Gamecca Magazine May 2013 by Gamecca Magazine

I S S U E 4 7 / Vo l . 4 M ay 2 0 1 3

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

• Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel • Injustice: Gods Among Us • Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate • Luigi’s Mansion 2 • Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 and more...

Two War!

Army of Two returns

Zombie Slasher A new island and lots of undead in Dead Island: Riptide

Head back to life in the Metro...

Super-Fight!

DC Superheroes do battle in Injustice: Gods Among Us

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 e v i e w s i nc l u d i n g S am s ung , C a no n , H P, R az e r , L o gi t ec h an d m o re . . .

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

Securing social media accounts

Should news on the internet be paid for?

Password Priority

What Cost?

Android OS is all about customisation

R evi ews i ncl udi ng Epson, M S I , J a b r a , No kia , S t e e lS e r ie s a n d m o r e . . .

Free

MSI aims for the PC gamer market

I S S U E 3 1 / Vo l . 3 May 2013

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Online Mag

Inside 6 From the Editor 8 Got Mail More reader feedback 10 10 on 10 Types we don’t want gaming with us... 12 IDoubleDQD Foul mouth? 14 Welcome to the Metro The dark days of Metro: Last Light 20 Previews Nine upcoming titles to look out for... 36 The Soapbox The competition 38 Console General The world’s gone mad! 40 Reviews 10 new games for you to play 66 Ramjet’s Rantality Hot air and horse butts... 68 A Year in Games A history of gaming’s First Lady 70 Hardware Awesome hardware that you’ll want to own 88 From Space Sick in bed...

THIS MONTH’S COVER Join the fight to survive in Metro: Last Light. See our feature on page 14.

Competitions 61 Bioshock: Infinite 65 Metro: Last Light 67 CM Storm QuickFire TM Keyboard

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Previews Reviews

Overstrike

Dynasty Warriors 8

Pikmin 3

Disney Infinity

Magrunner

Rayman Legends

Young Justice: Legacy

Soul Sacrifice

LEGO Legends of Chima: Laval’s Journey

GAMECCA Vol. 3 Issue 47 May 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

42 Injustice: Gods Among Us

Letters: letters@gameccamag.com

46 Dead Island: Riptide

Competition Entries: competitions@gameccamag.com

48 Luigi’s Mansion 2

Newsletter Subscriptions: www.gameccamag.com

52 Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (Wii U)

Design & Photography: 1337 Media cc

54 The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct

Marketing Contact: Katia Taliadoros katia@1337-media.com

56 Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel 58 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14

Taking fun seriously!

60 BattleBlock Theater

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.

62 Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (3DS) 64 Motocross Madness

GAMECCA is published by 1337 MEDIA

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Taking Aim...

by Walt Pretorius

From the Editor

t’s almost that time of year again – the immense gaming lull, which comes with E3. And, of course, our birthday; in July, Gamecca Magazine will be turning four years old. I always get rather introspective when occasions like that come along, and this year perhaps more so than others. With almost 48 issues under the belts of the Gamecca Crew, I have taken to looking rather long and hard at what we do around here. That might sound like a negative thing – it isn’t. Far from it, in fact. The last few weeks have been brimming with new ideas and a lot of excitement from my side (I think I am driving the people that work with me quite mad with my arbitrary questions and sudden exclamations, not to mention the sly, mysterious smile that spreads across my face from time to time). In the modern world in which we live, media companies sometimes bemoan the fact that they need to make extra effort to keep up with the times. The more traditional types are gnashing their

teeth as they see the appeal of paper publications slowly dwindling, with more and more reader heading towards the digital halls of the internet as their preferred source of information. Seeing as we’re there already, it doesn’t bother me at all. But there comes a time when the power of the internet, and everything you can do with this vast, addictive repository of knowledge and information, becomes overwhelming. Needless to say, it is impossible to do everything. Rather, it becomes important to identify exactly what kind of information and services need to be offered. And that’s what I have been trying to do for the last while, scribbling furiously in my notebook, spending hours researching and digging through tons of information (discovered, almost ironically, in that same digital information warehouse) and identifying routes to follow that will make what we present to you, our readers, even better. I am not going to share any details just yet, because

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I am not keen on making promises that may not come to fruition. Let’s just say, in the meantime, that there are a number of potential projects on the horizon that I believe will enhance your overall Gamecca experience. Between then and now, there is a lot of planning, scheming, organising and other kinds of work to be done… when these new ideas are ready, you’ll be the first to know. Gamecca was born out of a passion, something which can become clouded when the work involved becomes mundane. But it never truly disappears, and when it resurfaces, when new potential is discovered, things can get more interesting. And I am sure that they will over the next few months, for us here at Gamecca, and for all of you out there who read our magazine. Right, enough prattling from me… you have a magazine to read, and I have more diabolical plans to nurture and hatch. I would insert some “evil genius” laughter as a closer, but it might take up too much of my planning time. g

www.apexactive.co.za ©Copyright 2013 and Published by Koch Media GmbH. Deep Silver is a division of Koch Media GmbH, Gewerbegebiet 1, 6604 Höfen, Austria. Developed by 4A Games. 4A Games Limited and their respective logo are trademarks of 4A Games Limited. Metro: Last Light is based on the internationally bestselling novel METRO 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky. All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners. 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.“PS3”,“Ã”, and “À” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Subject to change.

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.

com

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

Coming Up...

Dear Ed,

Dear Editor,

Love the magazine. I have two questions for you: 1. Why is Gamecca sometimes not available on the 1st of the month? 2. How do you choose your letter of the month? Regards M van Rensburg

Regards Dawid Duvenage

Hi M (you don’t mind if I call you M, do you?) For the first question, we publish our magazine on the first working day of each month, based on the South African calendar of public holidays. So if the first is on a Saturday or Sunday, we publish on the following Monday. If it is a public holiday, we publish the nest day. You can head over to http://www.info.gov.za/aboutsa/ holidays.htm for a full schedule of SA public holidays. The second question: are you trying to get an edge on the competition? Our choice is based on a few criteria, but we mainly look at letter s that aren’t specific to Gamecca, but rather address a wider debate in the video game community. These are often topical, or talkabout things that have been going on for a while. In other words, we don’t really pick letters that tell us how great we are (we know that already.)

Hi Dawid I believe that running previews just before games are released is beneficial to our readers. While many of the hard-core guys and girls out there know all about the games months before they hit shelves, a large number of our readers fall into a more casual gamer bracket. Because of this we try not to talk about games too long in advance, and give reviews a greater deal of attention. Quite simply, if you read the review here, you can go out and buy it right away. When we do publish larger previews, we try to keep them in, or just before, the month of release. Once again, creating hype ages before a game hits the shelves seems a little silly to us...

Letters

Thanks for a great mag. I can’t believe they are free! Please keep them coming. I have seen that you guys don’t give a lot of information in preview articles. Also your previews are often right before a game comes out. Should you not publish previews longer before the games come out?

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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.

The Digital Route

Letter of the Month

Hi Ed

Is it really a sport? Dear Ed, I would like to add my two-cents worth after reading the interview you published with Colin Webster in the last issue. I am a very keen sportsman and have been competing non-professionally for some time. I find it very difficult to consider playing video games a sport. Dictionary.com defines sport as “an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature”. While I agree that “eSports” do require a lot of skill, they are not physical activities. According to the definition, playing computer games is not a sport. Sincerely Jacques

I want to start out by thanking you and the Gamecca staff for an excellent magazine. I love the fact that I can get every issue online... I am working on downloading all of them. It is good to see a South African magazine doing everything online. I have seen lots of magazines from other parts of the world that are also digital, but not many from South Africa. It’s so much easier, and it saves trees! Will Gamecca always be an online magazine? I hope so. Later, Bruce Buys

Hey Bruce,

Hi Jacques, If you scroll down a little from that Dictionary.com definition, you will find the World English Dictionary definition, which says “an individual or group activity pursued for exercise or pleasure, often involving the testing of physical capabilities and taking the form of a competitive game”. They have put the word “often” in a different place, and the meaning changes significantly enough to include things like video games and board games. Sport is also defined by several sources as a “recreation” or “passtime”. Using a dictionary definition these days, for a language as mutable and constantly evolving a English, doesn’t really make a good argument. I get what you are saying, though; there are many people out there who consider eSports to be nothing like what sports should be. But the truth of the matter is that governing bodies in South Africa (the Minister of Sports and SASCOC) have recognised eSports to be legitimate sports, according to their rules and regulations. It’s an accepted thing here in South Africa, and in numerous other countries, that video games can be played as a sport. Perhaps we should all stop being negative about our potential eSports competitors, telling them that they are not sportsmen, and give them the support they deserve.

I like trees; I have a number of bonsai trees that I love, and so wouldn’t want to see any trees get harmed. Seriously, though, we do believe that this digital medium is the future of magazines. Magazines will never disappear, but the way they are experienced will certainly change. As for other mags, well, there is a strong move in South Africa to go digital. There are many reasons for this (not just saving trees) and we have already seen a few major publications go fully digital, while others have started offering digital versions for sale. And in answer to your question... well, for the foreseeable future, yes, Gamecca will be an online magazine. One has to stay with the times, and while the times are moving towards digital, that’s where we’ll be. And I don’t think that paper will become the ‘in thing’ ever again, so... Ed

Our Letter of the Month writer will be recieiving a set of Turtle Beach Z1 headphones, courtesy of Apex Interactive. * Prizes for South African residents only.

Ed gamecca47

Gamer Personalities That Ruin

Multiplayer Gaming

Things

There are many different types of people that play multiplayer games, and many of them are really annoying. We have identified a few of them (our personal least-favourites) to warn you about here. You won’t be able to avoid them, because they’re everywhere… online, LANs, even next to you on the couch. But at least you’ll know who you are dealing with.

10 10

10 Ten on 10

The Braggart

This is the guy who will tell you all about how good he is. He will tell you that he can headshot an AI pigeon at 1 000 in-game yards with a side arm. He will tell you that his kill-death ratio is so high that the military is considering him for a new one-man spec-ops team. He will tell you that the top ranked players in the world have him on speed dial, in case they need a tip or two (he doesn’t compete, of course, because he plays games just for fun). And you will never, ever find him in an online game, just in case he has to put his money where his mouth is.

The Cheat

Actually, he should be called “The Exploiter”. But let’s be honest, in the modern gaming arena, exploits are cheats. And he will know each and every one of them. He will know that if you hop up and down three times, go prone and then crawl backwards for three feet, a super-weapon will drop out of the sky. He knows even the most obscure exploits in games that no-one plays, because he cannot possibly face the prospect of not stacking his odds in his own favour.

The Camper

The Bad Loser

After scientifically measuring tons of different apects of the game world – including some lengthy experimental trigonometry that would astound rocket scientists – this guy knows exactly where he is safest. In every single level. And there he will sit, with a virtual thermos flask of coffee, waiting patiently (for hours) for someone – anyone – to enter his crosshairs. He will tell you that he does this because he is awesome… but we all really know that Campers are just afraid of getting into the thick of things.

He takes a headshot? Rage quit! He loses a resource point? Rage quit! He sees one of your units for a split second on the largest multiplayer map in the game? Rage quit! Thanks to some deepseated self-esteem issues, this guy cannot bear to lose. He cannot bear to come close to losing. He cannot bear to be anywhere away from total domination from the second the game starts. Instead of expending all that pent-up rage on actually improving his game, this guy would rather go and sulk in a corner.

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The Bad Winner

The Elitist

Perhaps worse than the Bad Loser is the Bad Winner. This guy will take every opportunity to tell everyone who cares to listen (and even those who don’t) about how awesome his victory was. The funny thing is, he probably suffers from the same issues as the Bad Loser, but he deals with them in a different way. In a way that makes you want to high-five him in the head with a machete.

He is level 1 098 373 in every game he plays. He spends more time gaming than most professional athletes spend practicing the skills that earn them millions (but he doesn’t get paid). He only plays with people who are ultra-serious and suicidally dedicated to gaming. He will never enter just any game – no, he will only play with those that he deems worthy of his virtual presence. And if you tell him that you play games for fun, his withering gaze can turn you to dust… well, that’s what he thinks, anyway.

10 10 7

The Revenge Hunter

The Silly Noob

The Commander

Getting a sweet shot in is awesome… but getting a sweet shot in on this guy is the biggest buzz-kill of modern times. No matter how lucky or skilful the shot might have been, he will hunt you down and beat you like a red-headed stepchild. He will persecute you every chance he gets, racking up a massive kill score by only killing you. In fact, he’s probably hiding in the bushes outside your window right now, in full combat gear and armed with a high calibre pistol…

This is the guy who will constantly tell you how much he sucks at a game. And he does suck, but rather than trying to get better, he will inanely giggle whenever he dies, or sigh and say “oh, well, that’s because I suck at games.” If self-deprecation was an art-form, he would be the Michelangelo of it. He is so good at making excuses that he has pretty much convinced himself of his own mediocrity… no wonder he never gets better. And gets you killed.

This guy has decided that every game he plays is a massively important event (he’s probably a Braggart) and that his superior skills will save the day and end world hunger (or something). And so he sits around barking orders at his team from the first nanosecond of play. He thinks himself a super-strategist, and will take even the smallest setback personally. Not that he ever makes mistakes, of course. Even when he stuffs it up horribly, his team is obviously to blame.

The Lone Wolf

You’re trying desperately to fend off wave after wave of enemies, and could use a little help. But you won’t get any from the Lone Wolf, who sees himself as the virtual equivalent of Rambo, Chuck Norris and Superman, all rolled into one. And he doesn’t just appear in games with lots of players; there is nothing worse than this guy if you’re partnering up for a little two player co-op. Worst of all, he is often on the other side of the map, doing arb stuff while you’re getting the living daylight kicked out of you. gamecca47

Mind Your Language IDoubleDQD

by Sarah Snyman

am woman, hear me curse. Listen closely as I scream expletives at my opponents, tilt an ear to catch the almost silent threats made on the bosses mother. Controllers shudder under my barbaric painted fingernails, my WADS keys fade into obscurity when rubbed raw by my tormenting finger prints. I crush enemies like faceless ants, and stamp out any sparks of failure with the needle point heel on snakeskin Italian shoes. I am woman, hear me curse unnecessarily. Language in video games has become more than crass over the years, and despite my history with words, linguistics and a grammar based

genocide, I love it. My choice of words in a moment of panic have brought shame to my family and my English lecturers. Phrases have also brought confusion and laughter from people playing with me. One such insult that miraculously appeared in my mouth and promptly fell out, onto the floor in a gooey awkward mess was ‘I will eat your face!’ I’m not sure why, or how this developed but that stayed at the top of my defensive brain for months. I once shouted ‘your mother is diabetic and your poor life goals made her fat’, at a Silent Hill demon that jumped out from behind a cupboard.

And when I first saw the spider boss in Diablo 3... I promptly told it that it’s face was awful, and it should feel bad about that. Moments of authentic panic illicit more than an obscenity. They command more than the four letter words at the top of our modern, vocabulary-bulimic brains. If they are really terrified, most people go to the weird and uncontrollable. This has become a ranking in my mind for how truly skincrawling a release is. If people play it and swear as they destroy the demonic entities in their way, it’s hectic, or ‘hecs’ as the Capetonians say. But if it renders a thirty year old man speechless,

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other than intermittent bursts of ‘run away!’ and ‘oh God it’s coming back!’... Then it earns its horror stripes. If you have never experienced the sensation I speak of, or if you think that, no matter the adversary, you will use all of the “French” words to curse it back to hell... Then you need a survival horror, stat Go and download Slender. And when your torch battery dies, when you’ve collected six pieces of paper, when the static sounds starts and the booming footsteps get bigger... I’ll cock an ear and listen out for a shriek of “what is that, even?! Run away!’ And then I’ll chuckle, hard. g

Welc to the

Feature

THE END

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come Metro

IS NIGH by Lein Baart

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Feature

aming, and indeed the entertainment industry in general, has seen its fair share of postapocalypse titles. The appeal of these games is undeniable, despite our apparent obsession with our own demise, evidenced by even a casual glance at the history of gaming. The approach though has varied wildly over the years, from the film noir inspired settings of Tex Murphy to the wastelands of the Fallout series. And yet few have captured the absolute horror and desperate atmosphere of a postapocalyptic setting quite as artfully as Metro 2033. Set in the Moscow Metro system in the year 2033, Metro 2033 drew heavily from the wildly successful book of the same name, on which it is based. Indeed writer Dmitry Glukhovsky was an integral part of the development right from the start, ensuring the game was a faithful translation of the book. As he put it,

“it’s as much of an honour having this book turned into a videogame as having it screened”. His hand showed clearly, as when one thinks about Metro 2033 almost always the first thing that comes to mind is atmosphere. Metro 2033 takes place in a world that was ravaged by nuclear devastation in 2013, where the last remnants of humanity have fled to the underground Metro system for refuge, taking shelter in various stations. Twenty years later, each station has become an autonomous state of its own, with growing tensions between two major factions, the New Soviet Union and the Fourth Reich (apparently Nazis are like cockroaches, not even a nuclear explosion can wipe them out). Travel and communications between stations is almost nonexistent, as above ground the land is a poisonous, desolate parody of Moscow, and both environs are filled with animals and humans who survived the radiation

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and have become twisted wretches known as the “Dark Ones”. Caught up in this maelstrom of misery is Artyom, a man of twenty who has only known life in the Metro, and whose journey to save his station unfolds into an intense and intriguing narrative. The despair and desperation that seeped from almost every pore of the world was made possible by the brilliant artistry of the development team. The Metro 2033 was not without its flaws, as awkward animations, textures and bugs made obvious but infrequent intrusions. However the core of the design philosophy was immersion and Metro 2033 had brilliant touches that sucked the player into its world. The HUD (Heads Up Display) was minimalistic at best, doing away with things like the then traditional health bar and minimap. Likewise travelling above ground required a gas mask, however the air filters needed to be changed

periodically, and the only way to track it was through a timer on the player’s wristwatch. There wasn’t even a map, instead Artyom was only provided with a compass to navigate around his treacherous environments. All this combined to produce a game that eschewed the usual run and gun mayhem of the modern FPS in favour of thoughtful, considered approach. Metro 2033 actively rewarded you for taking the path less travelled, and for using wits instead of twitch skills when you did enter combat. Metro: Last Light is looking to recapture this same feeling. The whole series is basing itself on the atmosphere it can create, and in light of this many of the features that made Metro 2033 such a rich and dark experience have found their way into the sequel. The HUD will still be almost non-existent, there still isn’t a map to lead you by the nose, and your flashlight will still

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Feature

require recharging, leaving you wide open to attack by a multitude of enemies that infest the Metro system. Rather than being based on the novel Metro 2034, the sequel to the original book, Metro: Last Light will have its own story to tell in which the factions of the Metro are gunning for a powerful weapon hidden in station D6. Last Light follows the normal, or “bad”, ending of the first game, and will still see you taking control Artyom, the franchise’s central protagonist. According to Huw Beynon, global brand manager at Deep Silver, Dmitry Glukhovsky has been “fundamentally involved over both games”, and wrote the entire plot for Last Light, working closely with developer 4A. The brilliant overheard conversations of the first game are back, and like the plot have almost been entirely scripted by Dmitry. The plot is clearly one of the central focuses of the game, despite the

fact that Deep Silver is being extremely cagey with details. As Huw put it, the difference between Last Light and other shooters “is that the story comes first”, and while nothing has been outright confirmed, the alternate endings seem to be making a return. Last Light looks to be refining its gameplay, rather than adding a bevy of new features. The developers have clearly listened to the public, and seem to have toned down the excessively realistic nature of the first game. Ammo will still be scarce, and the game will still require you to manage your resources, but the gunplay has evidently received a lot of attention and it shows. Likewise, the stealth elements of the game have been vastly improved. According executive producer David Sharpe, “the stealth mechanic is now ‘night and day’ better”. Human enemies will have multiple alertness levels, rather than 2033’s variable levels of complete

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ignorance versus radar precision detection, and light sources can either be shot out or disabled. The survival horror elements of the first game will also be present, requiring you to traverse mutant infested sections of the Metro by the flickering light of your lighter or headlamp, all the while desperately fending off nightmarish horrors. Similarly, the above ground stages still feature a poisonous landscape where air filters are a desperate commodity that needs to be frantically scavenged. What all this should translate to is a game where planning and exploration are as vital to your success as the speed of your trigger finger, and will appeal to those who like their shooters to take a more measured pace. Last Light also looks to be absolutely stunning. While still using the 4A Engine of the 2033, significant work has gone in to produce a title that the developers are

claiming will set a new PC benchmark. Other details have not escaped attention however, and Last Light will feature several new features such as destructible environments which should make combat a frenetic affair. Despite the woes of THQ, which filed for bankruptcy last year December and who owned the rights to the Metro franchise, Metro: Last Light looks to be a stunning sequel to the highly rated original. It wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t appeal to those who like their combat fast and frantic, but then then the primary focus has always been on creating atmosphere and tension, bringing to life a world that is on the brink of destruction. By the time you read this Metro should be just a couple of weeks away from release, and for those who love their gaming to have depth and weight, Metro should be high on the list of must-plays for this year. g

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Previews Highlights 22 Overstrike Fight fire with fire 26 Pikmin 3 Nintendo’s crazy puzzler returns 28 Disney Infinity Disney’s Skylanders? 31 Rayman Legends More zany adventure 35 LEGO Legend of Chima: Laval’s Journey An ancient war...

h, yes, May... autmun hangs in the air and the trees are starting to lose their leaves. Just like store shelves seem to be losing new games... But fear not, E3 2013 is around the corner, and with it will come tons of new announcements. In the meantime, why not check out the nine previews we managed to scrounge up for you? g

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“THE BEST RACING GAME OF THE GENERATION. PERHAPS EVER.” GAMESRADAR

PRE - ORDER NOW

OUT 31.05.13

VISIT :

GRIDGAME

GRIDGAME.COM

© 2013 The Codemasters Software Company Limited (“Codemasters”). All rights reserved. “Codemasters”®, “Ego”®, the Codemasters logo and “GRID”® are registered trademarks owned by Codemasters. “GRID 2”™, “Codemasters Racing”™ and “RaceNet”™ are trademarks of Codemasters. All other copyrights or trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are being used under license. This game is NOT licensed by or associated with the FIA or any related company. Unauthorized copying, adaptation, rental, lending, re-sale, arcade use, charging for use, broadcast, cable transmission, public performance, distribution or extraction of this product or any trademark or copyright work that forms part of this product is prohibited. Developed and published by Codemasters. YouTube and the YouTube logo are trademarks of Google Inc. Intel, the Intel logo, and Intel Core are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Kinect, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos ” and “À” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. “2”, “PlayStation”, “PS3”, “

Overstrike

Fusing the Power Turing alien tech into something great

by Charlie Fripp

against the evildoers. Add three other gamers into the mix, and the title transforms into a four-player co-op title where they have to work together to take down the enemies. Insomniac Games has been responsible for some of the best-known games in the last few years, with titles such as Ratchet & Clank franchise, the Resistance series and Spyro the Dragon under their creative belt. While it might seem that Insomniac Games only have three franchises to work from, the studio actually has a close working relationship with Naughty Dog, who developed the Uncharted series, which started when they worked in the same building. Both main protagonists in Resistance and Uncharted were called Nathan, while in Resistance 3 and The Last of Us the

Preview

hat happens when alien technology falls into the wrong hands? Well, if you’re part of Overstrike 9, you will be called in to clean up the mess, and that is exactly the situation with Insomniac Games’ Overstrike, which is published through Electronic Arts. Players will be part of the rogue CIA unit called Overstrike 9, and their exact job is to retrieve stolen alien technology which has naturally been grabbed by a nefarious agency trying to use it world some form of world domination. Taking a leaf from other EA games, Overstrike will feature four playable characters, where gamers will be able to switch between them at will to increase the firing power

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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

main character’s name stared with a ‘J’ and features a war against zombie-like creatures and armed humans/aliens. Not a terrible lot is known about the title at this stage, but the four playable characters are Dalton Brooks, a reformed and sarcastic mercenary; Naya Deveraux (voiced by Jennifer Hale), a mischievous, lifelong thief; Isabelle Sinclair, a gifted, but rebellious young scientist; and Jacob Kimble, a decorated detective. Each character also has a unique set of weapons and can’t make use of the other players’ armaments. This forces the player (or players) to work as a team and utilise all characters to gain the upper hand in combat. Brooks makes use of an energy shield, Deveraux uses a cloak device, and Sinclair mows down enemies with a mass

bubble gun, while Kimble uses an electric crossbow. The team also has a somewhat strong voice cast behind them, with some famous names being Brian Bloom (StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, Call of Duty: Black Ops II), Jennifer Hale (Mass Effect, Diablo III), and Ali Hillis (Gears of War: Judgement, Mass Effect 3). It is rumoured that the third-person action game will make use of a cover system, while making use of futuristic weapons throughout the title, while borrowing a bit of inspiration from Ratchet & Clank and Resistance. Overstrike is set to be a great futuristic title, stacked with action-packed sequences and a plot that will keep players gripped to the end. Definitely worth checking out at the end of the month. g

AT A GLANCE: First Person Shooter

Fighting aliens with alien technology could prove to be fun. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Insomniac Games Electronic Arts Electronic Arts

May 2013 PC X360

Platforms

Genre:

ETA

Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Dynasty Warriors 8

Same Old Same Old? The inevitable return comes again

by Lein Baart

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Action

Fans will no doubt be slavering for the next instalment, but Dynasty Warriors will need to bring something special to attract new players Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Omega Force Tecmo Koei Silver Screen

ETA

Jul 2013 PC X360

Platforms

Preview

f any company knows how to squeeze every last penny from a franchise, it’s Tecmo Koei. They’ve been flogging the Dynasty Warriors horse since 1997, and through its nearly inestimable amount of sequels, spin-offs, expansions and crossovers, they have managed to create a franchise that’s undoubtedly left its mark on the hack ‘n slash genre, if only through brute force. True to form, and hot on the heels of DW 7: Empires, Dynasty Warriors 8 is now making its way venerable way over to the West to once again regale us with (the same old) tales of Ancient China. For those who don’t know much about the series, Dynasty Warriors is set during a period known as the Three Kingdoms, immortalised in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The series is known for rigidly following the novel and historical records, so long standing fans will undoubtedly be overjoyed to hear that the next iteration will feature “What If?” scenarios, whereby players can see how history could have changed should certain characters have survived their fatal conflicts. Free Mode, from DW 6, is making a return, and a new “Commander Mode” is available, which tasks the player with building a Bronze Pheasant Tower to attract the emperor of China’s attention. There is of course the usual bevy of new characters and weapons, and EX weapon types will now be unique to each character. Omega Force has introduced a host of combat mechanic tweaks, such as affinity for certain moves, as well weapon affinity. What remains to be seen though is if Dynasty Warriors 8 will be a tweaked rehash, or whether the sequel will breathe new life into a somewhat stale franchise. g

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Pikmin 3

Army Ants Pikmin power in the palm of your hand.

by Nthato Morakabi

to survive their dangerous world. Their world, though beautiful and filled with strange creatures, is still a rather hazardous habitat for them, filled with various enemies that would consume them. It is also a mysterious world that has hidden treasures within it. Thanks to the Wii U’s processing power and its HD capabilities, players will be able to experience this Pikmin world in all its beauty, enjoying the exploration of the intricately designed levels. Control of the Pikmin will be through an overhead view, enabling players to make easier strategic decisions. With a new intuitive control system, players will be able to command their squadron in various ways, opening up potential strategies and paths and defeating whatever

Preview

higeru Miyamoto has been, for a while now, mentioning to Nintendo fans around the globe that a new Pikmin title would be on its way soon. At last year’s E3, when the Nintendo Wii U was being showcased to the world, Pikmin 3 was announced in classic Nintendo-style as Pikmin started popping up all over the place both in Miyamoto’s office and from his pockets prior to its announcement. As a means of showcasing to the world the capabilities of the Wii U and its revolutionary controller-screen gamepad, Pikmin 3 will be sure to utilize the various gaming elements of the Wii U. The game puts players in control a swarm of Pikmin; tiny ant-like creatures that work together in an effort

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enemy comes their path; the Pikminâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s combined abilities show that there is great strength in numbers The Wii U gamepad will work as an overhead map and radar, tracking the movement of your Pikmin. The gamepad will also allow players to review results of their progress at the end of a level then choose to either fast-forward, rewind or pause while assessing previous mission in order to decide what other paths they could take should they replay the level. Players will also have the option of using the Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuck to control the Pikmin. So far there have been two more Pikmin revealed that players will be able to use in the game. Originally players could only use five different Pikmin. Red Pikmin

that are resistant to fire, Yellow Pikmin that can be thrown higher and are resistant to electric hazards, Blue Pikmin that can survive in water, White Pikmin that move faster and are resistant to poison and Purple Pikmin that are slower but stronger. The two new Pikmin are the Rock Pikmin that are able to smash through tougher barriers and the Flying Pink Pikmin will be able to attack airborne enemies and carry items through the air. With no news concerning the exact date that this mass-action strategy title will be released, we will have to keep our eyes and ears tuned in to the Nintendo world and their famous Nintendo Direct videos as they reveal more on this title. g

AT A GLANCE: Strategy Puzzler

Take control of the ant-like creatures known as Pikmin and lead them through obstacles, challenges and foes saving them from the dangers around them. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Nintendo EAD Group Nintendo Core Group

Q3 2013 PC X360

Platforms

Genre:

ETA

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Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Disney Infinity

Franchise Alert! Even the concept has been done before.

by Pippa Tshabalala

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Action adventure

Very cute, very Disney. Hopefully it will play as good as it looks. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Avalanche Studios Disney Interactive Studios Prima Interactive

ETA

Aug 2013 PC X360

Platforms

Preview

erhaps I’m too pessimistic but it seems that Disney has jumped on the bandwagon following the success of Skylanders. How can we encourage kids to want to play our games? Collectible figurines that you need to buy to unlock more of the environment of course! Disney Infinity uses figurines that are synthesised into the game and used to unlock different characters and aspects of the Disney universe. There are two main modes to the game, Play Set and Toy Box. Each play set has its own world and gameplay, while Toy Box is much more like a typical sandbox mode where players can explore the different worlds in their own way. In Play Set mode characters from one world cannot enter another world although they can be combined in the Toy Box. Disney Infinity features characters from the different Disney Pixar stories including The Incredibles, Pirates of the Caribbean, Monsters University, Toy Story, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Wreck It Ralph, Cars and Phineas and Ferb. While there is definitely a part of me that loves the idea of combining all the universes as demonstrated in the trailer, the fact that the game is so obviously modelled on Skylanders annoys me, and I’m hoping that the gameplay is original enough to combat this. As it stands so far it looks fairly robust, and visually the look and feel is very in line with what we’ve come to expect from Pixar. The characters all display the same quirkiness and personality evident in the various films, and although it might end up being simply one for the kids, it has enough potential that I might just try it out myself. g

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Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Care for over 30 different animals from all four corners of the Earth whilst running a professional programme of rescue, rehabilitation, research and conservation. 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.

Scan QR code to view YouTube trailer

www.apexactive.co.za

www.excalibur-publishing.com

Magrunner

What’s in a Name? Nothing about this one says anything about the game

by Pippa Tshabalala

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

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TBC

Action

Looks great, concept appears to be a cross between puzzle and survival horror. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

ETA

3AM Games TBC TBC

PC X360

Platforms

Preview

agrunner is all about being quick it seems as it boldly claims to put your brain and your reflexes to the test. It is developed using the Unreal 3 engine and the game transports the player into the future, the year 2050 to be precise, combining the worlds of technology with H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulu mythology, an interesting combination to say the least. Before I get into the story, I want to explore the visual style, which is more graphic than I expected from the concept, and beautifully rendered. In many ways it looks as if the developers have drawn inspiration from games such as Portal, and possibly even Borderlands, with the bright colour palette and outlines, but either way I find it compelling. Your location is the heart of the Gruckezber Magtech space exploration facility, and you are testing out a brand new technology designed to push your brain and your reflexes to their limit. With the Magtech glove, you can load objects with a green or a red charge, and attract or repel other objects by matching up the charges. Progress through the game by exploring your surroundings and solving the puzzles as you go, and even exploring a bit of story , that the training facility is in fact hiding a much darker secret. You are sucked into a mysterious and terrifying parallel universe, with all kinds of creatures straight out of the mind of Lovecraft, and you discover that the fate of mankind rests on your shoulders. It might sound a bit clichéd, but it’s a game that captures my attention and one I’ll likely be placing on my “To Play” list. g

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PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Rayman Legends

Platformed for Greatness Dashing towards yet another Legendary title?

by Nthato Morakabi

AT A GLANCE: Platform

Run, jump and bash your way through newly designed worlds with new characters at your disposal and a freshly composed soundtrack to enjoy. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Ubisoft Montpellier Ubisoft Megarom

Q3 2013

Platforms Platforms

Genre:

ETA

PC PC X360 X360 Kinect Kinect PS3

PS3 Move

Move Wii U Wii Wii PSV PSV 3DS DS DS 3DS

Preview

casual stroll through an enchanted forest becomes the prologue to an adventure for Rayman, Globox and the Teensies when they come across a mysterious tent. Upon entering the tent, they find a series of captivating paintings, paintings that are more than just mere artwork. Closely examining these paintings reveals marvelous mystical worlds to the trio, each one telling their own story. As they focus on a particular painting depicting a medieval world, they are suddenly sucked into the painting, entering that mysterious world and initiating the first step of their newest adventure. Experience the high-paced action filled platformer from Ubisoft. Players can expect to run, jump, kick and punch their way through a newly designed world with 3D gameplay elements. New lighting and rendering elements accentuate the game graphics beyond the previous title. Race through levels as either Rayman, Globox, the Teensies, Murfy or the newest addition to the roster, Barbara. Face Dragons and other epic creatures in intense boss battles with the bosses having an advantage over the heroes...an extra dimension. Players can test their skill and speed against friends or online rivals on global leaderboards. Play locally in a five player co-op game and use the Wii U controller to take out enemies, manipulate platforms, cut ropes and much more. Players will be able to dance to the rhythm of the music as they jump to the beat of a drum, punch to the bass line and zip-line through a guitar sustain. Switching gameplay to the Wii U controller will be possible, allowing players the freedom of playing the game TV-less. New worlds, new characters and a new soundtrack; Rayman Legends should prove to be worth getting. g

Young Justice: Legacy

Filling the Gap Shameless rip off, or something more?

by Lein Baart

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Action Adventure

While the success of the game depends on the quality of its story, for now Legacy looks to be hitting the right buttons Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Little Orbit Warner Bros Ster Kinekor

ETA

Sep 2013 PC X360

Platforms

Preview

aming has been subjected to its fair share of comic book-based titles, inspired by whatever hero is the flavour of the month. In all honesty most of them have been fairly useless, being little more than cash cows hopping on the bandwagon to satiate the demands of corporate greed. However there have been those rare, precious few games that have aimed to actually provide an enjoyable experience, and while the quality of the franchise that preceded them has never been an indication of their quality, one could hope that a title based on (the surprisingly good) Young Justice series will get the same treatment. Billed as an action adventure RPG with puzzle elements (which is about as generic a description nowadays as you get) Young Justice: Legacy will be set during the five year gap between seasons one and two, and aims to flesh out the franchise’s canon. The plot will revolve around an ancient artefact of immense power (as these things tend to do), but beyond this there’s not a lot of information available. Most of the major superheroes and villains will make an appearance, including several Justice League members, but only twelve of the Young Justice members will be playable. Gameplay will be mission based, with the player required to select three characters from the Team roster per mission which he can switch between at will, meaning that combat should be fast and varied. The voice cast is looking impressively strong, with the likes of Nolan North and Danny Trejo reprising their roles from the series, and with its varied environments and appropriately cartoonish graphics, Legacy at least appears to be doing justice to its source material. g

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Soul Sacrifice

Generic Title… But does it have potential?

by Pippa Tshabalala

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Action Adventure

Kooky concept, but it has potential – hopefully we won’t be disappointed. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Marvelous AQL SCEE Ster Kinekor

ETA

May 2013

Platforms

Preview

t must be incredibly hard to come up with game titles, I mean how many of them have been done before? That said, it doesn’t really sound like the developers put much effort into this one, which sounds like a million other games that have been released in recent years. Boring the title might be, but the premise however catches my interest. You play as a slave that is bound to serve a cruel sorcerer, and as your death draws ever closer you “by chance” discover a book that is actually a demon in disguise. Yeah ok that just sounds weird, but the gameplay is where it gets interesting. The core gameplay mechanic of Soul Sacrifice requires you to sacrifice parts of your body or items, perhaps even the lives of other sorcerers, in order to gain power and cast spells. Obviously you only have so many limbs, so this is not a renewable resource so to speak, and you must be selective about how and when you feel a devastating attack will be absolutely necessary or you could end up rolling around on the floor as a disembodied head... Now where have we seen that one before? Soul Sacrifice functions on a point system to calculate mission rewards, which to be honest seems rather confusing, but if we move past that, rewards come in the form of spells. Each mission has a number of different spell offerings and even more if there are bosses associated with it. It seems like one of those concepts that could go either way, and with any luck hopefully we’ll be singing its praises. g

PC X360 Kinect

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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 2 010 34

A broken friendship, a quest for power.

LEGO Legends of Chima: Lavalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Journey

LEGO of my Chima CHI! by Nthato Morakabi

AT A GLANCE: Action Adventure

Roar into action as Laval, warrior and prince of the Lion Tribe and prevent the power hungry Cragger, from acquiring the Triple Chi Armour. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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TT Games Warner Bros Ster Kinekor

Q3 2013 PC X360

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Genre:

ETA

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Preview

aval is the headstrong prince of the Lion Tribe, with an insatiable curiosity and a flair for challenging the rules. Cragger is his best-friend, prince of the Croc Tribe and a zealous competitor, fierce with ambition. Their love of fun and pranks brought them together, forming a strong friendship at a very young age. The two, along with other animals from six other tribes, lived together within the land of Chima peacefully, for over a thousand years. The Lion tribe stood over the land as stewards of an ancient and powerful energy known as Chi. It is this very Chi that has led the land of Chima to prosperity and the Lion tribe have proven worthy stewards of this awesome power. One of the rules that guard the inhabitants of Chima is the rule stating that one had to be over a certain age before using Chi. However, Cragger at his young age, experienced a taste of that power, an event that he never recovered from. Player will play the role of Laval, prince and warrior of the Lion tribe. Leaping, swinging, flying and battling through fifteen levels of intense action, seeking to discover the secret of the mysterious Triple-Chi armour. Hot on the heels of this tremendous power is former friend and rival, Cragger, who hopes to gain this ultimate power, threatening the balance of Chi that the Lion Tribe has worked so hard to protect. Trek through the land of Chima from the Lion Temple, to the Eagle Spire, through the Gorilla Forest and Rhino Quarry and over Crocodile Swamp, harnessing the power of Chi as you go, seeking to discover the truth behind the armour of Legend. g

The World Gets Smaller The Soapbox

by Suvesh Arumugam

There is always a lot of chatter on the net about the big rivalries that exist between the powerhouses of various mediums. As gamers we tend to focus on the console “cold war”, which is currently heating up in anticipation on Microsoft’s possible next-gen console unveiling on the 21st of May. There’s plenty of speculation going around, but what really boggles the mind is how hard each of these company’s is trying to get your attention, to convince you that you need to use their product (and theirs alone) and how every feature competes with their competitors best attributes. Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo (and recently Ouya) have all been vying for your attention (and bank balances) for months, but if you take a few steps back, you might find that titanic struggles are the marketing that dominate our attention these days. A media stream that converges often with gaming is the comic book

and movie industry. Disney made headlines of late by buying out LucasArts and LucasFilms, effectively buying the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movie franchises. This is only a few short years after buying out Marvel’s film and comic book empire (though it looks like we still get to see Stan Lee in the movies). Not many seemed to notice that around the same time, Warner Bros bought out DC Comics, and the rivalry has been heated. Both studios have releases a spate of high quality, gritty animated films rebooting their comic book franchises. At cinema’s, Marvel scored big with The Avengers, and have already planned a host of sequels for Iron Man, Thor as well Avengers 2. DC didn’t quite hit the mark with the Green Lantern, but this years Superman reboot, Man of Steel, is set to make big waves, with a Justice League movie on the horizon. The rivalry goes back many years though, when Disney’s family driven

characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck competed with Warner’s street smart and sassy Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. If you look at another rapidly growing gaming platform, smartphones, there is a similar battle brewing between mass producer Samsung and niche specialists Apple. Apple’s iPhone rules the roost in terms of profits and brand image, while Samsung’s volume sales continue to give them a massive share in the market. And the rivalry goes beyond pleasantries. Samsung recently lost a highly publicised lawsuit against Apple for infringement of their Tablet design. The internet exploded with rumours that Samsung paid billions in reparations to Apple in coins (ferried by a fleet of trucks). Although that turned out to be a hoax, there have been countersuits with regard to features of other competing products. On the one hand, super powers duking it out for your

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dollar is pretty awesome. They each throw massive budgets at developing features, brilliant marketing campaigns (generally designed to go viral) and prices just get lower and lower, with new releases more and more often to stay competitive. On the other hand, choice gets more and more limited. In the smartphone arena, once major players like Nokia have all but closed their doors, and one can’t help but wonder if great niche players will all but disappear when they can no longer compete. Could we see the end of Wii and Ouya, HTC and Blackberry, and independent film production houses as the big boys take everything over? Or is this the crest of the wave that will crash at some point, as the driving force and talent start moving away into smaller independent start-ups? With crowd funding schemes like Kickstarter available, it’s pretty likely. After all, that’s how everyone got started in the first place, right? g

Crazy... Console General

by Montgommery Paton

The video game industry has, apparently, lost its mind. Totally. And here’s why… We are undergoing – and by we I mean everyone – one of the harshest financial climates in memory. There are countries facing total economic meltdown, particularly in the Mediterranean regions of Europe. Everyone has less money to go around. The video game industry itself has seen declines in sales all over, with things like catalogue games (read as “bargain bin stuff”) and second-hand sales trumping new releases at almost every turn. So why is it that the various companies in the industry don’t see that? Is it really time for a new

generation of consoles? Economically, I mean. Is the world ready for potentially two expensive new hardware sets hitting shelves at the end of this year? Let’s not forget that Nintendo launched the Wii U late last year, too, so in the space of a little more than a year, we could see Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft burdening our pockets with new consoles. And that’s not even mentioning people like Nvidia and Razer, who somehow seem to believe that there is more than enough money for, never mind new generations, all new platforms to grace retail shelves. Microsoft will only be making their official announcement of the 21st of May, just days before E3 2013 kicks off. So we

cannot be sure that we will see the new Xbox for this year, but it seems likely. That, along with the PS3 and the Wii U, which can still be called new, will make Christmas spending extremely interesting (although here in South Africa we will probably only get the new toys a few months into 2014). The end result will be lots of choice for consumers, but potentially poor sales on the new hardware for the manufacturers, as buyers head for one camp or the other. Not many people will be able to afford all three consoles, not with the global economy as it is. That’s not to mention the handheld consoles, either. Not so long ago we were told that current hardware still had a good

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few years left. Why can the current generation not be extended that little bit, at least until the economy (hopefully) turns? We have already seen things like the PS Vita and even the Wii U suffer sales that are softer than they should have been, resulting in – particularly in the case of Sony’s handheld – game developers shying away from the platforms. This in turn means that the people who did buy them don’t get many new games, which is less than fair. Hopefully things will change in the short few months before these new releases happen. Because if they don’t, the video game industry might just become a very different kind of beast. g

Reviews Highlights 42 Injustice: Gods Among Us The war of the supers... 46 Dead Island: Riptide Let’s go zombie-popping! 52 Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Bigger monsters! 56 Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel Salem and... wait, who?!

nd here we are, squarely in the middle of Q2, 2013. Those in the know will realise that this means there will be few major game releases for a little while, as we head towards another E3 extravaganza, crammed with what we know will be exciting announcements. In the meantime, we have ten game reviews for you, including Injustice: Gods Among Us, Dead Island: Riptide, Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel and, for the sporty types, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14! g

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Injustice: Gods Among Us

Superman Has No Swag

Up, back, down, square, x, back, back… explosion! by Sarah Snyman

preserving my thumb muscles for a session, I honestly wanted the latest MK title with DC characters, fancy special moves, some environmental interaction and enhanced graphics. I want more of a good thing, I want another game that I can host tournaments for, I want to see how loudly my brother can scream at me when I use “unprofessional” single punches to take his characters health down low enough to use a character specific move to destroy him. And before you think this is a disappointed review, I got exactly that in this title. Like any good fighting game, there needs to be a plot which inspires concern and attention during the first play and then gets completely disregarded in multiplayer. The premise is one of alternate universes and strumpet female counterparts to the DC heroes and bad guys we have

Review

’ve been taught that I am only allowed to comment on something I have experienced. Unfortunately many game enthusiasts don’t buy into this. I have heard a lot of banter about this release being identical to Mortal Kombat, people saying it’s the same game so why should they buy it... my answer, “have you played it?” Not only is the actual gameplay valuable to the opinion, but this is a comment coming from Mortal Kombat devotees? Surely if you have found a game that can enthral you for such a long period of time, one with such a crazy replay quality, you’ll be more than excited for another release? The formula works. The Mortal Kombat and DC Universe games have sold countless copies, inspired memes, cosplay and web series. When I got my hands on this release, after having written two previews and

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come to love. In this alternate universe, the Joker is a bit of a careless tool as per usual; he has destroyed metropolis and tricked Superman into killing Louis Lane and his unborn child. Superman, in a fit of roid-enduced rage, kills the Joker in front of Batman. Basically, Superman shows some unlikable traits and Batman gets all emo and rebellious. The insurgency decides to send their heroes to “our” universe where Joker never had much success with his devious plans in the hope of defeating him. By accident, Batman and the Joker get caught up in the intergalactic portal vibe, you know how easy it is to be sucked into parallel universes nowadays... and so unfolds a very confusing tale of good and evil doppelgängers running amok in the wrong universe. I had to stop and rethink a few times to ensure I was in the right dimension. Although the characters I have mentioned so far as all

very familiar, even if you have not glanced at a DC comic, there is a “cast” so vast that even DC aficionados will come across a few names that they cannot place, never mind recite their back story. Black Adam sounds like the tragic boring counterpart of the black widow spider. A dull brown arachnid that shags and then serves himself up as post-coital dinner to a hungry scarlet marked temptress. He is, in-fact, the opposing force to Shazam! And, as I’ve recently discovered, was a perfect example of absolute power corrupting absolutely. Another more obscure character is Killer Frost, who after being locked in a thermo-frost chamber, became an evil sociopath with absolutely phenomenal breasts and zero remorse. But after having a brief rundown of the back stories

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a series of attacks that completely destroy the opponent, provided that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any of that sneaky top layer life left that prevents any further damage when expended. The moves are based on Mortal Kombat. Everything seems to be a different combination of down, back, forward and triangle. But the resultant moves are always character specific and feel different. The multiplayer is quite similar but I never tired of the button bashing joy that these games are famous for. But besides the similar but gloriously reworked aspects of the game, I discovered a few epic gems. S.T.A.R labs is an extra that has a character specific challenge which proves to be quite the battle, unless my skills have dropped even more than anticipated. Getting Superman to save Lois Lane from Lex Luther seemed slightly more strenuous than necessary. There is also the archive section where you can purchase

Review

of the characters I was not familiar with, and a brief annoyance stint with the ever so whiney Harley Quin, I got into that gameplay. The main story follows a similar pattern to Mortal Kombat, allowing you to experience each characterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special moves and the attack of the opponent, some more vicious than others. My personal favourite in this main story was the underwater world of Aquaman. When he discovers that Superman has some kind of super power world contract in place that would allow him to govern over the waters, thereby usurping Aqua guy of his seahorse, he gets mad. And to my joy, when Aquaman gets mad, he creates gigantic waves and obliterates thieving opponents. Discovering each character,s super move, triggered with a full charge and a trigger hit, was the most enjoyable part of the story;

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attributes with rewards gained in the game, some more useless than others, although Aquaman looked quite dashing in his new rags. This area of the game is very similar to the vault in Mortal Kombat but a lot easier to navigate. And there is something quite whimsical about buying Superman a new outfit. Despite all of these great qualities... there is one more experience in this title which stole my heart. Interacting with the environment is not something new to fighting games; if remember a certain hip hop battle title where one overpaid MC could slap another with a swinging camera. Injustice does more than this. It is a planned, live interaction with the world around you, sometimes resulting in a slightly unexpected knock down. And getting knocked so hard that your hero is shot out of the scene through a barrage of violent body slams with walls, cars,

steel structures and fists, he lands up in another entirely different environment to continue with whatever fight he has left. Unlocking additional environments as you play makes the surrounding more than just a backdrop, unlike most fighting games. I honestly have not once been disappointed with this game for one second of play time. It is the perfect balance between nostalgia and high speed attacks. Green Arrow was my personal favourite with a fast attack and long range arrows taking down enemies one small hit at a time, while Death Stroke helped me fight my way to the top more than once by shooting large chested Wonder Woman in the thigh, for feminism of course... If replay value were the leading factor, this game would be my title of the year. Now, if only they could release this for the Marvel crowd...g

AT A GLANCE: Fighting

Reviewed on:

PS3

The creators of Mortal Kombat bring DC to life on our screens like never before. Obscure characters and old favourites combined with environment interaction. Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Mortal Kombat, SoulCalibur Local

Network

Online

NetherRealm Warner Bros Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory

16+ gamecca47

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

84 45

Dead Island: Riptide

Run Through the Jungle More of the same for zombie-killing fans…

by Walt Pretorius

dumped on a new island, Palanai. And, once again, it’s crammed with zombies. The four original character make a return in Dead Island: Riptide, and are joined by a new character, John Morgan, who fills a gap in the previous group structure. Blades, guns, heavy weapons and thrown weapons were all taken care of by the original characters, but there was never a brawler about… that’s John’s job. An ex-soldier, he specialises in getting really up close and personal with zombies, with special attacks and abilities that support the use of brass knuckles and other punch-style weapons. Quite frankly, John is the freshest thing in the game. There are a few new zombie varieties, like Screamers (who paralyse the player character with their unearthly wail), Drowners (who lurk in the vast waterways of the generally flooded Palanai) and Grenadiers (who hurl explosive

Review

he original Dead Island game, released around two years ago, got mixed reviews. On the one hand, the game came with many flaws and issues. On the other, it was an awesome experience because it truly felt like the player was doing the kinds of things they would be doing during a zombie apocalypse; collecting supplies, crafting stronger weapons and braining hordes of undead with stuff that made them go splat. While it may not have been a massive mainstream success, Dead Island gathered a fairly strong cult following . And so the inevitable sequel has arrived. It picks up pretty much were that last game left off… the survivors manage to make it off the island of Banoi on a helicopter, but just have enough fuel to reach a military ship. Once there, things naturally go wrong for the original group of immune survivors, and they are almost immediately

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chunks of their own putrid flesh at you). There is also a whole new setting, which ranges from swampy, flooded jungles through to desolate urban areas. There are new weapon customisation options. There is also a new plot line. But none of these things are particularly fresh. Riptide feels like a rehashed version of the original, delivering more of the same rather than taking a new direction. This illustrates where the main problem with Dead Island: Riptide lies. IT feels like, for the most part, the developers turned a deaf ear to what the public was saying, and simply built another game that feels remarkably like its predecessor. And that goes for more than just the setting, weak plot and overall dynamics. Techland failed to address some of the issues that plagued the original game. The graphics are good, but remain unimproved, with pop-up, screen tears and sometimes

poor textures still marring the visuals. Some of the game’s inner workings are flawed, too, with things like very serious clipping and other shoddy programming issues cropping up. Occasionally even the voice acting acts up – the wrong voice comes from your character from time to time. It’s one thing when the accent changes suddenly, but when your male character develops a female voice for a few seconds, it’s disconcerting. But that does not change the fact that Dead Island: Riptide is immense amounts of addictive fun to play. It really remains as the quintessential virtual zombieapocalypse survival game, crammed with side quests, tons of undead to beat up, and a wide array of things to discover and craft. It may have problems, yes, but it isn’t broken; it is a great experience if you are willing to forgive the technical issues and get on with the zombie bashing. g

AT A GLANCE: Action Adventure

Reviewed on:

X360

Despite its many flaws, Riptide is a worthy successor to Dead Island and immense fun to play. Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Dead Island; Fallout 3 Local

Network

Online

Techland Deep Silver Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory

18+ gamecca47

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

79 47

Luigi’s Mansion 2

Luigi’s Ghost of a Chance. Did someone call for a plumber?

by Nthato Morakabi

forces the old professor to flee his Gloomy Mansion and find solace in the confines of his impenetrable vault. Thus begins Luigi’s adventure back into the world of the supernatural, as its only known hero. After his previously successful escapades against the ghosts of the last mansion and the antagonist, King Boo, it is no wonder that Professor E.Gadd calls upon the services of the reliable and sometimes forgotten older Mario brother. Luigi is portrayed as a rather timid individual who would prefer to sit in the safety and comfort of his home instead of creeping through haunted corridors in search of ghosts. However, as you progress through the game you begin to see a change in his character and although his fear is never gone, he does have a change in attitude in regards to this ghost-busting assignment he has been given. Professor E. Gadd on the other hand seems to take much pleasure

Review

ne fine evening at the Gadd estate, Professor E. Gadd was enjoying a fine time of laboratory work with some cooperative assistance from his ghostly helpers. The spirited ghouls joyfully work within the professor’s laboratory, collecting data and experimenting with his equipment while he continued to research them. Meanwhile, hanging luminously over Evershade Valley, is the violent crescent known as the Dark Moon. It is towards this shinning entity that a ghastly ghoul, hidden in the darkness, echoes evil laughter. With one powerful blast, the ghost smashes the Dark Moon into tiny fragments that scatter across Evershade Valley. Immediately, the ghosts within Professor E.Gadd’s mansion lose their essence of goodness, turning them into violent and disruptive fiends. The chaos that ensues

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in Luigi’s discomfort and timidity, often spurring the hero on with some comment that seems more insensitive than encouraging. With a squeaky “chata chata” voice, the professor helps Luigi through each level with his eccentric yet genius gadgets, one of which plays the most important role in Luigi’s adventure and that is the Poltergust 5000. There are quite a few humorous elements in game that are so classically Nintendo. From Luigi’s tentative “’ello” as he enters a room, to his hesitant mumbling whenever something goes wrong. What makes these situations funnier is his accent; it makes the character of Luigi very Luigi-like. Even the professor throws in a few jokes… not the best jokes, but an attempt nonetheless. Ghost hunting requires two important items in Luigi’s Mansion 2: light and the Poltergust 5000. In the beginning of the game you are given a flashlight because...well,

flashlights ease your nerves or something. The flashlight in itself is insufficient for ghost hunting and what you really need is a Strobulb that fits onto the flashlight. However the still playful yet slightly malevolent ghosts have stolen it and the professor sends you out to find it. Once you have it, a whole new “world” opens up in regards to puzzle solving, finding a host of hidden objects scattered around Evershade Valley and of course the downfall of each ghost you will face. A second attachment you will need to find is called the Dark-Light device - talk about an oxymoron. What this attachment does is reveal objects that a certain ghost has turned invisible by shining the Dark-Light at the area you think (or know after a while) should be visible. Be aware that paintings on walls may have hidden objects framed within. However all of these are useless on their own, the

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from sunglasses to helmets to various other apparel. The Strobulb and Dark-Light can be upgraded by collecting coins and money and these upgrades boost the amount of time you can use your attachments for. Particular ghosts known as Booâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appear throughout the game and they do not work the same as the other ghosts. These ghosts attack while still invisible, meaning you need to first reveal them, then capture them and at times this can be quite a challenge. The Boss Battles are big. Not only that, but you have to use all the skills that playing the levels before have taught you. The battles are not so much a button masher as it they are about patience and awareness. Running heedlessly into the battles will prove futile and so one must think before acting. This makes the game quite fun as you do not rely merely on hoping that you will hit a

Review

most important device here is the Poltergust 5000. This is the improved version of the Poltergust device that Luigi used in the previous instalment of the game. This time the Poltergust is more powerful and will suck the daylights out of any ghost that comes your way. Not only does the Poltergust suck up stuff, it can also blow out air, useful for some items that have been cleverly hidden. The ghosts you face become harder the more you play and some appear more than once in various forms. The only way to defeat them is to stun them with a flash of your Strobulb and then suck them into the Poltergust. The first ghosts you face, the Greenies , are the most frequent one you will encounter. As the levels progress these ghosts manage to protect themselves from you disarming them by wearing various protective gear

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weak spot; instead you must wait for your chance to hit it. The controls are easy enough to get used to, meaning anyone who picks it up will quickly get the gist of the controls. Applying the controls however is different. At times you need nimble fingers; stun the ghost and suck it up before it shakes off its confusion and disappears. There are also various creatures that race past you and quickly flashing them with the Strobulb will give you coins or money but you must be facing them otherwise you miss your chance. Part of the controls is the use of the Nintendo 3DS’s Gyro-sensor. While flashing ghosts, sucking or blowing air out, looking through various viewpoints and even as you cross dangerously thin ceiling beams, you can control Luigi’s view. The in-game camera follows your gestures precisely requiring steady hands at times to stop Luigi from toppling off the beams.

Graphically, the game is very Nintendo-like and so you cannot expect realistic textures and materials. That doesn’t mean, however, that the graphics are bad as these are the same graphics you can expect in any Mario game. The real beauty is in the Nintendo 3DS’ stereoscopic capabilities. The game utilizes depth well, giving you a real sense of exploring a three dimensional environment. The game is a real treat to play, especially for Nintendo fans who enjoy a good puzzle game. The story works well, and with only three main character (one of which you only see at the end) you do not get lost or feel overwhelmed. The puzzles are interactive, challenging and fun, the humour somewhat dry but witty, the areas you visit vary so much from each other that you don’t get bored with repetition. In overall, Luigi’s Mansion 2 is traditionally Nintendo. g

AT A GLANCE: First Person Shooter

Reviewed on:

Luigi is summoned once again for some Mario styled ghost busting, when the mysterious Dark Moon is shattered into fragments. Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Games Games Games Games Games Local

Network

Online

Next Level Games Nintendo Core Group

Parental Advisory

7+ gamecca47

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

3DS Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

79 51

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

Bigger is Better And the monsters don’t get much bigger than this…

by Walt Pretorius

monsters require long battles to take out, and the player will work themselves to the bone in trying to defeat the biggest of the nasties. The end result is a true sense of achievement, as you wearily fall back on the couch and take stock of what you have accomplished in the game. With a distinct JRPG feel, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate will have the player doing a lot of grinding through the six areas that it possesses. These are varied in terms of geography and climate, and all hold new items to find and monsters to kill. Certain monster types even allow the player to make themed equipment sets, but that will take a massive amount of work. Without the work, the player will most certainly be caught on the back foot; substandard gear just won’t cut it when you face the bigger monsters. Single player sometimes makes things difficult, too.

Review

e have seen numerous games remade for the Wii U, but none really offer the scope and depth that Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate has on offer. It’s a remake of Monster Hunter Tri, which was originally released around three years ago. This time around, though, better graphics, smoother controls and a heavier reliance on multiplayer all combine to make the game more thrilling than it was before. OK, thrilling is a relative term. Large parts of the title will be spent in smaller quests and resource hunting, gathering up herbs, ores, minerals and monster bits in order to craft a wide array of items for use during adventures. But when you have done all the prep work, taking on the massive monsters that the game has on offer is epic, in more ways than one. These massive

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When you’re in a four player game, each other player is a potential distraction as well as being a valued participant in the beastie-slaughter. In single player, it feels a little tougher, even though the monsters are ramped up in difficulty when facing numerous players. To this end the player can unlock a pair of AI assistants – two cute little creatures that serve as monster fodder – to help things along, but there’s a lot of slogging to even get to that point. Killing a monster can be quite the chore, and the lack of health bars for monsters makes it tough to judge just how effective your attacks are. This adds a lot of realism to the game, though; the player will have to judge their opponent’s physical condition by the way they act. They may limp, pause for breath or any of a number of visual clues that indicate that the player is wearing them down.

With tons of different items and equipment, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate really becomes the player’s playground. But the learning curve is steep, and sometimes the instructions the player is given are a little unclear. Additionally, until target locking is available, keeping the camera trained in the right direction is a chore in itself. There is a lot of experimentation and learning-through-experience built into the title, and if you have the time and patience to get through that, you’ll find yourself splendidly surprised by what this game has to offer. It’s not fast paced, though – the player will nee to follow a number of pedantic paths to succeed. With an excellent implementation of the Wii U game pad and connectivity with the 3DS version, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on the Wii U is certainly the best game this franchise has produced to date. g

AT A GLANCE: Adventure

Reviewed on:

If slogging towards a massive goal is your thing, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate will keep you well entertained. Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Monster Hunter Tri, Dark Souls Local

Network

Online

Capcom Capcom Core Group

Parental Advisory

12+ gamecca47

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Wii U Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

80 53

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct

Kill Me Now Running away from an (un)dead game

deserves. Other than Daryl Dixon, the crossbow and the Walking Dead theme tune, it does not have much else going for it. The graphics one of the major factors why The Walking Dead is such a disappointment. The graphics lack a great deal of detail, and seem almost incomplete… or that there wasn’t a lot of effort put into them. On many occasions objects will be pixelated or just out of place. It is rather a pity, as the title has a lot of potential and could have made for a really exciting game – if it was done properly. In actual fact, the graphics are prehistorically awful. Another drawback is the combat system. The player will primarily make use of blunt objects or knives, which are equally horrendous to combat the undead. Taking a swing at an enemy is a laborious exercise, as a zombie can

Review

hen The Walking Dead started its television run on AMC, the channel probably had no idea that the series would be as popular as it has become – turning into one of the biggest entertainment properties on television. With crossbow-wielding Daryl Dixon being a firm favourite, gamers rejoiced when The Walking Dead: Survival Instincts hit the shelves, but joy turned to disappointment as the title completely failed to deliver on what could have been a truly great and exciting game. The pure fact that it is based on The Walking Dead franchise should get anybody excited, but sadly that is about the only thing it has going for it. The prospect of playing Daryl Dixon (voiced by actor Norman Reebus) is also what might drive gamers to pick up the title, but it is not enough to sustain the intrigue and suspense it

by Charlie Fripp

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literally take three strikes to the head before falling over. All hand-to-hand weapons take a while to swing and there is no single weapon that will take down a zombie in one move – except for the crossbow, which players only get much later in the game. Together with the combat mechanic, the gameplay also leaves a lot to be desired. Players will select a route on a map to reach salvation, but they are almost guaranteed to break down at random intervals. Once there, they have to search for fuel to continue with their journey, and it also seems pointless. Gamers will get the feeling it’s more about looking for fuel and ammunition than what it is about taking out zombies. Players will also have a choice to save various survivors and allow them to ride along, but most of the time they are just a nuances. Sure they give the player special items if

they are in the party at the end of the title, but they bring no value to the overall game – unless gamers instruct them to look for fuel while the player is out looking for more fuel (see where this is going?) The title was also punted as revolving around brothers Daryl and Merle Dixon, but the title is more about Daryl than Merle. Actually, Merle does not bring anything to the title except give orders and it would have been better if Merle actually helped kill a few zombies on the thin-plotted “missions”. As much as we wanted to like the title, unfortunately it just does not deliver on what could have been the quintessential zombie killing game. Terminal Reality missed a golden opportunity and didn’t put in enough effort to develop something decent. g

AT A GLANCE: First Person Shooter

X360

The title would have been great if it incorporated co-op multiplayer Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Counter Strike, early Medal of Honor, Half Life Local 00

Network 00

16+ gamecca47

Online 00

Terminal Reality Activision Megarom

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Reviewed on:

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

41 55

Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel

Lifeless Killing Machines The third instalment does the franchise no favours…

by Walt Pretorius

rather flat and predictable plot, have been replaced by the excruciatingly imaginatively named Alpha and Bravo. This duo has all the dynamic interaction of a pair of squashed toads – the humour that Salem and Rios introduced to the game simply isn’t there anymore. And that omission makes this latest Army of Two exactly what the others would have been without that element; a lifeless pop-and-drop shooter which sees the players assisting each other in coversection after cover section, shooting a bunch of copy-andpaste bad guys. If they want to assist each other, that is. While there are still areas in the game that work better with co-operation, the necessity for it feels lessened. There is no aggro anymore, and players can pretty much do as they please while trekking through the seven or so hours it takes to wrestle their way through The Devil’s Cartel. The lack of charm has not been replaced by other

Review

he first two Army of Two games managed to build a decent idea – two overly macho, testosterone driven mercenaries work together to overcome lots of enemies. While they’re at it, they amuse the player with bickering, tasteless jokes and generally boyish behaviour. Salem and Rio may not have become household character names, but those that enjoyed the franchise loved these two characters. So the decision to make the stars of the show supporting characters in Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel is beyond odd. Sure, Salem and Rios are growing older, but Splinter Cell’s Sam Fisher should have been in a pulpit-walker years ago, and he’s still going. We want realism from games, yes, but not at the expense of the characters we love. Salem and Rios, while they are still around for the

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improvements, either. The enemy AI is thicker than two planks. Enemies will charge you down time and again, with little regard for life and limb, and their predictable tactics make them slightly less intelligent than a bag of hammers. Thankfully the friendly AI is fairly decent; it will pull the player’s fat out of the fire quite effectively if the game is played solo. Around halfway through, the tedium of the title truly sets in, and it becomes a slog session in order to buy upgrades for the somewhat limited selection of weapons available. The flash and over-the-top nature of the previous two games is, once again, absent. One addition that might have made a big difference is Overkill. This mode allows the player, when it is charged up, to become a combat power-house, immune to bullets, possessed of limitless ammo and firing off rounds that have

explosive effects. It’s a great idea, wonderful for last ditch efforts in sections that are a little too tough for normal fire power. But these sections crop up very sparingly, making the system something the player is likely to forget about, rather than utilise to its full potential. That said, there are times when it comes in handy. This is because the unwieldy cover system will often see the player either not able to get to cover, or even pushed out of cover by their AI partner. Although the destructible environments look fairly good and the player can customise their character to their heart’s content, good looks and fiddling around with character graphics don’t make up for the fact that Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel feel flat and lifeless. It does the previous two games no justice, and fans will likely feel a strong disappointment at the wasted opportunities. g

AT A GLANCE: Third Person Shooter

Reviewed on:

X360

Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel takes everything that was great about the first two games and chucks it out of the window. Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Army of Two Local

Network

Online

EA Games Electronic Arts EA South Africa

Parental Advisory

18+ gamecca47

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

50 57

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14

Tiger’s Wood Is the franchise becoming a bit limp?

by Charlie Fripp

small changes make the game more frustrating than what it should be. An example of this is the wind factor – players need to keep the wind’s direction and strength in mind when planning shots. But this doesn’t always go according to plan, as the title will more often than not disregard the indicated wind speed, leaving the player to plan and execute a shot accordingly, only to have it go wayward of where it should have gone – simply because the factors are correct as indicated in-game. It seems that the game makes use of the wind factors only when it wants to. The swing plane and shot execution has also been given a small tweak (although very minor), as players will now have to swing diagonally to perform draws and fades. This sounds a lot easier than what it is, and when a game relies on precision, swinging diagonally becomes an effort in itself. It’s much better to hit the ball straight and spin the

Review

he Tiger Woods PGA Tour series has been one of the most successful golfing games in recent history, and with the release of Tiger Woods 14, gamers can once again step into the shoes of Woods, or forge their own path to PGA glory. But is the new title all that it’s cracked up to be? Apart from the usual PGA career, players can now step back in time and compete in some of history’s biggest moments, starting in the late 1800’s. The graphics have also been updated (which was expected), and a new experience and levelling-up system has been introduced, but it’s really just more of the same sporting action – other than being able to play as a female golfer in the LPGA, and including all four Men’s major golf championships. While this version of the golf simulator is essentially a redress of Tiger Woods 13 with a number of tweaks, the

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daylights out of it before it hits the ground. While players can now create a golfer that prefers Power or Accuracy, the choice is actually a bit redundant. In golf, hitting a powerful tee shot is key, the short game needs a bit of accuracy, and then it’s down to putting. In something like Tiger Woods PGA Tour, the first two factors are incredibly easy to power through, as putting is where the business really matters. Gaining experience points by playing well and levelling up, the XP should be pumped into Power, Putting, Accuracy and Recovery – in that order. If you can get onto the tee in as few shots as possible, half the battle is won. What’s the point of having a golfer with laser-precision accuracy but can’t crack the 200m mark from a tee off? The presentation style of the latest title has obviously also been given a facelift, and it’s much better now than before. For starters, there is an indicator as to where the

flag is, and during the loading screens information about the next hole is displayed as well as other player stats. But the presentation isn’t without its faults – on a number of occasions a random information pop-up will be displayed on-screen during tee off, which then refuses to go away. It will block the player’s swing plane, which is highly annoying. The commentary team is once again headed up by Jim Nantz, and while they have some new quips, the bulk of the commentary is identical to Tiger Woods 13 – something which cheapens the game considerably. Players of the previous games shouldn’t expect too much from Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14, as EA seems to tweak every second game before releasing a brand-new version of it in between. While this version has better presentation style and graphics, it ultimately falls somewhat short of bring anything new or unique to the golfing green. g

AT A GLANCE: Sports

Reviewed on:

While it can be fun, this isn’t the new Tiger Woods that fans would have been hoping for. Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 & 13, John Daly’s Prostroke Golf Local

Network

Online

EA Tiburon EA Sports EA South Africa

Parental Advisory

10+ gamecca47

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

77 59

BattleBlock Theater

The Amusement of Cats Yes, that’s right, cats…

by Walt Pretorius

Review

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Platform

Reviewed on:

X360

While not perfect, BattleBlock Theater is a great platformer that focusses on challenge rather than presentation. Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Super Meat Boy, Spelunky Local

Network

Online

The Behemoth Microsoft XBLA

Parental Advisory

3+ gamecca47

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

latform games are something that will never die. With the strong influence that this genre has had on gaming over the years, it is little wonder that new titles based on the principles of 2D platforming are still being made. And services like Xbox Live Arcade make it possible for these often simpler titles to be effectively distributed. One such title is BattleBlock Theater, as unassuming side scroller developed by The Behemoth (who also did games like Alien Homonid). It tells the story of a group of shipwrecked friends who are captured by, and forced to perform for, cats. Yes, cats. It’s a strange concept and a strange game, for sure. But despite its weirdness and simplified graphics, BattleBlock Theater is crammed full of humour and platforming goodness. The controls are simple and effective, allowing the sometimes complicated and often challenging game dynamics to shine through. The game is uncomplicated and can provide the player with massive amounts of enjoyment. It’s not perfect, though – there are a few areas that could have enjoyed a little more attention from the developers. That said, the game really isn’t about perfection. Rather, it focusses very strongly on the challenge of the game, rather than trying to wow us with top notch graphics and the like. With single and multiplayer offerings, and levels that are essentially more complex than is initially apparent, BattleBlock Theater has a high degree of replayability. This is supported by a level building toolkit, for those that have a creative (and sadistic) streak. It’s refreshing to see a game that focusses on more than graphics these days. This title is a breath of fresh air for old-school platformer fans, and a great way to kill many hours. g

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

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

a a Bioshock: Infinite Hamper Courtesy of Megarom TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us who developed Bioshock: Infinite Insert Bioshock in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gamecca.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page

Competition closes 31 May 2013. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC and Megarom Interactive. The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •

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

WIN

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

Hunt Monsters! Yeah that’s about it really...

by Pippa Tshabalala

and ended up playing for hours, absorbed in the various tasks of, you guessed it, hunting and killing monsters! That’s not all this game is about however, as you used, uh, materials gathered from your kills to craft items, and complete quests from villagers along the way. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is as much about killing giant monsters as it is about being strategic and managing your resources along the way. In many ways it can get a bit repetitive, but it’s not in a dull way and you’ll find yourself getting caught up to such an extent that it won’t bother you. There is apparently a story, but I can’t really comment on whether it was good or not as it really doesn’t make itself very clear, and it was almost instantly forgettable as I began to get sucked into the various quests. I need to kill the monster? Sure. Why?

Review

onster Hunter 3 Ultimate is the latest game in the Monster Hunter series, and on many levels is a remake of the 2010 Wii game Monster Hunter Tri. This time around it’s available on both the WiiU as well as the 3DS. Interestingly the two are designed to interact on many levels, although in this case this isn’t something I managed to test out. That said, if you own both versions, you will be able to transfer data between the two devices at any point and the 3DS version seems to manage a fair amount of faithfulness to the WiiU version by all accounts. Then online features sadly aren’t available in this manner, but this may or may not bother you. I never got around to playing the previous Monster Hunter games, so this was a new exploration for me and one I surprisingly enjoyed! I went in all sceptical

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Uh... I forget. But slash and stab at it anyway! Admittedly the learning curve is fairly steep, but if you persevere it’s incredibly rewarding. It’s also jam packed with features! With over 100 hours of gameplay you won’t be wanting for content, and if you’re one of those gamers who likes to spend hours crafting weapons and armour, then Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is right up your alley. Graphically the game looks nice enough, but although it looks as if some effort was spent on the monsters, the environment could have used a bit more work. The touchscreen however works very well in this context, and it can be customised with a variety of panels, allowing you to have all the stats you refer to the most such as health, stamina, map, or items right at your fingertips.

You’re constantly being sent out on some or other quest, and this really boils down to the size and quantity of monster. Of course, the bigger and badder the monster, the more experience points you earn, the faster you level up. You’ll also need to spend a fair amount of time collecting, as being able to craft good weapons is really the key to killing off the baddies. A particularly nice touch to this game is the monster health bar, or to be more precise, complete lack of it. It’s completely up to you to keep an eye on your enemy and to see when you think they’re close to death if you want to be tactical with your resources. Rely on your instincts, become the monster hunter, and only then will you really get to grips with this game. g

AT A GLANCE: Adventure

Reviewed on:

A steep learning curve but persevere and it can be very rewarding. Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Monster Hunter Tri Local

Network

Online

Capcom Production Studio Capcom Core Group

Parental Advisory

16+ gamecca47

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

3DS Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

78 63

Motocross Madness

Dirt, Dust and Ice A great way to kill many hours…

by Walt Pretorius

Review

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Arcade Racing

Reviewed on:

Motocross Madness is a bargain at 800 Microsoft points, and is well worth the effort of trying out. Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Nail’d, MX vs ATV Local

Network

Online

Bongfish Microsoft XBLA

Parental Advisory

3+ gamecca47

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

am not a massive fan of seeing my Xbox Live avatar in games; at least, I wasn’t until I tried out Motocross Madness. For a mere 800 Microsoft points, this game opens up a wealth of arcade style dirt bike racing action for the player. The game has three settings: Egypt, Australia and Iceland. These bring their own looks and challenges to the title, which will see the player undertaking races, stunt challenges and free-roaming expeditions. Each area has three tracks, in addition to free-roaming and stunt areas. More would have been nice, but the sheer amount of things to do – including collecting pickups, upgrading bikes, earning new outfits and beating friends on the leader boards will keep you coming back. Sure, it’s not serious, but it possesses a sensible physics model that doesn’t waver; once you get used to how it works, you can predictably pull off all kinds of moves without nasty surprises. The AI is also surprisingly robust, offering the player a solid degree of challenge without having to resort to cheap tricks like elastic tactics to suddenly zoom over the finish line. But perhaps the biggest attractor to this title is the presentation. Although the graphics are cartoony, they are rich and colourful. The environments are large and intricate, and the use of Xbox Live Avatars fits the feel of the game perfectly. Serious racing fans may not want to spend a lot of time with this title, but those who want to spend a fun-filled few hours, either solo or with friends, will find the crazy tracks and antics available in Motocross Madness quite compelling. g

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

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

a copy of Metro: Last Light Courtesy of Apex Interactive TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us who wrote the novel that Metro 2033 was based on. Tell us which platform you would prefer (PC, PS3 or Xbox 360) Insert Metro in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gamecca.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page Competition closes 31 May 2013. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC and Apex Interactive. The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •

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

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You Know What You Are... by Ramjet

Ramjet’s Rantality

The views expressed in this column are not necessarilt those of 1337 Media or Gamecca Magazine... or of a sane, rational human.

absolutely adore people who go around spurting opinions that have no basis in personal experience. I love it because they do it so loudly, so confidently, with so much selfaggrandisement and authority, even though they have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. It’s like watching one of those annoying little dogs yapping loudly at a Rottweiler. Loud, selfimportant and, ultimately, inconsequential. Particularly when the Rottweiler decides that it is snack time. There is a problem, though, when the Chihuahua in question is someone that actually has an audience. I think I spoke about unethical, alarmist, sensationalist journalism before – I forget when I don’t take my meds. Hell, I forget when I do take my meds.

Whatever. The fact is that people who spout crap shouldn’t be allowed to infect us with their uniformed, verbal faeces. It makes us all dirty, and might just infect us with the same dysfunction that these idiots have. Here’s an example. Some guy – let’s call him Harry – tells everyone who will listen that, oh, I dunno… the Wii U is a rubbish console. He does so on his personal blog, Harry the Super Gamer. Anyway, Harry sprouts about how this console is rubbish, or that game is crappy, or those publishers over there are the spawn of Satan. And some of what Harry says rings true. Some of it is based on fact, or experience. But – here’s the cankerous little nugget that infects a society in which any nitwit with a computer can publish something on the internet

– his spewing about the Wii U is based on… nothing. He doesn’t have a Wii U. He hasn’t even, dare we say, touched one. He has maybe, just maybe, seen one in a store window. Maybe. But Harry is mad because he wasn’t given a Wii U by the people that are responsible for handing them out to every self-proclaimed journalist who is actually only in it for free games (games the he will likely slander at every opportunity he gets, the ungrateful little retard). Maybe it was an oversight. Maybe there weren’t a lot of consoles to go around. Maybe Harry and his big, slobbery gob, doesn’t deserve to get what he thinks he is entitled to. I dunno. I forget. Where are my meds? Here’s where I have a massive problem with Harry. People might

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actually be dumb enough to take his opinion seriously. And so, when he says stuff that has no basis on fact, he is lying. He is conning his readers in an effort to make himself more important than he actually is – which is not very much at all, mind you. He is, in short, the human equivalent of a horse’s rear end, because he cannot, possibly, put his money where his mouth is. So, next time you consider slandering something based on hearsay and nothing more, remember that a proper, valid opinion has some kind of experience linked to it. If you don’t have those, you’re blowing hot air and bullshit, my friend. And here’s something else to consider. Pick your game journalists with care. There are a lot of douchebags out there… but only some of us admit it. g

a CM Storm Quick Fire TK Keyboard Courtesy of Cooler Master SA

TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us who makes the CM Storm range Insert CM Storm in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gamecca.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page Competition closes 31 May 2013. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC and Cooler Master. The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •

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A Year in Games

Tomb Raider 1996

Tomb Raider 1997

Tomb Raid

Practically a one-man-production, the revolutionary and breath-taking Prince Of Persia rocked the gaming world. Never before had so much fun come from avoiding spikes in dingy Arabian dungeons.

With her gaming reputation established, Lara goes after a mystical dagger that can turn its user into a dragon. As you may have anticipated, at the end you fight a dragon. It was the first game in the series to feature urban environments.

Lara’s third outing its lack of innovatio add many of her sig and allowed you to levels in any order. definitely starting t franchise.

Tomb Raider 2003

Tomb Raider 2006

Tomb Raid

Core’s final Tomb Raider game was also its worst. One review famously said controlling Lara was like “backing up a 16-wheeler truck”. Drab environments and a dull story did nothing to perk things up and Miss Croft appeared to be done.

Handing over the reins to Crystal Dynamics was an inspired choice. With a new engine, new visuals and new crew, Legend turned out to be the best Tomb Raider since the first game. Lara was back and looking better than ever.

To celebrate her ret form, a remake of t was made using the It certainly entertai series, but even wit it showed its age in gameplay.

1996 - 2010 68

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der 1998

Tomb Raider 1999

Tomb Raider 2000

was criticized for on, though it did gnature moves o (almost) play the . But the shine was to fade from the

The fourth game was perhaps developer Core’s last big hurrah for the series. Despite limited locations, it added much to the gameplay. This is also the first time that a substantial look is given to Lara’s past.

Instead of a large adventure, Chronicles took players through three mini-stories from Lara’s past. Though fun, it failed to really impress its jaded and weary fans, leading to some nasty reviews and doubts about the franchise’s future.

der 2007

Tomb Raider 2008

Tomb Raider 2010

turn to fine the original game e new engine. ined fans of the th some touch-ups n the design and

Though not bad, Underworld squandered a lot of Legend’s goodwill by not pushing the envelope enough. Instead of sticking it out for a third game, Eidos balked and waited five years before the new reboot arrived, the longest gap in the series.

The first non-’Tomb Raider’ spinoff was a successful download game where you controlled Lara and another character. Fun and innovative, it sadly didn’t get a sequel as the team moved onto the Tomb Raider reboot..

Lara The Lives Of

A Tomb Raider Retrospective gamecca47

by Walt Pretorius

Review

MSI Z77A-GD65 Gaming Motherboard

here has, for some time now, been a strong drive towards PC gaming in the component market. In most territories, PC gaming has seen a somewhat steady decline over the last few years, thanks to the rise of higher end consoles. That’s partly the reason why products like this have started emerging. Here in South Africa, where PC gaming is still strong, we reap the benefits, with hardware that is far more focussed on the PC gamer, rather than just PC users in general. One of the more recent additions to the fray is the gaming motherboard. MSI have now joined companies like Asus in producing these devices, and gamers have a fair amount to crow about when it comes to these products. However, it is the added extras that bring the most noteworthy improvements, rather than the general board itself. The MSI Z77A-GD65 Gaming Motherboard is a flagship product for the range, and it brings with it several ideas that work extremely well for gamers. But not all of these are endemic to the idea of gaming motherboards. Let’s be honest; we have seen multiGPU compatibility, military class components and easy overclocking before. Even though these aren’t entirely original concepts, they do serve the gamer better in the fact that they have been tweaked for gaming. The board is extremely robust under strain, which is where it will spend most of its time with a dedicated gamer. Other systems, like Killer E2200 Ethernet, have been designed specifically for gaming applications. The inclusion of elements like Sound Blaster Cinema chipsets mean better surround sound, and the reworking of PS/2 and USB ports with triple gold plating means that the board responds better to high end gaming peripherals. Will this motherboard provide gamers with an edge? Well, that’s something that only time will answer, but testing did show a rather capable highend motherboard, which is what gamers will need. The added responsiveness in areas like peripheral interfacing and LAN connection are sometimes difficult to quantify specifically, but the general performance of this motherboard is undeniably excellent. And then there is the question of looks. If your PC case doesn’t have a window, you’re probably going to end up cutting one into it, just to show off the design of this motherboard. The all-black board is finished with red accents, and even has heat sinks in the shape of dragons (the theme that MSI have chosen to go with in their gaming motherboard range). It certainly looks the part – so much so that hiding one in a case borders on sinful. The improvements to the board – in terms of gaming – are largely tweaks and using higher grade components. But the improvements are there, making this a very decent option… particularly if you are a serious gamer. g

gamecca47

Weapo

on of Choice

That’s what it says on the box…

Summary

Tech Specs:

Although it is very similar to other high end, MSI boards, it has tweaks that certainly enhance a gaming experience.

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

gamecca47

Looks great Excellent performance Sensible tweaks

• • • •

Intel Z77 Express chipset 4 Dual-channel DDR3 DIMMS Sound Blaster Cinema chip 4 USB 3.0 10 USB 2.0 SLI / Crossfire support

M a nufa c turer: M SI Distributor: Pinna c le A fric a O nline: www.pinna c le.c o.za RRP: A pprox R2 500

Pros • • • • •

• •

Cons • • • • •

Very similar to other high end boards.

Score

92 71

Special features speed up gaming performance

SteelSeries Apex Raw Gaming Keyboard

W W

Review

& Sty

e have mentioned before, in a previous issue, that SteelSeries aren’t about the fancy stuff. This company produces peripherals that gives gamers what they need, rather than introducing tons of unnecessary flash. And the Apex Raw Gaming Keyboard stands testament to the logic behind that thinking. That said, this device is not without its special features. These are mainly in the form of 17 macro keys, each with two layers. The sum total is 34 programmable keys that can very easily be accessed, allowing players to speed up their gaming performance wonderfully. With five of these running down the left side of the keyboard, and a further 12 above the function keys, the Apx is a little larger than the average keyboard out there. This also allows for an enlarged ESC key, as well as a very generous space bar. The overall design shows a good connection with the

needs of gamers. It might not have all the flashier bits, but the well-spaced, backlit keys are very clearly marked, and elements like the arrow keys have been modified to include two diagonal forward direction keys. Even the W key has small, tactile bumps on it to help the user find the allimportant WADS configuration without having to tear their eyes from the screen. The keys are low profile and relatively quiet, particularly when compared to some of SteelSeries’ earlier models, which were rather noisy to say the least. The whole thing is tied together by a rather robust, weighty design. It doesn’t feel fragile at all; the user will be able to carry this keyboard with them to LAN parties and the like, without having to worry about fragility. That counts for the feet as well. Instead of having the usuable, often flimsy fold-away feet that allowed the user to adjust the angle of the keyboard, the Apex Raw comes with non-slip rubber feet

gamecca47

ylish

by Alex Scanlon

that can be changed at the rear of the keyboard, allowing for a higher or lower angle. The downside is that this takes a little more time than flipping out those old folding feet. The upsides – well, the keyboard doesn’t skid around when in use, and the feet themselves aren’t going to break if you look at them funny. An additional SteelSeries key unlocks extra functionality, including multimedia controls and the ability to disable that often annoying Windows key. All of this is supported by a software that uses SteelSeries Engine technology to unlock even more options for the user. Various customisations, as well as complex macros, can be set using this rather easy-to-use suit. And it looks good, too. The keys are clearly marked, and the overall effect is an understated elegance that looks a bit more serious than some of the more ostentatious keyboards out there. In all, a solid, understated option. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

It looks plainer than the average gaming keyboard, but it possesses all the right kind of features to enhance gaming.

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

gamecca47

Well built Clearly marked keys Non-slip feet

17 macro keys 2 macro levels Non-slip rubber feet Corded Enlarged space bar and ESC key SteelSeries Engine software support

SteelSeries M eg a rom www.meg a rom.c o.za A pprox R900

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Adjusting angle takes a little longer

Score

89 73

Razer Deathadder Essential Ergonomic Gaming Mouse

t… u o t If you f ’re a lefty, you’ll be le

Review

The

gamecca47

by Alex Scanlon

ander

T T

he right mouse is essential, because you’re likely to spend a lot of time holding it. That means that comfort is essential, and comfort comes right down to design. Ergonomics have everything to do with how long the mouse will feel good, as do materials. These are things that Razer understand and they manage to produce comfortable mouse devices more often than not. The problem with the Razer Deathadder is that it will only feel good if you are right handed. Despite the move towards ambidextrous mouse design that Razer (and numerous other manufacturers) embarked on a while ago, we still see a large number of designs that leave lefties out in the cold. In fact, the Deathadder is so right-hand oriented that simply giving in and using it with the left hand is not only uncomfortable, but also impractical. The mouse features five buttons; left and right, scroll wheel and two added thumb-accessible buttons on the left side. And enterprising left handed user may be able to work with that, but the mouse is actually curved to sit comfortably under the right hand. The curve is subtle, but it is there none the less. While right handed users will enjoy the ergonomics, including a good amount of little finger support thanks to the curve, left handed users need not apply. None of this makes the Deathadder a bad mouse. In fact, right handed users will likely love the overall shaping of the mouse, and the non-slip coating that covers the top sections is an added comfort bonus. The side grips also add a feeling of comfort and reliability, allowing the user to quickly identify their most comfortable grip positions. The mouse has a generous seven foot braided cable that ends with a gold plated USB plug. In addition, it is fitted with the expected low-friction feet, which allow it to glide effortlessly at any speed. Speaking of speed, the 4G optical sensor in the Deathadder is rated at 6400 DPI, with an ultrapolling rate of 1 000Hz, providing a one millisecond response time. In simpler terms, it’s really fast and sensitive. Naturally, the mouse is fully compatible with Razer’s Synapse 2.0 software, meaning that users will be able to customise it to their heart’s content; this includes button assignments and sensitivities, of course. On the whole, the Deathadder is an extremely effective mouse, and manages to remain versatile. It doesn’t have all the flashy bits that some of their other devices sport, but when it comes down to fast, smooth and effective performance, the Deathadder hits all the right notes. As a general mouse, and even a general gaming mouse, it is a good option… as long as you are right handed. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

This well designed mouse is comfortable and effective... but only if you are right handed.

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

gamecca47

Very comfortable Responsive Glides beautifully

5 programmable buttons 6400 DPI 4G optical sensor 1 000Hz ultrapolling Ergonomic design

Ra zer Corex www.c orex.c o.za A pprox R650

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Not ambidextrous

Score

82 75

The Asus GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost Graphics Card

Enhancing the brand yet again…

G Review

raphics cards are a complicated purchase, because consumers have so much to choose from. There are two major chipset manufacturers. Each of these produce various chipsets in each generation. And then there are even more brands, each generally using these varied chipsets, who produce ranges of cards using different ideas… although these ideas often result in similar effects. Two of the biggest bragging rights these days are temperature and noise, or more correctly, lack thereof. Keeping a card cool has many benefits, including longer life spans and greater overclocking potential. Noise… well, no-one wants a noisy PC, and the graphics card is often a massive contributor to excessive operational volume levels. These are two of the things that Asus manage to get right with their range of graphics card solutions. The Asus GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost is such a card,

managing to deliver excellent performance with lower heat and noise levels. The GTX 650 makes use of flattened copper heat pipes that are in direct contact with the GPU to help keep things cooler. These are combined with generous heat sinks and a twin fan system, which (altogether) helps keep the card significantly cooler than reference models. Cooling is also enhanced with the use of super alloy components. These, in addition, help reduce vibration, which results in the aforementioned quieter operation. It also leads to a longer lifespan – Asus claim 50 000 hours (roughly five years) for this device. The card is powered by a GeForce GTX 650 chipset. While this isn’t the top of the line, it still performs admirably. One would be hard-pressed to distinguish the differences between this chipset and the 680 without a collection of benchmarking programmes doing the job. In addition, the card offers 2GB of GDDR5, which is a very

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decent amount indeed. Considering that most people will use their graphics card primarily for gaming, and that most games won’t ask for more than 1GB of video RAM, that leaves plenty of manoeuvring room for added performance. For those that want to squeeze more out of their graphics card, this device certainly has the ability for it. Because it is an OC edition, the user can almost endlessly tweak and fiddle with settings to get that extra grunt out of the card. This is made easier thanks to the included GPU Tweak software, which provides the user with a simple, effective way to make adjustments. A monitoring widget will also allow real time checking of performance. Asus has long been one of the leading brands for a wide variety of computer components, and the GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost keeps that reputation going strong. It certainly is a strong contender when making graphics card purchasing decisions. g

by Walt Pretorius

ternative

Summary

Tech Specs:

The GTX 650 Ti Boost offers everything one would want from a graphics card – performance, quietness and cooler operating temperatures. M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

gamecca47

Good performance Very quiet Easy overclocking

GeForce GTX 650 Ti chipset 2GB GDDR5 RAM Super alloy components DVI-I port DVI-D port HDMI port DisplayPort

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

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Not a top-of-theline chip

Score

85 77

by Walt Pretorius

P P

Review

Epson EH-TW550 Home Projector

rojection has a long way to go before it replaces TV as the main source of visual entertainment in the home. It still is something that seems to belong in the board room, or in the entertainment room of hard-core enthusiasts. The truth is, though, that projection can potentially provide a much larger image than any existing TV – even the behemoths that are currently being introduced into the market. But one vital area sees the victory go to TV time and again: resolution. Projectors simply don’t produce the clarity of image that HD TVs do. But that, friends and neighbours, is changing. Things like ultra short throw projection, colour correction and improved performance in varied lighting conditions are all working towards improving projection as an idea, and making projectors more attractive to a wider variety of people. Still, the resolution issue needs to be addressed. There is progress, though, and devices like this one – the Epson EH-TW550 Home Projector – are making inroads into becoming a viable solution. The EH-TW550 projects images in a resolution that was (and still is) referred to as “HD Ready”. For a long time people wondered about that term. It refers to the ‘almost HD’ resolution of 720p. Not quite 1080p, but a good deal crisper and clearer than the average projector out there. The result is larger images that are undeniably crisper than most projectors can offer. In addition, this projector is 3D capable. So if you’re a movie-nut who enjoys wearing those silly glasses, this one is great for you. Projected 3D has advantages over TV based 3D, too. The system is compatible with Epson’s Full HD 3D RF Glasses, although we didn’t find any included. This may be an oversight, but we would advise checking it out thoroughly in-store if the EH-TW550 is on your shopping list. Using a 3LCD system, the EH-TW550 puts out 3000lm, which means that it can be used in daylight, although the best results are still achieved in a darkened room. The image is also crisp enough for HD movie viewing, as well as gaming. In fact, the projector comes with a specific gaming mode, and the experience can be wonderfully overwhelming. Setting it up is really easy to, and a fair array of connectors – including the increasingly essential HDMI port – provide connectivity to a number of devices. There is only one HDMI port, though, so you may end up swapping cables for different devices. The EH-TW550 is certainly one of the better home entertainment projectors we have seen. It is easily portable and simple to set up. As part of a full home theatre system (which would help produce better sound than it is capable of) it is a great way to view images. g

gamecca47

Makin

Summary

Tech Specs:

Although not the perfect solution for home entertainment images, the EH-TW550 takes big steps towards making home projection systems very desirable. M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

gamecca47

Easy to use Good image quality 3D

• • • • • •

3LED system 3000lm 3D enabled HDMI input Dedicated gaming mode Very portable

Epson Epson www.epson.c om TB C

Pros • • • • •

Projection is moving in the right direction

ng Progress

Cons • • • • •

Needs more HDMI ports

Score

88 79

MSI GTX 680 Twin Frozr III Graphics Card Review

by Walt Pretorius

I I

t must be said that a lot of marketing material we base our purchasing decisions on is entirely theoretical. Take, for example, the claim that MSI make on virtually every graphics card’s packaging: “10 year lifetime (under full load”. We’re not trying to accuse them of distorting the truth, or anything, because we’re well aware of the fact that they’re not going to wilfully scupper their reputation by making false claims. But I would like to know how they determine that claimed lifetime, beyond theories and calculations that don’t involve actually testing the product for ten years. Not that they could, in all fairness; the rate that technology is advancing is truly staggering, and putting a product through that kind of extensive testing is impractical. It would result in a ten-year old product hitting the shelves. In a world where many technologies only stay “new” for a few months, that simply wouldn’t work. Cynicism aside, it is one of the elements that MSI use to promote their new GTX 680 Twin Frozr graphics card. It might be a bit spurious, though, because very few people serious about graphics card performance will last that long without upgrading. Perhaps they should concentrate on things like the fact that this card, sporting an Nvidia Geforce GTX 680 chipset, is really, really quick. They could also add to that the fact that it offers the user2GB of GDDR5 RAM, which is a really nice, chunky amount. Not the most we’ve seen, sure, but still chunky. One of the aspects of the card – indeed, of the whole Twin Frozr range – that they do talk a lot about is the excellent cooling system built into the device. Numerous other media outlets have praised the design, which uses elements like twin propeller-style blades, nickel-plated copper bases, high-density heat sinks, multiple heat pipes and a direct contact design to carry heat away from the important bits of the card extremely effectively. The result of this well designed system is cooling that is significantly more effective than that of reference units (those being the units produced by Nvidia as ‘guidelines’ for manufacturers). The Twin Frozr system is also significantly quieter. So, in the end, what you have is a very powerful graphics card, sporting up-to-date chipsets and packing tons of RAM, that runs cooler and quieter than many others on the market. With the support of MSI’s simple-yet-effective Afterburner overclocking software, it becomes a great choice for those who want their gaming graphics to look awesome, without turning the room into a sauna or suffering overly-loud components. Realistically, the range hasn’t changed much with this new addition but, quite frankly, it hasn’t had to. This is a great graphics card, all said and done.g

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Summary

Tech Specs:

It might not look very different from other Twin Frozr units, but this one packs power in all the right places...

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

gamecca47

Runs cool Very quiet Lots of power

GeForce GTX 680 chipset 2GB GDDR5 RAM Twin Frozr cooling technology HDMI port DisplayPort DVI-I port DVI-D port

M SI Pinna c le A fric a www.pinna c le.c o.za TB C

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Identical looks to any other high-end Twin Frozr card

Score

87 81

Kraken

V Review

gamecca47

lov in

.. a nd PTSD .

Embracing

Razer Kraken Pro Analogue Gaming Headset

ideo games, for the moment, are at the forefront of offering the consumer an immersive experience second to none. Their storylines and graphics capture our attention and, for the time we spend playing them, transport us to fantastical worlds where we control the ultimate outcome. As engrossing as these games are visually, nothing quite facilitates our complete immersion as when we are stimulated with their audio prowess. Experiencing a game while being visually and audibly focused completes the immersion and the “escape” becomes all the more real. Enter the Razer Kraken Pro Analogue Gaming Headset. Stylishly green, comfortable and wonderful to listen through, this gaming headset is primed to take your gaming experience into a whole new dimension. One of the main considerations of a good set of gaming headphones is comfort. You might spend hours with them on, so you’ll want to find a set that not only sounds good, but fits well too. The headset features 40mm neodymium drivers, which are surrounded by a very generous amount of foam padding and covered by a soft faux leather. Each ear cup has an opening large enough to encompass the ear completely and the whole thing can be folded up making the Kraken slightly more compact and portable. The headset’s soft feel on the sides of my head meant that I was able to wear them for long periods without my ears feeling fatigued or uncomfortable. The headband’s adjustment feature, which can slide out on either side, has been designed to encompass most head sizes and I liked the fact that the adjustment settings were neither too tight or too soft, which prevented adjustment loss. The headset also has a retractable microphone that is housed inside the left ear cup and, with its adjustable arm, can be positioned comfortably. The cable that Razer have provided is generous enough at 1.3m long and they have included an additional 2m long audio / mic splitter cord… although I would have liked to have seen a braided or flat cable to make cabletangling impossible. The microphone was clear and I had no trouble with others hearing me speak, but it did pick up noise coming from the headphones, especially on high volume settings. The sound output was solid, with balanced voice and a very well defined bass, but the mids and highs seemed lost; drowned by it’s over-enthusiastic bass capabilities. Ultimately this is a gaming headset and the sounds of gunfire and explosions will have you feeling shellshocked after a prolonged gaming session. In summary, Razer have done a great job on this headset and have left me with a virtual post traumatic stress disorder and a greater love for blowing things up! g

it !

Whip!

by Andy Taliadoros

Summary

Tech Specs:

Explosive sound with a comfortable fit.

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

gamecca47

Comfortable Retractable microphone Very well defined bass

40mm drivers Retractable microphone Over-ear design 1.3m cable 2m extension cable

Ra zer Corex www.c orex.c o.za A pprox R900

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Non braided cable No in-line volume control

Score

81 83

MSI HD 7970 Twin Frozr III Graphics Card

Certainly from another mother…

I Review

t gets tricky, sometimes, when reviewing items that are extremely similar in design and function. In this issue we also review MSI’s GTX 680 Twin Frozr III graphics card which is, quite honestly, a great card indeed. So when we took the MSI HD 7970 Twin Frozr III card out of its box – with all due care and reverence, of course – it was a little disconcerting to see a device that looked pretty much identical to the GTX 680. Therein lies the challenge (and to a degree, the ridiculousness) faced by consumers when they want to buy something like a graphics card. The industry is divided into two distinct camps: the Nvidia and the Radeon sects. But when these chipsets are compared, nowadays at least, there really is very little difference in performance. It takes a good degree of testing with specialised software to see the main differences between these chips and, if any are discovered at all,

they are generally rather small. It certainly is next to impossible to perceive these differences with the naked eye. And yet the historical loyalty that consumers feel to either of these chipsets is still strong… one might denigrate an Nvidia chipset in favour of Radeon, or vice versa, based purely on past experiences, and not on what is actually going on at present. Add to the mix the fact that these chipsets are used by numerous manufacturers, like Gigabyte, Asus and, of course, MSI, to produce graphics cards (with their ranges invariably containing examples of both) and things get really difficult. That said, different manufacturers use varied ideas when putting their cards together. So a card from one manufacturer using chipset A may run very differently to a card from another that uses the same architecture. In the same stable, though, the differences are minute. In short, this HD 7970 looks and performs very

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by Walt Pretorius

similarly to the GTX 680. It runs quietly, and very cool, thanks to MSI’s clever Twin Frozr system (which employs all manner of heat dissipating devices in rather ingenious ways). One element that does set the HD 7970 apart from (and slightly above) the GTX 680 is that fact that is has 50 per cent more VRAM. Instead of 2GB, it has 3GB. That’s a very chunky number, and one that does improve the performance although, once again, it’s almost imperceptible to the average user who is judging the performance experientially, instead of using an array of benchmarking software. So it comes down, then, to that almost unreasonable loyalty that people feel towards the manufacturers of the basic chipset. If you prefer Radeon (and you want that bit of extra RAM) then this certainly is the better option. Other than that, you can expect the same unassuming, effective MSI quality. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

Comparing the HD 7970 and the GTX 680 results in very few differences, aside from the chipset manufacturer and a bit of extra RAM on the former. M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Quick Quiet Lots of RAM

Radeon HD 7970 chipset 3GB GDDR5 RAM Twin Frozr III technology HDMI port DVI port 2 Mini DisplayPorts

M SI Pinna c le A fric a www.pinna c le.c o.za TB C

Pros • • • • •

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Cons • • • • •

May result in some tough purchasing choices

Score

89 85

by Alex Scanlon

Review

Razer Abyssus Essential Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse

azer certainly has a mouse for every occasion. Many of these devices are highly specialised, with carefully positioned buttons included for specific types of PC gaming. The thing is, though, that very specialised mouse devices come with a generally impressive price tag. And, quite frankly, you might not need all those highend bells and whistles. With that in mind, Razer also produces mouse units that serve more general purposes, albeit at the expense of extra buttons and super-refined features. One such mouse is the Abyssus. It is one of the mouse simple mouse devices we have seen from the Razer stable. It is a three button mouse – and that’s counting the scroll wheel. That means no side buttons, no toggles for changing DPI settings, none of that. The Abyssus is as basic as a mouse gets. Actually, that isn’t entirely true. For example, on the underside of the mouse are two mechanical switches; one changes the DPI rating, and the other changes the polling rate. The versatility of being able to change mouse sensitivity is there, after all, even if it is hidden on the bottom. Most serious, or even semi-serious, gamers will find the positioning of these switches counterintuitive. After all, changing DPI on-the-fly shouldn’t require lifting the mouse, taking your eyes off of the screen and selecting a new setting via a relatively small switch. Changing sensitivity instantly makes up party of many gamers’ strategies, particularly in FPS games, but the Abyssus won’t allow for that. Then again, this device isn’t really meant for that kind of player- as mentioned before, Razer have other options that would suit them. Rather, the Abyssus is aimed at a more casual gamer, someone who needs a mouse that is effective and accurate, but doesn’t require tons of special features to enhance their gaming. In fact, without all the extra features, it becomes a really effective all-rounder, enhanced by Razer’s ergonomic, ambidextrous styling. Our review unit is the Mirror Special Edition, but this moniker sounds fancier than it actually is. In essence, this means that the upper surface of the mouse is really, really shiny… and that’s about it. Still, this mouse (and “normal” Abyssus units) offer a good performance. Up to 3 500 DPI sensor performance combines with a maximum of 1 000Hz ultrapolling, tied together by a 3.5G infrared sensor. That means, in layman’s terms, that the mouse is decently sensitive, and the various settings means that the user can trim their experience fairly easily (although not in the heat of battle.) Overall, it’s a good mouse for those who want something a little better than the run-of-the-mill, but who don’t want to go hog wild on features that they may not use. g

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The

A plainer Razer option

Life

Summary

Tech Specs:

The Abyssus is an essential mouse... that means no major bells and whistles. But the performance is still there...

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

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Straight forward Effective Stylish

Up to 3 500 DPI 1 000Hz Utrapolling 3.5G Infrared sensor 7ft cable Ambidextrous

M a nufa c turer: Ra zer Distributor: Corex O nline: www.c orex.c o.za RRP: A pprox R500

Pros • • • • •

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Cons • • • • •

Not quite on-the-fly

Score

79 87

Not That Sick... From Space

by Christo van Gemert

s I lie here, sick and in bed, I can’t help but wish I were well enough to move to the lounge. There I have a 55-inch TV, a bangin’ sound system, and a couch that shakes. Yes, ladies – I don’t need a subwoofer to impress you, I just have vibrating furniture. But I can’t. The 700 watts and 55 inches of awesome will go unabused as I rot in bed, with volcanos of snot erupting every time I sneeze. I hope the US doesn’t have any drones nearby, they might get booger-bombed.

What does this have to do with gaming? Well, it’s simple. I miss my bigass TV, and all I have is this 13-inch screen. I could try installing Starcraft II – goodness knows I never touch that game’s single player campaign – or even one of the web games that always manages to make me lose track of time, come deadline. Even Notch, of Minecraft fame, has released a new browserbased game called Drop. It has a zooming cube and you have to type fast. I’ve been seeing friends on Facebook post

about it all day. I could play Minecraft, I guess. But no. Other than reaching for my laptop to type this column, that all seems like too much work. And I forgot my Nintendo DS at the office. So instead, I’m going to tell you about two hilarious iOS (iPhone) games that I downloaded for free, recently. Yes, I have an American iTunes account (there’s a howto in Gladget Magazine, November 2010 issue), and using that account I downloaded GrimJogger and Robot Unicorn Attack 2.

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The latter has a mechanical unicorn, rainbows, and 80s synth pop. But the former – GrimJogger – is hysterically funny. Imagine Lemmings, but with a group of joggers. And platform gameplay that speeds up the further you run. Maybe it’s just the medication, but I laugh every time all 15 runners plummet into the mouth of a bear or a pit of spikes. All I know is that I don’t have to get out of bed. Gaming has reached ubiquity. We can play any time, anywhere. But you’ll still get frowned at if you play Angry Birds while you poop. g