Gamecca Magazine June 2012 by Gamecca Magazine

Diablo 3 Max Payne 3 Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Sniper Elite V2 Resistance: Burning Skies and more...

To Hell...

Evil returns in Diablo 3

The Payne Max Payne is back!

Silent Killers High-tech warfare in Ghost Recon: Future Soldier

I S S U E 3 6 / Vo l . 3 Ju n e 2 0 1 2

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

Taking Shanghai

HP reveals all...

I S S U E 2 0 / Vo l . 2 Ju n e 2 0 1 2

w w w. g l a d ge t m ag . c o m

www.gladgetmag.com Technically, playful !

Inside 6 From the Editor 8 Unstuck The early days... 10 Ghost Warrior The tech of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier 16 Previews 11 incoming titles 40 Soapbox Do we need to read this? 42 Console General What happened to QC? 44 Bring the Payne The history of an anti-hero... 50 Reviews 14 games investigated 88 Essential Classics Remembering the rotten 90 Hardware PC components for all tastes!

THIS MONTH’S COVER Is this the future of warfare? Read our feature on page 10.

102 From Space Thank you, Rockstar Competitions 73 DiRT: Showdown

gamecca contents • issue 36 • June 2012

Previews Reviews

Assassins Creed 3

Gravity Rush

Sleeping Dogs

Resident Evil 6

Far Cry 3

RAW: Realms of Ancient War

Medal of Honor: Warfighter

Theatrythm: Final Fantasy

Lollipop Chainsaw

Demonicon: The Dark Eye

Dishonoured

Diablo 3

Letters: letters@gameccamag.com

Max Payne 3

Competition Entries: competitions@gameccamag.com

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier

MUD: FIM Motocross World Championships

Newsletter Subscriptions: www.gameccamag.com

Fable Heroes

Pandora’s Tower

Bejeweled 3

Sniper Elite V2

Resistance: Burning Skies

Starhawk

Sorcery

Minecraft

Angry Birds: Space

Bloodforge

GAMECCA Vol. 3 Issue 36 June 2012 Editor: Walt Pretorius walt@1337-media.com Writers: Charlie Fripp Christo van Gemert Dylan Bouch Grant Wilson Iwan Pienaar James Francis Lein Baart Pippa Tshabalala Sarah Snyman Suvesh Arumugam Walt Pretorius

Design & Photography: 1337 Media cc Marketing Contact: Katia Taliadoros katia@1337-media.com

Taking fun seriously! CREATED USING

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

GAMECCA is published by 1337 MEDIA

gamecca contents • issue 36 • June 2012

D Month... From the Editor

by Walt Pretorius

ay was, for all intents and purposes, a strange month. Aside from a whirlwind business trip to the Far East, along with the resulting jet lag that had me all messed up for three times as long as the trip actually was, there was a bunch of other stuff that just seemed strange. First off, and probably the biggest thing for gamers this year, was the release of Diablo 3. It really was a case of the agony and the ecstasy, because despite the fact that the game is great fun to play, the servers really didn’t meet expectations. Although most of the experiences I had with the game were great, there were times when I couldn’t get onto the server (whether because they were too busy, or down for maintenance. And there were other times when the latency was so bad that I simply couldn’t play the game. It makes one wonder, really; I use 3G, and the service provider I go through charges premium rates for their service. While I realise that some of the latency I experienced was because of busy servers, I also managed to discover that other times were squarely the fault of my service provider. With ADSL becoming

so cheap these days, why aren’t cellular providers also dropping prices and improving services? Actually, the real question is why am I still on 3G? I need to rectify that very soon. Another bit of weird came from the fact that Diablo 3 wasn’t the only big game released in May. It was the biggest (certainly the biggest review we have ever done, at six pages) but there were also titles like Max Payne 3 and Ghost Recon: Future Soldier to contend with. While they are from competing publishers, in South Africa all three games came from the same distributor. One cannot help but wonder what their sales figures were like. With Diablo 3 being such a sought after title, and with it being so expensive, did people forego other games in favour of this adventure hack-and-slasher? The surreality is almost over… as

I write this, the sun is going down on the 30th of May. I have a cup of coffee next to me, and I am sitting on the veranda, enjoying a beautiful African sunset. But I really want to be inside, playing more Diablo 3. But I got greeted with an Error 37 message when I tried to log on, so I will take that as the universe’s message to take a break, smell the roses and write my Ed’s Note before the mad rush of publishing day attacks me like a crazy cat from behind a small bush… But my Wizard is almost level 47. Almost. Just a few minutes, and I will get there. And what about the treasure I could be finding? What about… Breathe. Coffee. Ed’s note. Sunset. I am sure the servers will be up again soon. Let me go check. I will carry on writing this as soon as I get back… g

gamecca column • issue 36 • June 2012

Humble Beginnings Unstuck

by Charlie Fripp

have been fortunate enough to have grown up in the golden age of computer games. It was the age when colour monitors were a luxury, and where most of the games didn’t even come out in colour. My first dabble with a mouse wasn’t even an actual mouse – it was a Genius ThumbBall. It was like a mouse, except it didn’t move across the table. It was in a stationary position and you controlled the mouse pointer on the screen by rolling the ball with your right thumb, while clicking the buttons as you normally would. I do remember that our family as a little bit behind the times when it came to computers, peripherals and games, for mainly two reasons: the technology was so new nobody in our house knew anything about it, and it was really expensive to buy new technology or parts for a PC. Bless our neighbour who lived across the road, as he always gave is his spare parts when he upgraded his PC. I remember being over the moon when he installed two 2MB memory chips into our old 386 – man, did that thing move afterwards. But with those times also came a lot of games, and I can fondly remember playing titles like Indiana Jones and The Fate of Atlantis, Alley Cats and California Games. Naturally later on game bigger titles like the early Command and Conquer games and Medal of Honour.

But that got me thinking: this month we saw the release of a number of games that had their roots in very early gaming titles, and where the release dates between a title and follow-up almost spanned decades. Diablo 3 follows on from Diablo 2, which was released 12 years ago, let alone when the first Diablo came out. Max Payne’s latest iteration was released nine years after Max Payne 2, and 11 years after the original Max Payne. The same can be said for the sequel to Star Craft, which was released a good number of years after the original. I have played the original titles from many years ago, and they provided me with some of the best gaming experiences and life lessons I could have hoped for. But my wonderings brought me to think about gamers who only recently took up gaming – you know, the people who are about high school age or early 20s now. Did they know who Max Payne was

before the announcement of the third game? When a sequel is announced almost a decade after the original do they go “What game is that and why is this a sequel?” I’m very curious as to how they react when that happens. Just thinking about a game like Syndicate, I remember the original Syndicate and the subsequent Syndicate Wars, developed by Bulllfrog. Those games kept us busy on many Saturday mornings. When the FPS reboot was announced, it was punted like a new game. Did younger players even know there were two games before that? I’m not being naïve here, I just really want to know if today’s younger gamers actually know that most of the titles that the fall over to buy when they are released actually had their roots in previous games from many years ago? I have no friends that fall into the 15 to 21 years category, so I have no way of gauging response, but it will be truly interesting to know if they were aware of the fact that the new-ish Wolfenstein started out as a crappy little FPS way back in the ‘90s. By today’s standards it won’t even pass for a decent Facebook game, but back then it was awesome. The first game that I asked my parent to buy me in the middle ‘80s was a threefloppy (you know what that is, right?) version of Hook. What was your earliest memory of a game or the first game that you bought yourself? Send your letters to letters@ gameccamag.com and let us know how old we should feel. g

gamecca column • issue 36 • June 2012

Feature

Ghost Warrior The future of infantry warfare is here...

by Walt Pretorius

gamecca feature • issue 36 • June 2012

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier takes the player to a modern battlefield where heads-up displays, advanced scanning and reactive camouflage are everyday tools of the trade. gamecca feature •

issue 36 • June 2012

Feature

gamecca feature • issue 36 • June 2012

he enemy suspects nothing; a small team of stealthy special operatives slips in behind enemy lines, quietly dispatching sentries and other opponents without raising an alarm. They secure their objective, and slip out… with no-one the wiser. This has always been a central idea behind the Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon series, published by Ubisoft games. In these titles, the player has been in control of highly trained soldiers sent in to perform covert operations deep in enemy territory. And now, with the release of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, the player once again assumes this role, but now the game is set two decades in the future, and the soldiers under the player’s command have access to some extremely high-end technology. While the games bearing Tom Clancy’s name are often speculative in nature, and sometimes visit possible futures, Future Soldier takes things to a new level. The squad is equipped with heads up displays, powered by virtual information systems. They are clothed in responsive armour that adapts their camouflage to match their environment almost perfectly. They have access to remote drones and other high-tech gear that take them several steps ahead of their enemies. The question that arises from all of this is simple: has a series that has traditionally been relatively close to the truth suddenly taken a turn towards science-fiction? Is the technology seen in this new title a work of fantasy, or does it have basis in fact. According to Jean-Louis DeGay, Strategic Outreach, Natick Soldier RDEC, what we see in this game is not far from where various militaries would like to be in the near future. He said as much in an interview with Popular Mechanics… but much of the technology in the game is still in development. It simply cannot be built yet. On the other hand, there is technology featured in the title that is already being employed on the modern battlefield, too. According to Ubisoft, virtually all the military tech in the game is inspired by existing technology, working prototypes or research projects that are currently underway. The science-fiction edge to this realistic shooter may very well soon become science fact, transforming the battlefield into yet another arena where the highest tech wins. Technology that the player has access to in the game comes in a variety of flavours. The first, most obvious set of technology comes in the form of

gamecca feature • issue 36 • June 2012

Feature

gamecca feature • issue 36 • June 2012

communications. In the game several systems are combined to provide the soldiers with real-time, heads-up information displays that add virtual reality elements to what they see in the real world. Part of this is the Weapon Augmented Reality (WAR) system, which provides live updates of weapon status and targeting information. Should this technology develop into a reality, soldiers will use a single eye reticule to provide them with a heads up display that will include things like an ammo count… not unlike a video game, really. Another technology that is prominent in the game, and has been talked about in numerous real world research and interest circles, is optical camouflage. In the game this technology is still in prototype stages, so the player can only use it when moving slowly. However, the inspiration for this element came from real world research into fields including meta-materials that can bend light around the wearer, fibre optics worked into uniforms and micro-LED impregnated threads used in material. Combat drones – Unmanned Air Vehicles, or UAVs for short – are less science fiction than one would think. You can buy one to use with your iPhone, after all. But the game takes the concept further, making used of UAVs that are weaponised. These Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles are capable of launching explosives and low-yield EMP missiles in the game. Much of the game play is dependent on modern optics. Many of these are in development today, and may well see deployment on battlefields in the near future. One such optical system is a magnetic sensor that uses high grade algorithms, combined with measuring surrounding metallic resonance, to collate data and diaply significant metal objects - like explosives and weapons – while filtering out ‘noise’ like nails, door hinges and the like. Another sensor technology is the heartbeat sensor, which is attuned to the specific frequency common to the human heart-beat. Using this short range sensor, information of enemy positions can be gained, regardless of cover. There is much more technology to be discovered in this latest Ghost Recon title. The fact that mu of it constitutes military technology we may see within our lifetimes is mind-boggling. But it’s not surprising… after all, war is big business, and military research funding is generous. Until then, though, we have the theoretical military tech in Future Soldier to enjoy and marvel at. g gamecca feature • issue 36 • June 2012

Previews Highlights 18 Assassin’s Creed 3 To America! 22 Sleeping Dogs Take on Hong Kong 24 Resident Evil 6 The rectifier? 26 Far Cry 3 Tropical vacation... 30 Medal of Honor: Warfighter More Tier 1 action

nce again, the month of revelations has rolled around. Yep, E3 2012 takes place in LA this month, and we are expecting a lot of new announcements and exciting news from the expo. Until then, we have a number of big name titles that have already been announced... it certainly looks like the second half of 2012 is going to be hotter than the first half. Which is pretty amazing, because we have had a great year so far... g

gamecca preview • issue 36 • June 2012

ENTE R AN D WI N

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Assassin’s Creed 3

Mohawking Trouble All is not well on the American coast

bisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise has been one of the most successful for the Canadian-based developer and with the series drawing to a close, the third game will no doubt be one of their best efforts yet. The first two AC games (and the filler titles in between) took players on a fantastic journey through different locations at different time periods, but the third iteration will move a bit closer to (relative) modern times, taking place during the American Revolution between 1753 and 1783. One of the most exciting prospects of the title is that

by Charlie Fripp

gamers will be assuming the role of a character called Connor Kenway, who will be outfitted with Native American gear (as well as the usual Assassin’s garb). It was also made known that Connor is half-English and halfMohawk, who has been urged to fight when his home is attacked by colonists. Out of interest, the Mohawk people (who spanned from New York to Canada), were not to be messed with. The word Mohawk, which was borrowed the Narraganset ‘mohowaùuck’, means ‘they eat (animate) things,’ which is exactly why they were nicknamed the ‘man-eaters’. From screenshots and trailers, it is rather clear that

gamecca preview • issue 36 • June 2012

Connor will be fighting with the native tribes of the early Americas, which is an interesting prospect – instead of fighting on the side of stereo-typical ‘good guys’. The synopsis also correlates with real events in history, as the Mohawks fought against the United States during the American Revolutionary War because of settlers infringing on the Mohawk Valley and an unpaid treaty obligation to the British Crown. The series will naturally also continue the player’s quest to fight the Templars, and it has been established in the previous titles that well-known figures such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson,

Charles Lee and General Lafayette were all part of the Templar movement. Not a lot has been said about the game as a whole, but players of the franchise will know that the game will span a vast frontier to explore in the sandbox mode, have a great deal of time-period weapons (as well as some extra goodies) and be packed with tons of action. The title is also bound to have a nifty multiplayer aspect built-in, just as what Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and AC 3 had. While it might be the last title in the exciting franchise, gamers will be accustomed to the incredible graphics and vast-paced action coupled with stealthy moves. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Ubisoft Montreal Publisher: Ubisoft Distributor: Ubisoft gamecca preview • issue 36 • June 2012

Oct 2012 Platforms

Moving to the New World, Assassin’s Creed 3 looks very exciting indeed.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSV DS 3DS

Gravity Rush

Gravity Daze In all directions

by Dylan Bouch

n this title gamers will be able to manipulate gravity. Starting in the city of Hekseville the player will play the role of a girl named Kat. Kat has lost her memories and on her journey she runs into a black cat which grants her the power to control gravity. With her new ability, Kat will need to help save her town from a gravity storm and evil monsters that come with it. The player will be able to use the gravity powers to fly, walk on walls or thrust objects through the air.

Gravity Rush will also implement a role playing element as well, with side mission in a large open world in which Kat can level up her skills and battle against optional villains for extra skills and powers to unlock. Get more freedom with more power… Keiichiro Toyama, who also had a hand in the Silent Hill and Siren series, says that the PSV will be well suited for this title because of the PSV’s gyroscope. The cel-shaded anime graphics look great, too. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: SCEJ Publisher: SCEE Distributor: Ster Kinekor

Platforms

A mixture of genres, and a cool idea.

Jun 2012 PC X360 PS3 Wii PSV DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 36 • June 2012

Sleeping Dogs

Hit Hong Kong The new sandbox action king?

hen it comes to modern open world gaming, Grand Theft Auto is the undisputed king. It set the standard eleven years ago, and has reigned supreme ever since. That’s not to say there haven’t been worthy contenders, hell GTA has even adopted a couple of mechanics from similar titles, but it seems almost inevitable that when an open world game is released, the first thought that comes to mind is “GTA clone.” For Sleeping Dogs, however, this would seem to be a misnomer of the greatest order… or at least that’s what United Front Games and Square Enix seem to think. Rather, think GTA / Assassin’s Creed / Batman / Need for Speed clone, and you’re starting to get the picture. All the familiar elements are there; you run around, shoot and hit people, and hijack and drive all manner of vehicles.

by Lein Baart Only now you’re a Chinese Ezio, hitting like Bruce Wayne and driving a physics-defying NFS car. Coupled with the tweaked control scheme that’s supposed to make the transitions between the different activities seamless, this could be an amazing combination, provided, of course, the developers get it right. Set in Hong Kong, you will be playing as Wei Shen, a police officer attempting to infiltrate a Triad organisation called Sun On Yee. While the plot is hardly revolutionary, the developers have assured us that story will be deep and involving, capturing Wei Shen’s struggles with his morality as he walks the thin line between cop and criminal. When it comes to combat it seems that Sleeping Dogs is right on track. The gameplay videos show a title that looks sleek and polished, which shouldn’t be

gamecca preview • issue 36 • June 2012

surprising considering that co-developers Square Enix London Studios worked on Batman: Arkham Asylum. Sleeping Dogs will be using a near identical free-flow combat system, complete with counter-attack indicators and stylish kung-fu. But where Batman only seeks to incapacitate, Wei Shen, the protagonist of the game, seems to be downright brutal. Forget fists; fridge doors, saw blades and gas stoves are so much more entertaining, and the developers are promising extensive use of the environment to perform all manner of grisly executions. The driving appears to be just as sharp. Sleeping Dogs will feature over 65 vehicles, boats and bikes included, and all manner of stunts including “action hijacking.” It all looks incredible, and given that several former NFS developers are working under United Front Games, it should. Whether

Square Enix’s claims that Sleeping Dogs will feature “the best driving in a sandbox game in terms of handling” prove true or not, it definitely seems that this particular aspect is shaping up to be incredibly thrilling. Considering that Sleeping Dogs began life as True Crime: Hong King, and was shelved by Activision in early 2011 due to it being “just not good enough”, the level of sophistication and development that the game aims to offer is astonishing. Whether it all pulls together is another question entirely, though there are strong indicators that this could be one of the biggest titles to be released in the open world genre since GTA IV, and might even be a serious challenger to the franchise. No doubt Activision will be beating themselves over the head if Sleeping Dogs delivers on the promise that it shows in such ample abundance. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: United Front Publisher: Square Enix Distributor: Megarom gamecca preview • issue 36 • June 2012

Aug 2012 Platforms

This could be one of the year’s biggest hits, provided that the developers deliver on their promises.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSV DS 3DS

Resident Evil 6

Brains… The horror is back

by Lein Baart

hen you talk about Resident Evil, you’re talking about a series that has literally defined two genres. The first game practically created the survival-horror genre, while RE 4 set new standards for the third-person shooter. It’s about as venerable as gaming gets. So whenever Capcom starts talking about a sequel, the gaming world sits up and listens, very very closely. With the latest edition of the franchise just a couple of months away, the buzz around the game is huge, as everyone clamours to get a peek at what surprises Capcom has in store. And perhaps the biggest (and most welcome) of them all is that Resident Evil 6 is going back to its roots. Yes, the zombies are back, and it’s seems damn scary.

RE 6 will feature of a slew of cast members, including favourites Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Renfield, as well Sherry Birkin from RE 2, and introduces Jake Muller to Resident Evil’s already burgeoning cast. The game will essentially consist of three interlinking stories, and like previous titles will have the primary protagonist, namely Leon, Chris and Jake, teamed with an A.I. controlled partner, being Helena Harper, Sherry Birkin and Piers Nivans respectively, though drop-in co-op will be available. With a revamped control scheme, and being nearly three times the length of RE 5, Resident Evil 6 is likely to be Capcom’s biggest title to date. It’s looking gorgeous as hell, and should delight fans of the series with a welcome return to form. It should, at least, be better than Operation Raccoon City... g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Distributor: Ster Kinekor

Oct 2012 Platforms

Looking to combine the best of its horror elements and third-person action, RE 6 is definitely a title to be excited about.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSV DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 36 • June 2012

“2”, “PlayStation”, “PLAYSTATION”, “ ”, “ ” and “ ” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “SONY” and “ ” are registered trademarks of Sony Corporation. “make.believe” is a trademark of the same company. Gravity Rush™ ©2012 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Developed by Japan Studio. “Gravity Rush” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. All rights reserved.

SEE THE WORLD FROM A BOLD NEW ANGLE

In a city under attack from a mysterious enemy, a young woman seeks to recover her past. Get hands-on with your PlayStation®Vita: touch it or tilt it as you defy the laws of physics and enter a mind-bending Gravity Rush™. The fate of the world rests in your hands… and a gravity storm is coming.

Far Cry 3

The Island

Stranded on an island has never been so deadly

pen-world games have proven to be successful – just take games like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption as examples. Players enjoy being able to roam around and do tasks and missions when then they see fit. Far Cry 3 follows on the same formula, and being a sequel to 2008’s Far Cry 2, players will know exactly what they will be getting themselves into. While the previous title took place in a Central African country, Far Cry 3 will be swapping the bush and mosquitos for sand and mojitos, as the action shifts to a tropical island in somewhere at the intersection of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. But it’s not going to be a walk on the beach, as the main plot will see gamers trying to escape from the island’s crazy inhabitants. There has also been talk of an Antarctic setting, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet. Being on an island, there will be no vehicles for players to use, but that won’t take away from the action. The developers also confirmed that the new title will feature

by Charlie Fripp

Far Cry 2’s map editor, but it will be bigger and better maps. In terms of plot, players will assume the role of tourist Jason Brody who has been trapped on the island for some time. Brody is in search of his girlfriend, who disappeared when the island’s residents became part of a violent revolt. Not an awful lot has been revealed about the exact circumstances of the plot, but it’s widely known that Brody will have to use his combat intuition to rescue his girlfriend and escape the island. Gamers can expect a lot of actionpacked missions, coupled with many violent situations that will test the might and intelligence of Brody. Players of the first two Far Cry games will know that nothing will seem natural about the plot, setting and the amount of violence that goes with a Far Cry game. While the previous title had fantastic graphics, players can expect an updated system that will deliver superb visuals. Hopefully we won’t see nasty South African accents in the title again. g

gamecca preview • issue 36 • June 2012

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Ubisoft Montreal Publisher: Ubisoft Distributor: Megarom gamecca preview • issue 36 • June 2012

Sep 2012 Platforms

Building on Far Cry 2, it’s bound to be no holiday in the sun

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSV DS 3DS

RAW: Realms of Ancient War

Attack of the Clone This one looks very familiar…

by Dylan Bouch

tep into the Kingdoms of Men, Elves and Dwarves, destroyed after years of devastating war. Take control of a dark sorcerer, a master of stealth or even a powerful warrior in this fantasy role playing game that’s jam packed with action, either solo or in a co-op mission with a friend. Perfect your weaponry skill or master spells that would be able to take dozen enemies to the grave, but in R.A.W gamers will always be out numbered.

With the gift of “incarnation” player will be able to control the body of their enemies, weaken them, bring trolls and dangerous monsters to their knee’s before releasing them from this world. Wizarbox will bring this title to your nearest download network or PC… this title does indeed seem to be a great and has some original ideas but also looks like it has taken some ideas from other popular titles, notably the Diablo franchise… but it will likely impress most gamers. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Wizarbox Publisher: Focus Home Media Distributor: Apex Interactive

Jun 2012 Platforms

Fantasy Role play game, not that there are many of those.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSV DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 36 • June 2012

...full impact package that has it all...

RACE Injection is the final chapter in the RACE 07 series of games, ending the award winning series on a high note. RACE Injection contains 23 new unique car models and boasts 9 new tracks from across the globe. RACE Injection collects the most requested content in five distinct classes: Formula RaceRoom class, GT Power class, Retro – historic class and the official STCC and WTCC 2010 classes. This full retail game which includes all that’s needed to get racing in anything from cool historic cars to the latest high-tech GT powerhouses, WTCC racers and even top of the line Formula cars. Injection is the full impact package that has it all. With the release of RACE Injection, the Complete RACE series for PC now offers : 38 unique car models in 13 distinct car classes with over 450 highly detailed car skins, ready to race on more than 31 tracks worldwide, supporting over 40 different track configurations. All of these cars, classes and tracks can be mixed and matched to create unique and exciting championships and events. This should keep any fan busy for quite a while and ensure that the RACE series will stand as a landmark of the Authentic Racing genre for years to come. RACE Injection includes the following RACE 07 expansions: STCC 2 Formula RaceRoom GT Power Expansion The Retro Expansion WTCC 2010

www.apexint.co.za

© 2003-2012 The Simbin Group. All rights reserved. Distributed Exclusively by Apex Interactive Tel: (011) 796 5040 Email: sales@apexint.co.za All rights and trademarks and logos are copyright of their respective owners.

www.apexactive.co.za

Medal Of Honor: Warfighter

Back to War It’s a battle zone out there

by Charlie Fripp

he Medal of Honor franchise has been around for a very long time, and the series has gone through a number of transformations since the PC-only days. Speaking of which, the PC-only titles were incredibly successful, spawning a great deal of expansion packs. The latest title to be released under the MoH banner will be Warfighter, and will take the player on a journey that spans directly after 2010’s series reboot Medal of Honor. What will make the game interesting, in terms of mechanics, is that will run on the same Frostbite 2 engine that powered EA’s highly-successful Battlefield 3. Since it’s a sequel to the reboot, the story will continue with the operations of Tier 1 operatives, and while not a lot is known about the single-player campaign, it’s speculated that the action will probably

take place after the events of 2002. The trusty formula will also include a multiplayer aspect, which will be developed by Danger Close Games, instead of EA Digital Illusions CE who developed the multiplayer for the reboot. Just as with Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3, there will be Co-Op missions which will be a separate experience from the single-player campaign. The title is due to just as action-packed as the reboot, and will see players traveling to destinations such as Philippines, Somali Coast, with the multiplayer including 12 controllable Tier-1 special forces units from around the globe; United States (SEALS, OGA & SFOD-D) Canada (JTF-2) British (SAS) Swedish (SOG) Norwegian (FSK/HJK) German (KSK) Polish (GROM) Russian (SPETSNAZ) South Korean (UDT/SEAL) and Australian (SASR). g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Danger Close Publisher: Electronic Arts Distributor: EA South Africa

Oct 2 2012 Platforms

Taking place after the reboot, it’s bound to be action-packed

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSV DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 36 • June 2012

As the lines start to blur between man and machine, you must enter into 2080 Tokyo, fight your way through their robotic defence and find who is creating highly advanced humanoids that are beginning to infiltrate society undetected.

Turn the tide in battle by earning your squad’s trust.

24.02.12

Battle online in co-op and versus modes with up to 10 players.

www.binaRYDOMainGaME.COM www.sega.com ©SEGA. SEGA, the SEGA logo and BINARY DOMAIN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA Corporation. All rights reserved. “2”, “PlayStation” , “PS3” and “À“ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “Ã” is a trademark of the same company. All Rights Reserved. KINECT, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft.

Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy

Final Guitar Hero? Another 3DS exclusive…

by Dylan Bouch

heatrhythm: Final Fantasy is a rhythm game somewhat like guitar hero… without the guitar. Developed exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS, Final Fantasy fans will have to step away from the traditional RPG and use their 3DS to tap notes correctly to defeat enemies. Although this title is a rhythm title, fans of the franchise will still appreciate and enjoy the story line which is loosely based on older Final Fantasy titles and characters. The gamer will need to complete each stage by tapping a

note, sliding the stylus in the right direction, or holding the stylus down on the touch screen. A battle mode will have the player tapping the corresponding notes to damage the onscreen enemy. This title will most likely appeal to Final Fantasy fans, with theme music from the Final Fantasy titles as well as the familiar characters and plot outlines… but more so the Nintendo (3DS) community which will have another exclusive title to themselves - Final Guitar Hero Fantasy, I mean Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy minus the Fantasy. Final. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Square Enix Publisher: Square Enix Distributor: Megarom

Jul 2012 Platforms

It’s not really a Final Fantasy game… well, OK, sort of…

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSV DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 36 • June 2012

Lollipop Chainsaw

Killing and Candy Being a cheerleader is never easy

by Charlie Fripp

hroughout the history of video games, developers have ever really needed any excuse to include zombies in their titles, but sometimes the premise for the zombies just become a bit far-fetched. Grasshopper Manufacture’s Lollipop Chainsaw is one such title, and while it has the potential to be incredibly fun, that aspect could also very quickly disappear. See, the plot for Lollipop Chainsaw revolves around a cheerleader named Juliet Starling, who has taken it upon herself to rid her former high school of hordes of zombies. She does this with the help of her two sisters while carrying the severed-yet-living head of her ex-boyfriend by

her side. Naturally her method of disposal is a massive chainsaw, which is sure to send entrails and limbs flying all over the levels. The outbreak was caused by an evil goth sorcerer named Swan, and the zombies are led by a group of zombie rock-and-roll lords who were former high school students. While the graphics don’t seem too bad, it is easy for gamers to draw the conclusion that the title might be a bit slapstick or cheesy. But the hack and slash could also be a lot of fun, as games like Dead Rising have proven. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture Publisher: Warner Bros Distributor: Nu Metro

Jun 2012 Platforms

While it could be fun, it could also be very silly

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSV DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 36 • June 2012

“2”, “PlayStation”, “PS3” and “ ” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “ ” is a trademark of the same company. “Ô” is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation. “Blu-ray Disc” and “BD” are trademarks. All rights reserved. The Ratchet & Clank™ Trilogy ©2012 Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. Published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, 10 Great Marlborough Street, London, W1F 7LP. Developed by Insomniac Games and Idol Minds. “Ratchet & Clank” is a trademark or a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC. All rights reserved.

Join Ratchet and Clank in their first three epic adventures; load up on explosive weapons and gadgets and fight to save the galaxy one planet at a time in laser-sharp HD.

What do you mean, you’re all out of Balrogs?

by Lein Baart

antasy, and in this instance fantasy gaming, would be nothing without clichés. Let’s face it, we all want to see the hero swinging his Sword of Doom, while lightning splays forth from his fingers and a suitable snarl rips from his throat. That isn’t to say that there can’t be variation, but ultimately we cleave to Tolkein mythology because, well, it’s awesome. And by the looks of it, The Dark Eye: Demonicon, seems to share this sentiment. Based on the “extraordinarily popular universe of ‘The Dark Eye’”, which is to say it’s extraordinarily popular in Germany, Demonicon will follow the trials and tribulations of Cairon; a bald, pissed off, platewearing sword swinger. The story seems to revolve around Cairon and his twin sister who end up “mixing blood”, which of course unleashes hell upon the realms of Aventuria. Seems slightly disturbing, but details are

sketchy at best, so it should be given the benefit of the doubt. Despite its troubled development history, German (surprised?) developer Noumena Studios, the in-house studio at Kalypso Media, seems to be pulling together a fairly competent game. All the standard features are there; you hit things with a sword and fry things with spells, and the setting promises a dark and grim narrative, full of demons and zombies. The developers have promised a narrative filled with “ethical decision-making opportunities” a la The Witcher in addition to “action-packed battles.” At the time of writing, there’s just too little information available to get a clear idea of what The Dark Eye: Demonicon is all about. There’s potential, certainly, but promises are just words ultimately, and Noumena will have to do something special to make Demonicon stand out. g

AT A GLANCE: Something to keep an eye, its grim setting and moral dilemmas might cause a few surprises later on this year. Developer: Noumena Studios Publisher: Kalypso Media Distributor: TBC

Q3 2012 Platforms

The Dark Eye: Demonicon

One Order of Clichés, Please…

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSV DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 36 • June 2012

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

www.apexactive.co.za

Dishonoured

Choice of Old-School Teleportation, possession, swords and muskets

by Lein Baart

etrayal, revenge, magic powers and deadly weapon proficiency… it’s undoubtedly a heady mix. Throw into the equation the stealth of Thief, Deus Ex’s freeform play and an art design from the creator of City 17 from Half Life 2, and you get Bethesda’s and Arkane Studios’ upcoming title, Dishonoured. Arkane Studios has assembled a team rife with big names and experience, having worked on some of the best titles released in the era of 3D gaming; not just those previously mentioned but also Arx Fatalis, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic and BioShock 2. The setting is the city of Dunwall, a steampunk Victorian metropolis brimming with despair, grime and oppression. The screenshots, as expected, are stunning, showing a city filled with cloying smog, dirt and whale-

fat powered Tesla Coils. The story will follow the revenge of Corvo, former bodyguard to the Empress, who now stands accused of her murder. Granted magical powers, and the chance for revenge, this does not look like a tale of happy endings. Pretty screenshots aside, what really excites about Dishonoured is the freeform play, allowing you to choose exactly how you wish to dispose of your targets. It’s a difficult concept to get right, as too much freedom can break a game, yet it is a challenge the developers relish apparently. Multiple paths through levels exist, and the entire game claims to adapt to your play style. There’s even a “chaos” meter that tracks how bloody your vengeance has become, with the world becoming progressively darker the more violent your revenge. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Arkane Studios Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Distributor: Ster Kinekor

Oct 2012 Platforms

With an experienced developer at the helm, Dishonoured is definitely a title to look forward to in the last quarter of the year.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSV DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 36 • June 2012

Spearing Social Media Soapbox

by Suvesh Arumugam

hile I usually limit my rantings to technology and gaming, I’ve recently had my social media hijacked by two very particular incidents, which have eclipsed other topics. Without dwelling on the merits, here’s a brief description. It all started when local model-celeb Jessica Leandra decided to tweet something rather racist. As a commentator on etv’s LNN put it “she said cafeteria, but she didn’t say the teria part”. The second catalyst to the debacle was an artwork entitled “The Spear” by artist Brett Murray, depicting SA president Jacob Zuma with his “family jewels” exposed. This has gone back and forth, with the liberal, freedom-of-speechers on one side, and the virtuous antidiscriminators on the other. Volumes have been written in blogs, articles and numerous tweets and status updates in just a short time. The latest development is a supreme court case, calls for newspaper boycotts and censorship boards being called in to weigh-in on what is acceptable or not. And now the painting itself has been defaced by protestors, giving rise to more moral posturing. I’m all for controversy when it spawns puns and general silliness. But when my newsfeed is saturated with sermons and racial slander, I wonder if people get what social media is about. Once an image, tweet, blog post is out there, it can’t be taken back. Deleting a post doesn’t erase it from Google servers (storing

millions of terrabytes of historical information). More importantly, a few seconds online is an eternity of reposts, emails and twitpics. Defending or attacking just prolongs the issue, and proves that armchair philosophers don’t understand the nature of social media. Meanwhile in reality, Jessica Leandra now protects her tweets, so we’re no longer exposed to her cultural musings; and the painting of President Zuma (which would’ve been hanging in some private collector’s den anyway) has been destroyed. So the only place the offense or outrage really exists is out there is cyberspace. Social debaters don’t seem that viral arguments can never be solved, won or settled. Ever! You sense when reading a post that each writer feels that their comment has been carefully

enough researched and crafted to end the debate. But it never does and it just goes back and forth with most unable to acknowledge that alternative viewpoints could have merit or a right to exist. It’s like five year olds arguing over the TV remote, except there are millions of them. It’s exhausting to read or engage in. To put some perspective on this, I received an email from a work colleague, which totally ruined my day. It was a car crash scene with severely mutilated bodies (which he obviously found amusing). I can’t do gore and violence (I was afraid of the Hulk as a kid), and after one glance I deleted the email. I contemplated emailing my colleague back, blocking further emails from him, or even getting our mutual ISP server admin involved. Ultimately I realised nothing I did would remove the ghastly images from my head, and apart from a short note to exclude me from future emails of the sort, that was the end of it. For now, the “Free Willy” debate will rage on until people figure out that it will only go away when people stop talking about it. I’m far more interested in what’s going to be happening at E3, watching trailers for 007 Legends or playing Diablo 3. I really don’t care what should be acceptable or offensive, or who has the right to determine what is. But I’ll watch the video of the painting protestor getting head-butted by the security guard again. g

gamecca column • issue 36 • June 2012

Et Tu QC? Console General

by Montgomery Paton

e are pretty spoiled these days, when it comes to consoles. Back in the day, it was pretty amazing that a console could be connected to the Internet. Now, we can enjoy online gaming and even purchase gaming titles through various services, whether on a TV based console, or on a hand-held. That’s pretty awesome, and gives us yet another reason not to leave the couch. While there is talk that the future will be all about this when it comes to consoles, it is still only an optional activity. And that’s a good thing. A constant online connection for gaming is a poor idea – just listen to all the PC players howl about that aspect of Diablo 3 if you don’t believe me. And as for online being the only means of distribution for console titles, well, I have said my piece on that before… until global infrastructure (never mind South African infrastructure) is improved, it just isn’t a great idea. Too many people still rely on physical copies of games. That said, there are a lot of people who buy their games online, and download them to their consoles. The idea, as stated before, is cool. But there is another thing about it that makes it a bit less cool, in truth… I am all for giving indie developers a platform to deliver their titles. Hell, if it wasn’t for these guys, the gaming industry would congeal into a pool of big-money-corporation rubbish pounded out onto the market. Originality would be supplanted by concepts that guarantee a sale. The fresh ideas would simply vanish as the big players tried to ensure turning a profit. Indie developers

don’t have those motivations – rather, they are driven by making a name for themselves, and originality is a big part of that process. Sure, they want to make money, but they haven’t arrived at the far end of that scale yet. There is still art here, and originality, and a quest for enjoyable gaming. And these guys help keep everyone in the industry considering all of these elements. They are sometimes unsung heroes, because they help stir things up. But – and this is a big, hairy, offensive but – some of them fall prey to problems that also plague bigger players. They produce games that don’t feel right, that are half-baked, poorly considered and generally rubbish. This is a minority, mind you, but they are out there. And you still have to pay money – even if it is less money – to buy these games. This is not a problem that is restricted to indie developers, of course. Big name companies are also quite capable of producing rubbish. The real issue is that this stuff is available to purchase. And not just via online services, mind you… any gamer can tell you horror stories of a lot of money spent on a title, just to find out that it’s nasty. The question then is who does the quality control? Is there quality control? And do developers know what gamers really want? Sometimes, it seems like they don’t. I guess that’s why we need game reviewers. It is important to remember that, like every other industry, this one is about making money, and making

tons of it at that. And while there is a certain idealism attached to the industry, particularly in the attitude of many end-users (read as gamers) the industry is a business, and sub-standard products will probably always be a part of it… whether from indies or big names. It is one of the pitfalls of our beloved pass-time. g

gamecca column • issue 36 • June 2012

Feature

Bring the Bitter, twisted, addicted and tired... Max Payne hasn’t had the easiest life.

gamecca feature • issue 36 • June 2012

Payne by Walt Pretorius

ith a strong visual style inspired by graphic novels and a titular character who is a modern day noir anti-hero, the Max Payne video games have won themselves fans around the world. Brutal action, strong language, adult themes and convoluted plots have been the hallmark of the franchise, and that does not change with the third instalment (be sure to check out our review on page 56.) Max, as a character, has not exactly had the easiest life, leading to a present character that is a jaded, negative,

gamecca feature â&#x20AC;˘

issue 36 â&#x20AC;˘ June 2012

self-destructive substance abuser who sees very little worth in his own existence. To find out how we ended up with this baggage-laden hero, we will need to take a look at the history of the character, as depicted in the first two games of the series. It is interesting to note that while the character was still being conceptualised by creator Sam Lake, his name was Max Heat. Thankfully, though, Sam came to his senses, and Max Payne was born.

Feature Feature

gamecca feature • issue 36 • June 2012

Max’s happy life was shattered in August of 1998, when an apparent attack by a trio of junkies left his wife and new-born baby daughter dead. After finding out that the junkies were fuelled by a designer drug called Valkyr, Payne transferred to the DEA. In 2001, Max was working undercover in the Puchinello crime family, a major trafficker of Valkyr. When his contact is killed after a shoot-out, the still undercover Payne becomes the prime suspect in the murder… even though he knew that his ally died at the hands of the rival Lupino family. However, his luck turned even worse, because the Mafia found out that he is a cop, and wanted him dead. While searching for Lupino, Max uncovered a connection to a Russian mobster named Vladimir Lem, who was engaged in a fierce turf war with the Puchinello clan. After wounding and questioning Lupino’s right hand man, Vinnie Gognitti, Max discovered that Lupino’s base of operations was a nightclub called Ragna Rock. Just after disposing of the insane Lupini, Max met a contract killer named Mona Sax, who drugged him. While under the influence of the sedative, Payne was captured by the Mafia mobsters who were hunting him, and taken away to be tortured. After escaping from the Mafia, Max forms an alliance with Vladimir Lem, promising to eliminate a traitor for the Russian mobster. In exchange for this favour, Max kept a shipment of high powered weapons meant for Lem, and used them to take on the forces of Don Angelo Punchinello. During the raid on Punchinello’s residence, he finds the body of Lisa Punchinello, who was also Mona’s sister. He also discovers that the Don was merely a pawn in the plot of Nicole Horne, the CEO of the mysterious Aesir Corporation, when her agents killed the Don in front of him. Max was injected with an overdose of Valkyr and left for dead. But after a drug induced nightmare, he managed to survive. Max was then approached (after managing to find the man that framed him for his contact’s murder) by Alfred Woden, a member of a powerful secret society with ties to the US government. The Inner Circle wanted Nicole Horne dead, and Max was the instrument of their destruction. They promised to gamecca feature • issue 36 • June 2012

Feature Feature

gamecca feature • issue 36 • June 2012

have all criminal charges against him dropped if he would perform their dirty deeds. But their meeting was interrupted by Aesir Corporation gunmen, killing everyone but Payne and Woden. Max then launched an assault on the Aesir building, an action which saw him meet up with Mona Sax again. Mona was apparently killed, although her body disappeared. Max confronted Horne, and managed to destroy the helicopter on which she tried to make an escape. As promised, Woden cleared his name. The second game kicks off two years later, with Max having returned to his role as an NYPD detective. While investigating a group of contract killers called the Cleaners, Max ran into Mona Sax. Despite Payne’s protests, she was arrested for the murder of a Senator. The police station fell under attack by the Cleaners, resulting in Mona’s escape and Max killing his partner to protect her. But his partner managed to wound him, and he had to be hospitalised. Upon his release from hospital, Max began investigating the previous events. He was kidnapped by Vladimir Lem, after which he found out that the Cleaners worked for the Russian mobster. He also learned that Lem was part of the Inner Circle, with plans to kill Senator Woden and take over the organisation. Lastly, Payne learned that Mona was a hired gun working for Woden, with orders to kill Lem and Max. Lem then shot max, and left him for dead in a burning building. But Mona, despite her orders, saved Max’s life, and they both headed for Woden’s mansion to try and stop Lem from killing him. Once at the mansion, Mona tried to kill Max as part of her orders, but found that her feelings for the grizzled cop stayed her hand. Lem shot Mona for that. Woden attacked Lem, resulting in the Senator being killed. After a climactic struggle, Payne managed to send Lem to his grave, and returned to Mona, only to have her die in his arms. And so, he left the USA and took up a job in South America as a private body-guard. What happens next… well, you’ll have to play the third game to find out. g gamecca feature • issue 36 • June 2012

Reviews Highlights 52 Diablo 3 Back to Hell 58 Max Payne 3 Return of the anti-hero 62 Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Really modern warfare 76 Sniper Elite V2 Sights on Nazis... 76 Resistance: Burning Skies FPS in your hands

he last month saw some really massive game releases, including the highly anticipated Diablo 3. It resulted in our biggest review ever, despite all those connection problems. But Diablo 3 wasn’t the only big name to hit shelves... Max Payne 3, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and Resistance: Burning Skies all saw release before E3 2012. It really is great year for gaming and, by the looks of things, it is just going to get better. And, as always, Gamecca will be right here to bring you the low down... g

gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

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Diablo 3

All Hell...

Nine parts pleasure, one part pain...

had a nightmare the night before I installed Diablo 3. I dreamed that the graphics were 8-bit, and that all the menus were in Chinese. Perhaps that dream stemmed from the fact that I was concerned that the return of the popular Blizzard franchise would fail to live up to more than a decade worth of waiting and anticipation. Can any game really live up to the kind of expectations that the passage of so much time generates? In the case of Diablo 3, the answer is something of a mixed bag. While the game is, for the most part, absolutely awesome in every sense of the word, the execution and delivery of the title seems to show that Blizzard have, on a level, lost connection with gamers out there. It is a danger that anyone, in any industry that deals with end users, can encounter. That’s because we forget what it is like to be a ‘normal’ person, with

by Walt Pretorius

‘normal’ capabilities and ‘normal’ resources. For example, Blizzard undoubtedly have an internet connection the size of a sewage pipe leading to their systems. Most ‘normal’ people don’t. So the decision to make Diablo 3 a game that requires a constant internet connection was a poor one. Single player games need a connection, too, which is a nasty route to follow, whatever the reasons may be. Even in countries that have a far better internet infrastructure than South Africa, problems have been cropping up with this system. Added to that is the fact that their servers simply couldn’t handle the initial player load, which displays a possible lack of forethought by a company that has plenty of experience running online titles, including World of WarCraft and StarCraft. And then, just to worsen the situation, they decided to do a six hour maintenance session on the server on the first Sunday after the game’s

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release… a day that many players relied on to get to grips with the title. How did all of this happen? We can’t be sure. But what is certain is that they have generated more than a little ire among their end-users, particularly when considering that Diablo 3 is not a cheap game by any stretch of the imagination. And that is particularly sad, because – server and connectivity issues aside – Diablo 3 is a fantastic title. And while we did experience a few issues with connectivity and servers during our review process, the overall experience that the game provided was excellent. Hopefully all the bad press generated by online issues won’t tarnish its name too much, because once those servers are finally sorted out, the experience will be priceless. Diablo 3 returns the player to the world of Sanctuary, 20 years after the events of the previous game. With almost

gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

all of the Lords of the Burning Hells defeated, the world has known some peace. But when a burning comet falls from the sky and Belial and Asmodan begin trying to take over Sanctuary, all hell – literally – breaks loose. The player takes on the role of a hero bent on saving Sanctuary. As such, the player can select one of five character classes – Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk, Witch Doctor or Wizard. Each character class is unique in terms of skills and abilities, and while players will certainly find their own favourite class, each is as capable as the other. The characters show some of the new directions that Blizzard have taken in creating this game. One cannot help but wonder if they looked at elements of games that followed Diablo 2 – like Titan Quest – and tried to improve upon them. The characters, for example, can be either male or female (like in Titan Quest) rather than

the fixed sexes of characters in Diablo 2. Developing the characters has also changed a bit. There are the expected tons of random weapons and other equipment, but the skill tree idea is absent. Rather, the characters earn set skills as they advance through the game. These skills are further modified by runes that are unlocked with increasing character levels (they don’t need to be found in the game world). Initially, this system seemed to be a step backwards from the variety granted a player by Diablo 2’s skill tree system. All it really does, though, is remove a degree of customisation from the characters; in game terms, this system allows for an extremely fluid and versatile play style. The player can switch between the two attack, four active and three passive skills pretty much on the fly, and runes can be equipped as and when their modification effects are needed. It’s smooth and crisp, and keeps the game going at a frantic pace almost constantly. Reducing

the number of skills that can be equipped at a time also helps keep the game a little easier to play. Levelling up has been kept extremely simple in this title, due to the fact that all a player really does when a new level is achieved is acknowledge the newly earned skills and runes, and equip them if they like. Stats are pretty much handled automatically, which seems to strip a bit of control away from the player, but in truth adds to keeping things fluid. Besides, the randomly generated equipment gives the player a large degree of control over stats, with many items buffing either strength, dexterity or intelligence (and subsequently buffing the character’s abilities). The control scheme for this game couldn’t be simpler, but it belies a degree of depth that hasn’t been seen before in the franchise, or in games like it. The player can, for example, ‘train’ and equip three followers, as well as train up artisans who can provide them with valuable

gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

services, like making equipment. The latter process costs a lot of in-game gold, so it can be seen as something of a grind, but grinding has been something that Diablo has always handled well, thanks to randomly generated levels. In addition to those, the player will also run into random encounters… and this is where Blizzard got really clever. See, some encounters are found at certain difficulty levels, but not at others. This keeps the game fresh through all four difficulty levels, which is great. The achievement system that has been built in also gives the player something to strive for through the course of these difficulty levels. Each player may also have up to ten characters saved, with the expandable stash and gold (as well as artisan levels) shared between all their characters. This simple idea adds a lot to the game, allowing players to save ‘useless’ equipment for their other characters. And while it seems that this gives an unfair advantage to new

gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

characters, the system extends to everyone, keeping things fair. Unwanted equipment can still be sold in-game, or can be sold using the auction house. At the time of writing, only the in-game gold auction house is active, but having used it to sell and buy numerous items, we can safely say that it is a fun idea. An issue does arise from the fact that vital equipment, including crafting supplies and gems, can simply be bought, removing something of a challenge from the game. There is a bit of a point there, sure, but the fact is that it requires in-game gold to buy the stuff. While you might not have to adventure through the game to find the items you buy, you still have to earn the gold… and while doing that, you may find some of the items you need along the way. As the player moves on to higher difficulty levels, finding gold and awesome equipment gets easier, because there is more of it about. On the other hand, the difficulty increase

is a fairly steep ramp-up, so it gets harder, too. And more satisfying… beating off a boss at a higher level is very satisfying. But dying is something that will happen in the game. Thankfully, except for hardcore characters (which do not respawn when they are killed… dead is dead) the game doesn’t punish death too much. The player will experience a short delay before they can respawn at the nearest checkpoint, with some damage applied to their equipment. Too many deaths really just results in the player having to head back to town to get their equipment fixed. This is an area in which Blizzard have shown a good understanding of how to keep players playing the game. Dying and respawning is frustrating enough without punishing the player heavily. At this level, the frustration turns into a desire to succeed, rather than one to walk away from the game. During multiplayer boss fights, the player won’t simply respawn, though. They can be resurrected by other players,

which adds another level of challenge, because it takes some time to do so. In fact, casting a town portal also takes time, and if the character is hit during either of these actions, the casting is interrupted. It equates to added strategy, which is a good thing. Even quaffing health potions can be seen as more strategic, because the player has to go through quite a long cool-down period between each potion. The game does provide health orbs and health wells, though, which provide instant healing when touched (and heal the entire party, too, which is a nice touch.) There are numerous other improvements and tweaks that add to the experience. For example, the player simply has to run over gold and health orbs to pick them up. Identifying rare items is automatically available to the player. Finding a friend in the field is as simple as clicking on their customisable banner. Blizzard have created a game that really is a treat in Diablo 3. From the good graphics and great sound (which bring the massive, chaotic battles to thunderous life) through to the

gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

be engaging in bloody battles or hunting achievements, collecting items or dying clothing and armour different colours. Diablo 3 will keep its devotees going for years, quite literally... The good does outweigh the bad here, without a doubt. The issue is that the bad can scupper the experience, at least temporarily. Still, that hasn’t stopped millions of people from playing the game, whether in single or multiplayer games (made easy through Battle.Net’s robust friend system). Although the problems that crop up from time to time are annoying, it is easy to forgive them after just a few moments of actually playing this title. In time, the connection and server issues will likely be sorted out… there has already been a reduction in lag issues and connection problems. Hopefully, before long, Blizzard will sort all of those niggles out, which will allow Diablo 3 to achieve the greatness it is destined for... a greatness that is hampered by only one aspect of the title. g

AT A GLANCE: If it wasn’t for some issues with constant online play, we might have broken our ‘highest score ever’ record here... Developer: Blizzard Publisher: Activision Blizzard Distributor: Megarom

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

16+ gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PC Platforms

simple yet effective control scheme, from the variety offered by random levels and items to the improvement of storage and artisans, from the variations between difficulty levels to the five exciting character classes, Diablo 3 is a brilliant game. There are very few titles that can boast the variety and longevity of this title, and the game dynamic allows the player to feel true immersion in the title, without the need to remember a huge number of controls. Diablo 3 is a game that you can get lost in, a title that you can savour and enjoy, even after numerous play-throughs. The savagery of the game world, both in terms of plot and the high degree of in-game violence, is compelling - the player feels the need to be a hero, really, and to best all those nasty evil-doers. The cast of supporting characters also add a bit of depth to the immersion; they feel ‘real’, at least in context of Sanctuary, and they provide amusement in addition to sometimes expanding the back story and setting. There is literally tons to do in this game, whether it

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

97 57

Max Payne 3

Bullet Time & Painkillers

I tried to forget... but there was something that kept me going back for more...

ax Payne 3 is the oh so long awaited sequel to Remedy’s Max Payne 1 and Max Payne 2. I mention the name of the developer specifically because this game is not made by Remedy, but rather by Rockstar Games, creators of the GTA franchise. The original games were dark, gritty tributes to the film noir genre, and perfected the slow motion diving of bullet time in the era of The Matrix. But will Max Payne 3 live up to its hype? Or will it slam head first into the ground? With such a strong legacy to live up to, as well as a change in developer, I approached this game with both anxiety and anticipation – eager to step into Max’s tortured mind once more, but worried about what I might find when I did. Max Payne 3 begins a new chapter in Max’s life. He

by Pippa Tshabalala

is older as the game is set eight years after the events in Max Payne 2, he is no longer living in New York, and is now working as private security in Brazil, as opposed to being employed by the NYPD. Max has also developed an addiction to alcohol and painkillers, and considering the way he pops those babies in game, this shouldn’t really surprise anyone. He’s working the private security detail in Brazil, protecting members of the wealthy Branco family, when, as is pretty usual around Max, things go horribly wrong. What follows is a gun-toting, painkiller popping conspiracy that culminates in piles of dead bodies and loads of slow motion diving. Story wise Max Payne 3 is gripping, and completely in tune with the style of the previous games. Sure, the

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setting is not that same, and Max is not out to avenge his fallen loved ones, but you get the very real sense that this is just another chapter in Max’s life as opposed to a story that is completely independent. And while the story may not be the same, as a character Max is most definitely influenced by his past. The plot jumps backwards and forwards in time, so you are continually uncovering new elements to the tale and discovering how Max got to the position he’s in now. You both see and feel the opulent lifestyle of the people Max works for, contrasted sharply with the poorer, seedier side of the city, and you become achingly aware that money doesn’t appease the resentment that can fester in anyone’s heart, rich or poor. When the wife of his employer is kidnapped, Max is hell

gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

bent on saving her, not just because he’s being paid to do so, but rather because he has a saviour complex. After all, what better way to absolve his guilt over his wife’s death than to save the wife of another? The game not only puts you in Max’s shoes, it puts you in his mind. You become Max Payne – alcoholic, drug addict, hired gun, man with a dark and dangerous past who is struggling simply to keep his head above water and will latch on to any reason to do so. Sure, it’s all tortured souls and drama, but the story has lost none of its appeal, if some of its film noir look and feel, and Max is as complex a character as ever. The complexity of this game doesn’t stop at character development however. The grainy, desaturated look of the previous games is gone from Max Payne 3, replaced with

bright, oversaturated colours and somewhat nauseating patterns at times. This doesn’t detract from the game however, it is always indicative of Max’s state of mind. Walking through a club drunk, suffering from multiple injuries and popping painkillers to control the physical and emotional pain would likely be completely in line with looking at flashing disco lights and wanting to puke your guts out. This is not dirty, smoggy New York. This is Brazil, and the look of this city is very different to the one Max went on his killing spree in, and this is aptly reflected in the visual style of the game. Another great touch that illustrates Max’s perception of reality are the colour shifts and bursts, which are very prevalent throughout the cutscenes but even make an

appearance in game. The cutscenes themselves, which can go on for a little too long at times, as well as being for the most part unskippable, are nevertheless essential to the telling of this story, as they provide not only a hint of the relationships Max has developed with people over the years, but situational context as well. James McCaffrey, who voiced the original games, returns not only to voice Max once again, but also for the added role of motion capture. It is small touches like these that keep the Max Payne franchise together as a cohesive unit, not just as separate games in a linked franchise. Don’t get the impression that this game is all looks and no substance however; not only are the story and visual quality of this game above average, but the use of bullet time is as advanced and slick as ever. Rockstar have not

gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

convincing, although granted at times there are some rather stiff movements, and the bullet time impeccable. One or two gripes about weapon switching also rear their ugly heads, such as the changing between dual Berettas and a shotgun for example, which is clumsy and often requires you to put down one weapon and then pick it up again if done in the wrong order. Overall however, Max Payne 3 is an experiential feast of a game. Sure maybe one or two things might bother you, but I can’t for the life of me think of anything that wouldn’t make me buy this game. Rockstar might have delayed this game for years, but with good reason. Max Payne 3 is a fitting sequel. I might even go so far as to say a masterpiece if I - I mean Max – wasn’t quite so cynical. g

AT A GLANCE: Max Payne 3 captures the spirit of the original games and adds its own bottle of whiskey to the punch. Bullet Time FTW! Developer: Rockstar Publisher: Rockstar Distributor: Megarom

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

18+ gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

only kept the beauty of the original slow motion dive, but they’ve enhanced it and added their own sense of dynamic interaction. Depending on how comfortable you are with the controls, you can choose not only between an Easy, Normal and Hard mode, but you can also customise the shooting style. Want to have more control? Choose a completely manual aim and shoot. Want to have just a little bit of help without going completely noob? Easy enough, use a slightly automated assist that will lock on to your target but will allow you to select which body part you want to incapacitate. Such as their head. Which explodes quite convincingly in slow motion I might add. The fighting is smooth, the motion capture mostly

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

88 61

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier

Tactical Advantage High tech wins the war…

ersonally, I like feeling like an invincible superhero when I play games. Sure, just about everyone hates it when their in-game persona gets plugged by an unforeseen headshot, but it’s not just not dying that thrills me. I like feeling like a super-soldier, like a gung-ho love child of Rambo and Conan the Barbarian, charging through levels and laying waste to hordes of hapless, near retarded enemies. Maybe it’s because I am a control freak. Maybe it’s because I don’t like losing, ever, at anything. Whatever the case may be, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier affords me that awesome feeling, while still requiring a sensible approach. And that’s even better than mad run-and-gunning… Future Soldier displays the idea that better equipment makes for a better soldier perfectly. Set twenty years in the future, this game puts the player in the role of a

by Walt Pretorius Spec Ops soldier, a member of a four man team sent in to do all kinds of dirty, deniable jobs for the powers that be. From African semi-desert to Baltic snow-scapes, the game tours the world, consistently giving the player a thrilling combat experience. As a member of this particular crew, the player has access to extremely high technology, which gives a definite edge over the enemy. When the player can see heat signatures, track enemies through walls and rely on optical camouflage, there’s little that an AK-toting bozo with cool shades can do to stop them. The tech is a big thing in the game, almost a central theme. The player will be able to take advantage of various kinds of technology that not only give an edge, but give the player – at times – the ability to dominate the enemy is every possible way. Thanks to the high level mil-tech on hand, the four team members can take on small armies,

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and they often do through the game’s single player campaign. Veterans of the Ghost Recon series will notice, though, that the game dynamic has shifted from a strategic one to a more cinematic one. This game is more accessible, because it allows the player quite a lot of leeway when it comes to approaching missions. And that high tech makes you almost unstoppable. Most of the levels are pretty linear. Allowing the player a limited amount of freedom within restricted level areas. There are even parts that are on-the-rails, like escorting VIPs through danger zones. While this may sound a little lame, the fact is that these sections provide some of the more thrilling sequences in the title, near set-pieces that get the pulse pounding. In short, it is a game that takes a lot of the tactical responsibility away from the player,

gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

giving them the gift of being a bad-ass instead. Not that there isn’t a tactical element to the game. The tech is, in some ways, fallible. The optical camouflage, for example, might render the character near invisible, but it only works when the player is crouching or moving stealthily. The in-game excuse is that this is because the technology is still in prototype phases. The reason, though, is so that the player cannot charge around like some Predator clone, killing enemies who cannot see him at all. And even though the camo might need to be handled sensibly, there are other things that tip the scales in the player’s favour more often than not. Deployable sensors will sniff out enemies, for example, and the player can rely on a variety of vision modes to gain the upper hand. Some of these items are limited in terms of the amount that the player can carry, but restocking crates are generously

supplied throughout the levels, so the player will never have to worry about wastage. The player’s team mates are beer-swilling, toughtalking, car-loving, metal-listening tough guys, right out of a clichéd war movie. In fact, the clichés abound here, at least in terms of plot. But that still doesn’t ruin the experience, which is compellingly exciting from start to finish. The team mates are also smart enough to not need micromanagement. They will ape the player’s activities for the most part – moving when he moves, crouching when he crouches, and so on. They deliver a fair amount of support in a fire fight, too, managing to stave off enemies without stealing the player’s thunder. Also, the player can use them to do funky things, like getting them to

simultaneously pop tagged enemies. There is a downside to the high tech gear and smart team AI, though – the game just feels a little too easy. Sure, it is a more cinematic experience, designed to feel more like an action movie than a tactical game, but the player’s ability to dominate enemies so totally does minimise the challenge of the game. The gun-smith section of the game, accessible before each mission, allows the player to fully customise weapons. This is a boon to the game, particularly if you’re a gun nut. As new guns and parts get unlocked, the player can even go retry missions with different configurations, adding a good degree of longevity to the title. Multiplayer carries quite a strong emphasis in this title, but the multiplayer modes aren’t too much to write home

gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

action is a good mix of stealthy take-downs and all-out gun-battles, with each mission providing the player with a fresh experience. The game avoids repetition beautifully, and gives the player just enough control, without the burden of brain-straining responsibility. It is a wonderfully entertaining, massively exciting military shooter that leaves behind boggy dynamics in favour of a more fluid, faster-paced approach. It is, despite its lack of a whole lot of tactical depth, a very fine military shooter, and one that gets a solid recommendation for those who want a lot of action that, while not mindless, is not overly taxing in terms of nitty-gritty planning. In short, it is a breath of fresh air in the genre, and most certainly for the Ghost Recon franchise. And it’s well worth playing, because it is extremely satisfying to be a bad-ass Future Soldier… even if you don’t get to plan all the details. g

AT A GLANCE:

PS3

Although not tactically deep, this game is still a fun military shooter.

PC X360

Developer: Ubisoft Publisher: Ubisoft Distributor: Megarom

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

18+ gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

about. There is an obligatory Horde mode (called Survival mode), as well as a few competitive modes. The four modes have variations, but they aren’t so fresh as to stand out above the crowd. Still, they’re enjoyable, and the implementation of the high-end tech makes playing with friends a lot of fun. I have mentioned the lower focus on tactical game play a few times in the review, but it does bear mentioning that this isn’t really that much of a weak point in the title. While those that want to plan every step of an operation may find the game lacking, the truth is that Ubisoft managed to keep a very high degree of entertainment going through Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. And that’swhat gaming is really about, now, isn’t it? Having fun. There’s tons of it to be had here, that’s for sure. The

Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

88 65

MUD: FIM Motocross World Championships

Mud-slinging… How about less name and more game?

ith so few choices of Moto-X games available, and very few of those with official championship races, real riders and fully licensed bikes, thre seems to be a huge gap in the market. When MUD was announced, all of those exhaust-pipe dreams became a reality… we could look forward to actually riding a Honda or KTM or whatever and legally be able to say it because it’s featured in the title. MUD FIM Motocross World Championship, the career mode, has the player selecting a character to ride with (can’t wait to select a real life rider). The player is able to increase their skill levels through different events, too. The characters are the stars of MUD world tour, in which the player can manage up to four riders and mould their skills and talents to specific events for their team. But I have never heard of any of these riders… Now to the bikes. Can’t select your bike. Oh, well, on to the race.

by Dylan Bouch

What does that sound like, is it a weed-whacker or a bike? Is this the right game? One of the first disappointments is that the bike (not that you can select or even see any of them before a race) doesn’t sound like a bike at all. We should be able to tell the difference between the bikes just by their sound. This title has the motorbikes sounding similar to household power tools and garden equipment that blare at the same flat tone all the time. During a race or event, after turning all volume down, except for the bike, the player will still be able to hear the crowd clapping and the announcers commentary over the engine… another let down. If you decide on turning the music up, get ready for pimple punk or teenage thrash – most of the tunes are as bad as the bikes, but there are surprising songs that are actually good. Sound effects include the clapping crowd and announcer, with a dropping tool box noises for the suspension, which also can’t be

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there will only be one analog stick which is the bike and the rider… well, really only the bike. Bumpy terrain feels as if you skipping across the water like a stone, and the camera views follow the bike which can lead to motion sickness. The game doesn’t offer the same sharp turning and braking that players get in other titles. The player, during a race, can scrub or whip and, if performed perfectly, it magically boost the players speed. Using brakes is un-necessary for most of the game. Even with the MX1 and MX2 championships, 12 tracks from real venues and arena’s – it just doesn’t matter. The bike physics feel like an arcade game. If they boasted less about the real riders, the licensed bikes and championship races and concentrated more on the actual reason why they made this game, for players to ride realistic feeling licensed bikes around real tracks, we could of had something better. g

AT A GLANCE: If it came down to what was on paper, this game would be great. Developer: Milestone Publisher: Black Bean Distributor: Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

16+ gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

turned off. Now that you can’t select a real rider and the bikes sound like hairdryers, do they look real, at least? The parts of the bike that you do see do look quite authentic, but they also do in the MX franchise, just without the price tag name. The MX titles also have licensed gear (boots, helmets, goggles, etc.) which the player can edit and change at any time. The menus are really cool looking with a comic book feel to them, and the in game graphics are up to today’s standards regarding background skylines and spectators. The riders on the bikes don’t look as great and don’t move realistically at all. Stiff marshmallows could describe the riding style. Now the all important part of the game; the bike and how they handle, and how would the player handle the bike? We are use to the dual analog sticks, one for the bike and one for the rider’s body weight, which works really well. In MUD

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

45 67

Fable Heroes

Storm the Castle The puppets are in town

ide-scrolling games were the flavour of the day for many years. In the days when heavy computing power meant having the ability to display a video game in colour without lagging, side-scrollers provided for hours of fun. But the times and technology have moved on drastically from playing games from left-to-right and only having a two-dimensional view of the playing field. So when game developer Lionhead announced Fable Heroes, it was a bit surprising to see a developer actively pursuing to release a side-scroller – but this one has a bit of a twist. Lionhead decided to do something different in terms of side-scrollers, and the little hack-and-slash proves that the age-old gaming technique can be a lot of fun. Granted, when played for prolonged periods of time, the title will start to become a bit boring. But that is the nature of Xbox Live games – they are never meant to be played for hours on end, and more

by Charlie Fripp often than not provide gamers with a quick fix in an easyto-play environment. Fable Heroes gives the player just that – a short and sharp adventure that will kill a couple of hours while still being a fulfilling title. The adventure game takes place in the Fable universe, and for those who have completed the proper Fable games, settings such as Bowerstone and the forests will provide for familiar territory. The title features a number of puppet characters, which kind of look like the character from LittleBigPlanet (but naturally with a Fable flavour), and gamers will get the opportunity to control one character at a time. The best character by far to play with is the one simply called Hero, as he has the best weapon and powers. The player will set off into the side-scrolling world with the help of three other puppets, which players will be able to select from the start menu. Other puppets are unlocked through a system of dice-throwing on a Monopoly-type board. Not only does the board provide for the purchase of

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up Power-Up which are scattered around the levels in wooden crates. The temporary Power-Ups provide things like the hero being larger, moving quicker or entering a phase of cloaked stealth. While using them is great, they are randomly generated and some don’t exactly work in the player’s favour. When an enemy is hit and killed, the will drop a number of coins, which the player will use to buy the upgrades and new puppets from the board. It’s very easy for a player to gather in excess of 10 000 coins per level, making it easier to purchase the upgrades. The title also has a multiplayer aspect built into it, where up to four players can take control of a puppet and complete the levels together. It functions in exactly the same way as what the single player does, just with human gamers controlling the other three characters. Fable Heroes is an incredibly fun title to play, and while it can become a bit tedious after long sessions, it’s great for players who just want to unwind.

AT A GLANCE: Taking on the Fable franchise, the little puppet heroes are a lot of fun Developer: Lionhead Studios Publisher: Microsoft Distributor: XBLA

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

3+ gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

other puppets, who all have different skills, strengths and weaknesses, but weapon upgrades, skills and moves can also be bought. The system is a bit of a chance-game when throwing the dice, but it keeps things interesting and prevents the player from levelling up their character too quickly. In terms of game play, players are expected to progress through the levels by literally killing all the enemies. The levels are divided into sections, and gamers won’t be able to pass the checkpoint if they haven’t killed all the bad guys first. But with that said, it’s not incredibly difficult to pass through them all. The combat is fairly simple in the fact that it’s a traditional hack-and-slash. Stopping short of being a button basher, players can complete the level, and the sections, by just running around and hitting anything that moves. It’s doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out, but that is what makes the game so much fun. Gamers will also get the occasional opportunity to pick

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

84 69

Pandora’s Tower

Lift the Curse

Save Elena, and solve the mystery of the beastly curse

by Suvesh Arumugam

’m not usually a fan of Role Playing Games - just putting this out there. I find the stories long and difficult to follow (thought admittedly I have the attention span of a goldfish). I usually find the game interfaces annoying, especially bird’s eye view, and I particularly despise turn based combat. My editor tricked me into reviewing this game (calling it an actionadventure), and I only realised this half way through the review. Luckily, I was already well into the game and enjoying the challenge. You are Aeron, a soldier of the Kingdom of Elyria, which has just seen the end of a unification war between 10 kingdoms, and is now in the throes of a new war for independence. Mysterious monsters attack a temple maiden named Elena during a Harvest celebration, and she is cursed to transform into hideous beast. Aeron rescues her, and they retreat to the mountains, where

they are aided by a merchant named Mavda. To lift Elena’s curse, Aeron must defeat 13 monsters (one in each of the Towers of Scar). The Towers are connected by twelve enormous chains, which span the Scar (a massive chasm) and stop it from engulfing the world. Aeron is given the Oraclos Chain (not unlike Kratos’ chain weapon in the God of War series). The Chain is not only a nifty weapon in combat; it extracts Beast Flesh from enemies (which helps stay Elena’s final transformation), and must also be used to defeat Bosses to extract Master Flesh to cure his ailing friend. The story develops to give clues about the war that preceded the game, and the mystery behind the curse. But for the most part you are left to explore the towers and battle away until you reach the boss of each tower. In between missions, you trade with Mavda, who buys collected items and sells health, armour and weapon upgrades (bought with collected coins). You can also

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and motion attacks. Using the A button launches sword attacks, while using WiiMote itself aims the chains. Chains can bind your opponent while you melee them, but are also critical to solving some of the puzzles to activate machines and access locked areas of the towers. The maps are interesting to explore, and don’t require endless re-visits to rooms when items are unlocked. The fights are fluid, though I felt the moves were somewhat limited - you can’t jump and the dash-evade move is not great. The story is simple and interesting, but I could have skipped a few of the conversations and cutscenes. I was very disappointed with the Wii graphics on a full HD screen. But I liked the action, and it was very light on the RPG format. It might not please hard-core Final Fantasy lovers, but actions gamers who want a bit more detail and control will probably enjoy this one. g

AT A GLANCE: Action, adventure, puzzles and intrigue are all the elements that make Pandora’s Tower an enjoyable RPG. Developer: Ganbarion Publisher: Nintendo Distributor: Core Group

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

12+ gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Wii Platforms

create items by combining materials like metals, plants and mystical items. So be careful what you sell and what you keep. Aeron is also limited in the amount of items he can carry, so be sure to store inventory for use later. The most important aspect of this part of the game is interacting with Elena. Aside from chatting to her about her health, you can also give her gifts, which can either make her happy or slow down her change. This will determine which one of the six possible endings you’ll end up with. I enjoyed this game (despite it being an RPG), mostly because combat is not turn based. I’m still not entirely sure why this style of combat still exists, and it’s most likely a throwback to the days of dice and cards this genre evolved from (when your parents still believed that Dungeons & Dragons was evil). At first I battled to get to grips with the controls, because unlike other motion sensitive games, it combines both button attacks

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

75 71

Bejeweled 3

Everywhere!

The classic puzzler comes to HD consoles (and everything else)

and that’s what makes the game so fresh, and adds a massive amount of longevity to this thoroughly addictive, yet simple, title. So does Bejeweled 3 belong on a current-gen HD console? Sure, why not? To say otherwise would be elitist in principle, but playing the game soon demonstrates that, while it may not use anywhere near all of the Xb0x 360’s power, it is a gratifying and fun experience that will appeal to the casual and hard-core gamer alike (although the latter will probably never admit to that.) The game also features three bonus games (sort of like teasers) from the PopCap stable, including Zuma. However, these pale in comparison to the main product. In short, EA’s move was pretty clever here, and Bejeweled 3 spreads the franchise’s influence even further. But it’s not an exploitation, because this title really is fun and fresh, without losing the original appeal. g

AT A GLANCE: While it might seem to be a strange platform for it, Bejeweled 3 on the Xbox 360 is great, addictive fun. Developer: PopCap Publisher: Electronic Arts Distributor: EA South Africa

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

3+ 72

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

hen EA bought PopCap, it pretty much became inevitable: the big studio would take the successes of the once-small developer and spread them everywhere. And so it is no small surprise that the latest version of Bejeweled, the game that played a large part in the success of PopCap, would be available on more than just mobile phones and tablets. In fact, it’s pretty much everywhere. If you own just one gaming device, chances are you’ll find a version of Bejeweled 3 for it. The game sticks to its root – the classic style of match three puzzling – but manages to deliver a surprisingly fresh take on the genre. There are numerous unlockable game modes to challenge the player, all of which use the original ideas of the game as a basis. So whether you’re playing Butterfly mode or Poker mode, you still approach the core of the experience in the same way. It’s the peripheral strategy that needs modification in these various modes,

by Walt Pretorius

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

c ompe t i t io n • c omp eti ti o n • com pe tit ion • com pe t ition • com pe t it ion

THE RACE IS ON!

WIN

a DiRT: Showdown Hamper Courtesy of Megarom and Codemasters TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com. Tell us which format you would prefer the game on (PS3 or Xbox 360) Tell us the name of the game’s publisher. Insert ‘Showdown competition’ in the mail’s subject line. Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page Competition closes 30 June 2012. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC, Codemasters and Megarom Interactive. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Games may be ‘white label’ products. Hampers may not include a copy of the game. The judges’ decision is final.

Sniper Elite V2

Death From Above Gratuitous gore and gunplay at your fingertips

n a year of sequels and remakes, Rebellion Developments has decided to jump on the band wagon and join the fray with a reboot of their Sniper Elite, originally released in 2005. The first title was well received, being noted for its slow and methodical pace and accurately replicated sniper mechanics. So the question is then, has Sniper Elite V2 done enough to justify a relaunch, or is it merely riding the coattails of a year hopped up on reboot fever? Once again you step into the role of Karl Fairburne, an American OSS operative in Berlin during the final days of World War 2, tasked with either capturing or killing the German scientists involved with the V2 ballistic missile project. Double entendres aside, Sniper Elite V2’s plot could have provided an excellent spy story, but unfortunately degenerates slightly into merely an excuse to turn Nazis and Reds into leaking bloodbags.

by Lein Baart

But turning people into bloodbags is so much fun. Like the original, Sniper Elite V2 features realistic mechanics when it comes to sniping. Distance, and the resulting bullet drop, as well as wind have to be accounted for, as does your heart rate, which can be regulated by means of a “focus breathing” button. Flip the switch, and provided your heart rate is low enough time will slow, allowing you time to land that perfect shot as the hapless grunt sprints across the ground. Provided you get a headshot or hit a vital organ, and testicles apparently count as vital, you’ll instantly drop into a bullet cam, as you watch your bullet spinning and distorting the air around it as it hurtles towards your soon to be dead foe. Watching the bullet plunge into a head and explode out in a spray of blood is satisfying enough, but the real draw card, what will keep you coming back again and again, is the hope of an X-Ray kill. Similar to Mortal Kombat, the body will show an anatomical cutaway, with bones shattering

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shows its dumb side, as when you’re spotted, frequently the A.I. somehow fails to register that its mates are spraying machine gun fire, and only reacts once you actually make a noise. The levels themselves are well designed, if somewhat linear. Often I wished that I could try a different path, but SEV2 would have none of it. It never puts you in an impossible situation though, and with aid of various booby traps such as trip wires and landmines, you’re not likely to find yourself ever really backed up into a corner. While this is not the prettiest title ever made, with the exception of the character models which look fantastic, SEV2 really brings to life a war torn and decimated Germany. Accompanied by a good sound track, you’re constantly kept on edge as you creep around the level, and the ambient noises, some of which can mask the crack of your rifle, are excellent. g

AT A GLANCE: While not a brilliant game, its main elements are fantastically implemented. Be warned though, this is not a title for action junkies Developer: Rebellion Developments Publisher: 505 Games Distributor: Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

16+ gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PS3 Platforms

and tissue turning to red slush as your bullet carves a new orifice. It’s gruesome, but immensely gratifying, and no matter how many X-Ray kills your rack up, it never gets old. While you’ll spend the majority of the time in the firstperson perspective, looking down your scope, the rest of SEV2 plays out as a third-person shooter. That doesn’t mean, however, that you’ll be a super-soldier, as you’re a fragile killer at best, and a couple of shots are all that are required to force a reload. Instead, perhaps befitting the theme of the game, there’s a heavy emphasis on stealth and careful manoeuvring, meaning that SEV2 is as slow and methodical as the original. The A.I. is extremely sensitive to sound, from you at least, and running around a level is as good as signing your death warrant. Rather, stealth kills and silenced pistol shots are the order of the day, until you reach a suitable vantage point that will allow you to rain death from above. It’s during these parts that the A.I.

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

77 75

Resistance: Burning Skies

A Little War

Small screen shooting has arrived…

few years ago – not too many, mind you – people scoffed at the idea that one could play a firstperson shooter title on a console. But with the advent of HD consoles, FPS titles have really come into their own on these platforms. It really is a question of having the right tool for the right job. And the PS Vita seems to be the right tool for bringing the job of playing FPS games on a hand-held platform. Once again, previous hand-helds did not offer the functionality needed to effectively recreate a game that resembled an FPS, but the Vita is more than just a run-of-the-mill handheld. It allows for many more control options, thanks to elements like touch sensitive areas and gyroscopes. As such, it opens up many doors for developers, particularly those who implement the control ideas creatively. Nihilistic’s Resistance: Burning Skies is the first FPS game for the Vita (which really is fitting, seeing as how the

by Walt Pretorius

Resistance franchise started with a PS3 launch title.) It is the second ‘serious’ combat game for the Sony device, with Unit 13 having beaten it to the punch. In this new instalment of the Resistance franchise, the player assumes the role of Tom Riley, a fireman working on the US East Coast. His day pretty much gets ruined when the initial wave of Chimera invaders show up, and he has to evolve from fire-fighter to alien-fighter in short order, all the while trying to find his family. While setting the game at the beginning of the Chimera invasion is a nice idea, the overall plot is pretty standard Resistance fare; personal sacrifice in the face of a horrific onslaught, and all that. We have seen the story a few times before. The novelty of the game comes from the platform, though. Using the Vita as the basis for this title, Nihilistic have managed to create a game that really is rather unique, for

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modifications; the player gets to use multiple weapons, of course, including old favourites like the Bullseye and Auger, along with some new guns. Using a weird tech, the player can apply two modifications to a weapon at a time, provided they have unlocked the tech using weird blue cubes. This adds a fast-paced strategic element to the game, as well as making the weapons far more versatile. Graphically, the game looks good, although the looks aren’t up there with titles like Uncharted: Golden Abyss. We did expect a little more, to be honest, but we weren’t disappointed. The sound, though, leaves a lot to be desired here and there. Burning Skies even offers a multiplayer option, which is fun, but a little forgettable. On the whole, this title is a good step in the right direction. It goes to show that with the right kind of approach, anything is possible. g

AT A GLANCE: As the first FPS title for the PS Vita, this title is a step in the right direction… Developer: Nihilistic Publisher: SCEE Distributor: Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

16+ gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PSV Platforms

the Vita, for the franchise and for the genre. And they have kept the hand-held’s strengths and weaknesses in mind in developing the title. Key to the title actually working are the dual analogue sticks, which function exactly like one would expect. Their small movement range does seem a little tricky at first, but once you get into it, they’re just fine. Also key is the touch screen, which has been implemented quite cleverly. The player will be able to tag enemies, open doors and use special weapons using the screen. It does necessitate moving your thumbs off of the sticks every now and then, but this is made up for by a slightly slower, less frantic pace in the game. In short, it actually works well. It’s not perfect, but it is a great start to FPS playing on the Vita. While Burning Skies does display a few issues, none of them are deal-breakers. Overall, the experience is really rather enjoyable. This is made more so by an interesting take on weapon

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

80 77

Starhawk

Space Spaghetti A new west with old ideas…

rogress is a funny thing. What was revolutionary yesterday is standard today, and as the march of time continues ever onwards we forget how it was we ever got by without the improvements of yesteryear. Take, for instance, tactical cover systems. After Gears of War, it became practically standard for third-person shooters, and is now seen in almost every modern game to be released. In this, as in many other things, Starhawk is rather… old school, or at the least draws inspiration from older titles. A sci-fi western third-person shooter, Starhawk has you play Emmett Graves, a gunslinger and mercenary in the distant future who specialises in aiding miners on fringe worlds in meeting their Union quotas of Rift Energy. The trouble is that Rift Energy has the propensity to turn men into mindless, dayglo savages called Outcasts that seek only to protect this precious resource. After receiving a desperate plea from his former town, Emmett, himself infected by Rift Energy, is

by Lein Baart forced to travel to the village he hoped to forget in order to save its suffering mining operation. So in he comes, with a suitably gruff voice and attitude, to help clean up the mess. To be honest, Starhawk’s plot is cheesy nonsense, filled with holes and sentimental clichés. It unfolds through various missions interspersed with intermittent cutscenes that seem greatly reminiscent of Mirror’s Edge. The setting seems to be an adapted Borderlands, though Starhawk does a commendable job in bringing to life a frontier western colony, replete with futuristic rednecks and their pidgin English. Combat though is where Starhawk does a much better job. It’s fast-paced and frantic, with every mission seeing hails of bullets come your way as you fight off the hordes of the Outcasts under the leadership of the infamous Outlaw. Emmett has access to a range of vehicles, though the best are the Hawks, mechs that can transform into jets, and there is a decent variety of missions on offer,

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run and gun at anything they see, multiplayer has up to 32 players all calling down fortifications and vehicles, changing the battlefield from moment to moment. It’s chaos laced with strategy, as at any point Hawks zoom about in frenetic air battles, while laser turrets and walls drop from the sky. Traditional strategies become useless in modes such as capture the flag, and no base is impenetrable to a concerted assault. It’s one of the most original online experiences the PS3 has ever seen, and will likely keep Starhawk going for a number of years to come. Considering that Starhawk is the spiritual successor to Warhawk, which was exclusively multiplayer, it’s an impressive achievement that there is a singleplayer campaign at all. It is truly a shame though that so little thought was put into it, as there was potential for a decent, if not great, story. Ultimately, if you have the internet for it, you should definitely do yourself a favour and get yourself a copy, as the multiplayer alone is well worth the money. Otherwise, think twice before you buy. g

AT A GLANCE:

PS3

Despite a weak campaign, if you can go online, this game is definitely worth it.

PC X360

Developer: LightBox Interactive Publisher: SCEE Distributor: Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

16+ gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

from ground-based defence and offence to aerial combat both on the planet and in space. Starhawk’s ace in the hole though is it’s “Build ‘n Battle” system, which allows Emmett to call down various buildings from his partner’s orbiting ship. Walls, turrets, armouries and vehicle depots. as well as other equipment, are all on offer, though each level tailors the options to match Emmett’s objectives. Similar in concept to Giants: Citizen Kabuto, the system allows you to set up defences on the fly, provided you have enough energy, but it’s substantially quicker and more versatile than its inspiration. And there are no damn Smarties to feed. Ultimately Starhawk’s singleplayer is a disappointing experience, as it feels like one long training level for the real game, multiplayer. There’s the almost inevitable coop Horde mode, where you fend off increasingly tougher waves of enemies, but the 32 player online battles are, simply put, staggeringly awesome. Where the campaign features a predictable flood of enemies, who mindlessly

Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

74 79

Sorcery

Magic + Potions + Battles = Fun

Save the world from eternal darkness by mastering magic

by Suvesh Arumugam

’ll admit that I was sceptical when I was asked to review Sorcery. I had already had some idea of what it was going to be like from the previews and hype from E3 2010. It was announced as a second generation Move title, which doesn’t really say much since the Move itself has basically stayed the same since it’s launch. So far, Move games I have reviewed have been fun, but more aimed at kids and family groups. While some of these are fun to play for a while, they eventually get a little tedious for serious gamers. Having just played a great selection of fantasy action games (including Diablo 3), I was a bit wary of having my fun diluted by an overly childish title, but I’m happy to say I was very pleasantly surprised by this original, well thought-out, fun and ultimately challenging game. Sorcery is the story of a young lad named Finn, who is an apprentice (more like a squire) to a powerful sorcerer.

He is left all alone (except for a talking cat named Erline) to explore the wizard’s secrets while he is away. Starting with discovering a magic wand, Finn embarks on a fun adventure discovering magic spells, brewing all sorts of elixir’s and potions, solving puzzles and battling all manner of magical creatures. Starting from an inexperienced wizardling, you get to build up Finn’s abilities, creating more powerful spells and potions and eventually even combining spells to creating devastating attacks. Finn must now travel the Faerie Kingdoms to battle the Night Queen, who threatens to cover the world in eternal darkness. If you’re thinking this all sounds very Celtic, it’s because the story is loosely based on Irish Mythology. From the outset, I was impressed and engaged with the setup. From a 3rd person view, you wield your Move controller as Finn’s wand, while your Navigation control controls direction and movement. Movement is somewhat

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slash. But the gameplay itself is fairly straightforward and translates perfectly onto the Move controllers. Just so you know that this is an objective review, I’ll be honest about two things which really irritated me about Sorcery, and really dropped it a few notches below Awesome. Firstly (and most importantly), I found the perspective very annoying. Essentially, this is the ability to look where you want to, instead of the game deciding where you should be facing based on your movements. This makes aiming very difficult, and sudden changes in direction mean that you may no longer be facing your attackers. This is definitely something they could have improved in the game, since there are not that many controls. The second aspect, which is less annoying (but still bugged me), was the storyboard video sequences. I understand that animating video sequences is expensive and time consuming, but I feel very uninspired watching comic style panels with voice-overs. Maybe that’s just me. g

AT A GLANCE: Fun, imaginative, challenging, and all round entertainment for most ages. Developer: The Workshop Publisher: SCEE Distributor: Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

12+ gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PS3 Platforms

limited, with one simple dive and roll command. Other actions like jumping and climbing can only be performed in context (where the is a ledge or ladder). Otherwise the Move control allows to you to perform and aim spells at your opponents. I particularly love the curved attacks (a bit like the curving bullets in the movie Wanted) that can be used to hit enemies hiding behind objects. You start out with a simple transformation spell, which is also an attack spell against enemies. Once you’ve mastered more advanced magic, you’ll be able to raise storms, conjure fire, and even transform into different creatures. Along the way you pick up elixirs and potions, which restore health or boost abilities. Destroying objects like pots and statues can also reward you with gold, which Finn can use to buy the more unusual ingredients required for more advanced spells. The battles are fast and challenging, and require a little thought and strategy, so it’s not straight hack and

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

81 81

Minecraft

Crafting Build stuff

inecraft. What can be said about one of the popular pixelated games to hit the Xbox Live Arcade? Well, it turns out an awful lot. The game was originally released for the PC in 2010, and shook the way gamers perceived a brilliant title. The game has sold millions since its release, and with the port now available on Xbox, it popularity is due to skyrocket. For those who have been living under a cube… uh, rock, Minecraft is sandbox-building, independent video game developed by Mojang. The premise of the title is simple, but the possibilities are endless. The game takes on the form of an almost 8-bit title where players use the environment to build all sorts of objects. While the title is in 3D, the entire world (with the character included), is portrayed as being 2D, in the old style of heavy pixelated videogames from years gone by. Nothing is in high detail, and the graphics aren’t even in HD… so what makes it so successful?

by Charlie Fripp Minecraft possesses the ability to keep gamers going for hours on end, with no real goal. It’s one of those titles in which players can wander around and explore the world, with no agenda. But there are certain dangers that come with walking aimlessly around… Ok, it’s more than just walking around. From the start, gamers are shown the basics through a short tutorial, and are then left to their own devices. Players will have to use the environment to build a house before the sun sets. When that happens, monsters roam the county and only have bad intentions for the player. Anything in the world is usable as building blocks to create different object – cutting down a tree produces wood, which can be used to fuel a fire or create a wooden axe. A wooden axe will chop down trees faster (producing more wood), which in turn can be crafted into windows or doors. Many elements exist in the wold, such as wood, cobblestone, sand, rock, dirt, grass, water, ice and even

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Players will be able to work together to harvest more resources and build objects even faster, tackle more monsters and explore the giant world together. The nice thing about it as well is that when the host saves the game, the other player can return to the game when they connect again. From the offset, Minecraft doesn’t look like it is very exciting or will provide any stimulation, but once gamers enter the strange world, it becomes very addictive in the sense that there is just so much to see, do, explore and craft. While the graphics are difficult to compare with what is out there today, the soothing sounds of the background music create a brilliant ambience when slapping a home together. The controls could be a bit strange at first, but after a short time they will seem like second nature. Minecraft is highly-addictive, engrossingly fun and will definitely provide for hours of world-building fun. g

AT A GLANCE: Strangely addictive, the title provides for hours of building Developer: Mojang Publisher: Microsoft Distributor: XBLA

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

3+ gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

lava. All of those can be crafted in some form, or combined with another to create different objects. Sheep will produce wool, which can be crafted to make bedding or decorations, while cows will provide leather for armour. All objects or created elements can be placed around the world on any surface, such as windows and doors can be placed on sand, dirt or stone. The beauty of the title is also that the world is randomly generated, so no two players will experience the same level layout or elements. With players having the ability to harvest anything and use it to build whatever their imagination can conjure up, a number of players have created elaborate worlds resembling their real-life counterparts. Some players have also built copies of Saruman’s tower from Lord Of The Rings. But as the old saying goes, many hands make lighter work, and the same is applicable to Minecraft. Players connected to Xbox Live will have the option to start an online game, which will allow other players to join in.

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

85 83

Angry Birds Space

Gravity

Birds and pigs and physics...

affect the birds’ trajectories, making a more challenging game. Using these gravity variations the player can swing the angry birds around the planets in alternating directions, for different attacks on the space pigs. From the original Angry Birds to Space, the game play has become much harder, but remains just as addictive. One level leads to the next, 5 minutes becomes an hour, stretching the mind’s ability to think in ways it never did in the first title. The new powers of the birds are amusing in their own way and fun to use. Expect much more of a tense, exciting, and difficult game with boss fights, gravity, and hours of play that anyone will enjoy. g

AT A GLANCE: This is the perfect follow up from Angry Birds Developer: Rovio Publisher: Focus Multimedia Distributor: Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

3+ 84

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PC Platforms

ngry Birds has the player, launching various birds with different abilities at pigs protected by structures. Using the birds different abilities players are challenged not just to take out the pigs and the structures around them, but to get the mind blowing success delivered by using just one bird. This strategy puzzle game has addicted millions of users across almost every platform available, including all types of smart phones, and has exploded to new heights... Angry Birds Space Up in space there is no gravity, and you can use this to your advantage, along with new birds with new powers. On some levels, gravity wells around smaller planets can

by Dylan Bouch

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

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Bloodforge

Crib-Notes… Lazy, lazy, lazy…

BLA is simply heaving with great gaming experiences, and as more and more developers add their wares to Microsoft’s online game purchasing service, the number of games that rise above what might be expected from titles to be found here is increasing. Many games are transcending the ‘normal’ arcade download type of title, and are becoming more like slightly shorter versions of full retail products. That’s great, really, and is something that will doubtlessly help the service become all the more successful. Now and then, though, a game comes along that tries to achieve this, but fails miserably. Bloodforge is such a game. The key word that jumps out at anyone who plays Bloodforge for more than a few seconds is ‘cliché’. We have seen this all before, from the game dynamics through to the plot and the characters. There is nothing truly original here. What makes this worse – because all games have some kind of derivative element to them – is the

by Walt Pretorius fact that Bloodforge fails at improving on anything that it is cloning. In fact, the game manages to take numerous ideas and actually make them worse. Bloodforge, in a nutshell, tells the tale of Crom, a brutish thug with no concept of volume control when speaking who goes out to punish the gods for the death of his family. Now where have we heard that before? Simply changing the setting from Ancient Greece to some weird hybrid Celtic affair doesn’t make the God of War crib any less obvious. The game charges the player with running about and smashing a bunch of enemies in a hack-and-slash third person style that is also taken from numerous sources. But there are a couple of issues here, too, that bring the whole experience down. Crom cannot block, for example, and rather needs to rely on evading. But the evasion is simply too slow. Combat is further hampered by a camera that is nothing short of nasty. It almost feels like it is just another enemy,

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being far too sensitive to being almost completely unresponsive. Bloodforge could have been much more than it is. The game had the potential to take the ideas that it cribbed, and become something really enjoyable. Derivative, but enjoyable. Instead, we are left with a product that feels rushed and lazy all at the same time. The execution of the title is sloppy, and ideas and principles long established in video game design have largely been ignored in this title. Its approach feels heavy handed, even in areas where delicacy should have been applied. This is applicable to the single player and rather bland multiplayer as well. Games like this are thankfully rare on the XBLA service, but the fact that they are there makes one wonder about how the titles are vetted for inclusion. A game like this doesn’t make the service look good, even if it is cheap. g

AT A GLANCE: Not only is this game highly derivative, but it manages to make things worse than they were before. Developer: Climax Publisher: Microsoft Distributor: XBLA

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

18+ gamecca review • issue 36 • June 2012

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

intent on seeing the player fail during the repetitive combat sequences. And when the player is not fighting, the camera abandons the idea of swinging around into the wrong angles and getting stuck on random bits of geometry in favour of a genuine attempt to make the player motion-sick. As it follows the player, it wobbles and sways nauseatingly. In truth, the only thing that stands out in Bloodforge is a unique graphic style. The developers opted for desaturated colours – except for the gouts of blood to be seen everywhere in this very violent game – and complex character models. The complexity is nice, but the models are used too often, leading to visual monotony. The bosses are also wonderfully detailed and unique; they are massive monsters that pose almost too much of a challenge. But all the boss fights come down to a specific formula that doesn’t vary much at all, making the game, once again, even more repetitive. Lastly, the controls – these manage to vary between

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

39 87

Essential Classics

Noctropolis Oh, the agony...

By James Francis

gamecca regular â&#x20AC;˘ issue 36 â&#x20AC;˘ June 2012

GAME INFO. Noctropolis Genre: Adventure Released: 1994 Find it on : Wherever you can Works on: Dosbox gamecca regular • issue 36 • June 2012

arksheer might be wearing a Darth Vader costume. A closer scrutiny of promotional art reveals he’s not, but it’s easy to make the mistake. Especially when you are watching a middle-aged comic-book geek waddle on screen, the unfortunate-but-likely candidate to own such a suit. Both he and Vader have another thing in common: it turns out that black is not all that slimming, not even if you are covered with a massive black cape. It has been seventeen years since Noctropolis was released. Many great adventure games saw the light before and after it. I dug it up because I never played it properly. There was one day in ‘94 when I briefly got my hands on it - and it was hard. Yet it kept sticking to the back of my head and the itch needed to be scratched. Noctropolis arrived at a strange time when screen resolutions were still low, but the visuals became ambitious. Games like Doom 2 and Mortal Kombat were making serious use of 16-bit graphics. So was this adventure yarn - Noctropolis looked good. Almost all of the characters in it used footage of real actors. Nearly all the conversations use voice and video and, if you prevail to the end of the game, you get to watch bloopers from the various recordings. Those were almost worth the anguish of getting through this game and I did it in the right way: at record speed and with a walkthrough. Any other road is simply a map to an aneurysm. Noctropolis was and still is not a good game. It was one of those adventures where a mistake you made hours ago came to bite you. Sometimes you overlooked an object, but it can be as simple as saying the wrong thing in a conversation. If you are lucky, these mistakes cause sudden-death moments so that you know you messed up. But chances are you’ll spend hours trying everything before consulting a walkthrough and discovering you forgot to read a label on a coffin. As was pretty much standard for the time, the acting is awful. The video recordings are sloppily inconsistent - at one point two characters have a conversation: one through video clips and the other through pop-up text boxes. And the story - well, it’s awful. After all that frustration to be presented by a tale so stupid and rushed is criminal. It doesn’t even make sense at points, nor do all the bad guys get their comeuppance. There is also loads of trivial dialogue. I am still not entirely sure what the crux of the plot was - I missed this while skipping conversation with a character that was just talking and talking... There are plenty of other issues as well. Which bring this to the point: why feature Noctropolis? Well, somewhere in its mediocrity is a pretty awesome game world. The locations are rich, the soundtrack is exceptional and I feel a little sad that a better adventure game didn’t explore this city more. If you ignore the plot and use a walkthrough, Noctropolis can shine. At the least you get some bad language and brief, totally gratuitous nudity - two years before Duke came with movie lines and bouncing stripper cleavage. g

MSI R6970 Lightning Graphics Card

Bolting!

A fast and powerful graphics option by Walt Pretorius

raphics cards are not hard to find these days. There are a great many makes out there, although they all rely on only two chipset manufacturers to power their basic architecture – AMD Radeon or Nvidia. In essence, though, a chip is a chip. Whether you are an AMD or Nvidia fan is really up to you (fans of either make will sing praises of their chosen brand, while maligning the other, of course). What is almost more important than the chipset, these days, is who is behind building that chipset into the board that you will put into your PC. And to that end, there are many players, all claiming to make the best brand around. See, while the chipset delivers the core performance of a graphics card, it is the bells and whistles added by manufacturers that make the real difference – these ‘peripheral’ technologies can have a massive effect on the card’s performance. MSI manage to make a very solid graphics card offering, with a wide variety to choose from (we have

three on review in this issue.) They also manage to fall into a price category that is quite reasonable, when cards bearing specific chipsets are compared to others from competing manufacturers. They’re not the cheapest, but they certainly aren’t the most expensive, either. Take, for example, the R6970 Lightning. This card is well priced, for what’s you’re getting, and delivers an exceptionally good performance. With a Radeon 6970 chipset at its core, this monster sports 2GB of GDDR5 memory, which is around double what most other manufacturers put onto their cards. We’ve seen more on MSI cards, but this number certainly is respectable. Even 1GB is respectable. But that added RAM gives the performance of this card quite a boost. With more power comes more heat, of course, but this card has twin fans (using the Twin Frozr III specification) as well as a nickel-plated copper base, 8mm heat pipes and an increased heat dissipation area thanks to high density fins. The fans themselves also have a unique structure, which adds even more cooling power. g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 3 6 • J u n e 2 0 1 2

This all means, of course, that the card is big. Really big. It’s not a mammoth, but it is certainly one of the bigger cards we have seen in a while. Added heat dissipation and military spec components, including solid capacitors, super ferrite chokes and highlyconductive capacitors mean that this particular GPU is great for overclockers. This is supported by the inclusion of MSI’s Power 4 architecture and included Afterburner technology, which allows the user to overclock pretty much on the fly. We have no complaints about this card. Sure, it isn’t cheap by most standards, but the price isn’t unreasonable by comparison, and seeing the performance that this card has to offer is enough to make you eye the piggy-bank and hammer meaningfully. You could do far worse than the smooth frame rates and generally cool operation that this device offers. Even under strain, the temperatures that it generates are far from alarming. If AMD is your flavour and you want a card with a ballsy service delivery, this is a great option. g g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 3 6 • J u n e 2 0 1 2

AT A GLANCE: PROS:

• Excellent performance • Runs cool

CONS:

• A little pricey

Manufacturer: MSI Distributor: Pinnacle Africa Online: www.pinnacle.co.za RRP: R4845

TECH SPECS: • Radeon 6970 chipset • 2GB VRAM • 2 x DVI • 2 x mini Displayport • HDMI out • Twin Frozr III

Score

A little more expensive, but still a great option for Radeon fans.

85 93

MSI Z77A-G45 Motherboard

All-Rounder A motherboard for all seasons…

by Alex Scanlon

erformance motherboards are seeing a blurring of the lines. While, once upon a time, there were almost tangible distinctions between various classes of motherboard – like gaming boards – those lines are quickly becoming less easy to define. Take, for example, MSI’s Z77A-G45 motherboard. It is, at a glance, more of a multipurpose board. But the performance of the device keeps it very viable as a strong gaming board, too. Sure, it is not a focussed gaming board, and there are still focussed gaming boards out there, but someone who wants their PC to do more than run the latest games won’t go wrong with this device. Even those who don’t play games will find merit in this mobo… not least of which will stem from the on-board graphics option, which eliminates the need for a dedicated graphics card, and thereby lessens the system cost considerably. The watchword for this board really is ease of use, combined with solid performance and reliability. The ease of use stems from things like the mouse driven

Click-BIOS II and Control Centre II instant overclocking system (supported by OC Genie II technology), while reliability comes from military class III components(MSI’s usual collection of solid capacitors and super-ferrite chokes among them.) With overclocking having such a strong relation to gaming, there’s no surprise that the Z77A-G45 throws gamers another bone, too. This comes in the form of PCI Express Gen III, which allows for a blazing 32 GB per second transfer speed via a dedicated PCI Express expansion slot on the board. More speed is also squeezed out of its two front and two rear USB3.0 ports, as well as the two included SATA 6 ports (all in addition to the expected USB2.0 and SATA 4 ports, of course.) Ports abound on the board, too; video output is handled by D-Sub, DVI and HDMI ports, while 7.1 audio is provided on-board, too, partnered with THX TruStudio Pro technology. The back of the board is a little shy on USB2.0 ports, with only four rear ports on offer, but the g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 3 6 • J u n e 2 0 1 2

two USB3.0 ports do make up for that. LAN and optical audio ports are also provided, but these are pretty much a standard for any motherboard these days. Quite simply, this is a fine all-rounder. It possibly lacks some of the focus that dedicated motherboards have on offer, but this is hardly noticeable. The military class III components are a nice touch, and the single PCI Express Gen III expansion slot is awesome, provided your graphics card is worth the effort. And it is a board that should last you long after your next upgrade is due, with a claimed life of 12 years under strain, and 40 years under normal load. That all depends on how much overclocking you’re planning to do, of course. The fact that it is an Intel socket 1155 compatible device also adds versatility to an already great all-rounder, with compatibility with a number of processor builds (i3, i5 and i7) meaning that the user can really make this board exactly what they need it to be. And that’s never a bad thing. g g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 3 6 • J u n e 2 0 1 2

AT A GLANCE: PROS:

• Versatile • Good performer • User friendly

CONS:

• Not focussed

Manufacturer: MSI Distributor: Pinnacle Africa Online: www.pinnacle.co.za RRP: R1899

TECH SPECS: • • • • • •

Socket 1155 4 x USB3.0 2 x SATA 6 DVI output HDMI output 1 x PCI Express Gen III

Score

This motherboard will take care of all your PC computing needs beautifully…

85 95

MSI N570GTX Graphics Card

Cooler…

A more affordable Nvidia option by Walt Pretorius

he graphics card market is extremely hot at the moment. Actually, it always has been. And it is dominated, in part, by two major players, in the form of Nvidia and AMD Radeon. But their dominance comes with the help of manufacturers who build their chipsets into the cards themselves. Without these palyers, the end-user would have far fewe choices. Here’s a card for those who prefer their cards to be Nvidia flavoured. Now call me a fence sitter, but I find merit in both manufacturers, with each offering slight variations(like AMD’s Eyefinity and Nvidia’s physics and 3D support). But, if you are going to get picky, and Nvidia is your thing, MSI’s N570GTX is a pretty good way to go. Sure, it lacks the 3GB of RAM and punchier performance of the N590GTX we looked at a while back, but let’s be honest… a 570 chipset and 1.28GBof GDDR5 are nothing to sneeze at these days. The card makes use of MSI’s newish Twin Frozr III technology, which delivers around 40% better cooling

than Twin Frozr II. This is, in part, due to the propeller design used in the twin cooling fans that this baby sports. They deliver around 20% more airflow, thanks to a whole bunch of clever engineering, which means better circulation and, ultimately, cooler operation. The fans can also be set in two modes; Performance, for maximum cooling, and Silence, for a balance between noise and heat. Is the card gets very hot, the fans will kick up a bit more racket, tough… keeping the card from frying is more important than you being able to hear the birds sing outside your window, after all. Further cooling is provided by multiple heat pipes and a high-density heat sink, which effectively increases the area that heat can dissipate from. In addition, the card features a direct contact design, which allows the heat to travel the shortest possible distance when moving away from the processor. The base plate is made of nickel plated copper, which works well in moving the heat away. So, with a performance that is generally cooler than g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 3 6 • J u n e 2 0 1 2

chipset manufacturer reference devices, the N570GTX is primed for overclocking. This is further supported by MSI’s usual use of military class II components, including solid capacitors, super ferrite chokes and highly-conductive capacitors. These are pretty much an MSI standard, but they do make a difference. Overclocking is made easy with the included Afterburner software, which allows for overclocking of the GPU, memory and PLL… all of which add up to a highly improved performance. This isn’t the most powerful card we have seen from MSI, but it does strike an excellent balance between price and performance. It is also a reasonable size, which means better overall airflow in your PC case… never a bad thing. It runs on a mimimum of a 550 watt power supply, which is also pretty good for those who cannot upgrade everything including the kitchen sink. It is a versatile and capable card, when all is said and done, and one that won’t break the bank quite as harshly as other models. A solid option for Nvidia fans… g g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 3 6 • J u n e 2 0 1 2

AT A GLANCE: PROS:

• Good price • Great performance • Runs cool

CONS:

• More VRAM would be nice

TECH SPECS: • • • • •

Nvidia 570 GPU Twin Frozr III 1280MB VRAM 2x DVI Midi HDMI output

Manufacturer: MSI Distributor: Pinnacle Africa Online: www.pinnacle.co.za RRP: R3799

Score

It may not have tons of VRAM, but a 570 GPU is nothing to sneeze at…

82 97

Epson Home Cinema EH-TW9000W Projector

3D!

A big projector, in all senses of the word… by Rob Edwards

o you need a big picture, for whatever reason? Well, a projector is a good choice in those cases, provided your set-up supports a protected display, rather than a more traditional screen display. But what about 3D? Not everyone likes 3D. I must admit, it isn’t my favourite way to view… well, anything, really. I avoid 3D movies, and I seldom play video games or watch Bluray disks in 3D. But there are a lot of people who do, and those that want to make the change to projector viewing don’t have too many choices in that regard. Epson, though, has a solution. We have seen many Epson projectors before, and they are all generally great quality. The Home Cinema EH-TW9000W is no different. It provides the viewer with exceptional image quality… and then takes things further. This projector is capable of 3D. Yep, a 3D projector. In the box you will find, in addition to the huge projector unit (and we mean huge) two pairs of

powered 3D glasses. One would assume that, seeing as how cinemas (and LG screens, thanks to their Cinema 3D technology) don’t need powered glasses that a 3D projector wouldn’t either. Oh, well. They’re not ideal, but they do the job really well, when all is said and done. The projector can become an integral part of a hime entertainment system, as the name implies. This is thanks to a large variety of signal input ports, ranging from HDMI through to component cable and PC inputs. This kind of versatility is priceless, particularly when you consider that this projector makes for a rather steep financial investment. No projector is cheap, but this behemoth is one of the pricier we’ve seen from Epson. The visuals are powered by a 3LCD system, which delivers full HD 1080p images. Image quality is supported by ultra high contrast and DeepBlack technology, delivering better than expected projector visuals. It can also project in daylight, thanks to its 2 400 lm colour output. It can also be used vertically (although we’re not sure why) and two image sources can be g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 3 6 • J u n e 2 0 1 2

viewed simultaneously, thanks to a form of split-screen technology. It even has a 2D to 3D conversion system, is compatible with wide screen and supports numerous 3D sources. In short, it is a very fine projector indeed, no matter if you’re viewing 2D or 3D images. It also has a wider degree of ‘forgiveness’ for varying conditions, and its daylight performance is farbetter than one might expect from a projector. But it has two major downfalls. The first is the price, which is really not something that is unexpected. As said before, projectors are expensive, and this one has a lot more tech built in that the run-of-the-mill device. The other is size. It really is huge and heavy. It is not the kind of projector you’re going to want to transport, because that would simply be a massive pain. Then again, it is not the kind of projector you get hold of with that purpose in mind – this baby is designed to be set up and left there. If you have the cash and the inclination, this is a superb device. g g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 3 6 • J u n e 2 0 1 2

AT A GLANCE: PROS:

• Great image • Versatile • Powerful

CONS:

• Big • Expensive • Powered glasses

Manufacturer: Epson Distributor: Epson Online: www.epson.com RRP: R38 209

TECH SPECS: • 3D • 3 LCD • DeepBlack technology • 2 400 lm • Multiple inputs • Full HD

Score

It’s big and powerful, and the images look great in 2D and 3D…

90 99

MSI R7970 2PMD3GD5 Graphics Card

For Everyone

A graphics card that suits all tasks perfectly… by Walt Pretorius

ost graphics cards have a very distinct gaming focus. It doesn’t matter what chipset they are running – be it AMD Radeon or NVidia. They are there to get the highest frame rates out of modern video games. And there’s nothing wrong with that; the video game market is a mammoth industry, and even if there has been something of a decline in PC based video gaming (overseas, at least, because it is still very strong here in South Africa) there are millions of people playing video games on the PC platform, and upgrading their PCs on a more-or-less regular basis as a result. So the drive for better graphic processor chipsets and the accompanying cards is pretty much constant. But video gamers aren’t the only people who need high-end graphic performance. Many industries and enthusiasts also need the power of a good graphics card. Judging by the packaging, that’s partially where MSI’s R7970 2PMD3GD5 graphics card is aimed. It sports a powerful Radeon 7970 chipset, supported by a very

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generous 3GB of GDDR5 RAM. That’s performance right there, and no gamer would turn their nose up at those basic specifications. However, this card offers a lot more than just gaming performance. The biggest, most obvious difference between this card and the other two we review this month is the fact that it doesn’t make use of MSI’s Twin Frozr III cooling system. Rather than two large fans, this card only has one, which looks more like a turbine than a fan, quite honestly. The casing is also very different – even the packaging is more down-played. And when you flip it over and look at the card’s features on the back of the box, you get even more of the idea that this card is meant for multi-purpose use, as opposed to being focussed on video games. It supports real-time video capture, for example, which is not really something that gamers will be after, necessarily. In addition, it can be controlled wirelessly by Android and iOS devices… we’re guessing that’s to use some of the cards other functions. No gaming application there, really. g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 3 6 • J u n e 2 0 1 2

Whatever the case may be, this is still a very powerful graphics card, no matter what the application may be. Another ‘missing’ component that we’ve grown used to with MSI (at least according t the documentation) is military class components. That said, it does make use of solid capacitors, so the assumption that all the usual bells and whistles are present is probably a safe one. Either way, these capacitors help prolong the device’s life, to a claimed 12 years under strain and 40 years running normally. And, as to be expected, it is overclockable, with a relatively easy tweak to the GPU voltage delivering a lot more power. The overclocking is supported by MSI’s easy-to-use Afterburner software, which makes squeezing a little more juice out of the card a doddle. On the downside – there is always a downside – the card only has one DVI port. Still, it makes use of Eyefinity technology, so there are 2 mini DisplayPorts on board, as well as HDMI output. It is an expensive card, but it does perform all round tasks well. g g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 3 6 • J u n e 2 0 1 2

AT A GLANCE: PROS:

• Powerful • Looks good • Various functions

CONS:

• 1 DVI port • Expensive

Manufacturer: MSI Distributor: Pinnacle Africa Online: www.pinnacle.co.za RRP: R6549

TECH SPECS: • Radeon 7970chipset • 3GB GDDR5 RAM • 2 x mini DisplayPort • HDMI out • 1 x DVI • Real-time video capture

Score

It’s very capable, if a bit expensive, with tons of power on offer…

88 101

Soothing the Payne From Space

by Christo van Gemert

f course it would happen that after I write last month’s column, wherein I moan about the lack of innovation and fun-to-play single player games, I’d end up with a copy of Max Payne 3 the very next day. It’s a game that, having slowly and comfortably made my way about two thirds through it, I can say is exactly what I was hoping for, with last month’s rant. It has innovation: the bullet time and shoot dodge systems were carried over from previous Max Payne games, but tuned up, and given a new slow-mo camera angle that lets you repeatedly shoot your assailants and give their bloodstreams a not-so-legal

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level of lead content. All while looking at the shotgun pellets or hollowpoints hit them in the face. It’s a bit macabre, turning your enemy’s face into a bloody pulp, but it’s a little touch that makes the game satisfying to play. The set pieces, the story, the voice acting – everything is just grand. And there multiplayer also incorporates bullet time. That should bend your mind, because - think about it for a bit - how do they make the action slow down for you while everybody else plays at normal speed? The execution is slightly complex and compromised, but it’s an exercise in game-mechanic engineering that heretofore has gone unexplored. Rockstar’s attempt at it is the

best logical solution, and makes the competitive online play in MP3 something far more appealing than the bland shoot-o-thons we see in Buttholefield 3 or Modern Borefare: Perks and Ponies edition. Thank you Rockstar. Really, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for restoring some of my faith in gaming. All this, and the game went mostly unnoticed because it released on the same day as Diablo 3. Even with Diablo being PC only, while MP3 was console only until the PC version arrived at the end of May, it was still ignored. A few smart people played it, while the rest went on to click skeletons in Diablo 3. And, like me, those lucky folks are all the better for it. g

gamecca column • issue 36 • June 2012