees the players cooperate to complete quests and thereby advancing the forces of good, all the while trying to stem the evil that threatens the legendary seat of King Arthur.

Each completed quest adds a new white sword to the round table, while failed quests add either a black sword, or a catapult threatening Camelot – or both. Working together, the players must try and amass enough white swords to collectively win before time runs out.

But one of them may be a traitor to the cause

secretly working against the forces of good‌ Shadows over Camelot is an unusual game that combines board and cards in an exciting mix that sees players work together as they battle the forces of evil. Also unusual is the very high level of detail put into the playing pieces, with each knightly character (including Arthur, Sir Gawain and Sir Kay) having a unique look.

The quests that the players take on are taken right out of Arthurian Legend and include things like defeating the Black Knight and searching for the elusive Holy Grail. But it’s less Monty Python and more serious, and careful strategies will be needed for players to reach their ultimate goal in this very extraordinary and highly enjoyable, high quality game. g

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Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher:

Constantine: The Hellblazer #1 Doyle & Tynion IV Riley Rossmo DC Comics

by Clive Burmeister

Constantine: The Hellblazer reboots the title once more after DC’s Convergence. While there appear to be some changes around the John Constantine character, the basics are all the same. Exorcist, mage, magical arts practitioner, bit of an egotistical and selfabsorbed scoundrel, but deep down, well still a bit of an ass but trying to do some good in very round about ways; yes, it’s still John Constantine. But this new series sees a few changes, as well as the new direction of the story. As is the way with Hellblazer stories, or with any supernatural tale, there is something big and menacing growing on the horizon, just out of sight, but John is, as usual, at the centre of it. Whether he likes it or not.

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Title:

Giant-Size Little Marvel: AVX #1

Writer:

Skottie Young

Artist:

Skottie Young

Publisher:

Marvel

by Clive Burmeister

In the midst of Marvel’s epic Secret Wars saga, in the middle of the chaos of battleworld, there is a magical place. A simple place of serene neighbourhoods, and barking dogs, and mother’s calling their kids home for dinner. A happy, normal kind of place, where tiny Avengers and baby X-Men can beat the living snot out of each other, and still be in bed before eight. Skottie Young does it again.

You can’t get any cuter than Skottie Young’s Marvel baby characters, and who’d think such a brilliant artist could write so well too, but Young is a master of both crafts, spinning hilarious tales as wonderfully as the incredible artwork he creates from page to page.

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Title:

Groot #1Special

Writer:

Jeff Loveness

Artist:

Brian Kesinger

Publisher:

Marvel

gamecca73

by Clive Burmeister

In the first issue of Groot we find the beloved characters from Guardians of the Galaxy, Groot and Rocket Raccoon, trying to hitchhike their way to earth through space.

But simple as that sounds, it proves to be anything but, as the duo must face off against space sharks, alien invaders and bounty hunters. This is the kind of book that puts the fun back into comics. It is fast paced, humorous, exciting, and silly. It is also well written, as Loveness captures the personalities of the characters, placing them into a gripping story, where you won’t be able to predict what happens next.

Kesinger’s artwork is a compliment to the writing, and even with his easy going cartoon style drawing, he masterfully uses facial expressions to enhance the humour.

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Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher:

Starfire #1 Conner & Palmiotti Emanuela Lupacchino DC Comics

gamecca73

by Clive Burmeister

Kori is an alien, banished from her own world and subjected to experimentation, who has finally found her way to Earth. Here she is an extraordinary being. But she is very unfamiliar with Earth, and the ways of its strange people, and is very naive to the ways of this world. Luckily not all people would take advantage of that, and Sheriff Gomez sees to helping Kori find a place in her town. Although Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti are more known for their art in the comic industry, both have written before, and Starfire shows they are at home with producing words as they are with pictures. This is a light-hearted book, easy to read, but with a lot of room for growth.

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Last word

f someone told me ten years ago that I would be involved in a Gaming, Technology and Geek Lifestyle magazine, I would have told them they were nuts! And yet… here we are. Life certainly has a way of changing plans and placing you in positions where your abilities and skills need to be tested.

Six years ago, when we first started out, we were told that we wouldn’t last three months. Tablets were non-existent and one couldn’t even read this mag on their phones. The internet in this country didn’t help either and we were forces to restrict our download size to an absolute minimum. That and the fact that we started designing this product on a broken down laptop!

Our challenges were many, but we started anyway!

In the last six years, throughout this all, we have had incredible and solid supporters, sponsors and awesome clients.

We have also had equal

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critics that have come and gone and even a couple of industry veterans trying to imitate our business model.

Like most businesses we have endured many highs and lows, whether in the industry itself or in the fine tuning of this calling.

Realistically, Gamecca Magazine is certainly not alone in providing information that consumers look for when they are trying to find the best input for making a decision that will cost them their hard earned money.

What our goal has always been, from the beginning, is to provide an ethical and honest approach to how we provide this information and build a relationship by being a fair ‘middleman’. The rest is up to the reader, to either gel with it or not. The good news is that we are still here and our readership is exponentially growing, which means we must be doing something right!

Beyond this, Gamecca, for me, has not only been about dealing with an

gamecca73

BY Katia Taliadoros

Game of Life...

industry that can be full of it, or game journalists who have “god” complexes.

It has not been about dealing with developers and distributers who want everything for nothing or even a readership that still believes that the mentality of piracy is a given right. To me, personally, Gamecca Magazine has been an arena of testing my ego and humility. It has been about the experience of growing as a person, side by side with this remarkable, unfolding product, and learning to appreciate an evolution that can only come with hard earned sacrifices and life lessons.

To everyone involved, who have been part of our small reality that we like to think of as a game, we are grateful for your challenges, your competition, your support and your input in making this experience remarkably valuable.

Happy Birthday Gamecca, wishing you a productive journey on your 7th Volume! g