Gamecca Magazine March 2013

I S S U E 4 5 / Vo l . 4 M a rc h 2 0 1 3

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

Crysis 3 Aliens: Colonial Marines Dead Space 3 Skulls of the Shogun and more...

Ultimate Hunter More Nanosuit action in Crysis 3

Space Zombies Dismembering Dead Space 3

Lara Begins

Back to the start for the First Lady of Gaming

Free Online Mag

www.gladgetmag.com Simplicity in information!

I S S U E 2 9 / Vo l . 3 March 2013

www.gladgetmag.com

In Power

Do Seasonic create the ultimate PSU?

R evi ews i ncl udi ng Samsung , Ca non, H P, Ra z e r , L o g it e c h a n d m o r e . . .

Sneakers

Samsung’s Note II ‘Phablet’ on review

Take Note

Will mobile app ads be a new avenue for cybercriminals?

Social Media just gets stronger and stronger

Inspiration Phoroshop CS6 is more than just a tool...

Free Online Mag

Inside 6 From the Editor 8 Got Mail More reader feedback.

10 10 on 10 Plot devices that need to go.

12 IDoubleDQD Back to basics 14 A Hero Reborn A new look at Lara Croft...

20 Previews 8 games on the way in...

34 The Soapbox Hackers, hackers everywhere 36 Console General The new war 38 Another CoG Find out more about the new Gears of War 46 Reviews 8 games for your consideration 66 Ramjet’s Rantality Ruining things 68 A Year in Games 2000 was full of awesome gaming 70 Hardware Some gear to help your gaming

THIS MONTH’S COVER Lara Croft is being reimagined in the new Tomb Raider. See our feature on page 14.

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82 From Space A new new kid on the block Competitions 47 Sniper: Ghosr Warrior 2

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Previews

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The Last of Us

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Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14

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Defiance

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Star Trek

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Scribblenauts Unlimited

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

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Grid 2

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Luigi’s Mansion 2

GAMECCA Vol. 3 Issue 45 March 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

Reviews

Letters: letters@gameccamag.com

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Crysis 3

Competition Entries: competitions@gameccamag.com

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Aliens: Colonial Marines

Newsletter Subscriptions: www.gameccamag.com

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Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

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Dead Space 3

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Zone of the Enders HD Collection

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

Taking fun seriously!

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Skulls of the Shogun

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Police Simulator 2

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Time Dreamer

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

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Copyright Š 1337 Media CC 2009 - 2013

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Lots Happening

by Walt Pretorius

T

From the Editor

he video game industry can be a very exciting one. But sometimes it comes across as being really disorganised. It isn’t, not really; but it does feel that way every now and then.

2013 is in full swing, and already there is a whole bunch of stuff going on.

The big news in the past month, of course, was Sony’s PlayStation 4 announcement.

It got the industry all abuzz with excitement and speculation. Rather than put rumours to rest, it spawned a whole bunch of new rumours.

This was aggravated by the fact that Sony neither had an actual PS4 on display, nor did they announce a final price. And, what’s even more amusing is that the oneupmanship between Sony and Microsoft is back, and likely to get worse. See, there was this story going around that Sony had decided to hold off on any announcements until

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Microsoft had said something about the new Xbox. And then, boom! Out of the blue, an announcement. People are speculating that Microsoft will make an announcement for their next generation hardware in April, rather than waiting until E3 in June.

If that’s the case, it seems like we could have two new consoles dropping in time for Christmas this year. And that, quite frankly, could only be interesting…

One of the things that I need to do is a lot of planning and forecasting, which has been messed with a little because of a few delays and release dates being pushed back. Suffice to say that, while March is going to be very exciting, we’re looking at a quieter start of year than we initially thought. Some big titles have seen significant slips in their release dates, for whatever reason. Still, there are new announcements

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coming out on an almost daily basis, and if that new hardware is indeed on the way for the end of 2013, we’re likely to see some really big games showing up before the next New Year celebration.

And then, of course, there is all this talk in the USA about the effects that violent video games have on children. I can only shake my head that this bugbear is yet again making an appearance. I despise the fact that people are so willing to shift blame and point fingers, rather than investigating other possibilities. Video games are an obvious scapegoat, an easy target in this whole matter. That’s why people are setting sights on them; it’s easier than finding out what other, nastier possibilities may be out there.

So, in short, we’re off to an interesting start, and we’re only two months in. Exciting stuff. g

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

When?

What’s the Score?

Hey Editor

Dear Gamecca

I have been following Gamecca for a while now, and have to say you guys are doing an awesome job, but sometimes when I think it will be out, it isn’t. Why is that?

Eddie Frankel

Hey Eddie We publish Gamecca on the first working day of each month, according to the South African calendar.

In other words, we don’t publish on weekends or public holidays, as defined by the SA government.

If you want a heads-up for when the next issue will be available, check the Gamecca website - we announce the publishing date for the following issue when we publish the new one each month.

Alternatively, you can follow us on Twitter or FaceBook - we always announce our new issues there.

Ed The Same Guys?

Dear Gamecca, Love the mag! I was curious if you guys are the same people that do NAG magazine. I first found Gamecca on the NAG disk, and I also see a lot of NAG ads in Gamecca.

I was wondering this because I have seen your name in NAG before as well. But it would seem strange for NAG to do two magazines about the same thing.

Cheers, Anthony Vieira

I was wondering about the scoring system that you use.

I like to get my son video games every now and then, and I try to choose ones that I think he will enjoy. Because of that, I look at reviews on-line.

It seems that average games get 70 out of 100! Is that correct?

Thanks, Grant Wainstein

Hey there Grant, Game scores have, over many years, crept up. What that means is that as new, better quality games are released, the average mark has climbed from 50, where it should be, to higher points... 60 or even, as you say, 70.

Keeping this in check can be rather difficult, for a number of reasons. First of all, you need to ‘reboot’ your scoring every few years or so, which means that games that came previously would have scores that would be, comparatively, too high.

Secondly, this is something that runs through all of the video game journalism industry. So if we were to try and bring our scores down, making 50 average (as it should be) we would not be aligned with what the industry is doing. Our scores would immediately come across as being several points lower than anyone else... which might raise a few eyebrows.

To be honest, I dislike any form of scoring system, because it is really a subjective thing to give something as complex as a game a score that sums it up in its entirety, as merely a number. Also, it keeps people from reading the actual reviews; they just check the score and move on!

But readers do want them, so we put them in. The best advice, though, is to actually read the words of the review.

Rely on them more and on the score less... it’s a much better way of finding the good games.

Ed

Hi Anthony Nope, we’re not the same people. Personally, I have done a lot of work with NAG in the past, and I still do some writing for them from time to time. But Gamecca is published by a different company.

Besides which, I’ve been almost everywhere...

Letters

Ed “Who’re you calling average?”

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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.

Decisions, Decisions...

Letter of the Month

Dear Editor

Do We Need More Consoles?

Just wanted to say that I am impressed with your mag and look forward to it every month.

Hi there, I was reading about the new PlayStation 4, and I got to thinking. Do we need another new console? The hardware of the PS3 is very powerful, and the games still look great. Isn’t this just a way for the companies that manufacture consoles to make more money?

I love my PS3. I don’t want to have to spend a lot of money every few years to buy a new PlayStation.

I do have a question: How do you decide which consoles to use when reviewing games? Do you have favourites?

I have noticed that you review games on all consoles and PC, but you don’t review games on all consoles that they can be played on.

Regards, Herschell November

Sincerely Adriaan Koen

Hi Herschell

Hi Adriaan The lifecycle of consoles is determined by the hardware that they have in them, as well as by the march of technology. Every few years, when more powerful hardware is available, console manufacturers will create new devices to keep up with technology trends. It is their way of keeping their products current.

A lot of this is determined by the quality of PC hardware. Because you cannot upgrade a console like you can a PC, console manufacturers need to keep their offerings current by releasing new devices. This keeps the console gaming market healthy and up to date, and allows it to compete with the PC gaming market very effectively.

As for console manufacturers trying to line their pockets by creating consoles, this isn’t the case. The truth is that the manufacturers generally suffer a loss with every console sold. Each console costs them money.

Where they make their money is from the games, which they either produce themselves, or license third-party developers and publishers to produce.

A console is only ever as powerful as its game stable. And the developers want to show off what they can do, with new, better hardware every few years. In fact, the PS3 has actually had a rather long lifecycle already. A new, more powerful machine is an exciting prospect indeed.

Yes, we review across all platforms.

Unfortunately we cannot review games on every platform they are available on - it would take a lot more time and space in the magazine. In addition, each game we get for review has a cost attached, and distributors aren’t able to flood out review samples in that way.

As for deciding which console we review on... well, sometimes we request, sometimes the distributors choose what they have available. And sometimes, of course, games are exclusive to one console or another.

Ed

Ed

Our Letter of the Month writer will be recieiving a Ferrari Race Experience Deluxe Bundle for Wii, courtesy of Apex Interactive. * Prizes for South African residents only.

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Things

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10 Plot Devices We Wish They Would Stop Using in Games 1

“I told you so!”

The player’s character is the only person in the whole Universe who gets it.

They are the only person – out of billions – who know the truth. No one else understands, and when the character tries to explain things, they don’t want to listen. And so it is up to the player’s character to go out and prove that they were right. Only them. The only person out of billions. This tends to be a sci-fi trend, really, which makes the fact that the rest of everything is so utterly daft even less feasible.

As seen in, for example, Dead Space and Mass Effect.

10 10

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2

“Only YOU can save the universe!”

Once again, your character is the only one out of billions that can actually do something about a situation. The only one. This might be a result of special abilities and training (which no one else has) or even because of events described in the first plot device listed. But, for whatever reason, only you can make a difference. Everyone else isn’t worth a wet fart.

As seen in, for example, Crysis, Dead Space and Mass Effect.

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FML

Your character really is down on their luck. They really have nothing to live for (often as a result of plot device number 1) and so they have nothing to lose (and therefore are more prone to accept things like plot device number two.)

Maybe their life went to pot after they were not believed about something, or they lost a loved one, or their job, their dog, their lunch, whatever… the truth is that these characters have a crappy life and therefore don’t mind going through hell… it’s an improvement.

As seen, for example, in Dead Space, Sleeping Dogs and DmC.

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The Badass.

OK, maybe you’re not the only one who can do a job, but when others try, they fail. Despite decades of training and careful preparation, they cannot do what your character likely just happens to be able to achieve. Stuff like this happens every day, of course, in the real world.

People walk in to top notch work positions, or crack scientific theories with no effort at all. Because they are badasses.

As seen in Mass Effect, Call of Duty, Prototype, DmC and Gears of War

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Ten on 10

Betrayed!

Ah, yes, nothing adds a little spice like a bit of betrayal, the MSG of gaming plot lines. No matter how trustworthy a companion is, how secure an organisation is, how secretive a plan is, there is always some douchebag who turns on you. For really crappy reasons too. And they always come across as the bad guy, even though your character is pretty much a mass murderer.

As seen in, for example, pretty much every video game that has a story.

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Shakespeare (or someone like that) supposedly said that there are only seven stories to tell.

Seven ideas behind plots and tales. Different window dressing in the form of characters and settings, but essentially they are, at their core, the same stories over and over again.

We thought that video games might be different. New medium and all that. But, after some thorough investigation (playing games) we have found that similar themes keep repeating themselves as plot devices. Whether Will (or whoever was right or not) we think the following plot devices are getting a little old in video game stories.

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The resurrection.

The game’s finale draws to a close, and your character lies broken, battered and bruised – not to mention thoroughly dead – in the wreckage. The credits roll. The screen fades to black.

And then there is just some hint, some slight glimmer of a suggestion that the ultimate price your character paid (in chasing plot device one and two, because of plot device three and four, despite plot device five) has just been refunded.

As seen in, for example, inFamous and Dead Space.

10 10 7

The megalomaniac.

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Super Sleuth

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Rock and a hard place...

Games really need some sensible bad guys, ones who have ambitions that don’t exceed their abilities. But no, bad guys in games always want it all. Be they people, corporations, demons, whatever. They want it all, and the only person standing in their way is you. See plot points one, two and four for clarification as to why that is the case. And their methods are never sensible, either. They want to take over the world, for example, by destroying the entire human race.

Insensible and stupid, I tell you.

As seen in, for example, Dead Space, DmC, Deus Ex and… well, any game that has a bad guy, which is pretty much all of them.

The mystery that your character has to solve has been around forever, People have been working on it for ages. Smart people, people with degrees and half of the alphabet behind their name. And they keep drawing blanks. But your character waltzes in and has an Oprah-esque “aha” moment, solving the puzzle, and possibly world hunger, in the comparative blink of an eye. Because of plot points one, two and four, yet again.

Gamers like having an effect on the outcome of their games, but the decisions that they need to make are never along the lines of “should I have a hamburger or a salad for lunch?” They’re always these earth-shattering, massive decisions that will always –always – result in someone being harmed and your character coming across as a tool to one group or another. And who’s to say that picking salad couldn’t be earth shattering… their might be a whole cosmos of micro-organisms relying on that head of lettuce.

As seen in inFamous, Mass Effect and Sleeping Dogs.

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The ancient secret

Even in the most hardened, futuristic game, the secrets behind mysteries and situations are always ancient. Really, really old. And no-one knows about them, for various reasons. Maybe they were lost in the sands of time. Maybe they were thought myths. Whatever the case may be, your character is generally the one who uncovers it, and solves it. See plot points one, two four and eight. The solution often results in a nine, too.

As seen in Mass Effect, Dead Space and lots of Tomb raider type games.

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Olympic Affair IDoubleDQD

by Sarah Snyman

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he year was 2012 and I was knee deep in decision making.

Resignation, relocation and revenge. My working days were spent in the throes of project plans, deadlines and delays. I was in possession of not one but two smart phones, each constantly beeping, ringing or vibrating. I had three laptops, a tablet, two 3G sticks and cellphone bills for days.

I was your run-of-themill workaholic, drowning in the world of digital advertising. Despite my simultaneous obsession with MMORPGs, I was a train wreck.

And then, it came into my life. This unassuming transparent plastic PS3 promo case, cold, hard and desperate. I flipped it over to reveal the same logo that was polluting every

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brand at the time. The iconic London Olympics graphic with the somewhat unfortunate resemblance to two Simpson characters. I have never been a huge fan of sport games. Despite excessive sporting achievements on a personal level, I would rather do my taxes than play FIFA. I was obviously not ecstatic about the prospect of reviewing this release; I put it off for ages. But then, after a long day and no respite, I realized I was pushing a deadline, so I slid the virginal copy into my console and sat back.

After a few difficulties with getting the timing right for my synchronized diving, I fell into a groove.

I came back to my senses two hours later, controller in hand, achievements logged and a better 50m

butterfly time than I could’ve dreamt of in high school.

I found peace in routine and rhythm. The timed tap and release on the trigger, the solo performance that acts as the pure opposite of the imposed teamwork at my agency, I was in heaven.

And now, months later, and possibly because of the local Paralympian in the news, I found myself spending more and more evenings competing for South Africa in powerlifting, athletics and the triple jump.

After thinking about it for a while, I realised what in my life sends me running back to simple gameplay. I haven’t been going to yoga. Now I know that being a gamer and practising yoga are slightly contradictory, and the idea

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of leaving a class having spent an hour meditating only to lie on my couch and scream profanities at my team mates would boggle the mind of any yogi. But it obviously supplies me with a much needed slow down time, hit the brakes, breathe, calm. We cannot just run amok in some fantasy world, obliterating enemies and building up an already overloaded adrenal gland without snapping in some way. Whether it’s a violent outburst aimed directly at your failing console or an aggressive vlog in which you berate Blizzard for their errors, it happens to the best of us. Is it a bit sad that I now find that release in a speedily produced Olympic game with shoddy graphics and glitch gameplay? No. it’s awesome. Namaste N00B! g

A

S U R V I V O R

I S

B O R N

A V A I L A B L E M A R C H 5 th

A TURNING POINT Experience Lara Croft’s intense origin story from a young woman to a hardened survivor.

ALL-NEW RAIDING EXPERIENCE Explore a mysterious island filled with environmental puzzles, visceral combat, and ancient tombs to discover.

FIGHT TO LIVE Salvage resources, gain experience, and upgrade Lara’s weapons to survive the island’s hostile inhabitants.

Tomb Raider © Square Enix Ltd. 2012. Square Enix and the Square Enix logo are registered trademarks of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. Lara Croft, Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics, and the Crystal Dynamics logo are trademarks of Square Enix Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

A Hero

A whole new Lara Cr

Feature

There is not a gamer out there who does not know who Lara Croft is. At least, no gamer who takes their hobby remotely seriously, at least. Even those who have never experienced a Tomb Raider game still recognise the First Lady of Gaming, and her fame extends beyond those who have ever played a PC or console title. Even laymen and non-gamers will recognise a cos-play representing the daring adventurer.

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Reborn

roft is on her way‌

She has become one of the most iconic video game characters, right up there with legends like Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. But unlike those others, she is a powerful influencer and symbol of strong female lead characters in video games. She has even been portrayed in film by superstar Angelina Jolie, and has had numerous well known models donning her gear for promotional purposes. gamecca45

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W

Feature

ith the release of the new Tomb Raider game, players will be afforded the opportunity to return to the start, to witness the birth of Lara Croft as a strong, intelligent and wilful adventurer.

“Forget everything you know about Tomb Raider, we are exploring things that have never been done before in this game,” said Darrell Gallagher, Head of Studio, Crystal Dynamics. “This is an origins story that creates Lara Croft and takes her on a character defining journey like no other.”

Crystal Dynamics took over the helm of Tomb Raider development in around 2006, supplanting series originators Core Design – after Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness got a rather poor reception. After the sale of Eidos, the original publishers of Tomb Raider, to Square Enix, Crystal Dynamics was retained as the Tomb Raider developer.

Now, with the first Tomb Raider release by Square Enix, they are taking an opportunity to present the player with something rather new for the franchise.

Part of the freshness is a new voice for Lara. After an extensive search, Camilla Luddington was selected to play the allimportant role.

“This has been one of the most important jobs for us to get right,” said Darrell Gallagher, “This Tomb Raider game is very different to any other and we are demanding far more from the voice and performance acting than ever before as we take the franchise in a new direction.”

British born Luddington has appeared in Grey’s Anatomy, True Blood and Californication, as has also portrayed Kate Middleton in the British TV movie, William & Kate.

Another important lady brought on board is ex-game journalist and BAFTA winning game script writer Rhianna Pratchett.

“Rhianna has been working on the game with the narrative from its early inception,” said Gallagher. “She has brought a unique perspective to the project and helped us explore the character origins of Lara Croft. There is no doubt that Rhianna has brought a depth and credibility to Lara, a heroine who will really connect with today’s gamers.” “ I grew up playing Tomb Raider, uncovering the world’s secrets and unearthing its treasures; I have lived and died as Lara Croft, but nothing comes close to the challenge of re-writing her,”

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Feature

said Pratchett. “Seldom do we get the opportunity to reimagine and reinvent a legend, so getting my narrative hands on Miss Croft was a once-in-a-life-time opportunity. It was going back to the genesis of videogame action heroines and exploring how to make such an iconic character meaningful and relatable for gamers today.”

Interestingly, the lead Tomb Raider character was not going to originally be a woman. Core Design lead graphic artist Toby Gard initially designed a male lead character, complete with a whip and a hat.

But Core Design co-founder Jeremy Smith felt that this character was an Indiana Jones derivative and, after going back to the drawing board several times, Lara Croft was born. That wasn’t her original name, either. At first she was called Lara Cruz, until it was felt that her name should be changed for something a little more “UK friendly”. And so the final character of Lara Croft was born.

But the biggest decision that would affect this iconic character was made in 2010, not long after Square Enix acquired Eidos.

The Japanese publishing giant realised the value of this well known character, but also felt that she was losing relevance to modern gamers. She was simply too tough.

It was time for a more human, more frail Lara to emerge.

“After crafting the biography, our goal was to make her as believable and relatable as possible, explained Brian Horton, senior art director at Crystal Dynamics. “We wanted to make a girl that felt familiar, but still has a special quality about her. Something about the way her eyes look and the expression on her face makes you want to care for her. That was our number one goal.

We wanted to have empathy for Lara, and at the same time show the inner strength that made clear she was going to become a hero.”

The result of this thinking and the work involved will be available in just a few days.

The combination of a good track record for the franchise (with maybe a hiccup or two along the way) and a fresh approach is sure to result in a new Tomb Raider title that is not only exciting and engaging, but is also more relevant for today’s video gaming audiences. With the power of Square Enix and the skill of Crystal Dynamics behind it, the tale of Lara’s origins will undoubtedly make for some very exciting gaming. g

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Previews Highlights 18 The Last of Us The last hope for humanity?

20 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 Take a swing!

22 Scribblenauts Unlimited Super-creativity...

Castlevania: 23 Lords of Shadow 2 Fighting evil yet again Grid 2 More track action

W

ith the announcement of Sony’s new PlayStation 4 in February, and rumours that Microsoft will be telling us all about their new Xbox next month, the world of gaming is looking very interesting for the end of this year. With a new console comes launch titles and, thanks to Sony (and possibly Microsoft) launching new consoles late this year, we will be seeing a lot of those.

In the meantime, we are starting to get ready for June, when E3 will see a whole bunch of exciting gaming announcements.

Until then, things may get a little quiet on the announcement front. But there are still some very awesome games on the way‌ particularly this month. g

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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.

www.apexactive.co.za

The Last of Us

Old Nathan Drake Lookalike Alert!

But a story that bears no similarity.

by Pippa Tshabalala

T

Survivors of the outbreak are located inside quarantine zones heavily controlled by martial law. Joel, the male protagonist in this story, promises a friend that he will get the girl Ellie out from under the control of the harsh postapocalyptic regime, and so begins a journey across America where Joel and Ellie must work together to survive.

While the fungus epidemic is the backdrop to this story, it’s surprisingly not the focus, and Naughty Dog have argued that this is not a typical zombie game. It’s a story about a “father-daughter-like relationship”, which was initially influenced by the relationship between Nathan Drake and Victor Sullivan in Uncharted, and indeed the character design likewise also carries echoes of Nathan Drake.

Preview

he Last of Us is one of those games that has been teasing us for over a year now with its gorgeous trailers, tantalising story and hints of exciting and dynamic gameplay. Currently in production by Uncharted developer Naughty Dog, The Last of Us is a PlayStation exclusive game that follows the story of two survivors, Joel and Ellie, as they trek across post-apocalyptic America. Joel is your typical anti-hero, a survivor with some very grey morals, and Ellie is a 14 year old girl, brave but with no real knowledge of the world before the apocalypse.

The story is set two decades after a cordyceps like fungus has killed millions and nature is gradually reclaiming the abandoned remnants of civilisation.

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g a m e c c a r ev i ew • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

To add to the tension and atmosphere, Naughty Dog have garnered the talents of Oscar winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla as they apparently wanted more focus on the emotion of the story than on the horror element.

Joel and Ellie must avoid contact not only with the Infected, humanoid creatures whose sole purpose is to spread the fungal infection, but with Survivors, hostiles who survive outside the quarantine zones, as well as the military who are determined to bring Ellie back under their control.

The Last of Us is a third person view action adventure game, combining the style that is so typical of Naughty Dog, with survival horror elements. You take control of Joel, and Ellie is controlled as AI. The combat system

combines both weapon and melee combat, a cover system as well as a new feature that the developers have referred to as “dynamic stealth”. This allows the player to use a variety of different strategies to complete a mission, to which enemies will react differently.

The outcome of each situation can vary, but ultimately how the story plays out all depends on the player’s gameplay preference. Naughty Dog’s new Balance of Power system also allows enemies to react realistically to any combat situation, which include taking advantage of a situation if Joel runs out of bullets, calling for help and taking cover.

This ambitious project by Naughty Dog appears to be shaping up to be one of the biggest releases this year. g

AT A GLANCE: Action Adventure, Survival Horror

Nathan Drake lookalike perhaps but this is shaping up to be an amazing new franchise for Naughty Dog. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Naughty Dog Sony Computer Entertainment Ster Kinekor

Jun 2013

Platforms

Genre:

ETA

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

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Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14

Grass on the Pitch Time to break out the driver

by Charlie Fripp

J

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Sport

If history is anything to go by, this one should be a cracker of a game.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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EA Tiburon EA Sports EA South Africa

ETA

Mar 2013

Platforms

Preview

ust as golfing legend Tiger Woods has stamped his mark on the sport over the years, just so has the golf gaming franchise that bears his name. The Tiger Woods video games have proven over the years why they are the dominant force when it comes to simulating the age-old sport, and the latest title, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14, further re-enforces that.

To be released at the end of March, the title aims to take the game to new heights with added features, new courses and an ever-expanding roster of playable golfers.

Apart from the usual modes associated with the franchise, this one will also include a Legends of the Majors mode, where gamers will be able to compete in some of the biggest tournaments from the 1930s through to the present day.

Some of the more notable changes in the game includes a customizable day/night cycle, all four Men’s major golf championships will be featured on the playing schedule, and for the first time ever, the franchise will introduce female players that are part of the LPGA and will feature tournaments such as the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

The title will still feature a caddie mode, but a number of small changes have also been made in order to streamline the experience for players. In terms of playable golfers, it will make 27 available to play on 20 courses.

No video game is perfect, but with all the changes, updated graphics and better controls, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 will definitely be a right step towards perfecting the title. Lovers of the franchise should absolutely check this one out. g

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

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‘AN ABSOLUTELY MIND-BLOWING EXPERIENCE’ THE GUARDIAN

‘ASTONISHING, AUDACIOUS, UNMISSABLE’ OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE

FROM THE MAKERS OF

THE HIGHEST RATED FIRST PERSON SHOOTER OF ALL TIME* MARCH 26TH

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*Based on metacritic average rankings across available platforms. © 2002-2013, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Developed by Irrational Games. BioShock, BioShock Infinite, BioShock Infinite: Industrial Revolution, Irrational Games, 2K Games and their respective logos are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. KINECT, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. “2”, “PlayStation”, “PS3” , “Ô and “À” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other marks are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Defiance

Change your World?

Or another empty promise

by Lein Baart

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

3rd Person MMO Shooter

The ability to alter the story of the world around is enthralling, but how this will pan out remains to be seen Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Trion Worlds Trion Worlds TBC

ETA

Apr 2013

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ovie-game tie-ins have always been a dodgy venture at best. It’s for good reason that games based on film franchises are viewed with a great deal of scepticism by the general gaming populace, as history has shown time and again that these titles generally offer something far less than subpar (I’m being very polite here).

Defiance is looking to reverse this trend however. Set in the same world as the sci-fi series that the game is launching with, Defiance will be a 3rd-person MMO shooter set on an earth that has been utterly ravaged by rogue terraforming technology due to a war between humanity and several alien species collectively known as Votans.

Despite the seemingly cliché setting, Defiance looks genuinely intriguing, in part due to a solidly developed backstory, and the notion of humans and aliens learning to live alongside each other in a world turned completely hostile.

Developed by Trion Worlds, developers of Rift, players will join as ark hunters in the employ of powerful business magnate Karl Von Bach. The game will be multi-platform, and will feature several mechanics such as a dynamic events system, as well as the obligatory special powers, this time in the guise of an EGO, which essentially boils down to artificial genetic manipulation.

Defiance looks to set itself apart from any game that has come before though. In a move that may revolutionize how the various entertainment industries interact, the developers are claiming that the show will impact the game, and likewise, players will be given “the chance to change the show”. Trion Worlds, however, is being extremely vague as to how exactly this will work, and healthy dose of caution is advised. g

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Star Trek

Star Trekking Bridging the galaxy gap

by Charlie Fripp

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AT A GLANCE: Shooter

Playing as Kirk and Spock, the game should be a lot of fun Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Digital Extremes Namco Bandai Games Megarom

Apr 2012

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Preview

tar Trek gripped the hearts and minds of sci-fi lover the world over when it first aired on television in 1966. Since then, the franchise has created an almost cult-like following, with conventions, films and public gatherings.

Fast-forward a good number of years, and the series saw a small revival as original characters of the films became immortalised in modern cinema with the release of the film Star Trek in 2009. The next film, Star Trek Into Darkness, is set for release later this year, and as with anything remotely popular, a video game will accompany the release.

Simply titled Star Trek, the video game is scheduled for release a month before Into Darkness comes out, and will focus on the main characters of Captain Kirk and Spock.

While the game will focus on a single-player campaign, it will also include a drop-in co-op mode which will allow two people to complete the story line while playing as Kirk and Spock respectively. The mechanic is similar to that of Army of Two or Splinter Cell.

Naturally each character will have different sets of strengths and weaknesses, and different weapons which gamers will be able to upgrade by gathering experience points. Spock makes use of stealth techniques such as the famous Vulcan nerve pinch and mind meld, while Kirk is a more gung-ho type of soldier while firing off his trusty phaser.

While the game features the likeness and characters of the modern Star Trek films, the plot will take place between 2009’s Star Trek and Into Darkness – bridging the gap between films. The game is sure to be a treat for any Star Trek fan. g

Scribblenauts Unlimited

Outside the Box Puzzle solving that will get your creativity flowing.

by Nthato Morakabi

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

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TBC

Adventure

Let imagination take charge in Scribblenauts Unlimited and help Maxwell solve a series of challenges leading to the Starite, with the magic of sketches.

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magination is key in the fun-filled sketch based game Scribblenauts Unlimited, soon to be available in glorious HD on the new Nintendo WiiU console. Scribblenauts lets players get their creative juices flowing, as they create an assortment of doodles and sketches and watch them come to life like Frankenstein’s monster. Players will be able to seamlessly roam through the open world of Scribblenauts and help protagonist Maxwell, solve a series of puzzles to help him reach the Starite.

This WiiU edition will, for the first time in the series, give you a back-story about the square faced youth, Maxwell, and his family of 41 siblings. The back story also includes insight as to how Maxwell got his magical notepad that allows him to create the fantastical creatures that the notepad then brings to life.

The key feature of Scribblenauts is the Object Creator. This nifty drawing board is the magic behind the game which allows players to create their own original objects. The amount of customization that a player has is astounding and the player can literally create anything they can think of...yes anything. Players are able to assign a variety of unique properties to their creations such as sound, weight and how their creations react to certain conditions to name a few.

Players will also be able to share their creations online and other players can either use these creations in game or modify them for their own use. Friends or family can join in using a Wii remote, taking control of any created object in game for some local play.

In short, Scribblenauts Unlimited is a funtastic game that is sure to bring the creative genius out of players. g

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AVAILABLE AT ALL LEADING RETAIL STORES Distributed Exclusively by Apex Interactive - Tel: (011) 796 5040 www.apexinteractive.co.za Email: sales@apexint.co.za All rights and trademarks and logos are copyright of the respective owners.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

Dracula Returns He who fights monsters beware lest he becomes one himself.

by Nthato Morakabi

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Action Adventure

The climatic conclusion to the Lords of Shadow saga in which Gabriel Belmont seeks to break from his curse as the Prince of Darkness Dracula.

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abriel Belmont has indeed proven himself to be a warrior of pure heart; one who claimed the power of the Lord’s of Shadow and destroyed the darkness that threatened the world. His task was to unite the Heavens with the world again, and with the prospect of bringing his beloved Marie back from the dead, Gabriel undertook this arduous journey. Traversing through the lands corrupted in darkness, Gabriel faced and defeated hordes of heinous monstrosities, coming face to face with the Lords of Shadows and uncovering a truth that shook his faith in The Brotherhood of Light. His journey’s end pit him against the vilest of creatures, Satan himself, and yet even in his victory, Gabriel himself descended into the darkness. His beloved Marie couldn’t be returned to him and immortality bound him to his fate. Gabriel Belmont’s descent has turned him into the Prince of Darkness and evil looms over the earth again; Dracula has returned.

The origin of Dracula and his longstanding history with the Belmont family, is revealed in this climatic conclusion to the Lords of Shadow saga. Players take on the role of the weak and powerless Gabriel Belmont who has become the famous Dracula. Yearning to be set free from the chains that bind him to immortality, and seeking to reacquire his old powers, players return to Dracula’s castle for therein lies the key to Gabriel’s salvation. In the midst of this, the Belmont clan has risen against him, seeking to rid the world of the evil that is Dracula.

Players can expect new challenges, game mechanics and many twists in this upcoming sequel that seeks to recapture the classic tale that is Castlevania. g

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Grid 2

The Long Wait Is Over Will Grid 2 live up to its own legacy?

by Lein Baart

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AT A GLANCE: Racing

There are high expectations for Grid 2, and so far Codemasters look likely to meet them Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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story in a racing game is generally the same as a plot in a porn: utterly useless and detracts from the action.

That’s not to say that games haven’t managed to pull it off in the past, Need for Speed: Most Wanted comes to mind, they’re just very few and far between.

Codemasters isn’t particularly known for their ability to produce riveting narratives, but with Grid 2 they’re once again taking a shot at making a game that is about more than just how precisely you can twitch an analogue stick. The plot will have you play as an upcoming driver employed by Patrick Callahan to promote the fledgling World Series of Racing, an amalgam of various racing disciplines across the world.

What this translates into is an excuse for you to visit various destinations across the globe, racing against local clubs who each with their own preferred race type and top racer. There’s scant info on exactly what licenced material will make it into the game, but Codemasters has shown they are perfectly adept at creating their own tracks and vehicles, and Grid 2 should be no exception The sequel to the stunning Race Driver: Grid, Grid 2 is looking to improve on the already impressive foundations laid down by its forerunner. Flashback, the ability to rewind the action, is expected to make a return, along with a new feature labelled TrueFeel, a system designed to supposedly find the perfect balance between arcade and simulation driving. Finally, as expected, the screenshots and trailers are jaw-dropping, rendered in gorgeous detail by the vastly improved EGO 3.0 engine. For racing fans, this is not a game you’re likely going to miss. g

Luigi’s Mansion 2

Who you gonna call? a’Luigi! It’s his time in the spotlight.

by Nthato Morakabi

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Action Adventure

Luigi sneaks his way through haunted mansions, catching ghosts and solving complex puzzles in this 3DS exclusive.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Next Level Games Nintendo Core Group

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Mar 2013

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host Busters meets Mario...er, Luigi... in this upcoming sequel of a rather successful Nintendo title that was last released on the Nintendo Game Cube. Twelve years after the original game was released and two years after the sequel was mentioned at the 2011 E3, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon, is finally ready for release and yet only tiny fragments of info on the game have dribbled out of the Nintendo castle.

Like its predecessor, the game focuses on the other Mario brother, Luigi and his adventures exploring various ghost infested mansions. While fumbling his way through the mansions, Luigi has to vacuum the ethereal apparitions that appear as well as solve a series of mind-boggling puzzles.

With the help of Professor E. Gadd, Luigi gets an assortment of gadgets such as the upgraded ghost catching Poltergust 5000 vacuum, to help him rid the mansions’ of their ghosts and save the day.

The game features both online and local multiplayer with the local multiplayer game mode supporting up to four players. The players are thrust into a mansion of choice and together must rid it of its ghoulish inhabitants while trying to best each other with the number of ghosts sucked up and coins collected.

This Nintendo 3DS exclusive will have players traversing various scenes from a fancy mansion to an Egyptian catacomb, sucking up ghosts, collecting coins, dodging haunted suits of armour, solving complex puzzles and facing the sinister boss ghosts for each level. With all the hype that Nintendo is building around this title by leaking bits of information, and with all the Luigi’s Mansion fans biting their teeth in anticipation, we can only wait and see if this will indeed be a 3DS title of worthy note. g

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AVAILABLE AT THESE LEADING RETAIL STORES Distributed Exclusively by Apex Interactive - Tel: (011) 796 5040 www.apexinteractive.co.za Email: sales@apexint.co.za All rights and trademarks and logos are copyright of the respective owners.

Hack the Planet The Soapbox

by Suvesh Arumugam

A

s someone who has a special love for IT and computing, I’ve never been a fan of hacking movies.

Although I generally love the ideas, I just can’t bear the sloppy research that is invariably done to carry the technical sections of the dialogue. Whether it’s the talking computer in Wargames, the ridiculous jargon in Swordfish or that unforgettable moment in Jurassic Park when a 10 year old girl exclaims “This is Unix! I know this”. Or the classic hacker trick that every blued eyed movie star knows which is to type “Override” to disable all security systems (without a password nogal!).

So what is a hacker? Is it some elusive super-nerd living permanently in his mother’s basement (at aged 46), kitted out with a pocket protector and a small server farm? Well, maybe. But chances are, you’ve done some hacking

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in your life. Ever guessed a parent or sibling’s password to get into their PC, or guess the numeric code for your mate’s smartphone by trying his birthday or lucky lotto numbers? That’s pretty much hacking, now just add layers of complexity to both the codes and passwords being cracked and the methods and algorithms used to guess the right combinations, and you’ve pretty much got the idea.

And the truth is there are very real, very serious hackers out there. Not too long ago, Sony and PlayStation network were crippled by cyber-attacks that targeted user’s credit card data. Although the folks at Sony managed to crisis-manage quite effectively, the shock was pretty severe. Just 6 months later, the hacker group Anonymous crashed US Justice department servers in protest to the takedown of MegaUpload.

In very recent news, both Facebook and Apple have been hacked, and the latest evidence seems to point to the same culprit or group of culprits. Apple released a statement claiming that a vulnerability in Java versions 7 through 10 was responsible for the lapse in security. Even though Oracle has since put out a security patch, many feel that there are still risks, and the US Department of Homeland Security has warned that disabling Java completely is the only option to be sure.

This is a little worrying when we think about the number of people who will most likely be investing in new consoles, with new operating systems that are internet and e-commerce ready, with untried and untested internet security, plug-ins and apps. Of course a major suspicion when it comes to social media hacking is China.

With their stranglehold

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on the internet and social media (China banned Twitter and established their own platform called Weibo), there have been several accusations that Chinese military intelligence is trying to hack Facebook and Twitter to track dissidents domestically and in exile overseas.

And with game consoles moving closer towards social media integration, it’s only a matter of time before gaming networks they become soft targets as hubs of user data. China of course denies this. While the majority of hacking today is less malicious to the individual, focussed mainly on digital footprint tracking, data mining and gathering details to sell to big corporates – the other kind is still very real. With more of our personal details and vital information being stored on multiple devices and consoles, it definitely something worth being paranoid about. g

Open Conflict...

Console General

by Montgommery Paton

A

nd so, after much anticipation, Sony has revealed their new entrant into the console market, originally called the PS4. That’s not really a surprise, now is it? Although, I must add to that that I really doubt Microsoft will be calling their next machine the 720, and I wish people would stop going round in circles with that name (please tell me you got that.)

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Bu this time you have probably ready all the news and specs. You know it will be running a massive processor and a whopping 8GB of RAM, and a whole bunch more. You know that the controller has a touch-thingy and all that.

And you might also know that the console will not be backwards compatible. Yes,

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that’s right… you won’t be playing your PS3 games on your brand-spanking-new PS4 at the end of this year.

Lots of details, lot of news. And, of course, Microsoft has had to sit up and pay attention. Sure, the US giant knew there was an announcement coming, but now they know pretty much exactly what they are up against.

The question is exactly how Microsoft will respond to Sony’s almostsurprise timing of the announcement. Word was that Sony was going to wait to see what Microsoft was up to, after all. The new word, though, is that Microsoft will be dropping some big news in April. And that news, most people agree, will likely be an announcement for the new Xbox.

If that is the case, it looks

like Microsoft might be trying to get their console to market in time for the end of year spending spree.

And if that happens, well, things will get kind of interesting. See, Sony and Microsoft have waged a kind of clod war throughout the current generation’s lifespan. They have sniped at each other, nothing more. This all started, probably, because the Xbox 360 beat the PS3 to market by around a year. Now, though, if both consoles appear at the end of 2013, there won’t be anything cold about the new console war. It will be the first time that these two giants face off against each other quite so directly and, with the man in the street likely to have a bit less to spend on luxuries than they like, the gloves are certainly going to come off.

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Am I speculating here?

Sure. I am guessing that both consoles will hit the market at roughly the same time. There are indicators that show this might be the case, unless Microsoft relents and puts more development time in, leaving the release off for another year. But I do not think that speculating an all-out battle in the media to win the hearts and minds of console gamers is far-fetched, should the releases coincide with each other. After all, if the track record is anything to go by, they’re not shy about taking shots at the competition.

We’ll know sometime next month, it seems.

Personally, I hope that both are released at the same time. It will be like watching the marketing version of a slasher movie. g

y o u

a r e

t h e

s w a r m

12.03.13 s ta r c r a f t 2 . c o m Š 2013 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. Heart of the Swarm is a trademark, and StarCraft and Blizzard Entertainment are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks referenced herein are the properties of their respective owners.

ÂŽ

Anothe

Exploring the world of modern

Interview

It really is no surprise that a new Gears of War game is on the way; this franchise has been a flagship for the Xbox 360 for as long as the console has been around, and fans just cannot get enough of its unique style and approach.

We had the opportunity to pose some questions to developers Epic about the upcoming title‌ this is what they had to say.

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er CoG

n snipers‌ for the second time.

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Q. We are seeing a number of prequels and reboots released these days.

What prompted the decision to create a prequel for the Gears of War franchise?

A. It was natural for us to go back so far in the timeline prior to the original Gears of War. We already had explored the timelines of the first three Gears titles, so we just wanted to go someplace different.

Earlier made a lot more sense than later, but one of the most noticeable things that it allowed us to do was show the planet in a much different state.

It allowed us to convey different emotions. The first three titles were all visually based around a theme of Destroyed Beauty. You saw everything just ravaged and war torn, now that the conflict is so fresh it feels much more alive.

There is a feeling of life, people living and moving around the city when all of a sudden that sense of security was ripped away because of the Locust invasion. You will see this throughout the game, places where suitcases are strewn around as people didn’t have time to grab them in the midst of a rapid evacuation. Buildings

are still burning and crumbling down, the battle rages throughout the city. It is a really interesting visual and emotional change for the series.

Q. As far as the single player campaign goes, Marcus Fenix was a very popular character. Was it a difficult decision to shift focus to a new main character?

A. We ended up focusing on Baird as the main character pretty easily. For us, he is a really interesting character who never got his moment in the sun.

We obviously explored Marcus and Dom, Cole even got a moment in Gears of War 3 with his own mission. But players did not know a lot about Baird. We then also received some survey data that showed Baird is actually the most popular character in the series. After every game release, Microsoft puts out a customer satisfaction survey and they did one for Gears 3. One of the questions was “Who is your favourite character?�

You had a choice between everyone who was in Delta Squad, as well as some other supporting characters and Baird was number 1.

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Marcus was like four or five. So when we settled on going to a prequel, we knew Baird had this interesting backstory.

After that, we were set on using Baird as the main driver for the story, telling his story on how he was once an officer and what happened in his life to set him back to being a Private in the army.

Fans will notice a slightly different Baird. He is still the wisecracker that everyone loves, but as an officer, he is just a little bit more serious sometimes too. The writers did a great job of making some subtle changes so we could be sure that he was interesting enough to carry the story on his shoulders, yet not to change him too much so that he would not be recognizable to our fans.

Q. How will the campaign be different compared to the previous three?

A. It really has been streamlined and plays a lot more intense. We really wanted to get back to our roots and focus on core gameplay rather than elaborate storytelling. We still tell a story, but we rely a bit more on the player and the events of the game

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to convey that story rather than creating two hours’ worth of movies that play throughout the game. We didn’t want to turn focus on a million different things, instead we wanted to make a really intense experience, one that will challenge gamers, make them think a bit about the best way to progress through the game. We built some new gameplay systems to support that. We have introduced a little bit of Horde Mode into the Campaign too with sections that are built to be defensive scenarios.

All of that was crafted to give gamers an intense, challenging game and something to make your palms sweat a bit as you play.

Q. How important is multiplayer to the new title?

A. At its core, Gears has always been a game about co-operative gameplay. You rely on your squad mates in the campaign, and your teammates in multiplayer. And with Judgment’s new Overrun game mode, cooperation is even more important as the entire gametype is built around class based systems.

Everyone (on both the COG and Locust teams) will need to work together and find the right combinations of weapons and abilities to tackle the unique situations that evolve through the course of the game and from session to session. Our goals were to simplify things and make them fast paced.

Interview

Q. Can you give us a little insight into the new Mission Declassification system?

A. That came about as a way for us to add replayability. We wanted people to be able to go “Oh, I played through this one this way, how can I play through it a little bit differently?”

We actually tried several different things and settled on this as being the most fun. You can try it with different weapons, environmental conditions and time

limits – just different variances that make it a little bit more challenging for you.

The important thing is, it’s your choice. You don’t have to do it if you don’t think it sounds like fun. However, if you want that extra challenge then go for it and we’ll even give you some benefits for doing so, you’ll earn stars faster which in-turn unlocks stuff.

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Q6. Can you elaborate on the OverRun multiplayer mode?

A6. OverRun is brand new to Gears. It started off with us saying “how do we make a Horde vs. Beast mode?” That was something the fans wanted in Gears of War 3 and something that we would have loved to have done, we just didn’t have the resources at the time.

Judgment gave us the opportunity to explore it.

In OverRun, you have two teams that compete against each other. You start out with one team playing as the human COG, and one playing as the Locust. The COG’s goal is to defend a series of objectives, each time they lose an objective, they fall back to defend the next one.

The Locust role is to attack those objectives and destroy them as quickly as possible.

Once the Locust have destroyed all three objectives, they switch sides and do it all over again. The team that destroys the objectives the fastest wins the match.

We’ve added in some additional layers of depth; the COG side is all class-based. You have an Engineer who repairs and deploys

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sentries, a Soldier who can feed ammo to teammates, a Medic who can heal, and a Scout who can deploy a becon that spots the enemies for their team.

Each one of these classes has a unique setup and ability to use against the Locust.

When you are on the Locust side, there are eight different Locust to choose from, each one with their own unique abilities. All the way from the Ticker, who is the size of a medium dog, up to a massive Corpser. It takes a lot of teamwork to figure out the right combinations of COG and Locust to take into battle. It sounds really simple, but ends up with a ton of depth and it’s definitely a ton of fun to play.

Q. Adding a competitive, class based multiplayer system is a first for the franchise. What kind of impact do you think this will have on the game?

A. Classically, Gears has always been a team-based game and we always liked that aspect of it. You can get tied to doing certain things when you’re dealing with a trilogy, like certain ideals and you want to stay true

to that. When Gears 3 was over, we wanted to do something new with Gears Judgment, we were like let’s really dig down deep and look at what can we do to make it cooler – what can we do to provide something that the fans would want.

Free-for-All is something that fans have always asked for and with Judgment being a totally different game, we thought it made sense to introduce it and created some maps that would work for free-for-all.

People no longer have to worry about finding teams to go up against and they just go in all by themselves and hold their own. Free-for-All wasn’t something we were used to and the old control scheme was just slow and clunky, so changing it helped to give this mode the right feeling too.

Q. The Smart Spawn System will affect both single and multiplayer games. What are the biggest positive additions that this idea brings to the game?

A. Our AI has been improved even further for Gears of War Judgment, and specifically tuned to

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support all our new game modes. The AI knows how to use all the new weapons, and the tactics necessary to defeat the new Locust enemies. Our new Smart Spawn System (S3) responds to the way you play, and readjusts the number, types, and tactics of enemies you encounter to ensure that every replay is a unique experience.

Q. In what other ways has the control scheme within the new title been improved?

A. With the new control scheme Y is a quick weapons switch.

Left bumper is the off hand grenades.

Changing the control scheme was probably one of the biggest, boldest moves that we went with when we were developing this game. It definitely lends itself to a more accessible experience that is necessary for the frenetic pace of Judgment. Initially it was actually something we designed to improve gameplay, allowing people to shoot and move at the same time. Having a reticle on screen at all times means you’re able to move whilst shooting accurately. g

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Reviews Highlights 18 Crysis 3 The ultimate hunter is back 20 Aliens: Colonial Marines The long lost sequel?

22 Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Studio Ghibli enters the fray 23 Dead Space 3 Isaac Clarke, it sucks to be you...

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hile February was something of a quiet month, there were some major releases that saw the light of day.

Crysis 3, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Dead Space 3 and Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch all arrived during the short month.

We review all of these titles in this issue. Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance arrived just too late to make it in here, but will go into the April issue for sure. Speaking of which, we’re anticipating a much bigger review section in the April issue‌ there is a lot of big name gaming arriving within the next few weeks! g

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Taking Aim...

WIN

a Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 Special Edition!

Courtesy of Apex Interactive TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us who distributes the game in South Africa Insert SGW2 in the mail’s subject line Tell us which platform you would prefer (PC, PS3 or Xbox 360) Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page Competition closes 31 March 2013. Gladget 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.

Crysis 3

Concrete. Jungle.

All the right moves

by Walt Pretorius

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and a decent story line, which resulted in the new IP becoming a much loved franchise. And, as is always the case with those, Crysis 2 came out amid much fanfare and anticipation. What this game did was up the mark from the original, pushing graphics on all platforms to their limits. Crysis 2 looked amazing, bringing the player to a vibrant and detailed urban environment in which they could deal death to their alien enemies. Crysis 2 added a few new ideas, but where it really shone was in terms of presentation.

And now the third instalment of the franchise is here and, once again, it brings beautiful visuals to the table.

The environment is now both urban and jungle, with New York City having been taken over by dense vegetation. This setting allows Crytek to show off their prowess very well; individual blades of grass wave in the wind while awesome

Review

hen Crytek and the Far Cry franchise parted ways, just after the first Far Cry release, the developer needed something new to show off their development and engine building skills. The new venture was Crysis, a franchise that placed the player in the boots of a super-soldier. The player character’s skills were enhanced by a revolutionary Nanosuit, battle armour that not only enhanced the character’s abilities, but allowed him to become super-armoured or cloaked.

The idea was pretty fresh at the time, and allowed players to experiment with differing approaches – something that was also rather new in those days.

Players could go in guns blazing, or could use stealth and assassination techniques, as they desired.

The end result was a game that was incredibly well received. New play ideas meshed with great graphics

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lighting and particle effects abound. Well modelled, detailed enemies stalk this place, both human and alien, and thanks to the engine and AI they’re as deadly as they should be. And the Nanosuit has some new abilities that make hunting the bad guys more fun than before.

The story revolves around Prophet, the original Nanosuit soldier, who has now sacrificed almost all of his humanity in an effort to save mankind from the invading Ceph.

However, during his cryogenic absence, Cell Corporation has harnessed the power of the Ceph, and has literally enslaved humanity through debt. New York, the one massive city, has been covered in a dome and a jungle has been allowed to overtake its streets, buildings and alleyways. Resistance fighters living under the Liberty Dome are trying to fight Cell. But the massive evil corporation is messing with powers that it doesn’t truly

understand…

It’s not the greatest plot-line ever, but it certainly beats the previous two Crysis games in terms of story. The looks are also better than the first two, although only marginally better than Crysis 2, and one really can only fully appreciate how pretty this game is in the PC version. The Xbox version is no slouch in terms of prettiness, though, and puts the outgoing hardware through its paces. We did notice one or two little bugs that sprang up here and there, which we assume has a lot to do with the system being pushed rather hard.

In addition to revved up looks, the game also gives the player some new toys. Most notably is the bow that the player can now use. This weapon has very limited ammo, but it also has interchangeable arrows (explosive, electric and air-burst) and allows the player to take down enemies

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mine fields, and using their weapons against them.

The Nanosuit also comes with a whole bunch of upgrade options, which the player can purchase using points gained from suit upgrade packs scattered throughout the world.

Four of the numerous upgrades can be employed at a time, and the game allows the player to save three sets of four upgrades with a hotkey system.

Everything in the game is designed for fluid play. The controls are responsive, upgrades and modifications are quickly done, and switching between various modes is simple and effective. With all this, and everything else that Crysis 3 has on offer, it should provide an excellent firstperson shooter experience.

Most people will get just that, but there will be some – myself included – that feel like a certain something is missing. In technical terms, not much can be found

Review

at a distance, without compromising the suit’s cloaking abilities like firearms do. It’s also a one hit kill weapon, and all but the most powerful foes can be dealt with extremely easily.

This almost forces the player to engage in a more stealthy approach, although the other, powerful weapons are still available. All guns allow some kind of on-thefly customisation, be it different sights, clips or barrel attachments. And, of course, using the Nanosuit’s maximum armour mode while charging in guns blazing still works a treat, too.

In addition to the bow, another stealth-promoting tool has been added. The player can now hack various systems in the game, by way of a very short and simple timing-based mini-game. Doors are all fine and well, but the real fun comes in hacking enemy gun turrets and

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lacking in this title, and Crytek have managed to create a game that works extremely well in that regard. It’s just that – and this will seem strange to some, and make perfect sense to others – the game feels like it has no soul. Despite great voice acting, excellent animations and a plot that is not terrible, Crysis 3 feels like more of the same, and the massive levels and smarter enemies do little to engage the player on an emotional level. It really feels like going through the motions, like the game exists because it should, and not because its creation was driven by passion.

Perhaps it is the almost inhuman nature of Prophet that doesn’t engage the player well enough. Maybe it is the fact that the game favours stealth above any other approach. Or it could be that the setting is so overwhelming that it is countering the player getting

engrossed in the action. Whatever the case may be, it didn’t seem to have the spirit of the previous games. It is as though this story gets told because the saga needs a closer.

Then again, it might just be me. While Crysis 3 didn’t draw me in as I would have liked it to, there will doubtlessly be others that love the slightly short single player campaign. The multiplayer offers a lot, too, with some great game modes to keep players going once they have completed the title.

Fans will love it. Newcomers may find the story alittle difficult to relate to, but the action is still there. Whether you will find the game engaging or not is likely up to personal preferences and tastes, of course. It’s worth a try at very least. While I didn’t get grabbed by this title, I am sure there will be others who like it just fine. g

AT A GLANCE: First person shooter

It does everything right, but Crysis 3 lacks a certain something to create a real bond between the player and the experience.

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79 51

Aliens: Colonial Marines

Bug Hunt

These aren’t the aliens you’re looking for…

by Walt Pretorius

W

involved.

But it seems that any game bearing the “Aliens” name is doomed to mediocrity at best, no matter who gets behind the development wheel. The main problem here is that this is a sequel to a gripping, exciting, tense movie that is none of those things. And how could it be? Cameron’s movie was filled with no ammo and hopeless situations brought about by an enemy that was smart, ruthless and terrifying.

In this game, the aliens are thick, ammo and armour are plentiful, and the player runs around with a billion guns strapped to their back. This should have been a survival horror game with a smart, terrifying foe that used tactics and instinct to be the ultimate predator. Instead, it’s a run and gun shooter in which dumb aliens charge towards the player with no sense of self-preservation. The human enemies that the player faces are also not exactly rocket-

Review

hen the people behind Aliens: Colonial Marines announced that this game would be considered something of an official sequel to James Cameron’s 1986 sci-fi thriller, I have to admit that I felt conflicted. A sequel to one of my favourite films – a direct sequel – could potentially answer a lot of questions that were left unaddressed by a film franchise that, from that point on, just started heading down the tubes. Surely there must have been some kind of blowback after the events on LV-426? And that’s what the game’s plot-line is all about. So that got me excited.

The fact that there really never has been a decent video game based on this franchise, though, got me worried. I made the mistake of being lulled into a false sense of security by the fact that Gearbox, the team behind the phenomenal Borderlands series, was

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scientists, and eventually shooting terminally stupid bad guys (alien or otherwise) gets tiresome.

Fans of the movie will initially be charmed by the references the game makes. The sound of the motion trackers and pulse rifles is perfect, and almost heartwarming. But soon the references – even the clever ones like finding an audio recording featuring Newt and her mom, or finding Drake’s dog tags – get equally over-done and clichéd.

And then there’s the plot line. Aside from introducing new alien types (which, for some purists, was a massive mistake in Alien 3 and will prove even worse here) and bigging Weyland Yutani up as the Big Bad Corporation, the story feels empty. It’s nothing revolutionary, and there are no big answers to be found.

Multiplayer may have been the saving grace of this

title, after the lamentably short single player campaign fails to get anywhere near exciting. But the various game modes simply do little more than throw teams of marines at teams of aliens, the latter being tough to control and feeling completely ineffective.

It really is a sad state of affair, and one that, yet again, misses a golden opportunity at taking a very big franchise and capitalising on it. The effort is there, sure, and it is doubtless that the developers patted themselves on the back by including references that fans would appreciate, but the overall effect that Aliens: Colonial Marines has on the player is one of disappointment. What makes it worse is that this game was in development for such a long time.

It will prove a fairly enjoyable distraction in small doses but, overall, the title is nowhere near what it could – or should – have been. It’s mediocre, at very best. g

AT A GLANCE: First Person Shooter

Despite nice fan references and well recreated settings, this one doesn’t go anywhere near the levels it should have achieved.

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55 53

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Studio Ghibli Goes Gaming But should they rather stick to film?

by Pippa Tshabalala

I

a little predictable – the orphaned boy Oliver is almost immediately proclaimed as the new world’s saviour, the Pure-Hearted One, and discovers hidden reserves of magic within himself. The beautiful world, distinctive creature design and likeable characters however, mean that Ni No Kuni imparts the sense of childlike wonder that we have come to associate with Studio Ghibli movies.

The visual style is very reminiscent of films like Spirited Away, and is combined with Level-5’s classic JRPG gameplay system. The characterisation is unfortunately lacking the usual Studio Ghibli touch, and with the exception of Oliver the characters don’t develop much as the game progresses although they’re likeable enough on the surface.

You can also expect to see the best of the visuals within the first couple of levels. Not that they wane in beauty, but we begin to see repetition when it comes to combat

Review

do not like JRPGs. I do however love Studio Ghibli, so regardless of my feeling towards this genre, I have been looking forward to playing this game for some time, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well Ni No Kuni has combined the gameplay that is so typical of JRPGs with the storytelling and animation for which Studio Ghibli is renowned.

After losing his mother in a tragic accident, thirteen year old Oliver weeps onto a stuffed toy his mother gave him as a boy, revealing that it is actually the unfortunately named Mr Drippy, Lord High Lord of the Fairies. Drippy explains to Oliver that if they can defeat the evil Shadar, they may be able to bring his mother back. Armed with the Wizard’s Companion, a spellbook, they embark on an adventure in a new world.

The story sadly slips towards the clichéd and becomes

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cutscenes for example, something I found increasingly irritating as the game progressed. Whenever you begin and end a fight, inevitably the same animation plays out, with absolutely no variation whatsoever. Also annoying is the slow decline of voiced conversations, which start out fully voiced and degenerate into silent rows of text.

Gameplay wise, this game was a pleasant surprise in many ways. The reason that I dislike many JRPG’s is primarily because of their combat system, as I don’t find the turn-based combat system very dynamic. Ni No Kuni takes the traditional turn-based combat and combines it with an ability to move around and dodge dynamically, also allowing you to switch between your character and your familiar in combat, making this JRPG more exciting in the combat arena.

If you like wandering around a map exploring, then Ni

No Kuni definitely caters to you as you pick up small side quests, and spend time levelling up your character. Another nice touch is the consistent need to travel between your own world and the new world to complete quests, reminding us continuously that the two are inextricably linked.

Ni No Kuni is a beautiful, artfully rendered game that will bring to the fore everything you love about Japanese animation, combining the unique style and grace of Studio Ghibli, with some solid gameplay action. While at times clichéd, the story is still engaging and you won’t lose interest early on. The combat, whilst infinitely more dynamic than many JRPGs, can become a bit of a chore and the lack of consistent voiced dialogue also becomes irritating after a time.

If you’re a fan of Studio Ghibli, you will love their venture into the gaming arena, even with its faults. g

AT A GLANCE: JRPG

Reviewed on:

Fans of Studio Ghibli or JRPG’s will likely love this game. Others will probably find it beautiful but frustrating.

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85 55

Dead Space 3

There and Back Again … shooting space zombies along the way

by Walt Pretorius

O

bad time of it and doesn’t have too many friends, but this plot kick off feels a bit too simple. In fact, the whole plot is a little too ‘easy’ on the main characters, who manage to piece together an ancient riddle that has been lying dormant for 200 years in pretty much no time at all.

While this rather shallow plot-line unfolds, Isaac will be running back and forth a lot. Initially, he’ll be doing it on derelict space ships. Later, he’s on an icy wasteland of a planet, doing the same thing. It does get a little tedious, all that fetching and carrying. But that’s the bulk of the game’s action. The thing you need will never be in the place that you need it. While this can get pretty brutal after a while, there are numerous elements that mitigate this weaker factor of the title.

The last real issue with this game is something that

Review

ne of the odd things you pick up when you review a lot of games is that it is possible to love a flawed game. It becomes something of a love/hate relationship, when you are constantly ignoring or forgiving the things that annoy you with the title because you’re simply having so much fun playing it. And if fun was the only thing that games were rated on, Dead Space 3 would have been the recipient of a much higher score. As it stands, though, there are certain elements of the title that could have been better. They’re not ruinous mistakes, but these quirks are present none the less.

The game kicks off with Isaac Clarke, engineer extraordinaire, generally unlucky guy and living alien beacon blueprint, heading off to help out the girlfriend that dumped him months before. Sure, he has had a

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crept into the franchise in Dead Space 2. The first game was scary enough to require several trouser changes during the single player campaign. But Dead Space 2 lost that. The frights and scares were nothing new, and Dead Space 3 suffers from the same. Sure, you’ll jump occasionally, but Isaac has become adept enough at dismembering alien zombies at this point that the player will never really get tense. Because of this, Dead Space 3 isn’t really a horror game. Instead it’s an action thriller in which the bad guys happen to be undead space types.

All of this may have had a very negative impact on a lesser game. But the truth is that Dead Space 3 is massive amounts of fun despite (and sometimes even because of) these oddities.

The first thing that makes a big positive impression is that Visceral have created such a complete, rich

universe for the game to take place in. Sure, we are at the third instalment already, but each game has managed to show us something new while not compromising the setting. Everything, from the weird electronics through to the characters’ clothing, feels like it belongs to a greater whole. Even the ice planet of Tau Volantis, filled with 200 year old derelict buildings, feels like it fits perfectly.

And then there’s the game play itself. Just like the previous two games, Dead Space 3 uses a third person perspective, and charges the player with dismembering foes, rather than going for head shots. The idea still works three games down the line, even if the scare value that the once-horrific Necromorphs deliver is greatly diminished. In addition to that, a new crafting system allows the player to gather parts and resources,

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Sure, things seem even less scary when there is someone out there to hold your hand, but the various systems and dynamics built into the co-op experience really makes this the best way to experience Dead Space 3. The single player game is great, the co-op is better. There are even sections during the game’s course that are co-op only, reinforcing the idea that the fullest experience is achieved by playing with a friend.

Once you have played through the game once, you can take on Game + mode, which reruns the story. It is a quicker experience the second time round, but tweaks and more powerful weapons and components available in Game + make the second play-through more fun than the first.

As the game progresses, more of those quirks do appear every now and then. The boss fights seem

Review

allowing them to custom make numerous types of weapons, each with different applications and effects.

They can also create consumable items, like health and stasis recharge packs, which even allows for a degree of customisation in the way that the game is approached. Do you carry more health packs, or rather boost armour ratings. Resources are, after all, limited.

In addition, the player can upgrade Isaac’s rig. This not only adds health and armour, but also improves two more important elements of combat and traversal in the game – stasis and kinesis. Both are still present, and possibly even more important this time around.

One of the biggest additions to the game is the character of Carver, who comes aboard as a playable co-op option. Playing the game in co-op is fantastic.

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inconsistent, really, with some in the middle of the game being a lot tougher than the final fight. But there is a way around those tough fights, when you have no hope of getting to a weapon bench and making a batter gun.

Outside of the campaign there is a weapon workshop.

Crafting a new gun there saves it to your inventory, meaning it will be available the next time you try take on those tough stages. Weapon blueprints can also be saved and made available to folks online, which is a nice touch.

Is Dead Space 3 better than the previous game? Well, yes and no, in the same way that Dead Space 2 was only better than the original in some ways. The story feels rushed and a little too simplistic, but the overall game dynamic and missions the player undertakes are improved and more varied. The scares are gone, but

the weapon crafting system means that you can find creative ways of wasting space zombies. There is a lot of fetching and carrying, but the game has more areas to explore and more cool things to discover.

Dead Space 3 doesn’t just offer lots of Necromorphs to shoot; the game also looks and feels great, with decent voice acting that sometimes suffers under a few of the more ludicrous plot points. But the looks really steal the show; Visceral have yet again done a great job bringing this sci-fi gothic universe to life.

If you have played the previous titles, you need this third game, even if just to see how the tale of Isaac and the Markers concludes. But even if you haven’t played the previous Dead Space titles, Dead Space 3 is an enjoyable, complex and deep action thriller – despite its quirks. g

AT A GLANCE: Third person action

Reviewed on:

The first Dead Space might have been a horror game, but this instalment is a very enjoyable action adventure, even with its quirks.

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82 59

Zone of the Enders HD Collection

A Worthwhile Tribute?

Or a get rich quick scheme?

by Lein Baart

N

slog, a must-play in order to gain the full benefits from the second.

Set in a future where mankind has colonised Mars and is reaching ever further outward, oppression and conflict reigns between earthlings and colonists, known as enders.

The discovery of Metatron, an extremely high-yield energy source, only fuelled the tensions, and the outbreak of war began when a rebellious faction on Mars developed the Orbital Frames, fighting mechs that far outstripped the capabilities of their earthly counterparts. While the backstory is intricate and well developed, showing heavy anime influences, the main plots do not hold up as well, being delivered in a choppy and stuttering manner that detracts from the rich world Hideo Kojima imagined. As in seemingly all things, the second game fared better in this regard, being far more grandiose, but one cannot help but

Review

ostalgia can be a highly influential market force.

Just a quick look at last year’s spate of remakes and reboots is enough to confirm this. Of them all Sony’s string of “Classics HD” titles probably has the most to prove however, as these titles have the nasty habit of seeming like nothing more than a quick cash-in, resembling the originals so closely as to make almost no difference. Given the constantly evolving nature of gaming, what becomes important then is whether a title released over a decade ago is still relevant enough to justify spending your hard earned cash today.

For Zone of the Enders the answer to this a resoundingly ambiguous “somewhat”. Basically summarised, the second game is a far superior offering to the first in almost all respects. This makes the collection difficult to judge, as the original feels like a mandatory

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feel the potential for a truly epic tale was missed.

Technically, both games have been outstandingly reworked. Have no illusions, you will not be fooled into thinking that you are playing a modern title, particularly with the original Z.O.E., however the work to convert these titles to widescreen ratios has been soundly accomplished.

The 2nd Runner shines here, with crisp and vibrant visuals that are only marred slightly by the somewhat blocky shapes and plain textures. The soundtrack has also received noticeable work, and is beautifully designed to fit the games, setting the necessary moods with a flair that any title would envy.

However, all this pales in comparison to the reason you actually will want to buy the games: the unparalleled ability to wreak utter chaos. Jehuty, the orbital frame you control, is a titanic force to be reckoned with, and Z.O.E.

isn’t shy of throwing up a vast array of enemies to test your skills. Combat in both titles is furious and frantic; a mix of strategic long-range attacks coupled with mad dashes to and around your enemy as you bludgeon them with your arm blade. The controls are simple and effective, though can be annoying when it comes to precision shooting or free-roaming, and generally complements the games well.

The original tends to be rather formulaic in its approach to gameplay, having you fly back and forth repeatedly between areas only to face down the same hordes again and again.

The second however presents a much more tightly scripted experience, if somewhat overly linear, that works superbly with the game dynamic, providing varied encounters and challenging boss battles. Both games tend to be rather short, but together provide a decent amount of playtime for you to revel blowing everything in your path to oblivion. g

AT A GLANCE: 3rd Person Mecha Action

Reviewed on:

PS3

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Skulls of the Shogun

Hostile Takeover Turn-based strategy reimagined

by Walt Pretorius

T

enemies.

It sounds like a plot line that could appear in a very brutal, hyper-realistic hack-and-slasher, but despite the apparent hard-core nature of the premise, Skulls of the Shogun is a charming, witty and often very funny title.

Where turn-based strategy games are generally fairly complex and restrictive, Skulls makes the whole thing fun.

It uses a simple system of units – there are only three, excluding the General – and doesn’t complicate matters in terms of map grids or the like. It uses a sensible system that allows a player to move virtually anywhere (provided it is within their movement range for the turn) and do battle against nearby foes. Range is provided by archers.

And eating the skulls of fallen enemies will strengthen the unit, granting more life and attack power, for example.

There isn’t much more to it than that, at least not on

Review

here are a couple of “truths” that gamers understand. The first is that strategy games just don’t work very well on console. The second is that turn based strategy games are slow, pedantic, complex and inflexible. But Skulls of the Shogun, a game available via Xbox Live Arcade, disproves both points. And it does so in a charming, funny and highly enjoyable way.

Skulls of the Shogun tells the tale of General Akamoto, who has just arrived in the Underworld (much to his chagrin) after a huge battle. Not happy with the fact that he was offed during the battle, the General – who suffers from a little megalomania – decides that he will raise an army of undead soldiers, and will take over the Underworld. And their fuel, granting them great power, will be the devoured skulls of their defeated

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the surface. But by adding certain elements to the game, things get interesting. For example, a number of units standing next to each other form a sort of impromptu defensive barrier, called a spirit wall. Taking advantage of that is often key to success. Also, some units knock their enemies back when doing damage. This can be very useful is quickly disposing of tougher bad guys; knocking one back over a cliff edge deals with him very effectively.

However, this is a double edged sword. Careless unit placement will have the same happening to the player and if it is their General that goes over the edge, well, that’s game over.

See, the whole win/lose thing is tied to the player’s general. If the general dies, they lose. Simple, once again.

The game also shines in multiplayer, which can be

played cross platform (a rather impressive feat, actually.)

Multiplayer is kept smooth and flowing by restricting the players to five moves per turn, which also comes into the single player game. This also adds a different level of strategy to the title as players need to economise their moves and plan ahead with this restriction in mind.

With charming, cartoonish characters and a script that is often screamingly funny, Skulls of the Shogun is an entertaining little strategy title that allows for far more depth than first appearances would imply.

It is wonderfully accessible, but it isn’t easy to beat, particularly in later levels. It’s simplicity allows for a whole new level of complexity where it is most important… in the strategy. And for that reason, despite one or two little quibbles, Skulls of the Shogun is a fun and worthwhile game to play. g

AT A GLANCE: Turn-based strategy

Reviewed on:

It may appear simple and easy, but skulls of the Shogun can prove to be a rather deep strategy title at times.

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80 63

Police Simulator 2

I am the Law! The good, the bad and the admin.

by Nthato Morakabi

P

Review

64

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Simulator

Reviewed on:

PC

In this latest Police Simulator series, players take the role of the Chief of Police and seek to instil law and order into their city.

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olice Simulator 2 thrusts players deep into the life of the Chief of Police and that includes the rather tedious admin duties of that position.

The game is presented as a top down isometric view of a city with some pretty mediocre graphics that give the whole game a “retro” feel. With no tutorial on how to play the game, players are thrown into the deep end and have to navigate a series of menu’s and buttons before they have an idea as to where everything is and how it all works. This makes the first half hour of the game difficult and somewhat off-putting.

Moving past the graphics and navigation hassles, the game itself is pretty in-depth.

Each mission objective received helps the player familiarize themselves with the duties that they, as the Chief of Police, must be able to accomplish on the fly. These duties include the hiring of officers, detectives, Crime Scene Investigators and other law enforcement groups as well as set their working hours and what teams each individual will work in. There is also the task of purchasing police cruisers and other equipment such as speed traps and surveillance cameras. Players also get to experience the joy of catching criminals...and the anxiety of watching your response team on one side of the city make their way to a crime in progress on the other side, and wondering if the bad guys will get away.

Police Simulator 2 is more of a management game than a simulator game and overall, this latest sequel is a radical improvement of its predecessor both graphically and gameplay wise.

However, there are still a few things lacking in the game which would make it better. g

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

50

g a m e c c a r ev i ew • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

Time Dreamer

Hidden Object Everywhere Unravelling the future by dreaming the past.

by Nthato Morakabi

T

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

First Person Shooter

Reviewed on:

PC

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A hidden object game in which the hero must travel through time in order to save his father and inadvertently...the world.

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70 65

Review

he world flickers into focus, revealing the grungy grey ceiling and the pale green, tiled wall of a hospital room. A rather contemptuous nurse with half her face masked proceeds to tell you that you have been in a seven year long coma and now that you have pulled out of it, you ought to go home immediately. With not so much as a checkup, you are discharged and make your way to your childhood home, finding it in a state deterioration. The only person in your life is your father, however he has gone missing.

The focus of the game is to find obscure hidden objects in a disorientating background, in order to gather clues regarding your missing father. The first level requires you to go into the past, and find various utensils that you use to heal an owl that in the present had undergone taxidermy; returning to the present you find the stuffed owl gone. This results in the appearing of a mysterious character who explains your time travelling ability, and has knowledge relating to your missing father. As your only source of hope, you team up with him and together you attempt to change the past in order to save your father.

Time Dreamer is a casual game and for it’s genre it is enjoyable but it does become repetitive and trying to find obscure little objects against a cluttered backdrop becomes rather frustrating. The game does offer a casual difficulty, which gives glowing hints if it looks like you’re struggling but the Expert level will leave you well and truly frustrated. A predictable storyline and sketchy graphics do lower the game’s standard but looking past that, Time Dreamer is a great time filler. g

Heart of Darkness Ramjet’s Rantality

by Ramjet

I

am moderately horrified. Moderately, mind you, because I am hardly surprised. And the source of my horror is the state of gaming these days… not just here in South Africa, but the world over. I have come to realise that the major push towards multiplayer gaming online, across all platforms, is one of the greatest evils that the activity has to offer. In my slightly skewed and often frazzled mind, multiplayer gaming is running gaming overall.

You can’t blame the developers for that – they’re merely responding to a market demand. But the very first time two guys connected a couple of PCs with a cable and started playing against each other, the bells of doom started tolling. It won’t destroy gaming, because too many

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people love engaging in the activity. But it is ruining the experience for a lot of people.

First off, single player campaigns are often getting the short end of the stick, in favour of a bigger multiplayer offering.

That’s all fine and well, although the old-school grumpy ancients (like me) have a problem with that.

Our gaming was never about multiplayer. It was about compelling single player experiences that sucked you in and showed creativity on the part of the developers. Crafting a great story and engaging the player for protracted periods of time in a single player environment seems, to me, to be a greater display of skill than dumping a bunch of guys in a multiplayer arena with a box of guns and pretty

graphics. I could be wrong about that, but I wouldn’t agree with you if you told me that I was.

Still, that’s what players seem to want, so the developers are merely responding to market demands. The bigger, second problem is that these demanding players – these annoying little brats – manage to ruin the experience for me more often than not.

No, I am not being grumpy. I am exercising my right to enjoy a hobby that I have been engaged in for longer than most of these nitwits have been alive. But when some prepubescent moron has the audacity to call me a word that rhymes with runt, with his unbroken voice and all, I start to realise that these spoiled brats have no respect for anyone or anything

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other than their own selfimportance. There is no respect, which is not a right but which every person deserves until they prove differently. There is no friendly competition. There is no discipline. There is just an absolute desire to win, no matter how many other people’s experiences get ruined along the way.

Sportsmanship has lost its meaning behind the anonymous mask that online play gives us.

I take back my future statement. Multiplayer is not ruining gaming.

Instead, it is a large segment of the community that is doing so. I think, from now on, I will only play with people that I have met in real life. Preferably people I see on a regular basis. That way I can punch them in the face if they get pissy. g

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f you look back into 2000, every PC gamer cannot account for at least one weekend - spent tearing through Diablo 2. It didn’t really matter if you loved or hated it - you still played the game. And you still hate the jungle stage.

A Year in Games

hat do you get when you create a shooter where shooting off someone’s legs, arms, head (etc) is an option? The novelty for that has lapsed, bar headshots, but in its day Soldier Of Fortune was the pot of shooter insanity everyone secretly craved.

cottish, briefly-nude water nymphs and one giant blue monster combined to give the world an awesome single and multiplayer ride. Has anything before or since been anything like Giants: Citizen Kabuto? No.

he series has long since lost its steam, but when Crazy Taxi first hit arcades and Sega consoles, it was fresh, manic and a ton of fun. It also made tons of money, because most games didn’t last very long...

A YEAR IN GAMING

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t was going to be so awesome that it even had to be called John Romero’s Daikatana, because back then John Romero was the shit. So was Daikatana, if you remove ‘the’. Today it stands as a cautionary tale about hype and stupid AI sidekicks.

t was the fourth Tekken game, but the first to arrive on the monolithic PlayStation 2. Tekken Tag Tournament became the fighter du jour of 2000 and reigniting sneers from Soul Calibur players.

merican McGee, also from the Doom stable that birthed Romero, did the same thing and put his name on American McGee’s Alice. His broody and visceral gothic take on the rabbit-stalking girl and her journey through Wonderland was an instant hit and remains a classic.

n the same year as the dismal Daikatana - and by the same developers (though a separate group) came this cyberpunk epic. Deus Ex was so good that it took twelve years before an acceptable sequel arrived.

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Review

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Razer Blackshark Expert 2.0 Gaming headset

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by Walt Pretorius

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ooks can be very important in a piece of hardware. Even components that sit inside a PC case often have designs that are at least in part put together with an aesthetic appeal. Most companies get this. They understand that users do not just pick any product, but tend to take visual aspects into account – for expression of personality, because they look cool, appear unique, or whatever.

Sometimes these features can even trump technical aspects, like in the case of Razer’s Blackshark headset. Designed to resemble the headphones used by chopper pilots, this headset has a decidedly retro feel and is, quite frankly, very cool to look at. Moving away from sleeker lines and enclosed components, this one is all about metal frames and exposed wires.

And it makes quite the impression.

Finished in black, with green and metallic accents, the Blackshark really is a pleasure to behold. Even the boom for the microphone is unique, using a jointed metal arm system to get the perfect position, rather than a bendable one. The supports for the ear cups are also ‘naked’ metal, and the adjustable headband features metal arms that can be secured in position when the perfect fit is found, by way of thumb screws.

The ear cups are finished with a shiny black plastic casing, and sit very comfortably over the ears, thanks to a generous padded cushion on each (filled with memory foam, no less). And the speakers themselves are covered in Razer’s traditional bright green.

All of this is accented by bright green wiring running to each ear cup and the microphone.

What we have here, in terms of performance, is a stereo headset. Each ear cup holds a 40mm driver that delivers crisp audio, with enhanced bass for that extra punch. The headphones have only one 3.5mm jack directly attached to them, but a splitter cable is provided for plugging in to microphone and headphone jacks. The mic boom can also be removed very easily, with a metal cap provided to cover the sensitive bits exposed when the user does so.

The only things that are missing here are surround audio (which isn’t necessarily a big thing to go without) and an in-line volume control. The addition of an in-line controller would have been excellent for this headset, which delivers comfort, performance and style in spades. In truth, this really is the only shortcoming we found here… adjusting volume levels is purely device based. It’s not the end of the world, but it can (at times) be a bit invasive to adjust volume on the device, rather than with an in-line controller.

Still, let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water; the Blackshark is an excellent and impressive looking headset, when all is said and done. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

Look like a chopper pilot with this stylish and high performing stereo headset from Razer

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

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Looks awesome Great sound Very comfortable

Stereo 40mm drivers Removable mic boom Enhanced bass Splitter cable Memory foam ear cushions

Ra zer Corex www.c orex.c o.za R1 459

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

No in-line control

Score

88 71

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by Walt Pretorius

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Review

Thermaltake Evo_Blue 2.0 650W PSU

he choice of the right power supply is crucial. The truth of the matter is that larger capacity power supplies are considerably more expensive. But if you get one that doesn’t deliver enough power, you will run into some serious system issues as your PC struggles to get enough energy to do what you want it to do. We have often seen people buy, for example, a massive new graphics card only to have it suck the insufficient power supply dry, and consequently leaving a disappointed user in its wake.

The truth is that a power supply isn’t something you’re going to buy and forget about.

Like any other PC component, this is something that will also need periodical upgrades, at very least… and careful thought as to what kind of power supply is required.

While you cannot really have too much power, an oversized power supply will prove both more expensive and less economical. You don’t immediately have to turn to a 1000W monster if your system doesn’t demand it. And for those that want a good amount of power without needing to cause black-outs, there are products like the Thermaltake Evo_Blue 2.0 650W power supply. This one, though, comes with the added benefit of a little extra punch when required.

Basically, there is a button built into the back of the power supply, just below where the power cable plugs into it. Hit the button, and you get around 100W of extra power. In the most basic terms, it’s an ‘overclockable’ PSU, which is pretty unique in concept.

But why would you need that? Well, using extra power may be necessary when putting the system under the added strain of gaming and so forth. So why not just get a bigger power supply? Bigger PSUs generate more heat and consume more power. The ability to reduce both heat and power consumption is sensible (although how much of a saving 100W will provide may be debatable.)

Aside from the funky turbo button, the Evo_ Blue 2.0 is also a modular system, which means that the user only uses the cables they require.

The primary power cables are built in, though, and the ports for additional power cables are quite limited. Perhaps this is a way to ensure that the user doesn’t over-burden the power supply. It still offered two PCI power ports and four molex ports, which should be more than enough.

This particular model may not be the most powerful PSU around, but it does make a lot of sense in the right set up. It runs quiet and cool, too, which is always a benefit with a component class that is generally a noisy heat generator. g

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Summary

Tech Specs:

With an added 100W of power on demand, this PSU is a smart idea for those who want control over heat and power consumption.

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

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Extra power when needed Modular

• • • • • •

Modular design 650W Overclocking

Therma lta ke Corex www.c orex.c o.za R1 599

Pros • • • • •

At the press of a button...

ower Up

Cons • • • • •

May not deliver enough for some setups.

Score

80 73

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Review

Razer Orochi Elite Notebook Gaming Mouse

he PC gaming market is healthier than some people would have you believe.

Even with the proliferation of consoles and other devices capable of delivering a gaming experience, PC gaming is alive and well – so much so that very powerful laptop computers, capable of running the latest games beautifully, are being produced by numerous manufacturers.

Why, then, should there not be a mobile mouse that is equally adept at delivering great gaming performance? There is no reason, actually, which is probably one of the reasons why Razer designed the Orochi.

If you run down the mobile mouse check list, the Orochi fits the bill perfectly. It is small, wireless and very easy to transport. But this particular mouse goes beyond just the practicality of a device designed for use with a portable computer.

First off, in terms of looks, it fits the Razer profile beautifully; a well-designed, ergonomic mouse finished in a rough black plastic. It features the distinctive Razer glowing bits and aggressive lines, making it look a little like a baby brother to the Ouroboros.

Looks aren’t everything, though. In terms of practicality, the Orochi also offers a few good ideas. It has an improved battery life (although these things are always difficult to confirm in shorter term tests) and also ships with a detachable cord. That’s great, because there are many gamers out there that prefer the smoother performance of a corded mouse. It uses a Bluetooth 3.0 connection, though, so some of the niggles that plague mouse units using radio signal don’t necessarily plague the Orochi. In addition, the ambidextrous design means it’s lefty-friendly, and it sports seven programmable buttons for all those extra functions you may want to map to your mouse.

OK, looks and practicality… check. What about performance. Well, it’s not the most sensitive mouse you’re going to find in Razer’s stable. But the 6400 DPI 4G laser sensor still is nothing to turn your nose up at. It proves responsive and effective as both a gaming and application mouse.

The only real issue here arises from its purpose. It’s pretty small, and can get a bit uncomfortable after protracted periods of use – depending on your grip-style, of course.

Also, the two buttons on the device’s “off-side” (where your little finger sits) are pretty difficult to get to, thanks to this small size. But off-side buttons can be a problem on any mouse, in all honesty.

On the whole, the Orochi fills a gap and does what it is supposed to do with style. In terms of being a mobile mouse, it is excellent. There are a number of better gaming options, but none are quite as easy to carry around with you. g

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Mini

Perfectly portable gaming power...

Summary

Tech Specs:

Although it is very small, the Razer Orochi is packed with power in all the right places.

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

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Small Effective Looks great

Ambidextrous 7 programmable buttons 6400 DPI Detachable cord 68 grams 2 x AA batteries

Ra zer Corex www.c orex.c o.za R669

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Can get uncomfortable Not rechargeable

Score

81 75

The Pedigre Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Rage Headset

A long line of great sound

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any, many moons ago, when I had my first computer and Noah was saying how it looked like it might stop raining, Sound Blaster was an institution. See, back then, the idea of on-board sound was… well, it wasn’t an idea. In fact, sound from your PC (other than that horrifically tinny PC speaker) was a total luxury. If you wanted sound, you bought a Sound Blaster card, as made by Creative Labs.

Things are quite different these days, but Creative are still around. They still make dedicated sound cards, and they also create chipsets to help on-board sound be better. And, still under the Sound Blaster label, they make things like this: the Sound Blaster Tactical 3D Rage headset.

The Rage (we’ll call it that for short) show’s its pedigree – and that is one of a lot of experience. 50mm full spectrum drivers are housed is large over-the-ear

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cups, delivering excellent sound quality. Built into the left ear-cup is a power switch (they’re rechargeable, did we mention that?) a mic mute and a volume control. Simple, but effective. The positionable mic boom, which sports a noise cancelling microphone) can be detached from the left ear cup, too.

The set can be recharged via an included USB cable, delivering around 16 hours of battery life – which is not too bad at all. In fact, that’s around double what other headsets offer in terms of charge.

The headset connects to the PC via a dongle that handles the wireless signal, and presumably some of the sound processing too. But there’s the thing… this is a PC only headset, which those that want a more versatile device won’t be particularly happy with.

The headset looks the part, with a chunky, heavy look that is belied by a decent degree of comfort. In addition,

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by Walt Pretorius

the looks can be customised; the ear cups light up on the outside, and can be customised with around 16 million colours.

In fact, all kinds of sound setups can be customised and stored, according to the user’s wishes. That’s pretty handy, especially considering that a number of things, including surround levels, can be set for the individual profiles. Oh, yes, in case you missed it from the name, this is a surround sound headset.

With a good sound performance and versatility in the form of software based profiles, the Rage does a great job as a PC headset. While it is fairly comfortable, the headset can be a bit uncomfortable after protracted use. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, considering that you should be taking regular breaks while gaming. And if you’re not going to use them for anything but PC based applications, they’re a good bet. g

Summary

Tech Specs: • • • • • •

They’re a solid performer from Creative, provided you need a PC only solution.

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

Crea tiv e Corex www.c orex.c o.za R999

Pros • • • • •

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Good sound Lots of customisation options

50mm drivers Customisable profiles Customisable lights Rechargeable Wireless

Cons • • • • •

PC only

Score

80 77

Review

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Tim se rio us ab ou t

Seasonic 80 Plus 1000W Platinum PSU

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by Walt Pretorius

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ower supplies aren’t things that many people get excited about. PC enthusiasts do, because they realise the importance of these things, but the average Joe out there may not see what is, essentially, a big metal box and think “wow, that’s cool.”

But the truth is that a good power supply is actually something that is very cool, because not only does it provide your PC system with the right amounts of stable power, but it also makes your PC more efficient in many ways – even saving power.

The Seasonic 80 Plus 1000W Platinum power supply will do that, thanks to the fact that it is a modular power supply. This means that only the required power cables are plugged in to the power supply. The result is less clutter in the box, which means better air-flow. That, in turn, means that the fans don’t necessarily work as hard to keep the box cool, if they are adjustable, which requires just a little less power.

But that is only one of the features of this PSU that makes it stand out as a reliable and effective way to get juice to all the bits inside your PC case. One of the other features is that this particular device manages to set an industry first in fan usage…

PSUs get hot, and the fan built in to them is often a source of a large amount of the noise that a PC makes, purely because it needs to work so hard. This device, though, makes use of a fan that runs more quietly, thanks to great design. Also, the PSU uses a hybrid fan control. This means that the device can be set in one of three fan modes; fanless, silent and cooling mode. This allows the user to balance cooling efficiency with noise, and makes the Seasonic unique in its class.

A 1000W power supply provides ample power for virtually any PC system, and the Seasonic does so beautifully. High grade components and careful voltage control all make sure that the PSU sends the power to where it is needed. It also is less likely to fail (and that is not a pretty picture, believe me) due to poor components or inefficient cooling.

The overall design of the Seasonic 80 Plus 1000W Platinum PSU means that it is easy to use, and extremely effective. It is a top-notch power supply, when all is said and done… no wonder it comes in a velvet bag.

So, if you don’t already take your PC’s power supply unit seriously, it is time you start. And if you want to ensure smooth, ample, balanced distribution of power, combined with a remarkably quiet operation, this is one that you certainly want to consider. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

With a modular design, excellent quality components and a brilliant cooling system, this PSU is one that should be near the top of your PC component list.

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

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Runs very quietly Modular

1000W Modular Variable fan settings Active power correction Tight voltage regulation

Sea sonic Sy ntec h SA www.sy ntec hsa .c o.za R3 622

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Pricey

Score

89 79

Sore Point From Space

by Christo van Gemert

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ony’s big song and dance came and went, on the 20th of February. It had a bit more hype than delivery, though – at least for those who couldn’t reign in their expectations.

Me? I was excited, sure. I have my original PlayStation sitting in its box. I have two PS2 consoles that see use once a year. There’s also an abandoned PS3 sitting in my home theatre setup.

It sees use when there’s a really awesome PS3 exclusive worth playing.

While I might sing the

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praises of Microsoft’s console, my heart really lies with Sony. I have it to thank for many of my current interests.

Was I disappointed when they announced the PlayStation 4? Well, not really. For starters, I’m glad it stuck with tradition by just incrementing the number at the end. A name like PlayStation Orbis – or whatever else was being rumoured – would’ve been disappointing.

The hardware spec is also impressive. We’ve finally moved away from custom processors to cheaper

PC components. This has been a long time coming: computer technology is now finally efficient enough to be stuffed in a small box without overheating and drawing massive amounts of power, while being powerful enough to deliver next-generation graphics.

Most importantly, Sony’s listened to developers who have asked for a lot of RAM. The PS3 had 256MB. The new console has 8GB of RAM. That’s going to make for a whole lot of new possibilities.

In fact, the only disappointment was

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that Sony didn’t have the console there. Wait, I’m lying – there was something even more disappointing than that. It’s the lack of innovative new design for the ageing dualshock controller.

Here’s a tip, Sony. The reason I play more Xbox games than PS3 games is because I don’t have spastic hands and would dearly love for my thumbs to be in their natural positions when using analogue sticks. You have a few months to fix this.

Yours sincerely, Christo.. g