Gamecca Magazine June 2013

I S S U E 4 8 / Vo l . 4 Ju n e 2 0 1 3

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

Metro: Last Light GRiD 2 Star Trek Soul Sacrafice and more...

Kiddie-Noir Investigating with Diggs Nightcrawler

Race Champion It’s all about speed in GRiD 2

The lives and times of the Last of Us...

Darkness Metro: Last Light is here

Free Online Mag

What does cloud computing mean to you?

Stealing identities in social media netwroks

Head in the Clouds Phishy...

R evi ews i ncl udi ng E p son, R a z er , A s u s , S a m s u n g , Be lkin a n d m o r e . . .

Obsession Addictive mobile gaming applications

The Next Angle Samsung’s fresh approach to photography

I S S U E 3 2 / Vo l . 3 June 2013

www.gladgetmag.com

Free Online Mag

Simplicity in information!

www.gladgetmag.com

Inside 6 From the Editor 8 Got Mail Letters from our readers 10 10 on 10 Ten guys who helped us waste time on games...

12 IDoubleDQD The E3 cycle...

14 Love, Devastation and Desperation The Last of Us: a touching tale at the end of mankind 20 Previews Sixteen games hitting the shelves in the coming months 46 The Soapbox DRM woes...

48 Console General Will this work?

50 Reviews Eight games investigated 72 Ramjet’s Rantality Another bandwagon 74 A Year in Games 1996... a great vintage!

76 Hardware More stuff you need in your life 86 From Space A quick run-down of new titles...

THIS MONTH’S COVER Surviving extinction in The Last of Us. See our feature on page 14.

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Competitions 71 Ashes Cricket 2013 73 Razer Mouse & Keyboard Bundle

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Previews Reviews

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Deadpool

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Batman: Arkham Origins

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Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

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Sacred 3

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Animal Crossing: New Leaf

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Le Tour de France 2013 – 100th edition

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Game & Wario

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The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief

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Knights of Pen and Paper +1

36

Madden NFL 25

38

Castle of Illusion

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One Piece : Pirate Warriors 2

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Dragon’s Crown

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MotoGP13

Letters: letters@gameccamag.com

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Armored Core: Verdict Day

Competition Entries: competitions@gameccamag.com

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The Last Crown: Haunting of Hallowed Isle

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Metro: Last Light

56

GRiD 2

60

Star Trek

62

Mars War Logs

64

Soul Sacrifice

66

Fast & Furious: Showdown

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Wonderbook: Diggs Nightcrawler

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Carmageddon

GAMECCA Vol. 3 Issue 48 June 2013

Editor: Walt Pretorius walt@1337-media.com Writers: Alex Scanlon Charlie Fripp Christo van Gemert Iwan Pienaar James Francis Lein Baart Nthato Morakabi Pippa Tshabalala Rob Edwards Sarah Snyman Suvesh Arumugam Walt Pretorius

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

Taking fun seriously!

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

GAMECCA is published by 1337 MEDIA

gamecca48

Copyright © 1337 Media CC 2009 - 2013

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New Stuff...

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From the Editor

ssue 48… yes, this issue marks the end of the fourth year of Gamecca Magazine. Next month will see our fourth birthday issue go live, kicking off the fifth volume. I, for one, am pretty excited about that. I hope you are too.

I have, in the past, mentioned a couple of things that were in the pipeline-future projects and added stuff that we wanted to produce for our readers and fans. In all honesty, they were ear-marked for going live with the release of the fourth birthday issue but – and I admit this openly – I am far too impatient to wait.

So this last month saw two new offerings go live. They’re still in their early stages but I am confident that, with your support, they will grow quickly.

The first project is the launch of the Gamecca Pod Squad. These podcasts are going to be published every Friday (at this time there are already two episodes available) and feature Pippa Tshabalala, Charlie Fripp and

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myself talking about video games and related stuff. Yes, there are many other gaming podcasts out there, but we’re aiming high with Gamecca Pod Squad. Not only will we bring you news and informed opinions, but we will also be recording exclusive interviews with local and international gaming industry insiders… more than a bunch of guys running a podcast in their mom’s basement can do.

Gamecca Pod Squad can be found at gamecca.podbean. com, or via the link on the official Gamecca site (www. gameccamag.com). You can even download apps for Android and iOS devices, and have it delivered directly to you!

The second project is Gamecca Video. As the name implies, these are video reviews (for now) of the latest games. In future, we’re also going to bring video interviews and other interesting titbits of a visual nature. The videos, at the moment, will focus on bigger game releases,

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by Walt Pretorius

although we will do our best to get as many game reviews of this kind out there as we can.

Our video reviews can be seen at www.youtube.com/ gamecca, or you can (once again) follow the link from the official site.

So yes, we have been rather busy over the last while, preparing these two new offerings for you. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoy creating them.

E3 2013 is just moments away, and there will undoubtedly be a blast of gaming goodness coming from the expo. Think of it… not one, but two major consoles at the show, and all the launch titles that go with it. Hopefully both Sony and Microsoft will be shedding more light on their offerings, which will both be available around the end of this year (hopefully here in South Africa at the same time). Whatever the case may be, it is an exciting time - not only for us here at Gamecca Magazine, but in the gaming industry as a whole. g

Got Mail Send us a letter and let us know what’s happening in your head, your games or your community.

Hi David

Quick!

Dear Ed, Quick! Choose! Xbox One or PS4?

Cheers Rudi

Hi Rudi I want both.

Ed Even Flow...

To the Editor, I find the way that game releases aren’t spaced evenly to be very irritating! Why do games companies keep all the good games for the end of the year, and release nothing else in the beginning?

From what I know, people will buy games all the time, not just at Christmas time!

Ed

Letters

Regards, David MacDonald

The video game industry follows a very complicated release pattern that I have only just managed to scratch the surface on understanding.

In truth, the cycle of releases is not only yearly, but also follows a pattern that repeats itself every four or five years.

The Festive Season is when most people spend money buying gifts for others, and so the publishers want to try and take advantage of that boom. This gets more and more intense as the years pass until it reaches fever pitch. At that point, though, many games suffer poorer sales than anticipated, because people get more selective, despite the larger number of games available. Then everything becomes smoother again, with more releases happening earlier in the year.

But the early part of the year also features a build up to E3, when most publishers want to squeeze just a little more exposure out of their titles.

It has been that way for ages - as long as I have been doing this, at least, and that’s a long time! And it doesn’t look likely to change.

Oh, by the way, with two new major platforms coming at the end of this year, it’s oing to be a crazy one again!

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Send your mail to letters@gamecca.co.za.

Letter of the Month writer will win a prize

Sponsored by Apex Interactive.

Letter of the Month What Are They Thinking?

Hi Ed, I have been a gamfor many years, and I have been a PlayStation fan for a long time. But when the Xbox 360 came out I bought one and really enjoyed it. Since then, I have been buying more games for Xbox.

But after reading about the new Xbox One (Xbone) I think I might become a PlayStation gamer again.

It looks like Microsoft don’t want people to play games on the new Xbox! All they talked about was TV and Kinect controls.

But what I am really upset about is that they won’t let people borrow games anymore. I have a lot of games, and I let my friends use them. Sometimes I also try out games from friends before I buy them. What I have read seems to say that I won’t be able to do that any more.

I don’t sell my old games, but it seems like that will also be a problem with the new Xbox One. Is this because of pirates? Does this mean that people who buy games properly are going to get punished because of what pirates are doing?

I also read that Sony has promised that the PlayStation 4 will not have the hectic control systems that will be in the Xbox. I think I might have to change back to PlayStation after many years of enjoying Xbox.

Regards TJ Neethling

Hi TJ, II have also been watching the news about the Xbox One very carefully, and I must say that the things I am seeing worry me too.

While it is understandable that a company will try to protect its property, as well as the property of their third party publishers, I am concerned that Microsoft has become disconnected from what their public want. There are a lot of people out there that will loan games to try them out before buying them - that won’t be able to happen with this new system. Neither, for that matter, will rentals. I think the owner of my local video store is going to be pretty upset when he loses that chunk of business!

Microsoft need to approach the matter of DRM more carefully, I think. Perhaps they were rushing to get an announcement ready, to give Sony a run for their money. Whatever the case may be, it seems that Microsoft have made a few errors in judgement, and they know it.

Panic, at this point, is uncalled for. E3 2013 is just around the corner, and both console makers will be making new and further announcements at the expo. Perhaps we will see Microsoft rethinking their DRM strategy, after all the fuss it has created.

Our Letter of the Month Also, keep in mind that Sony haven’t said writer will be recieiving anything about DRM yet... but that doesn’t mean it won’t be there. a set of Turtle Beach Z1 Basically, we have too little information to headphones, courtesy of make judgements yet. Perhaps we will still be Apex Interactive. pleasantly surprised.

Ed

* Prizes for South African residents only. gamecca48

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G u Things ys

Who have helped us

Waste our time If our parents are right (and we’re not saying that they are) about video games being a waste of time, perhaps we should apportion blame where it is due. The list below is hardly exhaustive, but the ten men covered are certainly responsible for a lot of time that you have wasted on games.

Get your folks to talk to them.

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10 10

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Will Wright

Will Wright is responsible for the most addictive thing since video games started out… the Sims. Yes, it’s all his idea, if you’re looking for someone to blame.... But Mr Wright didn’t start there… in fact, his initial contribution was in the form of Sim City (another piece of gaming crack). When he’s not involved in making things that chew up all of your time, Will does things like race cars, builds robots and collects odd things (like leftovers from the Soviet space programme).

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Peter Molyneux

Another guy that is responsible for colossal amounts of your time being chewed up by video games is Peter Molyneux. He provided the concept for Populous, the first ever god-game for PC. He also made games like Dungeon Keeper, Black & White, The Movies, Theme Park and the Fable series (or, at least, came up with a lot of the ideas behind these games.) A whole lot of your time gone, right there…

3

John Carmack

This guy… wow. He has probably killed more of your time than you know, albeit a bit indirectly. See, John Carmack is widely considered to be the father of the first-person shooter genre. So, not only did he make games like Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein and Heretic (among many, many, many others) but he pretty much gave the idea for a massive amount of games to the entire industry. And while you are killing all your valuable time playing games based on his ideas, he’s out making rockets.

Ten on 10

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John Romero

John Romero and John Carmack both worked on projects like Doom and Wolfenstein, so maybe you can shift the blame a little. But his influence was a bit different… he’s one of the guys that made multiplayer FPS gaming possible. I mean, hell, the word is that he came up with the term “deathmatch”. So while he didn’t necessarily create the whole FPS thing like his buddy did, he made it even more addictive. Or was one of the guys that did. Or something… either way, thanks John. Thanks.

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Nolan Bushnell

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Don Daglow

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This one is personal, because Nolan Bushnell started the company that made the product that got me hooked. He and a guy called Ted Dabney started Atari.

Freakin’ Atari, man! The amount of time that, as a result of Atari, has been lost to video gaming is incredible. Not that Mr Bushnell lost much – he has started more than 20 companies, although it seems that he still regrets not investing in

Don Daglow’s influence is felt far and wide. Not only did he create the first ever graphical MMORPG in the form of 1991’s Neverwinter Nights, but he created one of the first sports simulation game. Like, ever. Back in 1971 he created a baseball simulation, and the world of gaming has never been the same since. He also, by the way, wrote Dungeon, the first ever computer role playing game. There. Now you know who to blame.

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Sid Meier

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Trip Hawkins

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Richard Garriott

You can’t entirely blame Sid Meier for all the time you wasted on Civilization… not entirely. See, Sid was inspired by Will Wright’s SimCity. In fact, he spent most of the ‘80s designing flight sims like F-15Strike Eagle and F-19 Stealth Fighter (which he should be held accountable for, anyway). But in the ‘90s he started making massive time wasters like Railroad Tycoon, Civilization and Alpha Centauri. These and many others he has been involved in may have caused some serious Vitamin D deficiencies.

Harvard educated William M Hawkins III didn’t start any gaming trends.

Instead, he founded a little company in 1982 that would publish a few titles that took up our valuable time. The company? Electronic Arts. Yes, that’s right. EA. With the sheer volume of games that this company has released – including some major licensed sporting titles – it is pretty certain that Trip Hawkins owes you more than a few hours.

Richard Garriott created his first game in 1979, for fun. But a computer store owner got him to sell it, and that started a career that – for those of us gamers that are older – saw many, many hours of Ultima gaming released. Although Ultima games weren’t the only titles Garriott made, there were 21 releases with the word Ultima in their titles. And considering how addictive the Ultima games still are, that’s a lot of time spent gaming. Oh, he created City of Heroes and City of Villains, too. Thanks for that. And he has spent time in space.

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Gabe Newell

Gabe Newell hasn’t only cost you time, but he has theoretically cost you money, too… if you’re a PC gamer. See, Gabe helped create Half-Life with Mike Harrington. That’s a lot of time gone right there, if you consider sequels and spin-offs. But while development of Half-Life 2 was happening, Mr Newell was working on another project… Steam. So, all those games you bought via Steam. Yeah.

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Console-ing Myself IDoubleDQD

by Sarah Snyman

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t’s that time of the year again. It’s coming over the horizon like a hulking beast, moving its slow thighs and all that poetic nonsense.

I despise the mass onslaught of new releases that inspires and simultaneously drains my mind and my wallet around the time of E3. It isn’t even in the next week and I’m feeling the weight on my shoulders. Last year, I honestly don’t recall sleeping for around four days. I could not bear to be out of the loop on any releases. I had to watch all of the trailers, tune into all of the broadcasted key note speeches, follow all of the right people on twitter and keep an eye out for any previews on the net. I wrote E3 game previews until I was blue in the face.

And then, when the release

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dates were announced, I hit the shopping carts.

Pre ordering everything I could shove onto my credit card, calling in favours from foreign ex-lovers and stopping at nothing to be one of the lucky ones when the title hits SA. A week later, I am broke and exhausted. Vice it another few weeks or maybe months and the releases start appearing in the flesh. Suddenly, I’m sliding the shiny disc of the newest game into my console. Sometimes, it’s a sequel to a game that should have been put to death years before...

I’m in awe! I’m ecstatic! I cannot get past this game menu! Who designed this awful user interface?! Why is my PlayStation making that noise!? Why do I need to update my system again!? Why are all of

my controllers flat? Why did they make this game?

Why are the protagonists’ breasts even bigger!? I MISS MY PC!!

And then comes the selfloathing. The hype is over, only one or two releases impressed you and actually delivered on the hype.

Suddenly... You’re in the gaming desert again.

There is a vision in the distance. It seems to be emblazoned with an Easy logo! It isn’t a sequel! You sprint towards it, leaving the latest warfare shootem-up in your wake!

Run gamer, Run!!

It’s so close! You can see the undisturbed, virginal shrink wrap glinting in the desert sun!

Run!!!

Oh balls. It’s a mirage.

It’s another FIFA sequel.

FIFA 48. Now with some British guy you couldn’t

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care less about. There are some ten year old boys circling above the vision of false hope. Picking ruthlessly at the rotten but revived release.

Behind you are some jocks. They’re arguing over a controller and insulting women. They have popped collars.

You are alone… alone in the desert.

You’re sunburnt, your net is down and you cannot even go back to an MMORPG. Welcome to May. And despite all of this, the endless horrors you’ve been out through... E3 comes around again and now all you want in a can Ooooh Jaa... Ouya... Or however the cool kids pronounce it nowadays.

You’re not a cool kid. You’re a slave to silicon valley.

Bow slave, bow.. g

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

Available at these leading retailers: com

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Dev a Love De va

& Despe

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Finding humanity 14

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by Lein Baart

astation

peration

y through despair gamecca48

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or the gruesome”. Recent times have seen a shift in this direction, with the likes of Metro: Last Light and BioShock: Infinite raising the bar to amazing heights. But The Last of Us is going for an altogether different approach, eschewing epic plotlines in favour of something far more subtle. Naughty Dog wants The Last of Us to be a “love story”, a “tale about a fatherdaughter-like relationship”. The trailers are full of these moments, and as cheesy as it might sound, even these brief snippets of interplay between Joel and Ellie are riveting.

The Last of Us is something of a first for Naughty Dog, being the first time they’ve released a second IP in the same console generation. The studio, with a rather venerable history stretching all the way back to 1984, has been responsible for some of the most iconic

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e’re in an age where photorealism is not the distant dream it once was, and where more than ever games have cinematic sequences that rival anything a blockbuster film can produce. It’s a time of heart-stopping, pulsepounding, breath-taking scripted events, and where your latest adrenaline fix is never more than a few clicks away. And yet Naughty Dog isn’t happy with the status quo. The golden boys of Sony’s stable of developers are looking to shake things up, and provide one crucial element that’s been missing for so long: emotional attachment.

Or at least that’s what their current take on the industry is. As writer and creative director Neil Druckmann puts it, “We mistake quantity for quality.

We don’t focus on characters, we focus on monsters

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characters in all of the PlayStation’s incarnations, having developed Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter, and of more recent fame, the Uncharted series. Inspired by the BBC documentary Planet Earth, in which a fungus that infects and kills insects was shown, an 80 man team began work on The Last of Us shortly after the 2009 release of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

Naughty Dog kept things extremely quiet, not wanting to showcase their work before it was ready. The secret nearly unravelled multiple times, most famously when gamers spotted an easter egg in Uncharted 3 that alluded to a mysterious infection, but by and large, when Naughty Dog first revealed the game at the 2011 VGA’s, the were met with complete astonishment. And then the gaming world exploded with the news.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world twenty years in

the future, The Last of US shows an Earth in which humanity has been decimated, not by Armageddon or meteors or nuclear wars, but by a fungus, with those not dying mutating into creatures known as the Infected. The plot, which is so central to the development of the game, revolves around Joel, a black market smuggler, and Ellie, a fourteen year old girl that Joel has promised to smuggle out of a quarantine zone. Ellie, who has never known a world beyond of the confines of a brutal and totalitarian settlement, flees with Joel to find the Fireflies, a resistance group located in the wilderness that is now America. Plot details are understandably scarce, however Naughty Dog have stressed how integral the story is to the game. According to Druckmann, a narrative should tell “you something about the human condition”, to

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showing confrontations that seem to almost be lifted straight from a set piece or QTE. What’s stood out the most from these videos is the A.I., both that of the enemies as well as Ellie, who will be A.I. controlled throughout the entire game. The Last of Us will utilise a system called “Balance of Power”, which promises to drastically humanise enemy behaviour. Factors like the weapon Joel is carrying, the amount of wounded or dead and the number of foes in a group will all affect how aggressive or defensive enemies will be.

Ellie, despite her age, has on more than one occasion shown that she is quite capable in heat of combat, and will aid Joel with tactics such as distracting or killing enemies that Joel is currently engaged with. If that is not enough, your playstyle will have to adapt depending on what you are facing, with Infected requiring different

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draw you in so completely that “when horrible things happen you feel something”. To this end, the studio has taken pains to emphasise that The Last of US is “not a zombie game”. Considering the setting, there will undoubtedly be moments of terror, but in the end what really matters is “the relationship between Joel and Ellie”.

The gaming community would not be so ablaze with anticipation over just the narrative though.

Absolutely everything that Naughty Dog have shown has only whetted the appetite, and this is in no small part thanks to the gameplay clips that have been released. Combat, while not the main focus of the game, will still be vital, as Joel and Ellie go up against not only the Infected, but human scavengers as well. Gameplay footage is astounding,

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strategies than human opponents. This will also not be a run and gun game, as resources are scarce and ammunition is precious. What this all adds up to then is an experience that will likely be terrifying, exhilarating and extremely satisfying. And all this is before the crafting system, which will allow Joel to cobble together supplies and weapons, which seems to be both well thought out and enjoyably deep…

While it is never a measure to hang your hat on, the screenshots and videos paint The Last of Us as a title that will be simply stunning to behold. In all likelihood this will be the swan song of the PS3, a final display of its true capabilities before the PS4 comes barging through the door. From the decaying remains of villages and cities to the wilds of the country, everything looks lovingly rendered and gorgeously detailed, bringing

to life the absolute desolation of the setting. This is echoed in Naughty Dog’s choice of composer, two-time Oscar winner Gustavo Santaolalla, with Druckmann stating, “With this music we’re trying to get emotion we’re not going for horror”.

If there has been a game that has been more hyped up in recent times than The Last of Us, my memory has failed me. While it’s always wise to be cautious here, as the hype machine is a fickle beast at best, it seems that The Last of Us can do no wrong. Everything that Naughty Dog has revealed about this game, every tiny piece that’s been picked apart and stripped bare by the gaming media, has only pushed its anticipation up to fever pitch. As Neil Druckmann put it, Naughty Dog wants “to change the f#*king industry”, and with The Last of Us, they look poised to actually do it. g

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Previews Highlights 22 Deadpool The ultimate comic bad-ass...

24 Batman: Arkham Origins Back to basics 26 Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag My pirate grand-pappy 28 Sacred 3 More CRPG adventures 36 Madden NFL 25 Hard-hitting grid iron returns

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ith E3 just a few days away, we thought we’d throw our net just a little wider this month. Our previews in this issue include games that we know about but will be released towards the end of the year.

Why did we do this? Well, we hope that E3 2013 will be full of new announcements and exciting stuff, so we’re making space for all the anticipated previews that we’ll be running in the last half of this year. See, makes sense, doesn’t it? g

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Deadpool

Mutants, Weapons and Chimichangas Because Deadpool is awesome like that.

by Nthato Morakabi

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Genosha, in order to build his own army.

The game will feature a roster of mutants that many might not recognize without being Marvel fans who have followed the worlds and characters of the expansive Marvel universe. The roster consists of protagonist Deadpool (of course) and his array of melee weapons and armaments. Cable, the son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor (a clone of Jean Grey) as well as his girlfriend Domino (a mutant marks woman) and the telekinetic martial artists Psylocke. Antagonist, Mister Sinister, the genetically altered mutant and general mastermind will oppose Deadpool through his band of mutants known as the Marauders. The Marauders consist of perception altering mutant Vertigo, beefed up, shockwave blasting

Preview

f one were to mention Marvel comics, it is no doubt that a series of certain mutants come to mind. Metalclaws, iron suits and Norse gods are some examples, but the Marvel universe is... Colossal (no pun intended... maybe). So it come as no surprise then, that a Marvel title, soon to grace our gaming consoles, will feature Marvel characters that some would only very vaguely know. True Marvel fans however will be pleased to know that the weapons expert, sword master merc-with-amouth Deadpool will be starring in his very own game.

The plot follows Deadpool’s latest assignment, the assassination of an infamous news reporter. The evil genius Mister Sinister is also part of the plot, as he seeks to acquire DNA samples from the mutant haven

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chick Arclight and the brute of a mutant Blockbuster.

Also to appear in game is the embodiment mutant-being, Death, the ever present Marvel legend Wolverine and other familiar guest characters.

The game will be played from a third person perspective giving players an all guns-blazing, barrel of fun experience or some gory head-chopping stealth attacks. An interactive Deadpool will speak to players frequently, based on the players’ skill and progress. Progression through the game will allow players to upgrade Deadpool’s range of combos and actions. These combos personify Deadpool’s character in both their brutality and at times humour. Although Deadpool will be armed, by default, with his customary gun and sword, a series of weapons will

also be available for use from sledgehammers to sais to laser guns and more.

Deadpool‘s mutant ability of accelerated healing will be visible in game as Deadpool’s body slowly breaks down should he sustain damage. Reattaching severed limbs or waiting for them to grow back are options players will face as they lead the merc through enemy frontlines.

This title is not for the faint-hearted who pass out at the sight of blood…as the game features quite a lot of it. If it’s not through the decapitation of enemies it will be through the dismembering of limbs or the resultant blood stains on the floor. In short, players will be getting the full Deadpool experience, complete with his arrogant humour, skilful brutality and signature Chimichangas. g

AT A GLANCE: Third-person action

Step into the shoes of the facetious, egocentric, mercenary mutant of note, Deadpool, as he slices and dices through enemies in his upcoming self-titled game.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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High Moon Studios Activision Megarom

TBC 2013 PC X360

Platforms

Genre:

ETA

Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

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Batman: Arkham Origins

In the Beginning But this is not the Batman we know

by Pippa Tshabalala

B

tightrope that he can then walk across. Other gadgets will make a return, including the Batarang, the Explosive Gel and the Cryptographic Sequencer.

Another new introduction is the fast travel system, which will allow Batman to summon the Batwing to transport him to other areas of the map. Honestly I’m not sure how I feel about this, as half the fun of getting from location to location is traversing the city, but let’s see how this plays out. There are limitations, as enemy towers in certain areas will have to be disabled before the Batwing can be summoned. You also won’t be able to fly this craft as the Batwing is not player controlled.

Batman will be able to improve his reputation by assisting the Gotham City Police Department with

Preview

atman: Arkham Origins is the latest in the Batman franchise published by Warner Bros Interactive, but this time around not developed

by Rocksteady, who worked on both the previous games.

Considering the success of both Asylum and City, I’m a little anxious about the release of Origins, but based on the trailers, it still seems to hold a fair amount of potential. Luckily the new developers haven’t decided to change it up too much, and Origins will feature similar gameplay to the other games.

There are also some new gadget introductions like the Remote Claw, which will allow Batman to target two objects or enemies and pull them together. Using it to join two walled points will allow Batman to create a

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“Crimes in Progress”. The “Most Wanted” mode also allows Batman to pursue villains outside of the main storyline, and he can use his radio scanner to locate various side missions.

A large cast of characters will be present in the Origins story including Joker, Captain Gordon, Penguin, Bane, Deadshot and Alfred. Arkham Origins also debuts Black Mask, Deathstroke Anarky, Commissioner Loeb and Alberto Falcone.

Arkham Origins is set several years before the events in Arkham Asylum in Gotham City. Batman is not yet recognised as the superhero portrayed in the previous games, and the police are still unsure as to his vigilante status. The section of Gotham that will later become

Arkham City prison is not yet walled off, or flooded.

In terms of storyline, the Black Mask, ruler of Gotham’s criminal underworld after having done away with his rivals, has now placed a bounty on Batman’s head however, and he must discover why. The Gotham City police department are not yet Batman’s allies, so he has more than just the criminals to contend with.

Even with my anxiety around a new developer, I am incredibly excited about this game. The trailers still have a wonderful amount of tension, the storyline looks exciting, and I’m a big fan of the Batman games in general, so this is one I’ll be waiting for with baited breath.

Batman: Arkham Origins will be released later this year across all major platforms. g

AT A GLANCE: Action

This is Batman before he was the superhero we know. This is a side of him we haven’t seen before.

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Warner Bros. Games Montreal Warner Bros.

Ster Kinekor

Oct 2013 PC X360

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Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

Taking to the Seas Piracy in its golden age

by Charlie Fripp

T

Ubisoft probably received so much praise for their efforts that they decided to build an entire game around it.

And that is where Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag comes in – the title will take place during the golden age of highsea plunder and piracy, as gamers will assume the role of Assassin’s Creed 3’s main character’s grandfather.

Focussing on the main ports where piracy was rife in the early 1700’s, gamers can look forward to laying anchor in Havana in Cuba, Kingston in Jamaica, and Nassau in the Bahamas. Each of the cities will be under a different country’s influence, except Nassau, which was a haven for sea robbers.

Ubisoft is promising that the title will give players a bit more freedom when exploring, and that the missions

Preview

here is no denying that the success of the Assassin’s Creed titles contributed to the franchise becoming one of the most loved and most played games of all time. While maybe not on the same scale as Halo or Call of Duty, it still has a very loyal following – taking players on a wild ride to different locations.

The previous titles took gamers to Jerusalem, the Middle East, continental Europe and even the wild woods of the American frontier, but the next iteration of the franchise might be the most ambitious project yet.

Assassin’s Creed 3 incorporated a sea-faring aspect into the title in the form of short side-missions, in which players had to ship goods to different ports. Developer

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encountered will be similar to many of the quests in the first Assassin’s Creed, while exploring over 50 locations.

In terms of plot, players will assume the role of Edward Kenway, a British pirate and member of the Assassin Order, who is also the father of Haytham Kenway from Assassin’s Creed 3. While there were rumours that present-day Desmond would disappear from the franchise, it was previously revealed that players will still have to control him when the game’s plot switches between present and past.

But gamers suffering from seasickness shouldn’t worry too much, as there will be a 60/40 split between land exploration and actually being on the open waters. For those with sturdier legs (and stomachs), there will be

open-ended ship-based exploration with naval combat.

The hunting aspect has also been brought back from Assassin’s Creed 3, where players will be able to track and kill wild animals to sell in order to further their quest and raise a bit of money. In what raised the ire of PETA, whaling is also possible from the ships.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag is set to be one of the most ambitious games in the franchise, and if developer Ubisoft can actually pull it off without any major hitches, it will be one of the best games of the year.

Everybody loves pirates, and what can be better than going sword-to-sword with the infamous Blackbeard and Calico Jack (who popularised the now-famous Jolly Roger)? g

AT A GLANCE: Action-adventure

Taking a departure from the usual setting, sea-faring in Assassin’s Creed 4 should be awesome.

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Ubisoft Montreal Ubisoft Megarom

Oct 2013 PC X360

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Sacred 3

Back to Ancaria Will it realise its potential?

by Lein Baart

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Once again we’re returning to the world of Ancaria, though apparently 900 years after the events of the second game. The world has forgotten about the Seraphim and the role they play in keeping the peace, and the Ashen Empire has since risen with Lord Zane at its head. The story will pit you as one of a group of heroes opposing the Ashen Empire, as Lord Zane seeks to claim an artefact called the Heart of Ancaria from the Seraphim by opening portals to the underworld, flooding the land with demons.

Sacred 3 is not going to deviate to far from the gameplay of the franchise, still consisting of your standard hack and slash fare, coupled together with combat arts, Sacred’s version of special abilities. The

Preview

acred, as a series, has never quite reached its potential. It’s always had most of the right boxes ticked, essentially being a Diablo clone with its own unique high fantasy setting, coupled with a decent RPG system that created some interesting moments. The trouble is, despite everything just said, it always felt a bit half arsed, as if the developers had forgotten when the deadlines were, or (more likely) fallen asleep after reading the plot summary. Ascaron Entertainment, developers of the first two games, have closed shop since Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, but with the rights picked up by Deep Silver, and with a new developer at the helm, the Sacred series is far from dead.

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classes from the second game are gone, and though Deep Silver and Keen Games are holding their cards very close to their chests, the two classes that have been announced are the Ancarian Lancer and the Safiri Warrior. There’s a strong emphasis on multiplayer and cooperative gameplay, with combat arts from different classes that can be chained together to increase both damage and score. Despite Deep Silver’s insistence that Sacred 3 will not be a MMORPG the game will feature 4 player co-op permanently, and even should you decide to take the game on in single-player, Sacred 3 will provide 3 A.I. controlled party members.

Deep Silver seems to have taken the criticisms from the second game to heart, and are making efforts to

release Sacred 3 with as few of the flaws that haunted the franchise as possible. With regards to the bugs and glitches that plagued the previous title, Martin Wein, PR manager at Deep Silver, has stated that quality assurance will be a big part of the process. Likewise, the screenshots are showing a vibrant and fantastically crisp world, a stark contrast to the somewhat bland graphics of Sacred 2.

It’s too early to tell whether Sacred 3 is going to be the game everybody is hoping it will be, but the signs are all positive. With a strong focus on action packed, cooperative gaming backed up with gorgeous visuals, Sacred 3 might just be a worthy contender to the hack and slash throne. g

AT A GLANCE: Hack and Slash RPG

There’s a lot to look forward to with Sacred 3, provided all the bugs are ironed out before its release Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

gamecca48

Keen Games Deep Silver Apex Interactive

Q3 2013 PC X360

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Animal Crossing: New Leaf

A New Mayor in Town.

Time to turning over a new leaf.

by Nthato Morakabi

30

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Life Simulation

Immerse yourself in the wonderful world of Animal Crossing as the new Mayor, ready to bring a new village to life.

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gamecca48

Nintendo EAD Group No. 2 Nintendo Core Group

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Q2 2013 PC X360

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n array of sights and sounds open up, as worlds collide in this upcoming Nintendo 3DS exclusive – Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Humans and human-like animals live together in one expansive world in which they work and play together. Players can look forward to creating their very own utopia, filled with lovable characters, an ever changing world to explore and a host of fun activities to be immersed in.

Players will step into the shoes of the new mayor in town and it will be their responsibility to make sure that their village prospers. With the help of Isabelle, the canine assistant, players will receive advice on making the most of their new home. They will also be aiming towards gaining the favour of the residents and neighbours of the village in order to improve and develop the village through the building of various structures.

Experience the chills and spills of changing seasons, the joys of birthday parties and the interesting visits from travellers from out of town. Participate in various events and competitions from bug-catching competitions and fishing tournaments to meeting one of Santa’s reindeer for a special gift.

Animal Crossing New Leaf will not just offer fun activities and changing seasons but also a customizable world that players will be able to shape as they wish. From creating their own custom designs for clothing and furniture, to building café’s, police stations and other structures for their town. It will be possible to have up to three other players visit one village for some multiplayer exploration and Nintendo have revealed other cool multiplayer features, for all who will be looking to grab this exclusive title. g

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Le Tour de France 2013 – 100th edition

Battle of the Bulge It’s all downhill from here

by Charlie Fripp

A

AT A GLANCE: Sports

If the developers deliver, it will be an awesome cycling game Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Cyanide Studio Focus Home Interactive Apex Interactive

Jun 2013 PC X360

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s the next round of the Tour de France is scheduled to get underway at the end of June and run into the middle of July, another video game will be released that ties into the biggest cycling tournament in the world.

As the tournament, the title has gradually improved over the years, and as the actually cycle race enters its 100th anniversary, game developer Cyanide Studio has thrown everything they have into the latest addition.

The title allows players to take the position of a rider the in the coveted race, battling it out with hundreds of other riders for the yellow jersey, and ultimately crossing the finish line first. Players will have to keep an eye on their speed, stamina and technique, as everything will play a huge role in the quest for glory.

While the previous game had good graphics, Cyanide Studio promises that the 2013 version of the title will have a fully-revised gameplay mechanic, richer and visually superior to the previous effort, and will also feature a more dynamic game speed that will give players extra control on the road.

Cyanide actually took suggestions and comments from the cycling community and gamers on how to better the title, and incorporated them into the title. Players can look forward to a title that promises to be a lot smoother and more dynamic than previous titles.

The Tour de France franchise is probably the only cycling game that covers the actual title, so if gamers are into cycling, then this is the franchise to invest in. It seems as though Cyanide made the necessary changes to bring the title and the franchise into mainstream gaming, and if they deliver, it can be rather good. g

Game & Wario

WarioWare Inc Returns!

16 ways to use your Wii-U gamepad…or something like that.

by Nthato Morakabi

32

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Adventure

The Wario Ware team is back with its zany characters and whacky mini games, sure to display the potential capabilities of the Nintendo Wii U. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Intelligent Systems Nintendo Core

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TBC 2013 PC X360

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intendo has been known for taking its older successful titles and reworking them, utilizing the same characters and ideas from previous generations and revamping them for each new console they bring out. The question anyone should ask is: Does it work?

Well, do fish swim in water?

Game & Wario is yet another Nintendo re-make, or rather a continuation of the WarioWare mini games that have featured as either separate titles, or as mini games in other Nintendo titles. Each set of mini games that players will have to complete is based around a particular character from the WarioWare crew.

The Wii-U game pad comes to life as a bow and arrow, sketchpad, dance floor and as many other paraphernalia that players must use to complete given challenges. Players take part in various games, helping the quirky, funky and downright weird Wario Ware characters in completing 16 amusing levels. The Wii-U’s gyroscope ability will get players guiding the afro toting Jimmy T on the slopes or using the game pad as a camera to help Mona snap a pic for the latest scoop; various other uses will be possible with each game.

The title will feature an artwork community, integrated with the Wii-U’s social network MiiVerse, allowing players to share their artwork through the MiiVerse Sketch community.

Players will be able to browse through the artwork others have posted on the sketch community or they can play a quick-sketch mini game in which they must attempt to recreate one of the available drawings in 60 seconds.

Game & Wario is a great way to enjoy the diverse capabilities of the Wii U, enjoying the eccentric characters and peculiar games. g

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The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief

Return of the Whodunit Conspiracies, theft and mystery abound

by Pippa Tshabalala

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Adventure

It might not be a much anticipated title, but it seems like a good, solid crime adventure in the making Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

gamecca48

Nordic Games KING Art TBC

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TBC 2013 PC X360

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he Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief is a crime adventure game in three episodes that combines a classic whodunit with a thrilling heist story.

The story follows the gentleman master thief The Raven, who is terrorising Paris, committing spectacular burglaries. Young investigator Nicolas Legrand confronts the thief and fatally wounds him.

Four years later and a whole country away in London, the legendary Eyes of the Sphinx, an ancient ruby, is stolen from the British Museum and a raven feather is found at the crime scene.

Nicolas Legrand is back on the case to find out if someone is trying to follow in the infamous Raven’s footsteps.

Legrand’s stellar career, apprehending the Raven in Paris, has made him the most famous investigator at Interpol, but he still harbours doubts as to whether he really caught the right guy, and when these new burglaries begin, he takes up the chase.

Simultaneously in Zurich Constable Anton Zellner has no idea that his life is about to change when he picks up the ringing phone next to him.

Zellner is a good policeman but what his superiors think of as a troublemaker. His dream of solving a big case might become reality if he can emerge unscathed from the deadly game he’s gotten himself into.

The Raven is slated as a thrilling crime adventure that immerses you in both sides of the story. The production value certainly looks pretty decent and it appears that developers Nordic Games have really committed on delivering a quality product.

With multiple modes catering to a variety of gamers, it seems as if this will be a decent adventure game, if not a AAA title. g

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Knights of Pen and Paper +1

Play the Player An RPG with a difference…

by Lein Baart

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AT A GLANCE: RPG

Knights of Pen and Paper is looking to be a fun, humorous title that should help you while away the hours Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

gamecca48

Behold Studios Paradox Interactive TBC

Q2 2013 PC X360

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obile releases come thick and fast nowadays, with seemingly every second triple A title having a handheld accompaniment. But it’s a sign of the times, and the power of the platform, that we’re starting to see things shift in the opposite direction. First there was Angry Birds, the ultimate cathartic time-suck, but now Paradox Interactive have joined the fray, straying from their usual flavour of grand strategy with a rather quirky mobile to PC port, Knights of Pen and Paper +1 Edition.

For those that haven’t played the mobile version, Knights of Pen and Paper is an RPG, albeit not what you would expect. As you may gather from the title, this has a lot to do with classic Dungeons and Dragons and its ilk, but rather than playing as the mage or the knight, you play as the players playing the game. It’s a whacky concept, and it’s been hugely popular on the mobile market, aided in no small part by its casual pick up and play nature.

Paradox doesn’t seem to be changing much in the way of core design for the PC port. Indeed the graphics are lifted straight from the mobile version, and aren’t so much “retro” (as Paradox are calling it) as they are archaic. It adds to the charm though, and more than anything it suits the atmosphere of the game. There have been several additions though, including new dungeons and options in combat, as well as a new feature called the Tavern, where heroes can be saved and swapped out as needed. If you’re looking for something funny and light, Knights of Pen and Paper +1 should be a good bet. g

Madden NFL 25

Crushing Heads Winning the ball is half the battle

by Charlie Fripp

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Sports

It promises to be the best NFL games of the last 25 years Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

gamecca48

EA Sports EA Sports EA South Africa

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Aug 2013 PC X360

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he National Football League (or NFL, as it’s more popularly known) is one of the biggest sporting franchises for Electronic Arts, and while there isn’t a great amount of support from South Africa’s shore, it’s a popular as ever elsewhere.

The latest title to be released, Madden NFL 25, is the 25th anniversary of the entire series, and EA opted to add the ‘25’ at the end of the name, instead of the usual numbering, which would have been NHL 14.

Previous titles have improved a lot over the years, with better graphics, hit detection and animations, but this iteration promises to be the best one yet. In a quest to deliver the best experience, the title will once again make use of the Infinity Engine 2, which will provide better physics simulation, and will also introduce the new Force Impact System.

Apart from all the players and teams included into the playable roster, EA will also be doing things a bit different this year, as they opted to include all 17 NFL referee head officials into the game with their likeness.

Players can look forward to clashing with some of the biggest names in the NFL as they try to lead their team to victory for the allimportant Super Bowl win at the end of the season. Players will have to make a decision on how to lead their team – either as a player, or as a manager.

While the franchise has never really disappointed, it seems as though EA is going all-out with NFL 25, updating the graphics, the physics and game dynamics. If players are into a bit of rough and tough sports, NFL 25 will be right up their alley. g

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Castle of Illusion

Mickey Mouse Returns In the remake of this Sega classic

by Pippa Tshabalala

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Platformer

It seems to be a trend at the moment, but there’s nothing wrong with a good old HD remake.

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Sega Studios Australia Sega Ster Kinekor

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Q3 2013 PC X360

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ickey Mouse returns once again in a remake of the classic Disney game Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse. It’s an HD reimagining of the classic Sega Genesis game, and is set for release towards the middle of 2013.

This revival will be a 2D/3D experience that utilises the current generation of consoles processing power to showcase this story with new graphics and adventures while at the same time remaining true to the spirit of the original game, which came out in 1990. No indication whether or not it will be released on next gen consoles, although somehow it seems unlikely to me.

Interestingly the director of the original game is now at Disney Interactive, and the developers have worked together with her closely in order to ensure that the experience of the remake is as close to the original as possible, incorporating ideas that were simply not possible in 1990 due to technical limitations, and which now have the potential to be realised.

Many iconic elements remain intact in an effort to not only enthral lovers of the existing game, but to capture the hearts of a whole new generation of gamers. Castle of Illusion follows hot on the heels of the announcement of another Disney platformer remake, Ducktales Remastered.

The teaser trailer, which came out a little while ago, shows the toy soldiers from the original game as well as the main villain, and it’s atmosphere is suitably dark and stormy.

Release dates at this stage are vague, with only a mention of “Summer 2013” which presumably means sometime in the middle of the year based on Northern Hemisphere standards. g

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One Piece : Pirate Warriors 2

Migraine Inducing Anime Munky D. Luffy and his crew are coming to PS3!

by Sarah Snyman

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AT A GLANCE: Action

A well-loved anime series transformed into a game and localised for the English audience.

A light hearted pirate themed escapade for the whole family.

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Tecmo Koei Namco Bandai Megarom

Aug 2013 PC X360

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have had to sit through a lot of One Piece. I love a more stylised set of anime, but I have never been a fan of the incessant yelping, massive eyes and completely mismatched bizarre dialogue that is so evident in One Piece. Judging by the info available, this is going to be a standard Namco Bandai release, localised and resulting in a confusing, colourful, inside joke filled explosion. The story of One Piece is quite original as far as anime goes, and it has been one of the most successful series in the genre. Although this is localised sequel to Pirate Warriors, there have been countless iterations of One Piece games in Asia. Munky D. Luffy is a boy who accidentally ate Gum-Gum fruit and now seems to have elastic limbs which he can stretch obscene distances.

He has a little waistcoat and a straw hat and runs the troop of Straw Hat pirates while they search for the titular treasure.

The game will allow the player to play through adventure mode, allowing battles as various characters. There are also several stories that are independent to the storyline, exclusive to the game. One piece is not for everyone, it was evidently never for me. But at the end of the day, it is a light hearted, humorous adventure full of unexpected heroes and a great deal of scrawny kids who are actually adults despite the way they are animated. It has received great reviews in Japan and sold over 655k copies in its first week; I will be interested to see if the local anime fans agree with the Japanese audience. g

Dragon’s Crown

Modern Classics The heyday of gaming still lives

by Lein Baart

40

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

2D Adventure

While comparisons to classics like Golden Axe are inevitable, Dragon’s Crown is looking to advance a genre which just may still have something to offer Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Vanillaware Atlus TBC

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Aug 2013 PC X360

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or producer George Kamitani, Dragon’s Crown is a dream that’s been a long time coming. Conceived nearly 15 years ago, Kamitani originally planned for Dragon’s Crown to be released on the Sega Deamcast, but failed to pick up support from publishers.

But then Ignition Entertainment, impressed with Kamitani’s “artwork and unique style” signed on, and though the publishing rights have now shifted to Atlus, Dragon’s Crown’s release date is right on our doorstep.

The plot doesn’t look likely to win any awards, serving instead as the vehicle to deliver the action, which should be fast, furious and filled with spectacular effects. There will be six classes to choose from, namely the fighter, elf, dwarf, sorceress, wizard and amazon, each with a unique play style. Dragon’s Crown will have RPG elements as well, with each character levelling up and able to equip item drops to boost stats.

Multiplayer will be a big part of the title, with various classes working together to offset their own weaknesses. Allowing up to four players to wreak archaic havoc both online and locally, Dragon’s Crown will even allow saves to be shared between the PS3 and Vita, assuming you’re willing to shell out for both versions.

There’s an immense feeling of quality about this title. The graphics seem dazzling, with a blend of western and anime styles that evoke the atmosphere of a classic fantasy tale in a world populated with wide-eye peasants and heaving cleavages. Likewise, the animations are fluid, clear and bring to life the chaos the title strives to achieve. With all this in mind, Dragon’s Crown is definitely a title worth keeping an eye on. g

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www.apexactive.co.za Distributed Exclusively by Apex Interactive Tel: (011) 796 5040 www.apexinteractive.co.za Email: sales@apexinteractive.co.za All rights and trademarks and logos are copyright of their respective owners. Š 2012 Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc. (VTB, Inc.) All rights reserved. Turtle Beach and the Turtle Beach Logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of VTB, Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective companies and are hereby acknowledged.

MotoGP13

Tyres to the Tarmac Spinning wheels and burning rubber

by Charlie Fripp

42

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Racing

With a number of tweaks, this edition should prove to be exciting Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

gamecca48

Milestone TBA TBA

ETA

Jun 2013 PC X360

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s the 2013 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season got underway at the beginning of April, players will once again be able to step into the racing boots of some of the world’s best driver and fight for the tarmac title as the best racing driver in the world.

The official videogame of the 2013 Grand Prix motorcycle racing championship, MotoGP13 will be jam packed will all the action and excitement that goes with burning rubber and high speeds across the finish line.

The new title will include all the official mode of the sport such as the coveted MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3, as well as all the official riders, teams, tracks and rules. With a tagline of “Forged to be a Champion” players will be able to compete and battle their way to the top of the leader boards.

Developer Milestone also promises that photorealistic graphics will transport rider to all the well-known tracks around the world, while being loyal to the MotoGP spirit in all aspects of the title, including an authentic TV style interface, reworked menus, and all the familiar sounds from the track and pit.

Similar to previous iterations, Milestone has also added “realistic handling (so that) you can really feel the bike in your hands”. Having a number of difficulty settings to suit every type of rider, players will be able to engage scalable aids for beginners, while more experienced racers can take to the track with simulative settings, while will provide for an authentic race.

The camera angels have also been given an update, as players will now be able to make use of a helmet cam, and first person elements like 3D pits – as well as a reworked career mode for added authenticity. g

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Armored Core: Verdict Day

What’s Your Final Verdict?

A dystopian future, AI units and customizable Mechs.

by Nthato Morakabi

44

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Third-person action

In a future ravaged by war, players must battle for resources and territory in this tactical action packed mech simulation.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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From Software Namco Bandai Megarom

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Q3 2013 PC X360

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he future is bleak. Marred by war and ravaged of its resources, it is no place for man to live. Only the desolate grounds known as No Man’s Land offer any form of hope.

As the last remaining land with resources, and with every other faction seeking to claim this land for themselves, No Man’s Land is no safe haven. Survival lies in these resources, scavenged and fought for, bringing war to an era in need of peace.

Players can anticipate dashing through bullet hazed levels, weaving through enemy fire, battling through devastated landscapes while in command of a squadron of Armored Core Units. This fast paced, third-person shooter puts players in the seat of these customizable war machines, with the ability to cause mass destruction to all who stand in their way.

Innovative customization will see players tweak their mech load out with over 150 parts, using these upgrades to strategically adapt the weapon system for optimum destruction.

Fight through 7 battle ridden continents, from dusty desert dunes to frigid snow-capped terrain in 90 new missions. Be part of a faction, taking control of enemy territory and strive to be the dominant force.

Take the action online alone or with friends and lay waste to anyone who stands in the way of victory. Players will have the option of taking unmanned, A.I units equipped with A.I chips that will allow them to adapt and fight strategically, balancing the playing field in online matches.

The previous instalment was not so well received however, this newest title is being built to address its predecessor’s failures. How that will fare we shall see as the title shows much potential. g

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Another terrifying crown, hopefully the last one.

The Last Crown: Haunting of Hallowed Isle

More Ghouls, Spooks & Surprises

by Sarah Snyman

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AT A GLANCE: Adventure

More Ghost hunting adventure, in black and white, with spooky music involving monks and classical musicians... it’s a formula that works, and they’re working in again.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

gamecca48

Jonathon Boakes Iceberg Interactive TBC

Halloween 2013 (obviously) PC X360

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nce again, Nigel Danvers and Lucy Reubens are poking their ghost hunting noses in things they shouldn’t. The two young ghost hunters have now decided that it’s a great idea to look into the new “Crown” mystery on Hallowed Isle. As is to be expected, this is a moody island in the UK. The people who lived there and worked there and murdered there are now haunting the living bejeesus out of the island… what a delightful place to go on a trip. Being an investigative mystery game, you’ll need to find countless clues and use your collection of “ghost hunting skills and tools” to work your way around the landscape and find out why this place is so damn spooky. You will have tools like the “Ghost Gadget” which allow you to see the dead, but they can also see you which really isn’t ideal. You’ll also have the stock standard EVP tools and the odd occult artefact used in “phsychometry”, Nigel’s psychic skills. Then there is Napper… the crow. This bird attacked Nigel and now he has some kind of bond with the feathered holder of secrets. One of these secrets would be who on earth is feeding this captive bird on an abandoned island? These games offer everything the mystery/horror fanatic desires. Haunted TVs, Witchcraft and black magic, abandoned prisons, bubonic plagues and an old people’s home. This is a genre which follows a very specific formula, but the formula works! I am looking forward to this release, even if it is for pure cheese factor on Halloween. The build-up material has been adequately spooky, I hope the game follows suit. g

Pay to Play The Soapbox

by Suvesh Arumugam

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et’s go back a few years. The world has discovered downloading.

Hard drives are getting bigger and with everything from movie rips, illegally leaked music albums and “cracked” games flooding the net, there’s a desperate scramble by publishers to stem the tide. Early DRM (Digital Rights Management) methods ranged from light to ludicrous. Some required online registration, while other required a complex series of codes and confirmation sequences to ensure that you were who you said you were, and that no-one else could use what you claimed to have bought. But controlling the internet is less like making sure that everyone pays for their movie ticket and more like trying to empty the ocean with a bucket (that has a hole in it). Pirates were taking DRM apart as quickly as software developers could develop them and access to faster bandwidth was growing at a pace that made fighting pirated content a losing battle.

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Companies like Netflix (rightly) predicted a change in media consumption culture.

Even with petabyte drives, consumers could never have enough storage to have everything, and eventually this culture would lose momentum. By introducing reasonable fees (especially a monthly subscription vs pay per download model) they offered an alternative. Instead of downloading everything you may conceivably one day consume; to get what you want, when you want it (without breaking the bank).

As bandwidth prices drop, and even dedicated torrenters get tired of constantly deleting, copying or moving files, it’s started to take off and people are thinking about entertainment differently. With documents and photos already stored on Google Drive or SkyDrive, most people would rather stream Hulu and Grooveshark on their iPads, than lug around clunky laptops and PC’s for their media.

The best part about streaming is that it’s more

DRM friendly. Granted, nothing is unhackable, but content creators seem happier with this model with more control over the product, which is not necessarily bad for the consumer. After all, it can’t be a great feeling to be the schmuck who paid $9 for the latest blockbuster that your neighbour just downloaded for free.

It was clear that it wouldn’t be long before gaming would follow suit. While games are becoming more graphics intensive, technology is also becoming a lot more suitable to have games stream directly from servers, and directly to your console or PC. This was Sony’s vision last year and Microsoft’s proposed DRM features also hint at a move towards games not dependant on local storage media. Since May 21st, many gaming fundis critised DRM saying people should be able to trade their titles and not be restricted to online or online activated gaming (Sony were quick to announce that

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they would relax their DRM policies in the wake of the outcry).

The advantages of streamed content are definitely good for publisher’s wallets, and has some benefits for consumers, like accessing content wherever they, even if it’s from someone else’s console. But the potential for preventing people from enjoying their purchases, and from discouraging a vibrant secondary market for pre-played games is also a concern. We’ll have to see if new streamed games will be priced so that buying (or subscribing to a service) can be affordable to the average gamer. Perhaps the US judge who ruled that reselling digital content (in this case iTunes purchases) was illegal on ReDigi did so prematurely, as physical product will surely start being replaced by completely online media. But if we can’t trade or use what we buy the way we want to, maybe most will choose to keep pirating for free.. g

Forming Up...

Console General

by Montgommery Paton

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e’ve been reading all about the Xbox One and the PS4 for a few weeks now. Discussion boards, gaming news sites and social media are buzzing about the two consoles, and speculation is rife. There are a great many people who have expressed displeasure at the route Microsoft seems to be taking, while Sony quietly posts up new ads poking sticks at the wounds that the Xbox maker has inflicted on its reputation.

Amid all of this, one has to wonder… what about the Wii U? It’s no secret that I like the console, and that I believe that Nintendo were on to a good thing when they created it. But it’s also no secret that the Wii U is failing miserably.

Sales are extremely low, for both hardware and

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software. When a company like EA – who publishes on everything but the kitchen sink – says that they currently have no games in development for a platform, that’s not a good sign.

But there is a bigger picture here. See, the Wii U’s shortcomings in terms of market share could be put down to many things, but consumer apathy towards the product seems to be the root. What does that tell us? Perhaps Nintendo did something wrong in their marketing strategy – they aimed the Wii at casual gamers, in an effort to draw them in to the activity. But casual gamers don’t have the kind of mentality that has them rabidly chasing upgrades.

They already have a game console… why do they need another?

Aiming at the hard core

market was probably also a misstep for the Wii U, because hard core gamers don’t associate their gaming with Nintendo. It just is what it is.

Is that what went wrong?

What if the situation with the Wii U is indicative of a far deeper problem?

See, it’s the second major platform release to go through a very rough patch, with the first being the PS Vita. Neither of these units have been big performers in terms of sales, which lead to a lack of games, which lead to even weaker sales, and so on. What if the problem that these platforms faced is one that amounts to the global financial situation? What kind of future does that hold for Sony and Microsoft, who will be releasing their new consoles at roughly the

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same time?

That’s another thing; while there aren’t many people out there who own more than one console, there certainly is a portion of the market that do. But it was easy to get both, in money terms, because they were separated by a year. Now that’s not going to be the case. Those allimportant early-adopters of the Xbox One and PS4 are going to have to make tough choices, if they are tempted by both.

The console war, in years past, was a cold war. Things are about to get turned up, and the rivalry between Sony and Microsoft may get very aggressive indeed. It seems that what we though was a console war before was just a few minor clashes. The real thing is coming at the end of this year. g

Available at these leading retailers:

com

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

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Reviews Highlights 52 Metro: Last Light Braving the dark in the Metro 56 GRiD 2 Fast, faster, fastest!

60 Star Trek Now what did you expect, really?

62 Mars War Logs Adventuring on a budget...

68 Wonderbook: Diggs Nightcrawler A kiddie-noir treat

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e all love the exciting news that E3 brings, but it really messes with our gaming. Releases have been slow, but the good news is that they’ll be picking up pretty soon, before making that mad rush towards two major console releases at the end of the year. We have around six months to prepare ourselves...

In the meantime, we have eight games on review, ranging from cool to not-so-much... g

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Metro: Last Light

Doom and Gloom Putting the ‘dys’ in dystopian…

by Walt Pretorius

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based on a best-selling novel by Dmitry Glukhovsy. This new work is inspired by that same novel and once again puts the player in the shoes of the near-mute Artyom, the hero of 2033. As the game kicks off, we learn that his actions in 2033 have seen him elevated to the status of Ranger, working with the Spartan Order. This group holds no affiliations to any of the Metro political movements, but rather acts as a self-appointed security detail, trying to keep the Metro safe. Soon, though, new threats to the people of the Metro see Artyom hurtling along a path that leads him to uncovering a terrible conspiracy.

Unlike most shooters out there, Last Light is very reliant on its plot. The story is not complex at all – in fact, it gets rather predictable and a little pedantic towards the end. But it is refreshing to see a first-person

Review

he fate of Metro: Last Light was something that a number of people wondered about when the news of THQ closing its doors came up.

However, that publisher’s IPs were snapped up by numerous other publishers; Last Light went to Deep Silver, which allowed it to be released pretty much on schedule.

The game takes us back to the devastated world of Moscow after a nuclear holocaust. Survivors of the disaster have found refuge in the dank, deep and dark tunnels of what was once the Moscow Metro. Here they fight to exist amid crime, corruption, violence and political rivalries. It’s a miserable place to be, and developers 4A manage to capture that feeling beautifully. But we’ll get to more of that a bit later.

The original title in the series – Metro 2033 – was

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shooter that isn’t all about headshots and killing hordes of enemies. The story, simple as it is, is central to the experience.

This means that Last Light doesn’t play out like other shooters. There are a lot of scripted events, and the game is extremely linear. A single play-through is likely all that you will get to, unless you are a massive fan.

Additionally, Last Light needs the player to pay attention – not just during combat sessions, but also during the often protracted cut-scenes. In fact, even walking around a corner may have the player happen upon a conversation that is vital to the plot, or helps further the idea of life in this dystopian future.

That play style does exclude all those players who are just after unbridled action… and there are a lot of them.

There are long stretches in this game where dialogue is

the only thing going on, and as much as this drives the plot forward, it may not sit well with some.

Speaking of dialogue, one could be excused for thinking that the voice acting is a bit poor in Last Light.

But all of the actors are native Russian speakers, bringing even more authenticity to the game through heavy accents and often strange pronunciations. This authenticity is furthered by excellent character models.

The devil is in the details; whether you’re encountering a political leader, an underground fisherman or a stripper offering you a lap-dance, all the characters in Last Light are memorable. There is some repetition in character models, but this does tend to be in the case of uniformed enemies and mutants that the player needs to fight off.

Graphically, the game is pretty decent overall. The PC version is the strongest in terms of visuals, with some

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Because of this, the game doesn’t really go through a difficulty curve, but rather peaks and troughs. It’s more realistic, really, adding a somewhat organic feel to the game’s progression. The player’s weapons are the same scratch-build type of items from the previous game, and ammo is a commodity. So much so that high grade military rounds are treated as currency. They can also be used to add a little more damage to the player’s attacks, but the game never gets that tough that you will be spending your money on killing bad guys rather than buying useful stuff.

Another aspect of the game is going outdoors. Artyom will need a gas mask and air filters to do so, as well as to access certain hazardous areas in the Metro itself. This is the same as the previous game, but Last Light tends to be more generous with air filters, meaning that the

Review

weak textures showing up in the console versions.

However, the lighting effects – which are core in a game that often dumps the player into very dark areas – are excellent.

The overall play dynamic of the game feels, at times, rather chaotic. Combat sequences can have the player either stealthing around in the dark, or running in guns blazing. Both will work, because the enemy AI is not the greatest. It is better than that of 2033, but it still leaves a bit to be desired. Mutant enemies tend to swarm the player, resulting in intense fire-fights. While ammo can be scarce, the player who takes the time to gather up resources will likely never run out of bullets and makeshift grenades, particularly if they do a little exploring in the limited number of areas that allow them to do so.

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time constraint on missions is lessened. That said, the claustrophobic tunnels of the Metro are easier to deal with in combat situations, because to you know more or less which direction trouble will be coming from.

With a cast of memorable characters, unique weapons (including an awesome four-barrelled shotgun) and a heavy dependence on the narrative, Metro: Last Light is a fairly unique title. And as is so often the case with unique titles, it will have a smaller following than the next iteration of any given copy-and-paste military shooter. It’s lack of multiplayer and linear delivery will limit replay value, although Ranger mode (which is available as a download) can allow for a tougher second experience, should the player choose to re-experience the tale.

Even with just a single play-through, Last Light stands

as a good example of how a story can be told in a firstperson shooter. The pacing isn’t break-neck, and the combat sessions tend to be smaller – more personal, even – than what we generally get. Both of these are refreshing aspects to the game, making it stand out in the crowd. Sure, not everyone’s going to love it, but for those who want to play a game to be entertained, rather than earning kill-ratio bragging rights, Metro: Last Light is a great option. Having played the original helps, but it isn’t essential… the story here is interesting enough for it to stand on its own two feet.

Moving away from the norms of first-person shooters is a fairly bold move for 4A games to make, but they have a story that they want to tell, and experiencing the tale of Artyom’s second set of adventures in the Moscow Metro is worth the effort. g

AT A GLANCE: First-person shooter

Reviewed on:

X360

It’s not a thrill-a-minute game... rather, Last Light relies heavily on setting and narrative to tell a tale.

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Metro: 2033, Deus Ex: Human Revolution Local

1

Network

Online

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4A Games Deep Silver Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory

18+ gamecca48

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

80 55

GRiD 2

All About Speed Whether you need it or not…

by Alex Scanlon

R

proved very popular, and so it was quite surprising that there wasn’t another GRiD title lined up for the race to pole position shortly after.

Those that hoped for Codemaster’s return to the broader, slightly more arcade-like style of Race Driver: GRiD have had their long wait rewarded with the release of GRiD 2. Here is a game that allows player to try a few dozen cars not only along different tracks scattered around the world, but also in a number of street racing disciplines. And it has a story, too.

True, it’s not much of a plot, but it does serve the game well, cobbling the disparate racing disciplines featured in GRiD 2 together quite nicely. The player takes on the role of a figure-head for a new racing league, called ‘World Series Racing’. This is the brainchild of a semi-mysterious wealthy guy who wants to

Review

acing games are always a hotly contested genre for the video game industry. When it comes to street racing – in other words, games that use cars that you might actually see driving by on the street – there are only a few names that stand out.

Microsoft’s Forza sprints immediately to mind, as does Sony’s Gran Turismo franchise. EA’s Need for Speed games have had a spotty record of late, but they are also viable entrants into the genre. These three form an almost unassailable beach-head on the genre.

When it comes to other developers like Codemasters, one generally thinks of games dedicated to specific racing disciplines, like F1 or the DiRT series. However, Codemasters did take on a more diverse racing approach before when they released Race Driver: GRiD several years ago. It

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see all the various street racing types around the globe unified under a single banner. The player’s mission is simple; travel to various regions (first the US, then Europe and then Asia and the Middle East)to drum up support for the fledgling WSR. To do so, the player needs to impress racers at club level, and garner support for WSR. Once enough support has been gathered, a WSR event becomes available in the region.

It’s simple, yet effective. The player gets to take part in numerous race events featuring disciplines like street racing, point to point, touge, drift competitions, checkpoint racing and head to head challenges. In between, the player will get to earn new cars by taking part in manufacturer sponsored showcases, and will also be able to take part in promo events. All of the above help to earn the player the only kind of currency that

GRiD 2 has: fans.

Instead of money, popularity is key here. While other games require the player to earn cash and buy vehicles and upgrades, GRiD 2’s benefactor makes sure that the player has the cars that are needed. New cars will be presented to the player from time to time, with a choice of two vehicles being the norm. Once one has been chosen, the other can invariably be one in an upcoming manufacturer showcase. So, no money needed… Daddy Warbucks supplies you with cars.

The same can be said for upgrades. The cars in the player’s stable cannot be tweaked beyond visual customisation, which may leave some fans feeling flat. But that’s not what is at the heart of GRiD 2.

Rather, this game is about driving really, really fast, and participating in a wide variety of events. Even the car

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Graphically, GRiD 2 is a treat. The repetition one would expect from the tracks – particularly in terms of décor and spectators – is minimal. The tracks come across as lively and are fairly high in terms of detail, although the impression of speed is such that the details tend to be blurs. Rather, the player will be impressed with the fact that the game manages to capture the essence of the settings. Blasting down the road with the Eiffel Tower looming in the distance is quite a treat, and each area manages to deliver a different look and feel to the title. Add to this the fact that the player will see birds flying overhead, or a paper blown in the breeze (all those little details, really) and the racing arenas used in GRiD 2 come alive.

The cars look great, too, with excellent modelling and lighting effects. A decent damage model is also in

Review

roster is much smaller than one would expect from a game of this type, totalling a few dozen rather than a few hundred. This allows for more focus, and for the player to get more familiar with specific vehicles; an important thing, considering the variety of events.

So if you’re not racing for cash, or a massive stable of cars, what’s the point? Well, quite simply, the thrill of it. GRiD 2 is all about getting your car through the event as fast and skilfully as possible, and pulling a 100 metre drift through a long curve on a course before snapping out and blasting down a straight is undeniably thrilling. This is one of the aspects that leans GRiD 2 more towards an arcade racer than a nuts-and-bolts simulator; there are no nuts and bolts.

Rather, it’s about a more focussed group of cars, and what driving them might feel like.

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place, not just in terms of looks, but also driving effects.

On the downside, GRiD 2 features a fixed camera – no bumper of hood cam here, folks. But the cars look and sound so good that being outside of the vehicle isn’t too much of a problem.

Visual effects, particularly during crashes, are also of a high quality, as are the sounds that the player will hear from the cars and from around the various tracks.

Speaking of driving, GRiD 2 can be a little unforgiving. Once you get used to the way particular cars handle you should be fine, but you may spend a little time trying things out and rewinding sections of the race that didn’t go your way. With varied disciplines, this can get even trickier. And, just to add a fun mix up to the whole affair, Codemasters have included an idea called LiveRoutes: dynamically changing tracks that

alter the race while the player is barrelling along. You’re not going to see sections shifting in the distance, but passing a section a second time may result in different turns and challenges. This means you’ll need to be on your toes during these events. There are also no driving assists, although the game has a number of difficulty levels and damage effects can be turned on or off.

Whether GRiD 2 will challenge the really big names remains to be seem. What we can say, however, is that Codemasters have produced a racing game that is, above all, fun to play. The cars feel good and the tracks are entertaining. Those that like tinkering under the hood of their vehicles will certainly need to look elsewhere, but for players who simply want to experience the thrill of driving fast, GRiD 2 has a lot to offer. g

AT A GLANCE: Racing

Reviewed on:

With heavy leanings towards the arcade side of things, GRiD 2 is more about driving fast than about tweaking cars.

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Need for Speed, Forza, Gran Turismo Local

2

Network

Online 12

Codemasters Codemasters Megarom

Parental Advisory

3+ gamecca48

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

80 59

Star Trek

Set Phasers to Dumb Is it possible to Nerve Pinch oneself?

by Charlie Fripp

O

in the gameplay no matter what character they prefer, apart from a few weapons.

It’s very disappointing, as there is no replay value, but on the up side, the game also features the ability for players to drop-in and out of the gameplay, which allows two players to complete the same game as co-op partners.

It does make the missions a bit easier, and it’s always fun to play with a friend.

As players progress through the missions, they will gain XP points, which can then be used to upgrade a number of things (such as weapons and abilities) throughout the title. While it’s not absolutely compulsory to do so, it does make things slightly easier.

Whether players opt for Kirk or Spock, each one will have their own abilities, as Spock often makes use of Star Trek staples the Vulcan nerve pinch and mind meld, while

Review

ver the years, Star Trek has always been one of those franchises that you can rely on for some great action and a gazillion cool intergalactic toys. But as the video game adaptation proves, it’s not always the case when it comes to electronic entertainment.

The latest Star Trek title, which is released alongside the new film Into Darkness, takes place between the timeline of the two current reboots of the franchise films. But while the Star Trek universe is ever-expanding, it seems as though the design was skimped on a little bit in the one.

At the start of the title, players will have to choose if they would like to play as Capt. Kirk or Spock, which is pretty cool by anybody’s standards, but that’s where the niggles start to creep in. There is actually no difference

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Kirk takes a more direct, shooter approach.

It’s also great to see that the actual actors from the films have signed up for their likeness and voices to be used in the titles, as it just makes the game is bit more believable. With varying degrees of accurateness, the entire cast can be seen in their digital transformations.

And while the film’s actors agreed to have their voices cast in the game, it feels forced and unnatural. There are many instances where players will realise that the actors are reading from a script – which ruins the experience.

In terms of graphics, it seem almost dated, with screentearing and glitches ruining the fluidity of what could have been a good game. Graphics are the first thing that gamers notice, and if there look like they have been lifted out of a game from 2009, it doesn’t bode well for anybody.

The graphics are incredibly below par, and developer

Digital Extremes could have done a much better job at convincing the audience of the authentication of the franchise.

The gameplay also leave a lot to be desired, as it doesn’t run as smooth as it should. A number of very cheap deaths will await players, as the characters sometimes just don’t move as expected, or objects will get in the way of a clean getaway.

Star Trek has to be one of the most disappointing titles of the year so far, and while the title had a lot of potential, the nagging glitches, poor graphics and sloppy gameplay drags it down.

The title would have been fantastic if Digital Extremes adopted a RPG-like Mass Effect approach, where players fully embodied the role of Kirk or Spock, and had fight their way through a free-roam universe. g

AT A GLANCE: Action Adventure

Reviewed on:

X360

It’s rather disappointing that the Star Trek franchise has been reduced to this.

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Army of Two Local

2

Network

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2

Digital Extremes Namco Bandai Games Megarom

Parental Advisory

16+ gamecca48

2

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

51 61

Mars War Logs

Slogging Through Potential scuppered by a low budget?

by Walt Pretorius

R

the transport.

The guy telling the story is called Innocence. It’s the first of many names themed along virtues in War Logs, although Innocence is likely the only one you’ll meet that lives up to his name. Shortly after arriving at the prison, he is sent to have a sand shower (because water, y’know, and Mars…). In the wash room he is accosted by a portly gentleman who seems keen on making Innocence into his love-slave. It’s at that point that the player is introduced to the character that they will control through the course of the game: Roy. Yes, Roy. Roy is the typical quiet guy who has many secrets, and who is the biggest bad-ass in a world full of badasses. He rescues Innocence, obviously, and the tale begins.

Review

GP games set in a bleak sci-fi setting are always popular, but that popularity (translated as success in terms of making the cash back that was spent to make the game in the first place) is never guaranteed. Even, as seems to be the case with Mars War Logs, when that budget wasn’t all that high to begin with.

It is easy to spot a low-budget movie, and many of the elements that you might expect to see in one of those crop up in this futuristic role-player, set on the war-battered planet Mars. The game kicks off clumsily, with a long narrated section explaining what’s going on. But instead of showing scenes that would support the spoken words, the player is treated to multiple angles of prisoners being shipped off to a prison camp. And all of them are inside of

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Mars War Logs limps through its weak plot, relying on anecdotal information and side quests far more than it should. Instead of having a strong narrative, the game relies on side quests and disparate pieces of information relating to the setting to try and spin a tale.

Visually, the game has its moments, but it’s here (and in the almost hilariously bad voice acting) that the assumed budgetary constraints show up. It looks ok, but it lacks that extra something. The game starts off fairly strong, but soon devolves into being lacklustre… even feeling rushed.

In fact, the only area in which this often plodding game shines is in the combat. It’s mostly melee combat, and the player can customise weapons with gathered parts and scraps – always a fun idea. But the

combat can also be laughably difficult, and the player will likely spend more time having Roy dodge than hit things. So maybe shine is the wrong word. The combat is fun, but there are better ways to handle things.

When you get right down to it, Mars War Logs lacks all the elements that would make it a great game. But, and it’s a big but, it has potential. Sure, they’re not going to magically fix what’s wrong here, but future projects from the same developer may well improve.

For now, though, Mars War Logs is a good effort, but it misses too many marks. A little spit and polish, a better script and numerous tweaks would have resulted in a game that could be compared favourably to greats like Mass Effect. But those added extras just weren’t implemented, leaving Mars War Logs feeling decidedly B-grade. g

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

CRPG

Reviewed on:

PC

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Mass Effect Local

1

Network

Online

0

Spiders Focus Home Entertainment Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory

16+ gamecca48

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Mars War Logs shows lots of unrealised potential... maybe a bigger budget would have saved it?

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

55 63

Soul Sacrifice

Read the Book!

It holds all the answers…

by Rob Edwards

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will need to experience the history contained within. The book allows the player to visit periods in history to hone their skills, visiting past events to become a powerful mage. That’s the core of what Soul Sacrifice offers, and it can be great fun.

The title is typical of the Western approach to roleplaying video games, so the player will spend quite a bit of time grinding. That said, it manages to keep things in bite-sized chunks, which is perfect for the Vita platform.

While grinding, the player will run into the same enemies over and over again, and will revisit maps that have already been experienced. This really is Soul Sacrifice’s biggest problem – it can become a little repetitive.

But amid that repetition is a robust system of upgrades and tweaks that any role-playing fan will love. The game is heavily customisation driven, and the player will be

Review

hen a platform doesn’t see many game releases, that could be cause for concern.

But Sony are far from giving up on the flagging fortunes of the PS Vita. In fact, the PS4 may do quite a bit to revitalise the Vita. And games like Soul Sacrifice will do their bit, too.

Soul Sacrifice is not a perfect game, but is as close to perfect as you can get if you’re a Vita owner looking for a deep and engaging RPG experience.

The title kicks off with the player’s character trapped in a hellish prison cell, awaiting execution. The only way to get out is to follow the instructions and teachings of a sentient book, named Librom. Librom forms the core of the experience; all missions, lore and other information are contained within its pages.

In order to learn what Librom has to share, the player

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able to lose themselves in the legends and lore as they seek ways to improve their character.

In addition, the game allows the player to take on the right kind of approach for their tastes. The player is equally able to engage in up-close combat or long distance spell slinging, and various items (including spells) can be upgraded and customised.

And just because Soul Sacrifice is on a hand-help platform doesn’t mean that the player won’t be faced with a few difficult choices. Levelling up, for example, has the player choose between improving health or magical force. It’s a simple system, but one that has consequences. Using certain attacks may have consequences, too, so the player will have to not just wade through armies of enemies, but will also have to think about how they do it.

For a game this ambitious on the Vita, it is surprisingly lacking in issues. The camera can be a pain at times, and the combat all takes place on a flat plain – there is no verticality in this title. But neither of these are things that ruin what can be a truly deep and engrossing experience.

Surprisingly, Soul Sacrifice doesn’t go crazy with the Vita’s control capabilities. The player will mostly use the external buttons, with an occasional need to use the front touch screen. That’s about it. It doesn’t lessen the experience, though; rather, Soul Sacrifice feels like a game that flows smoothly, instead of one that tries to show off funky control implementations.

If you’re in to the idea of working your character towards a goal, don’t mind grinding and own a PS Vita, this is one that holds a lot of appeal. g

AT A GLANCE: CRPG

Reviewed on:

A great addition to the Vita line-up, with some really engaging elements Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Monster Hunter Local

1

Network

Online

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Japan Studio SCEE Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory

16+ gamecca48

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PSV Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

79 65

Fast & Furious: Showdown

Make it Stop Fast it’s not, furious it isn’t

by Charlie Fripp

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Review

66

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Racing

Reviewed on:

X360

This might just be one of the worst games of the year Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Driver, Wheelman Local

2

Network

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Firebrand Games Activision Megarom

Parental Advisory

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Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

here is no easy way of saying this and it’s no use in pussy-footing around the issue, so we’ll just come straight out with it: Fast & Furious: Showdown is a mess.

The title ties in with the recently-released Fast & Furious 6 film, and it’s worse than Vin Diesel’s acting.

In terms of “plot”, the game’s story ties into the events from the latest film, while also includes a number of plot points that spans the gap between the various films, most notably between the fifth and sixth film.

The title will have players do silly tricks, races and heists in short missions, which will often involve the player failing the first dozen times due to the lack of any AI or poor game mechanics. Need for Speed it is not, and it actually does an injustice to the film franchise.

Where the films are action-packed and fastpaced, Showdown is more of a frustration than anything else. It’s actually not enjoyable to complete the missions, and by the time they are done, players will actually be relieved that it’s over – instead of sitting back to relish in their roadside carnage.

The graphics are also what brings this freight train to a screeching halt. During the game, we heard a phone ring, and it was 2007 wanting their graphics engines back. Yes, it’s that bad. Poor level design, sloppy graphics and a collision system that on works on paper makes Showdown a bit of a stuck-in-the-mud.

But one the upside, the stale and repetitive dialogue might not be enough to keep away some die-hard Fast & Furious fans. If they enjoyed the franchise and characters, this might be entertaining for a Sunday afternoon. g

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

35

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Wonderbook: Diggs Nightcrawler

Bookworm Investigations Getting kids looking for clues

by Walt Pretorius

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is not challenging at all but, when considering the target market, that’s just fine. After all, all things Wonderbook are hardly aimed at a hard-core, gore-fan market.

What makes this game so enthralling for youngsters is the whole degree of involvement that they get from it. At the core of the experience is the book itself. Using the PS Eye camera and a move controller in conjuction, the player will need to access various pages of the Wonderbook. The Eye picks up the code blocks on the pages, and turns the book into an augmented reality adventure, featuring the player in the visuals too.

Basically, the book becomes a pop-up book, with various scenes rising up out of the pages. The player then directs Diggd around the scene, helping him investigate. The book even needs to be rotated, from time to time, creating the idea of a 3D realm held within its pages.

Review

ony’s Wonderbook is an extremely smart idea. It appeals to a younger market, true, but parents around the world are discovering that the simple idea is not just great entertainment for their youngsters, but also holds potential for engaging educational activities.

Whether the second Wonderbook release is educational or not is debatable. Diggs Nightcrawler is a story about a worm – a book worm, no less – that is also a detective. During the sadly short course of the story, which weighs in at maybe five hours, the player will help Diggs solve a mystery.

Diggs Nightcrawler is extremely family friendly, and is resplendent with film noir quirks and ideas. Shadowy scenes with a single street light and all that kind of thing. The story is very easy to follow and the game

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The presentation here is great. Youngsters will undoubtedly love the main character, as well as the fairly complex environments unlocked by the book’s pages.

And there is the added benefit that the game is actually stimulating. We’re not talking world-class, Agatha Christie style investigations here –rather, the player will be able to work their way through clues and hints, helping Diggs get to the bottom of the mystery.

Diggs Nightcrawler is an extremely worthwhile Wonderbook title. It shows a high level of inventiveness and is nothing if not unique. The high degree of interaction that the player has with the game, thanks to their ‘direct’ involvement with Diggs and his environment, helps draw youngsters in to the idea… and the thrill of seeing themselves on-screen, particularly when they are younger youngsters (for want of a better term) can be very

endearing.

And, let’s be honest, it’s the kind of thing we want our kids playing. With the on-going concern over violent video games still raging, parents can rest assured that Diggs Nightcrawler is the kind of digital entertainment they want their kids to be experiencing. It’s charming, entertaining, engrossing and amusing, with just the right kind of challenge and time span to keep kids enthralled.

It doesn’t offer a lot of replay value, though, which is its biggest downfall. However kids can rewatch the same episode of their favourite TV show over and over again, so it wouldn’t be surprising if parents find their offspring reliving the adventures of this investigative bookworm several times. It’s a good way to keep the kids busy! g

AT A GLANCE: Adventure

Reviewed on:

A great treat for kids, full of fun, interaction and pop-up environments.

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Wonderbook: Book of Spells Local

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Network

Online

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SCEE SCEE Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory

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Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PS3 Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

79 69

Carmageddon

Mobile Carnage Accept no imitations: Carmageddon has gone mobile.

by James Francis

Review

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70

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Driving

Reviewed on:

A faithful remake marred only by a lack of multiplayer.

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Flatout, Twisted Metal and Destruction Derby.

Local 00

Network 00

Stainless Games Stainless Games Google Play Store

Parental Advisory

16+

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Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

AND Platforms

entlemen, start your engines! No, that is sexist. In the future there is no discrimination towards gender or race.

Everyone is equal. But some are more equal than others - namely those who can afford vehicles and decide to plow through pedestrians. If you consider yourself a gaming aficionado, you have heard of Carmageddon. If not, then sorry: you are still a hopeless poser who just likes bragging about your gamer score.

The marvelous murder simulator has finally re-emerged on Android and iOs, thanks to a Kickstarter campaign to fund the port. And a port it is: this is vanilla-Carmageddon, completely with all the original tracks - even the Fear Factory ones. It controls through on-screen buttons, which work very well. The same can’t be said of the tilt-controls these feel like the camera is mounted on jelly.

It also still works the same: win by finishing the race or destroying all opponents. You can also attempt to kill all the pedestrians, but this is nearly impossible. Still, mowing them down grants you time and cash, so there will be plenty of blood on the pavement. Little has changed: your opponents still ignore the race, preferring to hammer you instead.

The cops are still a pain in the ass. And donuts on a crowded beach are still fun. One major omission is multiplayer, which fans hope will be patched in.

Carmageddon was so much more fun with friends...

But the price really soothes over any annoyances: Carmageddon is very cheap and a real dose of nostalgia. It is hard to say how new players will respond to it - if you wasted half your Nineties playing this game, all those memories will come rushing back. But keep this in mind: Carmageddon is not about racing. The cars are supposed to roll easily. And nobody has ever been able to control Vlad’s hot rod. g

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

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a copy of of Ashes Cricket 2013 Courtesy of Apex Interactive TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us which cricket teams traditionally compete for the Ashes.

Tell us which platform you would prefer (PC, PS3 or Xbox 360) Insert Ashes in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gamecca.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page Competition closes 30 June 2013. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only.

Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC and Apex Interactive. The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •

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

WIN

Back on the Wagon Ramjet’s Rantality

by Ramjet

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t never ceases to amaze me; people are very quick to leap on the first passing bandwagon they come across, and expound their views based on vague statements and halfrevealed facts. Take, for example, the whole Xbox One thing. I sat through the presentation and, yes, I wasn’t all that happy with what I saw. I didn’t like the fact that Microsoft seemed to want to talk about everything but games. I didn’t care for many of the new ideas that the Xbox One will bring in, including this whole “complete entertainment system” thing. It’s a game console, after all – that’s where its pedigree lies. I certainly didn’t like what Microsoft have been saying about their DRM measures, and

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the amount of time that the Xbox One will need to be connected to the internet.

But at this point, even Microsoft don’t have the hard-and-fast answers we need to make up our minds properly. That was what I was most unimpressed with – the lack of specific detail. The whole thing was vague. So, too, was the PS4 announcement, for that matter. It’s almost like the two console giants are giving hints at what they are planning while they square off. And that leaves the consumers at a disadvantage. We’ll know more after E3, sure, but still – making half-assed announcements isn’t a great strategy, unless you’re waiting to see what the other guy does.

What’s really getting

my goat about this whole console debate is that there is so little to debate. And yet, people have made massive assumptions based on vague notions. For example, the DRM thing.

Several interviews with Microsoft high-ups have ended with answers like “um, yeah, we think it might work like this, but we’re not too sure, so, yeah, maybe, maybe not…”

Those aren’t the kinds of answers we want, sure.

We want facts. But the facts aren’t there to be had yet. Maybe Microsoft are scampering about, trying to figure out how to turn some of the hints they dropped from becoming full-blown disasters. Maybe they just don’t know. Whatever the case may be, until there are final, solid details, no-

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one can really make any form of realistic, accurate judgement. Saying the Xbox One will be crap is a little bit of a stretch at this point in time.

So, if you want to criticise stuff, criticise the fact that they haven’t told us enough. Complain about the way that they tried to entice us with morsels of information, rather than giving us a better picture of what the situation will be. Complain about the fact that those morsels weren’t all that appetising. But don’t, for the love of Gaming, decide that something is going to be nasty based on facts that even the makers of that product don’t know yet. That’s knee-jerk, reactionary stuff. And it’s stupid. g

a Razer Spectre Mouse & Marauder Keyboard Bundle!

Courtesy of Razer TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us which game these devices were designed for Insert Razer in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gamecca.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page Competition closes 30 June 2013. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only.

Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC, Razer and Lime Envelope. The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •

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

WIN

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his game made the shooter genre 3D, put deathmatch on steroids and its content creation tools spawned Half-Life and Team Fortress.

And it had Cthulhu monsters, rocket jumps and a NIN soundtrack. Ladies and Gentlemen: Quake.

A Year in Games

he last of the grea 2D shooters, Duke Nukem 3D was awesome, had strippers and gave you a jetpack. The pistol was also insanely accurate and Duke was the coolest guy around, mainly because he stole his one-liners from Bruce Campbell and Roddy Piper...

id Metal Slug have a plot? It’s hard to even distinguish the many iterations of this sidescrolling shooter. The incredible sprite art had something to do with that, plus the fact that your firepower caused more damage than Vin Diesel doing donuts in a china shop.

o think: in three years’ time, Lara Croft will be a full 20 game years old. 1996 was the year the world first saw Tomb Raider. Not only did it ignite all kinds of conversations about sexy curves and a myth about a nude version, but it put the PlayStation’s 3D into play and helped make that console a monster.

A YEAR IN GAMING

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e add Simcopter here, if only to lament how little traction it got. As part of the first great Sim Title Gold Rush, it let you fly around a city, doing helicopter-related missions. You could also fly in your own (sim) cities. They should really consider a remake for Sim City 5...

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kay, it inspired a series of increasingly-awful movies - though the first one wasn’t bad. But the series became strange and convoluted long before that. Still, though Alone In The Dark created survival horror, Resident Evil turned it into a whole new sub-genre.

If you liked Dead Space, you should send it a card.

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eal time strategy takes itself WAY too seriously.

But not Command & Conquer: Red Alert. If there was ever a response to what war is good for, it’s cold war era sci-fi weapons like Tesla coils, teleportation and names like the Mammoth Tank. The silly cutscenes also came standard.

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hen a bunch of country folk have the unfortunate luck of a portal to hell opening nearby, they created a small cottage industry of warriors raiding the various levels, all after the head of Diablo. The sequel completely overshadowed it, but this is where the Action RPG world first got started.

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Razer Tiamat Elite 7.1 Surround Sound Analog Gaming Headset Review

The Po Mor e

O O

ne of the things that modern entertainment brings us is surround sound. It has proven extremely effective in helping create suspension of disbelief, and proves particularly effective in creating immersion and engagement in video games, the most interactive form of entertainment. So it’s hardly a surprise that ensuring effective audio solutions are available to players of video and PC games is quite a high priority to a number of manufacturers – particularly when we have the ability to create the illusion of surround sound with personal audio devices.

That really is just a long winded way of saying that companies like Razer are going all out to create devices like the Tiamat 7.1 Gaming Headset.

The Tiamat offers the user not only a great audio experience, but striking looks as well. The angular ear cups are fitted with clear sections on their outer sides, allowing the ten audio drivers that the system uses to be visible. The overall look is quite chunky, making it appear that this headset is heavier than it actually is. And, as to be expected, Razer has gone with the contrasting black and green finish that marks so many of their products.

The left ear cup also houses a retractable mic arm, which feature a funky folding design, but is rather short.

Audio is supplied by ten drivers, as mentioned before. These are obviously divided into five per ear cup, and are comprised of a 40mm subwoofer, two 30mm drivers for centre and front sides, and two 20mm drivers for rear and side surround. The end result is rather thrilling, if surround sound is what you’re after.

Audio is delivered to the headset by way of a cable, which passes through a large in-line volume controller. This controller allows for volume adjustment on each of the various channels, as well as changing modes between stereo and surround audio, muting the mic and switching between speaker and headset. It’s a large control, which allows for fine tuning of audio, but does take up a little desk top real estate.

Because it is an analogue system, it interfaces with your PC by way of several 3.5mm jacks, and also requires a free USB port for power. That’s quite a potential cable snarl, but the long braided cable and general layout of the plugs will help mitigate too much mess.

In terms of comfort, the Tiamat is great. The ear pads are generous, and fit over the user’s ear. The headband also has generous padding, which is segmented to allow for even greater comfort.

Razer display a keen understanding of what gamers require yet again with the Tiamat. It certainly is not the cheapest of headset solutions, but the performance is well worth the expense. g

fo

o m r

udi a re

ower of Ten

ence… io excell

by Walt Pretorius

Summary

Tech Specs:

The Tiamat 7.1 Headset sets new standards for surround sound in the personal audio space.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Great sound Precision audio adjustment

10 drivers Independent channel volume 7.1 surround sound Retractable mic Analogue connection

Ra zer Corex www.c orex.xo.za A pprox R2 000

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Short mic arm

Score

95 77

The Smaller P

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Asus CirectCU Mini GeForce GTX 670 Review

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e?

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hen on thinks of graphics cards, the mind immediately leaps to rather large devices that need to be fitted into your PC case, resplendent with fans and heat sinks. But not all PC cases are the same, and not all PCs are used for the same purposes. Last month we looked at an Asus motherboard for discreet multimedia machines (built into smaller cases, of course) and now we have the perfect graphics card to go along with it.

Also from Asus, the DirectCU Mini GeForce GTX 670 packs a reasonable punch. But what’s more impressive about this particular card is that it is built to be used with ITX cases. It’s just 17mm in length, which is a lot shorter than the majority of graphics cards out there. And it opens up a whole new avenue for smaller PCs – gaming. Not that they can’t do it with on-board solutions provided by ITX motherboards, but with this device plugged in, the prospect is much more enticing and do-able.

In addition to the GTX 670 chipset, this diminutive graphics card sports 2GB of GDDR5 video memory.

That’s pretty impressive when you consider that ‘full size’ graphics cards don’t always offer that much.

With less space for fans and heat sinks, cooling is obviously an issue when it comes to this card.

But thanks to a unique fan design, a surprisingly generous heat sink and the DirectCU technology that Asus uses (now including a custom vapour chamber) the device manages to run a lot cooler than reference models.

The specially designed PCB means that the unit is also cooler from the get-go, and is more power efficient than some other cards available on the market. And it’s also quieter, which once again ties into the idea of a ‘discreet’ computer box.

Another surprise lies in the number of ports that the card sports. It has a DisplayPort, as well as an HDMI output and two DVI ports. But that’s because, while the card is shorter in length, it still has the expected height of a graphics card.

An issue that this particular card faces is that it is built to be used with a form factor that isn’t very common. It is designed for ITX, and that’s where it’ll work. You won’t fit this properly into a more common ATX tower, so it is something of a niche device. That said, it is an important device to have around; there are people out there who are becoming more and more space conscious, and while that move may be a little slower in the South African market, the power and convenience of this card in a global sense are very welcome indeed. g

Picture

by Rob Edwards

Summary

Tech Specs:

This card is designed to be used with an ITX case and, as such, offers an excellent, discreet graphics solution.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Small Quiet Runs cool

GTX 670 chipset 2GB GDDR5 VRAM 2 x DVI ports DisplayPort HDMI port DirectCU technology

A sus A sus www.a sus.c om TB C

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

ITX only

Score

86 79

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Review

Crouching PC

ASUS Transformer AiO P1801 All-in-One PC and Tablet

Hidden Tab Asus beats back opponets...

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by Andy Taliadoros

blet

F

ormed in 1989, by four ex-Acer computer engineers, Asus has steadily grown into a dominant force in computer manufacturing and have stood by their branded slogan of “Inspiring Innovation. Persistent Perfection”.

Hailing from Taiwan, a country steeped in tradition and Chinese influence, it is no surprise that this company places great importance on the virtues of their employees and has adopted its own set, called the 5 Asus Virtues: Humility, Integrity, Diligence, Agility and Courage.

This credo, reminiscent of martial art ethics, made me think that if Asus was a form of Kung Fu it would be powerful!

Outmanoeuvring their competitors with speed (nyaaoooo, whoosshh), staggering back their opponents with powerful strikes (bash, bam, bada-bam, kapow), combination defensive blocks (doof, dunnnm, himph) and ultimately delivering the final blow (AAAeeeeeyAAA CRAK!) and walking away into the sunset a little bruised but victorious!

All to be expected with their ‘Iron Fist Shadow Dragon’ technique , hereby represented in this analogy as the ASUS Transformer AiO P1801 All-in-One PC and Tablet.

The Asus Transformer is an All-in-One desktop PC, running Windows 8 (64bit) on an 18.4 inch screen… but it’s not just a screen, it is also a tablet, running the latest generation Android software (Jelly Bean 4.1).

The PC Station contains the entirety of the desktop’s hardware and has a pivoting 30° docking port where the tablet slots in. When docked into the PC Station the tablet acts as the desktop’s display, thus forming the complete all-in-one experience.

Even though we were sceptical of the ability of the PC Station to effectively hold the tablet’s screen, we were pleasantly surprised with the solid build quality and ease of which the detachable display would slide in and out of its docking port.

The PC Station comes in three models with different processing powers and for this review we used the entry level Intel Core i3-3220 processor, running 4GB of RAM. The other two models available are the Intel Core i5-3350P and an Intel Core i7-3770 processor models, which both run 8GB DDR3 1600Mhz ram.

Hard drive space provided is ample at 1TB (up to 2TB SATA) but we would have liked to have seen at least one solid state disk drive for the Windows 8 OS. Graphically, all models run Nvidia’s GeForce GT730M 2GB chip, which handles day to day graphics beautifully, but struggles a bit when playing high end games that require large graphic processing power.

In fairness, it must be said that the Asus Transformer makes no claims at being a

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Asus ROG Tytan CG8890 Review

gaming PC, but is geared to offer a very decent PC experience with the added benefit of an Android tablet device.

The Asus Transformer comes bundled with an Asus aluminium brushed wireless keyboard and mouse combo, both of which are well designed, as would be expected from Asus.

The right side of the PC Station houses one UBB 2.0 port, which is marked for connecting the wireless keyboard and mouse using a USB dongle, and a DVD-RW slot.

On the left one finds a 3-in-1 card reader, four USB 3.0 ports, a microphone jack, a headphone jack and a Kensington lock, with another included on the tablet’s left side as well.

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The underside of the PC Station is fitted with two 3 Watt speakers and, thanks to SonicMaster’s audio technology, the sound is crisp with sufficient bass.

The rear features an ethernet port, an HDMI output port, which comes in handy if your 18.4 inch tablet is being used elsewhere or if you want to use both Windows 8 and Android 4.1 simultaneously, and finally a DC-in for the power supply.

The front of the PC Station is simple enough with a power switch on the right and the centralised docking station for the 18.4 inch tablet.

The tablet’s screen features an IPS display (In-Plane Switching) and boasts a1920x1080 LED-Backlight resolution allowing you to view full 1080p HD movies and the like.

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It also has a broad viewing angle of 178° and a capacitive 10-point multi touch surface. On the front of the screen is a built in 1.0 megapixel camera for taking pictures and recordings, and is primarily used with web based applications like Skype and other video communications.

The tablet is large, weighing in at 2.4 kg with dimensions of 466mm x 18mm x 294mm, which is not exactly portable but it does come with a handle and a kickstand where you can set it up away from the PC Station and use it to play Android games, connect to the web and check emails quickly without having to boot up to a PC. Having such a large display does take its toll on the 38Wh battery life and Asus suggests that five hours

of video playback is possible. Although the battery life is short, one must remember that the tablet’s size limits portability and hence will find itself usually being docked onto the PC Station long enough to keep a decent charge.

The right side is home to the tablets power switch, a volume control, a mini-USB 2.0 port, one Micro SD card slot reader, a 3.5mm 2-in-1 audio jack for headphone and mic and a DC-in power connector, allowing the tablet to be charged without having to be docked.

It also has a dedicated blue button which allows you to effortlessly switch between Windows 8 and Android modes when the tablet is docked. Additionally the tablet’s internal storage can be accessed within Windows 8 which appears as a mass storage device

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Review

Asus ROG Tytan CG8890

and makes it easy to transfer data between the PC and the tablet.

The tablet is also no slouch on hardware: it runs on an Nvidia Tegra 3 Quad-core CPU with 2GB DDR3 1600Mhz of ram and for storage uses 32GB eMMC Flash Storage which can be expanded using the Micro SD card reader.

Both the tablet and the PC Station use 802.11 a/b/g/n for their wireless data networking and both support dual band frequency of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. They are also able to network via Bluetooth, with the tablet running Bluetooth V3.0 EDR and the PC Station running Bluetooth V4.0.

The sound on the tablet is pumped out using two 1.5W speakers and at one point were loud enough for me to be scrambling to find the volume control.

In closing, the ASUS Transformer AiO P1801 is essentially a hybrid, composed of two independently strong devices which have a long way to go as far as assimilating into one another.

At the moment their unification is intriguing, all be it unnatural, but Asus have given us a taste of what the future holds for merging different operating systems and utilizing the value of working on a powerful desktop with the ability of portability and I for one love them for it.

Getting back to our Kung Fu analogy, bash, bamm, ba-da-bam, kapow is the sound of me fending off waves of computer geeks trying to get at the last remaining ASUS Transformer AiO P1801 box in the store.

Our Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is in fact Crouching PC, Hidden Tablet.... AAAeeeeeyAAA CRACK! g

Summary

Tech Specs:

An intriguing union of two very powerful devices.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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All-in-One Desktop PC & Tablet Runs Windows 8 & Android Solid build quality

PC Station: • Intel Core i3/i5/i7 • GeForce GT730M 2GB. • 1TB to 2TB SATA HDD Tablet : • 18.4inch screen • Tegra 3 quad-core CPU

A sus A sus www.a sus.c om TB C

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Limited graphics performance No SSD Drive Low tablet battery life

Score

90 85

If You Care...

From Space

by Christo van Gemert

R

Regular readers of this column will be glad – and perhaps relieved – to know that I’ve recovered from the ailments that beleaguered me during the creation of last month’s column.

I’m all healthy now. I’m still playing an iPhone game that has unicorns in it, but I think I’m a better person for that.

Now, it’s back to playing regular video games. A few arrived for me to play. If I may, here’s a quick rundown of how that went.

Metro Last Light: I sat through the

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opening scenes, shot my friends, and decided that I’m not in the mood for yet another game that forces me to collect weapons from the master of arms and then try them out at a shooting range. Game developers please stop foisting tutorials on us. We know how to play games.

Dead Island Riptide: I held onto this very dearly, remembering how I – against all odds – enjoyed plain old Dead Island. Then I remembered how I stopped playing that game because it sent

me to a city and became unenjoyable. In between contemplating this and the next game arriving, somebody stole the copy of Riptide off my desk.

Far Cry Blood Dragon: Technically I downloaded this on the Xbox Live Marketplace. It’s very, very good. If you can read this and you enjoy videogames, go and buy it. If you can read this and hate videogames, how the hell did you last all the way to this, the last page in the magazine?

GRID 2: I had high hopes, after

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lots of Codemasters hype. Thankfully, it’s very enjoyable. It’s not hyper realistic, but its arcade action is masked by a few clever tricks that make it feel the way you think a real racecar experience should. It’s also the first story-based racing game that hasn’t made me want to cut off my nipples with the saw blade on a Leatherman.

All in all, it’s been an average month in gaming. Check back next month when I plan to regale you with a countdown of the most terrible games from the upcoming E3.. g