ISSUE 76 / Vol.7 October 2015
www.gameccamag.com
On Course Driving with Logitech’s G920
Mad Max Forza Motorsport 6 FIFA 16 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Destiny: The taken King and more...
EnrAged! rAge 2015 is around the corner
All the Fr e edom Metal Gear Solid V explored The Next Lap Test driving Forza 6
Ruffians!
Get Mad!
Exploring the Wasteland in Mad Max Portable Beast
The power of MSI’s GT80 Titan
Assassin’s Creed takes to the streets...
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Gamecca Magazine is a monthly digital magazine that you can read online or download for free. You can also read Gamecca on our Facebook page...find it under the Issuu tab. All links in Gamecca Magazine can be clicked - even after you have downloaded it - as long as you are connected to the Internet. Gamecca Magazine has an associated website that offers access to all issues, easy competition entries, newsletter subscription, news and more. Gamecca Magazine uses the Issuu platform to publish. This means that Gamecca can easily be accessed on your smartphone or tablet, thanks to Issuu’s Android and iOS apps. Look for it in your app store. You can even find all of our back issues online, where they will be available forever.
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Bronze Award
Silver Award
Gold Award
Platinum Award
Ed’s Choice Award
Given to games & hardware that score 80-84
Given to games & hardware that score 85-89
Given to games & hardware that score 90-94
Given to games & hardware that score 95-100
Editor’s Choice Award for products that make an impression
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re you ready? October is here, and it marks several important things for the South African video gaming calendar. Top of the list, of course, is rAge, the long running expo that brings us video games, tech and a whole bunch of geeky goodness, all under one massive roof. For three days game and tech fans, not to mention geeks of all varieties, will be flooding to the show to see what’s hot. And then, of course, there’s the fact that October marks the start of the fourth quarter of the year. This means that the games are going to start rolling in, and the flood will continue into early 2016. There’s a lot of great gaming on the way, with a little something for fans of virtually every genre. Rise of the Tomb Raider, Need for Speed, Star Wars Battlefront, Black Ops 3, Fallout 4, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Just Cause 3, Rainbow Six Siege, Guitar Hero Live and many, many more potentially awesome titles will be hitting shelves over the next few months. It’s a great time of year to be a gamer, although our current exchange rate woes may well mean that you’re going to have to be a little choosy when it comes to picking what you’re going to play. Hopefully you’ll be able to find all the guidance you need right here in the digital pages of Gamecca Magazine. Another important milestone that October sets,
From the Editor
BusyTimes by Walt Pretorius
although this is also valid for everyone who isn’t a gamer, is that the holiday season is almost upon us. Retailers are already flogging Christmas decorations, and the days are lengthening into what promises to be a beautiful summer here in the Southern Hemisphere – although, if you’re a dedicated gamer and want to get some great gaming time in over the holidays, you might not pick up much of a tan. This month’s issue of Gamecca Magazine reflects these incoming changes. Where out September issue was a little light on reviews, we have crammed fifteen reviews into this issue, including some big names like Mad Max, Forza Motorsport 6, FIFA 16 and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. It’s a big start to the end of the year, and we’re looking forward to getting some great reviews out to you over the coming months. In addition we also bring you an interview with Michael James, the head honcho for rAge, as well as a chat to South African indie developer Gareth Fouché. And, of course, there are the usual features, hardware reviews, game previews and lifestyle pieces that you have come to expect. Well, that’s enough from me… with all the great gaming to get through, I need to spend less time waffling through my Ed’s Note, and more time getting my game on. And besides, you’re doubtlessly eager to get on with reading what’s on offer in this 76th issue of Gamecca Magazine… g mgeect 2 c7a 7 6 ggl a ad
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THIS MONTH’S COVER
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate takes to the streets...
Publisher Walt Pretorius
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Feature: On Demand The changing needs of SA Television
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reviews: Hardware Eight tech items you need
walt@novamentis.co.za
Publisher Katia Taliadoros
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Regular: Internet Reinvention risks
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Regular: Security Protect your identity
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Regular: Did you know More Gaming factoids for your amusement
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Feature: Recalling the Renaissance Reinventing Assassin’s creed’s glory days...
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PReviews: Games 5 Games to look out for
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Reviews: Games we inspect 15 games
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Regular: Indie View Rogue Moon’s Gareth Fouche interviewed
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Regular: Legacy Wizardry defines a genre
katia@novamentis.co.za
Writers: Alex Scanlon Clive Burmeister Charlie Fripp Christo van Gemert Iwan Pienaar Lein Baart Katia Taliadoros Nthato Morakabi Rob Edwards Suvesh Arumugam Walt Pretorius Letters: letters@gameccamag.com
Competition Entries: competitions@gameccamag.com
Newsletter Subscriptions: www.gameccamag.com
Marketing Contact:
Copyright © Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd 2009 - 2015
walt@novamentis.co.za katia@novamentis.co.za
Taking fun seriously! All rights reserved. No content may be reproduced, copied or transmitted without the express permission of the publishers. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editors and publishers. All Trademarks and Registered Trademarks are the sole property of the respective owners.
GAMECCA is published byNova Mentis (Pty) Ltd
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Feature: Get your rAge On A chat with Michael james
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Board Games Two table-top time killers
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Comics Awesome art and great stories!
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Gamecca Vol. 7 Issue 76 October 2015
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Ed’s Note October! Yes please!
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Technically Speaking The love of flight
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Ramjet’s Rantality A pointless fight
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The Time Betwixt Whine, whine, whine...
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The Last Word A new endangered species...
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Huawei P8
123
Skylanders: SuperChargers
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Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
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“Mad Max is the kind of game that dumps a whole lot of tools and options at your feet and stands back to see what you do with them. .”
Barman Arkham kNIGHT
FeatureS 10
On Demand
HARDWARE Reviews 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
ASRock 990FX Killer Motherboard MSI GT80 Titan Gaming Notebook Logitech G920 Driving Force Racing Wheel SK Hynix Canvas SC300 SSD Cooler Master Quickfire XTi Mechanical Gaming Keyboard HuntKey Spider PC Case Asus Z170-Deluxe Motherboard XFX R7 370 Graphics Card
RegularS 32 36
Internet Security
COLUMN 38
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Technically Speaking
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On Dem TECHNOLOGY
The changing face o
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On Demand!
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of TV in South Africa by:
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to not only be almost totally ineffectual in stemming the flow of pirated media, but its reputation took a big hit too. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why the film industry seems to be much quieter in this regard. They have learned by example, and while the piracy of filmed material is still massive, methods that have worked for the music industry (which seems to have come to terms with needing new approaches to distributing their products) are becoming cornerstones of filmed entertainment delivery. The music industry has to reach a few conclusions: firstly, the modern consumer may not want to buy an entire album for just one song. Secondly, they want to consume their music in ways that are convenient to them, and that includes getting the music. Thirdly, individual, unsigned artists now have better direct access to music lovers than ever before. Survival meant embracing ideas like iTunes and other content delivery platforms, which allows users direct access to individual songs, and feature compositions by signed and unsigned artists. It was a case of “if you can’t beat them, join them” and the music industry has had to move with the times. Yes, there will always be people who buy CDs and vinyl LPs, but the
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On Demand!
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he world is changing very fast, thanks to the unstoppable march of the technology juggernaut. And, in some cases, we either get swept along by it, or we get crushed by its demand driven wheels. This idea may not have a massive impact on individuals who, if they ignore the technological changes and advancements happening around them, might earn themselves a raised eyebrow or a shaken head. Rather, those that are most affected by this relentless progress are industries. And those that don’t ride the crest are soon swept aside or destroyed. The entertainment industry is no different. In fact, the ease with which information and data is shared may have had the biggest impact on the various entertainment industries. And everyone has been affected, to some degree or another, forced to either fight or adapt their methods. Those that have fought in the past, most notably the music industry, have come away battered and bruised, licking their wounds and scrabbling for purchase in a world where the consumer is fast becoming king. By fighting against the rising tide of piracy – notably websites like Napster, which allowed almost unfettered access to pirated music – the industry managed
majority of consumers these days want to enjoy their music without the dictatorial approach that the music industry used to have. Back to the film industry, and more specifically the television arena. Let’s get even more specific, and speak about South Africa’s television situation. Right now, as it stands, the major players, including public broadcasters and satellite-based paid services are staring extinction in the face. Not a mass extinction on a sudden scale, but rather a slow dwindling that, if ignored, will have dire consequences for their businesses. These dinosaurs are looking up at the sky as the meteor Netflix approaches, but rather than killing everything right away, the arrival of this ondemand streaming television service in South Africa next year will create a nuclear winter for broadcast TV… a slow, agonising death. That all sounds rather dramatic, but let’s look at the same consumer trends that forced massive change in the music industry: choice and self-determination. The modern consumer doesn’t want to be told what to watch, and when they can watch it. If given an option of watching one episode of their favourite series a week, or watching as many episodes as they want, whenever they want, almost everyone
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who enjoys TV will go for the second option. Organisations like Netflix have changed the way people consume televised content, thanks to steaming services that allow for on-demand viewing. While the change is still taking place overseas, numerous traditional broadcast television companies have now jumped on the bandwagon, providing their own streaming services. It is a wave of the future, and its about to come crashing into our shores. In fact, despite restrictions on usage in certain countries (including South Africa) many locals already make use of Netflix services, employing VPN spoofing services to fool servers into believing that their geographical location is different. Considering the costs of satellite television in South Africa, the effort of setting up a service like this seems like a no-brainer. Not only are the costs removed, but the convenience of on-demand television is added to the mix. By the end of 2016, though, those VPNs should no longer be needed. Netflix has grown into a mammoth pursuit, producing top notch content like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, and now they are expanding into more territories… including sunny South
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Africa. While internet provision in South Africa still leaves a lot to be desired, more and more households are getting connected on a daily basis, opening the market up for services like this. With a requirement of around 2MB/s for standard resolution and 5MB/s for HD resolution, many people will be able to access streaming TV right away (although data caps will remain a problem). And it’s quite certain that a giant like Netflix will be striking deals with internet service providers locally, spreading their web even further. What exactly the response from existing companies will be remains to be seen. But one company, ShowMax, was recently formed to take advantage of the situation, and get a foothold before Netflix officially arrives. Aiming to be Africa’s number one provider of streaming visual content, ShowMax already has a large number of TV series and movies on offer, and has applications compatible with PC, smartphones, tables and smart TVs available. With a monthly fee of ZAR99 in exchange for unlimited access to their evergrowing stable of content (including some excellent locally produced stuff), ShowMax obviously hopes to make a massive impact before
the international giant gains its local footing. There’s a whole new struggle coming up, and it’s going to be extremely interesting to watch. So where will this leave broadcast television? Well, like the people that still want to buy CDs, there will still be those that want to make use of broadcast TV services, particularly for sporting events. In fact, sport broadcast rights will likely become even more sought after as a result. Older generations, too, will more than likely stick to their old habits, but as more and more people shift towards on-demand streaming TV, broadcasters will definitely feel the pinch. With the launch of ShowMax, South Africa has officially entered the on-demand TV arena, and the arrival of Netflix (and other services, too, most probably) will only serve to solidify the concept locally. It’s a necessary evolution for the local entertainment market, and one that will change the way television content is consumed by South Africans, without the need for VPNs, piracy and dodgy tactics. And, ultimately, the industry will have to do everything it can to please the consumer in order to stay strong, including pricing battles and service provision wars… and that’s never a bad thing for the man in the street. g
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The master, untied‌
TECHNOLOGY
ASRock
H C EW E T VI E R
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Killer
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SUMMARY
AWARDS
It may not feature all the latest gadgets and technologies, but this motherboard is no slouch when it comes to performance. Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
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lower temperatures for power connections, which never hurts. Another great connection comes via the software assisted Fatal1ty Mouse Port, which will allow the user to set polling rates via software for any connected USB mouse. Also assisting the gaming experience is the inclusion of Purity Sound, which offers a 115dB sound to noise ratio that results in less distortion while maintaining rich tones across the audio spectrum. It also comes with a number of software applications bundled, including XSplit for live broadcasting. The thing with the 990FX (the thing that people may scoff at, that is) is that it isn’t the latest technology. It isn’t a Skylake board, and it doesn’t offer DDR4 RAM support. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a prime performer, and a little tweaking will go a long way into having a system that performs very well, with this board as its backbone. We have a capable performer here, and one that offers stability and reliability as well. ASRock may not (locally, at least) be as big a name as some of the other motherboard manufacturers we see on South African shelves, but reputation isn’t always everything. This board may well surprise you with it’s reliability and performance, and investigating the 990FX Killer as an option may well result in a very satisfied consumer one it is installed and set up. g
SCORE
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Ma nuf a c t ure r: D i s t ri but e r: Onl i ne :
ASRock T V R Co mput e rs w w w . t v r. c o . z a
TECH SPECS • • • • • • • • •
AMD 990FX chipset 3-way Crossfire Quad SLi 7 USB 3.0 ports 10 USB 2.0 ports Key Master
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by Rob Edwards
an a motherboard give you an edge in gaming? Yes, it certainly can. It cannot necessarily make you a better gamer, but there are tweaks built into certain motherboards that even the odds a little. One such tweak is a technology called Sniper Key, which enables the user to alter the mouse speed when in sniper mode, or aiming down iron sights, greatly increasing accuracy. While that doesn’t take care of aspects like timing, prediction and plain dumb luck, it certainly does help. Sniper Key is part of the Key Master system, along with Macro Key (which enables you to record macros using any keyboard). Key Master is one of the many features aboard ASRock’s 990FX Killer Motherboard that may just help you snap off those head shots a little better. As part of the Fatal1ty Gaming Gear range, this particular motherboard is all about speed and high performance. It offers, for example, Killer E2200 LAN, which ensures that gaming traffic is prioritised via its LAN port. In addition, it uses an M.2 Socket interface that means better speed from SATA and PCIe connected devices… around twice as fast, in fact, which makes this board a very snappy operator. The PCIe slots are further enhanced with gold components, meaning better currency flow, and high density power connectors mean less power loss and
AT A GLANCE:
Motherboard
ASRock 990FX Killer Motherboard
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MSI
H C EW E T VI E R
GT80 Titan
Gamin
Another monster from MSI
TECHNOLOGY
T
he only time when you want a really big notebook these days is when it is meant for gaming. And even with gaming notebooks getting smaller, a chunky laptop means that you’re more than likely looking at a gaming power-house. Which, in essence, means that the MSI GT80 Titan has got the look more or less just right; this is a massive notebook, and its looks imply a power that it most certainly is capable of. This really is a very large notebook, when all is said and done, but it also has some pretty large specifications built in. At its heart sits a punchy i7-4980HQ CPU, which delivers up to 4GHz of processing power. This is supported by an extremely generous 32GB of RAM (which is not, incidentally, shared with the GPU) to add that extra level of speed. In terms of visuals, the Titan is powered by a GeForce
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980M chipset, which in turn is supported by a mammoth 8GB of GDDR5 RAM. Just those first few lines – the basic three aspects of what runs beneath the GT80’s hood – is enough to make most desktops blush and feel all impotent. That’s a hell of a lot of power, and it comes in a portable package (although not extremely easily portable, to be honest). But that’s not the end of the show, folks… Storage comes in the form of a 1TB HDD, supported by a chunky 512GB SSD for that extra boot-drive speed. Visuals are delivered by way of an 18.4 inch wide screen, complete with anti-glare coating. And in terms of control… well, that’s one area in which the Titan stands out even more. It’s the keyboard which is so unusual, see, because while most notebooks use membrane style setups to save space – which means chiclet keys – the GT80 uses Cherry MX switches, meaning that the very
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MSI GT80 Titan Gaming Notebook
ng Notebook
by Walt Pretorius
AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY
TECH SPECS • • • • • • •
It’s huge in size and huge in spec; the GT80 Titan puts most gamingdedicated desk top computers to shame.
Ma nuf a c t ure r D i s t ri but e r: Onl i ne :
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i7-4980HQ CPU 32GB RAM GeForce 980M GPU 8GB GDDR5 1TB HDD 512GB SSD
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in-vogue mechanical keyboard is exactly what you’re getting here. Designed by SteelSeries, this is also a fully backlit keyboard. There are many aspects that make this a top notch machine, and its performance is brutal. Whether it’s the five USB 3.0 ports, the boosted cooling system, the matrix display ability, the touch pad that doubles as a number pad or any of a host of other features, the GT80 Titan has almost everything. What it doesn’t have is a Skylake chip, but that’s not holding this remarkably powerful notebook back. This device shows that the days of gaming being confined to a desk, and lugging tons of unwieldy equipment to a LAN are well and truly over. It puts most desktops to shame, and while it is heavy and bulky, it still beats travelling around with a massive PC case and monitor. It’s superb, and allows gaming anywhere, any time. g
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
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G920 Driving How to win races on Xbox One‌
TECHNOLOGY
Logitech
H C EW E T VI E R
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Logitech G920 Driving Force Racing Wheel
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Racing Wheel
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by Walt Pretorius
AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY
TECH SPECS
This steering wheel is a great product, and shows that Logitech have a solid grasp of not only controller requirements, but also user experience and construction quality. Ma nuf a c t ure r D i s t ri but e r: Onl i ne :
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• • • • • • •
On-wheel controls Three pedals Leather finish Dual-motor force feedback Secure mounting Nonlinear brakes
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L o gi t e c h L o gi t e c h w w w . l o gi t e c h. c o m
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riving simulators and racing games are great, but if you’re using a console controller or PC-based mouse and keyboard set up, you simply aren’t getting the best experience… and you’re likely not delivering the best ingame performance, either. For the whole thing to feel more authentic, you need a good racing wheel. PC and Xbox One owners are in for a treat if they get hold of Logitech’s G920 Driving Force racing wheel. It is a high quality device that will enhance your experience greatly. In the box are two components – the wheel itself, and a set of pedals. Let’s start there. Unlike many driving wheels, the G920 offers players three pedals – for those that want the option of a clutch pedal, which further enhances realism. In fact, the system is compatible with a six-speed manual shifter (sold separately, of course) to really get the driving swing of things going. The pedals feel great, too. Solidly constructed metal pedals provide a great level of resistance, allowing the user to truly gauge pressure, and simulates pressurebased braking systems beautifully. The pedals are built into a base that has a generous heel plate, which helps reduce slipping, even on smooth floors. On to the wheel. It’s a generous size (around the size of a standard racing wheel) and is finished with real leather, which makes it comfortable and improves grip on the wheel. The face of the wheel features a D-Pad and shoulder buttons, as well as all the expected face buttons of an Xbox One controller. It also has two paddles behind the wheel. These paddles are made of stainless steel, while the wheel’s spokes are anodised aluminium. Fluidity is provided by way of steel ball bearings. The housing fits to a desk by way of strong dual clamps, which have lockable screw tops for added security. Even in some of the more tense situations, we didn’t manage to shift the wheel on the desk, which is great. In addition, the system uses a dual motor force feedback system for that added realism. Best of all, it’s pretty much plug-and-play for the Xbox One. We had one small quibble, but a quick check of the documentation solved the problem with miminal hassle. While Logitech has been playing a little catch-up in recent years in terms of game controllers, the G920 Driving Force shows that they still understand what is needed from devices like this. It is solidly and beautifully put together, and delivers excellent performance. The combination of the wheel and pedals add a fantastic feel to any driving game, and adding the shifter makes it as close to the real thing as you’re likely to get sitting at a desk. g
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
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SK Hynix
Canvas SC300
SK Hynix Canvas SC300 SSD
H C EW E T VI E R
SSD
Drawing on solid state experience…
by Rob Edwards
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SUMMARY Although not very well known for their SSDs, SK Hynix have done a good job in creating the Canvas SC300 range.
AWARDS
AT A GLANCE:
TECHNOLOGY
S
SDs are fast becoming a common consideration for PC owners, and more and more companies are getting into the solid state arena. SK Hynis, for example, is a company best known for producing memory for video cards, but they have also introduced a decent entry level range of SSDs in the form of the Canvas SC300 devices. Available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB varieties, these drives offer a great read speed and decent write speed, and allow for smooth data deliver and an estimated lifespan of 1.2 million hours. While power users may shy away from the Canvas devices, they will serve more “normal” users perfectly well, and make for a relatively affordable entrant into the SSD market – backed by a decent warranty. SK Hynix’s experience with solid stare memory in the form of video RAM shows clearly in this reliable and fairly nippy SSD. g
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
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TECH SPECS • • • • 1.2 million hour lifespan • 128, 256, 512GB • • • •
Cooler Master
H C EW E T VI E R
Quickfire XTi The master, untied…
TECHNOLOGY
W
hat is it, exactly, that defines a product as being a “gaming” item? It really comes down to two things: special features and performance. Preferably the definition is earned by a combination of both aspects, but that is an ideal circumstance, and not every product offers blazing performance and more special bits than you can shake a stick at. For example, Cooler Master’s new Quickfire XTi Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is pretty heavy in the performance aspect, but a bit of a lightweight when it comes to features. The ideal balance between these aspects is, of course, a matter of personal taste; while some may not like the dearth of special features here, others may well love the extreme responsiveness and stripped down feel of the XTi. It really is a compact keyboard, yet it doesn’t compromise on key size or spacing, Rather, things like
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wrist rests, banks of macro buttons and even arrays of multimedia keys have been shown the door by designers, leaving a smaller bodied keyboard in their wake. However, that doesn’t mean that these features are absent; rather, they have been added (in terms of things like multimedia keys) to other buttons as additional functions. Macro recording is also available, although these are applied to standard keys, rather than dedicated keys. The user has four profiles to use as well (with the four profile keys being the only “extra” keys used in the design). These macros can also be recorded on-the-fly, which is never a bad thing. So while it might not look like it, the XTi offers everything that a gamer could need from a keyboard, and more than most compacts have on display. Speaking of looks, further customisation allows the user to set perkey colour, which is always a handy thing for a backlit
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Cooler Master Quickfire XTi Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
by Alex Scanlon
AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY
TECH SPECS • • • • • • •
It might not feature all the special bits that other gaming keyboards have, but the compact XTi certainly gets the job done well. Ma nuf a c t ure r D i s t ri but e r: Onl i ne :
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Cherry MX switches 4 profiles On-the-fly macro recording Per key backlighting 35 backlight colours Adjustable repeat rate
Co o l e r Ma s t e r R e c t ro n w w w . c o o l e rma s t e r. c o m
AWARDS
keyboard. However, the user is limited to 35 colours, because the XTi keeps its price down by only employing a red-blue LED system. The performance of the Cherry MX switches is without question – these clicky switches are responsive, and provide an excellent level of tactile feedback. But if that isn’t enough for you, you could always adjust the XTi’s repeat rate, to a maximum of 8x the normal USB responsiveness. With it’s stripped down nature and decidedly plainer looks, the XTi may not show off its abilities visually… but looks can be deceiving. It really is a great performer, and with certain features trimmed down a bit (like the limited backlight colours) it comes in at a better price than one would expect. Sure, it might not appeal to everyone on a visual level, but there is little that one can fault in terms of it doing its job, and doing it well. g
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
SCORE
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HuntKey
H C EW E T VI E R
PC Case Lig
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HuntKey Spider PC Case
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by Walt Pretorius
AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY
TECH SPECS • • • • • • •
Although it could use some top mounted fan brackets, the Spider should prove fine for all but the highest end PC systems. Ma nuf a c t ure r D i s t ri but e r: Onl i ne :
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5 fan brackets 3 optical drive brackets 2 SSD brackets 3 HDD brackets 1 USB 2.0 port 1 USB 3.0 port
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ot all cases are created equal. But the truth is that sometimes you need something that is functional, rather than excessive – particularly if budget is an issue. Whenever something enters a cheaper price bracket there are compromises, though – and that’s the case with HuntKey’s Spider PC case. And the compromises here may be deal breakers, depending on the PC system you’re planning to build into it. Air flow is of primary importance in a PC case, because that’s exactly what will keep all those superexpensive components cool and theoretically lengthen their lifespans. And while the Spider has numerous places for fans and allows for a decent amount of fans to be used, the fact is that hot air rises, and the lack of top mounted fan brackets in this case means that heat pockets may form, even if there is a high-placed rear fan. The Spider allows for one fan at the upper rear section, two in the front and two on the side, which is a nice feature and makes up for the lack of a side window. But because of the lack of top fan brackets, you’re going to want to use every slot if your PC system is of a higher spec. The Spider allows for three HDDs to be used, and also provides space for two SSDs. Further, three optical drives can be used with the case, although if only one is used further air-intake can be gained via the front that cover the optical brackets. Additionally, the case is vented to allow direct air extraction from the bottom-mounted PSU. In terms of ports the Spider offers audio ports, as well as one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0 port at the top front, between the generously sized power and reset switches. The Spider is sturdily constructed and yet manages to be light, which is great for transportation. In fact, it even comes with a discrete integrated handle, which is handy (even if it is a little anachronistic). In terms of looks, it is rather overstated, with bright shiny black plastic accented by matt red sections. The overall shape is designed to appeal to the “mean gamer” ideal, but it does make the case feel a little old fashioned, with modern trends moving towards cleaner lines. Overall, the HuntKey Spider is a decent case that will provide a good level of protection to your beloved PC. It’s not the best case for a high-end system, but gamers on a budget will be able to keep their system relatively cool with this striking box. And it’s ease of transportation, thanks to a more compact build size and relatively light weight, will be great for those who move their PC around a lot. g
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
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Asus
H C EW E T VI E R
Z170-Deluxe Skylake all-rounder
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he competition for the definitive Skylake experience is getting hotter and hotter. With the processor still hot off of the production lines, motherboard creators are pushing hard to make sure that the products they deliver give the end user the best possible experience, taking full advantage of Intel’s powerful new generation of processors. Asus is right up there with the rest of the pack, and while it is still difficult to say which manufacturer is making the best impression in the Skylake stakes, they certainly are making a strong showing. With a wide range of products already available, Asus’ motherboard offerings already span a wide variety of options and price-points. One of their better offerings is the Z170-Deluxe motherboard, which fills an excellent all-rounder slot in the market. It’s for everyone, really, from high end, demanding gamers through to less intensive users who still want a powerful and capable backbone for their PC system. The core of the Z170Deluxe is built around a 5-way optimisation idea, much like previous Deluxe boards from Asus. What this breaks down to is that the system can be optimised for high end gaming or application use, and can be scaled down for economic, environmentallyfriendly use, too – and pretty much everything in between. This makes the Z170-DFeluxe a very versatile board that can take on virtually any task
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effortlessly. This idea is supported by the inclusion of media streaming (to a wide variety of devices) as well as smart device content mirroring. These aren’t things we often see on a dedicated gaming board, and they speak volumes about the board’s intended usage. Supporting the gaming thing is the inclusion of Turbo LAN, which optimises gaming traffic. All media are helped out by Crystal Sound 3 technology, which delivers a great sound quality across all kinds of audio applications. The Z170-Deluxe is a great motherboard, and an excellent performer. But like all the Skylake generation boards we have seen from Asus thus far (and in their defence, it hasn’t been that many)it feel like the extras have been stripped away to a bare minimum. Competitor brands are cramming features into their boards, but Asus is becoming more sparse, apparently. On one hand, this feels like the company is taking away some of our toys. On the other, it feels like a no-nonsense approach, leaving the experience uncluttered by things that aren’t absolute essentials. It is, I guess, a matter of perspective, but fewer bells and whistles may have less appeal on the side of the consumer. That in no way means that you won’t have a great experience with the Z170Deluxe. It is capable, stable and quick, which are the most important aspects for a motherboard. g gamecca76
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Asus Z170-Deluxe Motherboard
Motherboard
SUMMARY It may seem lacking in special features, but the Z170-Deluxe is a versatile board that will give you everything you need. TECH SPECS • • • • • • •
4 ink cartridge system Wireless function Print, scan, copy Double sided printing ePrinting Web connected
M A NUFA CT UR E R Asu s
DISTRIB UTOR Asu s
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Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
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by Rob Edwards
AT A GLANCE:
XFX
H C EW E T VI E R
R7 370
Graphics Card
A budget bullet
TECHNOLOGY
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ere’s the thing with graphics cards: to be right at the forefront of technology is expensive. That’s for two reasons. Firstly, the latest cards are expensive. Secondly, there seems to be a new card hitting the market every few days. Keeping up with that would mean you’d spend more time installing hardware that actually using it. There’s a third aspect that needs to be considered. With only a few exceptions, most games run perfectly well on older hardware. And even with those exceptions in mind, the times that you cannot employ older hardware for an at-least playable experience are so few and far between that rushing out for the latest, greatest technology seems a little pointless… unless you are doing other high-end graphics work or, more likely, you want the bragging rights to say that you can run the latest game at
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super-duper-ultra-everything settings. If you don’t need to prove your worth by having the latest technology, or you’re looking for a decent, more affordable alternative to buying a card that will have you living on bread and water for half a year, you can look at a solution like this XFX R7 370. Admittedly, it isn’t nearly as pacey and powerful as a 9 series Radeon card, but it never pretends to be. And, quite frankly, it does the job perfectly well, particularly if you’re upgrading from an older chipset and don’t want to expend the GDP of an island nation on your PC. Realistically, you’ll do well with this card, if you’re on a stricter budget. It offers a rather generous 4GB of GDDR5 RAM which, when combined with the R7 370 chip, provides a level of performance that may well surprise you. Sure, it won’t churn out the numbers like a 9 series card, but it still delivers a good level of
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XFX R7 370 Graphics Card
by Alex Scanlon
AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY
TECH SPECS • • • • • • •
It might not be the latest technology, but those with a stricter budget will find the performance of this card better than expected. Ma nuf a c t ure r D i s t ri but e r: Onl i ne :
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R7 370 chipset 4GB GDDR5 Powertune technology Zerocore technology Displayport HDMI output
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graphic fidelity. The system is kept cool by dual fans (making it somewhat larger than the average budget card) as well as two extended heat pipes. It also employs Zerocore technology, which means that the GPU consumes next to no power (and therefore generates virtually no heat) when in an idle state, and Powertune technology allows the card to intelligently determine optimal performance levels for various applications – once again saving energy and heat. With two DVI outputs, as well as an HDMI output and a DisplayPort the XFX R7 730 is compatible with virtually any screen configuration you can dream up, and it’s generous memory and still-decent GPU allow for a great experience for those not willing to drop the big bucks on a more up-to-date chipset. It might not be the latest and the greatest, but this graphics card certainly won’t let you down. g
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
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The Mother of Re-inventio TECHNOLOGY
With great power comes great risk...
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by Suvesh Arumugam gamecca76
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The Mother of Re-invention
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remember the early days of the internet, and the now famous hacking movies that erupted onto screens talking about the dangers and new found freedoms that the internet could afford. Movies like “Hackers”, “The Net” and “The Matrix” seemed to give two sides of the same coin. The idealistic view of the internet giving people a chance to reinvent themselves, relaunch their personal brands. In fact, hacker and game aliases in the movies were probably the origin of personal branding that is a pillar of the social media fuelled modern economy. The flip side of this was the anonymity of the internet and the lurking danger of predators, corporate data mining and having one’s identity online as possibly the most vulnerable place for personal information. Most of this has pretty much come true. We see many people who have made a name for themselves in social media who would otherwise have had no bearing or influence on important national debates. There are several people who have fashioned a major following (Twitter is especially full of them) to be first responders on the scene of a social media disaster, posting the comments and memes that will eventually end up in the news articles about the issue. But reinventing yourself on the internet doesn’t always go the way you want. Just ask Walter Palmer and Martin Shkreli who each have had the honour of being the most hated person on the internet at one time or another. Walter Palmer’s intention may have been to reinvent himself, from a mild mannered dentist to a heroic slayer of beasts by posting pictures of himself over the carcass of a mighty lion he had brought down in Zimbabwe. Sadly, everything went wrong for him from that point. He chose the wrong lion to shoot (if there is such a thing as the right lion). From the backlash on the internet, poor Walter might was well have shot Simba from the “The Lion King” in front of a roomful of 4 year olds. The outcry both online and real world was so terrible that Palmer had to go into hiding, and returned to his practice being picketed and his home being vandalised by protesters. Martin Shkreli may feel that he didn’t tempt fate. The CEO of a venture capital firm was lambasted for his decision to increase the price of a widely used drug (particularly used in HIV treatment) from $13.50 to $750. In print and television
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interviews, Shkreli commented (in retrospect he may concede he did so rather arrogantly) that he was simply trying to turn a profit. The tsunami of negative sentiment, hate speech and threats may well remind you of Cutler Beckett in the Pirates of the Caribbean walking across his ship as it exploded proclaiming with a look of doom that it was “just good business”. After two days of intense internet warfare - mostly one sided - Shkreli relented and announced that he would not follow through with the exorbitant price hike. It may have been too little too late, as the hacker group Anonymous has already leaked his home address and contact numbers - which I am sure many have made use of. Closer to home, almost everyone would be familiar with the sad tale of one Clive Naidoo, who made the terrible
It’s not hard to attract the attention of trolls on the internet. As many female technology professionals have recently found out, the troll is a savage beast with little use for logic or empathy. A growing number of programmers, gamers and tech fundis (who share nothing in common except having ovaries) have been subject to a sustained, vicious campaign of threats, harassment and plain old trolling from parties unknown, who seem to have no agenda other than being mean. Mean, being used in the most understated sense, as in beating your neighbour with a baseball bat, wrapped in barbed wire, would be really, really mean. Aside from trolls, the internet is rife with predators. We’ve heard the horrific stories of sexual predators, revenge porn and general nastiness that lurks on the internet. But mostly we think that being sensible, practical people in the real world would protect us from online danger. It’s simply not true. Some sources say that over $50 billion dollars a year are stolen online through identity theft, affecting millions of individuals, families and businesses, every single year. That would be probably more than most listed corporations make in the same time period (tax free, of course). The internet feeds on identities. So the question is why would you want to reinvent your identity in the most dangerous place for identities to exist? That’s like launching your new career as a preacher in a strip club. While most people probably get away with small revolutions in their lives, those who end up attracting to much attention risk the patrons turning on them. It’s a two edged sword. By definition, reinventing yourself is an act of wanting to draw attention to oneself. To draw others into a vision you have of yourself being something different. Better. Cooler. But if that attention turns out to be the wrong kind of attention, it can be devastating. Ever had a dream where you’re at work or school and look down and you have no pants? Clothing is a symbol in our subconscious dream state for security and identity. We can wear any clothes to shape or change our identity, and being without clothes is a symbol of being stripped bare - with our true personality, fears and hang ups exposed. The thing about the internet is, nobody can tell who is wearing pants and who isn’t. g
“...reinventing yourself on the internet doesn’t always go the way you want...”
TECHNOLOGY
mistake of filming his encounter with a Johannesburg traffic officer as he was being written up for shooting through a traffic light illegally. Mr Naidoo’s intention may have been to reinvent himself as a champion of justice and transparency, but he may have gone with an ill-conceived strategy, or simply chose the wrong vehicle for his campaign in JMPD Officer Laurencia Shitlhelana. While the jury is out on who was in the right, there is no doubt that Naidoo was unprepared for the sharp wit of the officer, and should possibly have abandoned his strategy as a result. You have to admire the fortitude and principles of Naidoo, who, despite mentioning his cellphone number and home address in the video, decided to post it on his Facebook page to let the public decide. And decide they did. While some sided with Naidoo that law enforcement officers should be professional at all times, many of the internet’s loudest voices seemed to think he poked the beast and got what he deserved. Those wanting to go further than just the internet harassed Naidoo on his cell and also threw bottles at his home.
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by Iwan Pienaar
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uilding on the previous column where we talked about ways to keep yourself anonymous online, this month will be focused on minimising the potential for identity theft. Having your identity stolen by a cyber-criminal might sound like the stuff of science fiction, but it is a risk for any connected South African. People have become comfortable with doing virtually anything online, but few spare a thought to what would happen if their identity gets compromised. Identity theft goes hand-in-hand with phishing scams. Most email clients have spam filters built-in. Of course, that does not mean you are completely protected against fraudulent emails. Most reputable companies will not request personal identifiable information or account details via email. This includes your bank, health care provider, and even online shopping sites. Never open attachments in these emails and do not click on any links embedded in the message. This is a sure-fire way you will fall prey to identity theft. With this in mind, it pays to be aware of the popular scams doing the rounds. Sure, we can joke about that inheritance you are supposed to be getting from an African royal family member but that is just the tip of the iceberg. If you are ever unsure about an email, contact the institution from where it claims to come from. Most South African financial institutions and even mobile operators have scam lines designed to inform. Another vital aspect of protecting your online
identity is using strong passwords. These are not the names of your pets or your date of birth. In fact, it is advisable to avoid using any word that can be found in a dictionary. You should create a unique password for each site you have a login for that, ideally, include long combinations of letters, numerals, and non-alphanumeric symbols. It is also important to change your passwords often. Building from this, never store your financial data on any of the sites you use. There is no disputing the convenience of buying with the click of a button and not completing the same credit card forms every time. But it is really worth the extra minute it takes to fill in the form and not risk compromising your financial data. The same holds true for being logged in to all your social network sites from your mobile devices. Imagine the potential impact if your smartphone is lost or stolen and hackers are able to access your social profiles. Always log out of those sites once you are done using them. Again, it is a matter of convenience versus security. Also refrain from posting your date of birth or at least do not post the year you were born in. Your birth date, year included, is a key piece of information to steal your identity. Think twice when you want to purchase Facebook services that require your credit card information. It is best to avoid putting that data on the site. The same holds true for app stores. It is always better to opt for vouchers instead of using your credit card details. Most importantly, have boundaries. Avoid
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revealing where a photo was taken and stop geotagging photos that show exact locations. Be cautious about posting pics that reveal your address or show where you keep valuables in your home. The more you publicly reveal where you are and what you are doing, identity thieves will surely take notice. Delete photos and posts on your timeline that show personally identifiable information. Your name, profile picture, and cover photo are all always “public� and that cannot be changed. From this public information, thieves can create identical Facebook profiles aimed at infecting users’ devices with spyware that can steal precious data. While it is not always practical not to use a photograph of yourself, always be aware that it can be taken and used for malicious reasons. Despite taking all these measures, no person can be completely vigilant all the time across all devices. For this reason, it is always a good idea to have some form of cyber-security solution installed. Ideally, such a solution would need to work across devices and cater for everything from anti-virus protection to internet security and email safety. Some might even have a Privacy Cleaner or similar data scrubbing tool that effectively wipes your personal data from any device. Additional features to consider include Parental Control tools and even Webcam protection. Ultimately, you need to remain aware of the risks that are out there and always be on your guard when dealing with anything online. g
Combating Identity Theft
Combating Identity Theft Fighting the scammers one step at a time
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Technically Speaking
e are steadily approaching that time of the year again when game publishers scramble to release the last of their titles, or are strategically holding on to them – to unleash them onto the masses just before the holidays get into full swing. The year has been pretty good to us gamers, with a lot of titles sticking their hands up to become contenders for games of the year, but sadly there will be some that will inevitably fall by the wayside. They might have been good, but being release in the beginning of the year often relegates them to the back of our minds, doomed to be never spoken of again. At least those games got a release date, but there are a lot of others that will never see the light of day, or ones that have just been pushed forward so much that people have actually started to lose interest in them. The reason I’m bringing this up is because I’m still waiting with tears in my eyes for a new Flight Simulator game. I know Microsoft signed over some of the rights of its hugely-popular Microsoft Flight Simulator
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X game to Dovetail Games, but that was only to redo some of the graphics and release it on Steam. The game can’t be that much better, as it has been in and out of Steam sales since it was released earlier this year. And as with everything that Dovetail Games do, it charges more for additional content. Before you start pointing me towards the nearest virtual cockpit, I know there are other flight simulator games out there, but those just don’t do it for me. I have tried X-Plane, and found that it works on the same principle as Flight Sim X, which isn’t the best thing in the world. I need a game that is truly different that have been designed for today’s computers. All the flight sim titles available today were developed a good number of year ago, so the systems are a bit restricted when it comes to improvements – most notably in the graphical and physics departments. I do think that I’m slightly qualified to complain about the state of flight sim games available today. I mentioned that I have tried a good number of them, but in Flight
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BYcHARLIE Fripp
Grounded...
Sim X I have clocked over 150 successful landings in various types of craft and have spent well over 300 hours cruising through the virtual skies. What would I like to see included in the new breed of flight sim games? Well, other than better graphics and realistic physics, I would like to see the inclusion of actual passengers. Seeing that flight is predominantly focussed on ferrying people across the sky, none of the current flight sim games include them. It would be great to actually see people board your plane, and disembark on the other side. It’s the small things that will make it worth it, and developers can even let you know how much profit you made on a flight. I do realise that it is probably too much to ask, as there isn’t a huge market for flight sim games. Microsoft did release a game a couple of years ago called Flight, but that didn’t really take off – excuse the pun. That was probably their benchmark for future releases, and flight sim community might have fudged their chances of ever getting a better game. g
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Rock Fantasy Reboot
PReviews 52 56 58 62 64
Hitman The Crew: Wild Run Halo 5: Guardians Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water Transformers Devastation
Reviews 68 74 80 84 90 92 96 98 100 102 104 106 107 108 110
Forza Motorsport 6 Mad Max FIFA 16 Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Rugby World Cup 2015 Destiny: The Taken King Skylanders: Superchargers Disney Infinity 3.0 Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Grow Home Tearaway Unfolded Xeodrifter Teslagrad Zombi La-Mulana Ex
RegularS 44 112 118
Did you know Indie View Legacy
COLUMN 122
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Ramjet’s Rantality
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GAMING
Did You
Know?
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1…
at Destiny’s Taken King holds the record for the most downloaded day-one game in PlayStation history? Believe it or not, but there are actually still people playing Bungie’s Destiny. With the release of The Taken King DLC, it just once again proved how popular the game is. At launch, Activision announced that the add-on has broken the record for the most downloaded day-one game in PlayStation history and set a new day-one franchise benchmark for both total players and peak online concurrency. But in true Activision style, it didn’t reveal any actual numbers. It did say that 2 million characters have been created, but players have more than one character so it’s not an indication of downloads. So you’ll just have to take their word for it – or not.
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that Xbox 360 now has 2GB cloud storage? For those that are still unlucky enough to have an Xbox 360 (whether it be by choice or not) there is some good news for you if you are running out of storage. Microsoft rolled out a software update late last month which adds 2GB of cloud storage. The online storage repository can be used to safeguard game save if you one day decide to get an Xbox One. The consoles each connect to the same account’s cloud storage, so it is very easy to save on the one and pull down to the other. In the same software update an activity feed, the ability to see what your friends are playing on Xbox One and Windows 10, and Microsoft Movies & TV.
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that Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate will include Jack the Ripper? We already know a great deal about the next Assassin’s Creed game, and we simply can’t wait to get our hands on it. But one of the announcements from last month was that the infamous Jack the Ripper will be included in the game. Jack was a serial killer that targeted prostitutes in London, and he was never capture nor was he identified. The Jack the Ripper DLC pack’s story line will take place 20 years after the main plot’s conclusion, and players will have to assist Inspector Frederick Abberline of Scotland Yard in tracking down the infamous murderer.
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DID YOU KNOW
Locked frames, free maps and cloud storage...
4…
that the next Need for Speed game will be locked at 30fps? Game developers are always trying to push the envelope when it comes to producing the best visuals possible. Of late the trend has been to release games capable of running at 60 frames per second, but developer Ghost Games has confirmed that the next Need For Speed will be locked at half that. The reason? It pretty much comes down to user experience, as a lower frame rate will need a much smoother game. “By doing this we ensure that your gameplay experience remains incredibly smooth and allows you to experience the high speed, adrenaline fuelled gameplay that you’ve come to expect from the Need for Speed series,” it said.
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that you can get all the Rainbow Six Siege maps for free? We do love free things, and if its things that make games better, we love it even more. Developer CD Projekt Red somewhat started a trend by dishing out DLC for free, and now Ubisoft is quickly following suit. The company announced that all the downloadable maps for Rainbow Six Siege will be entirely free of charge on their release. To start out with the game already ships with 11 maps, but Ubisoft wants players to stay for the long haul. “We want players to stay with us for the long term and have ambitious post-launch plans that we will detail at a later stage.”
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that you’ll soon be able to play Uncharted 4? It’s not long now fellow adventurers! Players will very soon be able to step into the very muddy boots of Nathan Drake and explore exotic locations to their heart’s content – while obviously dodging lethal traps and blood-thirsty enemies. But there is a bit of a catch. The beta version of the game’s multiplayer will be going live in December, but gamers will only get access to the action if they purchase the Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and have a PS Plus membership. By the time you read this, The Nathan Drake Collection should only be about a week away from release, so hang in there. If you really can’t wait, try your hand at the single-player demo, which launched a couple of days ago.... g
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Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
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time the title’s purity of purpose combined with a thoughtful plot made for a gratifying if somewhat unrefined experience. Ubisoft Montreal clearly listened to fan feedback before releasing Assassin’s Creed 2 however, and the game managed to fulfil the tantalising promise of its predecessor. Beyond its fantastic renaissance setting and immensely likeable main character, the sequel scrapped the monotonous side-missions in favour of a greatly expanded number of assassinations, all of which were intertwined with the main plot. While AC 2 did dabble a bit with a simplified economy and city-building it never overshadowed the core gameplay itself, and as a whole it was a masterful creation that many still believe to be the pinnacle of the franchise. Assassin’s Creed 2 is notable for something else though, as it often seems to be the last title in the series which mainly concerned itself with the business of killing people. You know, actually being an assassin. Ever since Brotherhood hit the shelves in 2010 Assassin’s Creed has steadily focussed on peripheral gameplay, from Ezio the realestate mogul/assassin recruiter to Connor’s naval trade empire aspirations to Edward
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Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
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here’s a temptation to write off a new Assassin’s Creed as yet another addition to the franchise’s ever growing pile. Ubisoft’s flagship series is prolific, to say the least, but thanks to the publisher’s almost religious dedication to its yearly release schedule it’s become rather easy to see AC as one homogenous blob. However a thorough review of past efforts belies this impression, and despite the franchise’s relatively youthful age there has been a subtle shift in gameplay over the years, with the last few titles being different beasts when compared to their progenitor. At its heart, the original Assassin’s Creed was a simple game. Despite’s its narrative ambitions, with simultaneous story arcs that revolved around ideological and religious conflicts, Altair was a man ultimately focussed on one thing only– stabbing thin bits of metal into people’s necks. In terms of gameplay almost everything you did was in aid of this, and even the ability to scale the tallest structures that a Crusadesera Holy Land had to offer (which blew everyone’s minds away at the time) served this agenda. While it may have felt repetitive over
the pirate and part-time assassin impersonator. That’s not to say the games haven’t been good in their own right. Even Assassin’s Creed 3, generally regarded as one of the poorer entries, was far more hit than miss, and Black Flag was a magnificent accomplishment of innovative gameplay. It’s just that too often it felt as if assassinations were tacked on to justify the title of the game, rather than being the central element each was built on. It was a situation that Ubisoft Montreal tried to remedy with last year’s Assassin’s Creed Unity, however it was so buggy and flawed, not helped by a suite of new, improperly implemented mechanics and a somewhat uninspiring plot, that instead of recalling the glory days of AC 2 it has become the lowest rated of any main release in the series. It seems that Ubisoft haven’t given up on the idea however. For the first time the reins have been given to another studio for a major entry (technically the second but Rogue doesn’t really count), and it seems that Ubisoft Quebec are eager to leave their mark on what has become the gaming equivalent of a living legend. To do this the studio is aiming to bring Assassin’s Creed back to its roots, and hopefully in the time they’ve had
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since Unity launched they’ve managed to iron out the issues that plagued the previous game. Set in London at the waning of the Industrial Revolution in 1868, Syndicate will have two playable protagonists, namely twins Jacob and Evie Frye. While the use of two main characters is a first for the series, Quebec are hoping to bring back the character-driven plots of AC 2, and to do this they will have players actively strive to bring down the Templars, who have presumably taken over the city, by controlling London’s gangs. As usual you can expect a slew of famous historical figures to make an appearance (thus only far Dickens and Darwin have been confirmed), but in light of the period’s position as the dawn of modern times, this should be a setting rife with possibilities. Of course there is also the present-day plot to consider, and while this has been token at best since AC 4 the studio has promised that this section of the overall narrative will receive its due attention, though details remain sketchy at this time. The use of dual protagonists will be more than just a plot device however. Syndicate will have the siblings play very differently from each
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other, with Jacob acting as a brash, close-combat expert while Evie will excel at sneaking and wits. To go hand-in-hand with this, Syndicate will also be looking to rework the core mechanics of the franchise. Stealth will now be more focussed on actually hiding and staying out sight, rather than simply leaping into hay bales and blending into the crowd, while combat will be faster and with an emphasis on attacking, as opposed to the traditional counter-kill method. Likewise the movement system has also received attention, and the infuriating transitions between interior and exterior environments that plagued Unity will hopefully be a thing of the past. To accompany these elements Syndicate will feature a range of new period appropriate tools. Players will have access to exotic weaponry like sword canes and kukris, as well as the ever handy brass knuckles, while throwing knives can be used to trigger environmental hazards such as hanging crates. Navigating the city of London will also be made easier through the use of a rope launcher, allowing players to quickly scale buildings of any height or create zip-lines as needed, and vehicles will be
included in the form of carriages and trains, both of which can serve as impromptu rooftop combat arenas. Considering the disappointment of last year’s foray, it’s easy to be somewhat cynical about all the promises the Ubisoft Quebec are making. There is a lot of ground to be made up for, and aspects such as the inclusion of a female protagonist can be seen as an attempt at appeasement over last year’s female avatar debacle when viewed with a jaded eye, despite the developer’s insistence that Evie was always a fundamental part of the game. On the other hand the fact that the studio will completely do away with multiplayer for Syndicate speaks to a genuine effort to revitalise the singleplayer campaign, concentrating efforts on highlighting the inherent strengths of a beloved series. Assassin’s Creed has had its ups and downs over the years, and whether or not this release will bring back the core gameplay that characterised AC 2, which Quebec has stated to be their desire, will only be evident when it launches. It’s a new developer at the helm however, and set of fresh eyes may be just what the series needs.g
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Hitman GAMING
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Hitman
by Lein Baart
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subtitle this time) looks to recapture the series’ glory days. Set after the events of Absolution, Hitman will of course see players step into the role of 47, the world’s premier assassin. According to IO Interactive the game will be squarely focused on recreating the feel of Blood Money, and to this end past fans can expect vast areas sprawling with creative and convoluted methods to assassinate your target. The studio has boasted that levels will be up to 7 or 8 times larger than those of Absolution, with around 300 NPC’s that will all react differently depending on the situation. The release is not entirely abandoning its predecessor’s innovations however, and players can expect Contracts mode to
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ny sequel will always be a blend of old and new, as developers seek to retain what made a series popular while keeping things interesting. It’s a process fraught with peril however, and as Hitman: Absolution showed us in 2012, it often involves a myriad of small changes that ultimately add up to a game that loses the essence of what made it predecessors great. That’s not to say Absolution was a bad game, far from it actually, however its emphasis on linear storytelling and “play-it-your way” gameplay came at the detriment of the vast toy boxes of death that made Blood Money the highlight of the franchise. It’s something that IO Interactive has recognised however, and Hitman (no
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Hitman
make a full return, which allows gamers to create and share their own custom scenarios based on pre-existing maps, along with a toned-down Instinct mechanic. Hitman is not solely attempting to evoke past successes however. In what is both simultaneously its most exciting aspect as well as a potential source of worry, the game will first release via digital distribution, with IO Interactive pledging to provide free content updates. This will take the form of additional levels, but will also include once-off timed missions that cannot be replayed, with the studio using player feedback to refine further offerings. While this could be a fantastic means to extend Hitman’s longevity, it does bare striking similarity to the early-access model that is
so prevalent on Steam these days, which almost by definition means that a game is released in a broken state. Hitman will eventually see a full retail release with all additional content included, but whether or not the game is a success on launch will depend entirely on whether there is enough content upfront. Square Enix and IO Interactive are attempting to have gamers engage with what they are calling “A World of Assassination”, and for this much of what made fans fall in love with the series appears to be making a return. Hitman certainly has its ambitions however, and its rather unique distribution system (for AAA at least) will help to either see the game as roaring triumph or a dismal failure. g
AT A GLANCE Action-adventure
More of what made Bloody Money great is never be a bad thing, though Hitman will need to offer a decent amount of content upfront Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
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IO Interactive Square Enix Megarom
Dec 2015
Platforms
GENRE
ETA
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GAMING
Nov 2015 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
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Ivory Tower Ubisoft Megarom
PLATFORMS
Two wheels and big trucks
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
GENRE
AT A GLANCE Racing
Adding new cars and motorbikes, it is going to be truly fantastic
gamecca76
by Charlie Fripp
The Crew: Wild Run
pen-world racing game The Crew released to somewhat mixed reviews in December last year, with many people disliking the always-on internet requirement and microtransactions. Things have quietened down on that front, and publisher Ubisoft is hoping to put that well behind them with the release of the game first expansion, titled Wild Run. The additional content will add a host of new features and mechanics, but the biggest addition will be the inclusion of motorbikes. “Get ready to twist the throttle and hold on tight as you unleash the torque and horsepower beneath you. On track, off road or tearing down city streets, get your speed-fix and adrenaline rush astride a narrow band of rubber hitting the open road. Just make sure you stay shiny side up,” Ubisoft explained. Racing on the Bonneville Salt Flats had its thrills, but with Wild Run players will now also be able to drag race on the infamous long stretches of flat sand. And speaking of things that go fast, Ubisoft went bigger as well. Taping into classic American culture, monster trucks will now be smashing and jumping their way across tracks. What can possibly be better than crushing your opponent with a gigantic set of wheels? The upcoming Drift spec addition will appeal to those that don’t want to go big or on two wheels, as it allows gamers to use some of the fastest cars in the game and drift their way to victory. But that is not all. As a final addition, the game will be getting a graphical overhaul that will include everything from the environment, the cars and the tracks. Best of all is that players don’t need to get Wild Run to see the better graphics, as that will be available to everyone. g
The Crew: Wild Run
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E M W A VIE G E R P
Halo 5: Guardian GAMING
Master Chief is back
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Halo 5: Guardians
by Charlie Fripp
ns
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widely-used aspects in game mechanics and spawned one of the most recognisable characters ever. While developer Bungie is no longer involved in the franchise, those duties have now been passed on to 343 Industries, who have been responsible for developing the last couple of Halo games, as well as a mobile game way back in 2009. The next game in the franchise is Halo 5: Guardians, and there is no doubt on anybody’s mind in the industry that it will once again be multi-million unit seller in a short span of time after its release at the end of October. The main plot for the game will introduce some new characters, but the main conflict will be between Master
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enerally there tend to be two schools of Xbox gamers: those that enjoy playing Bungie’s Halo franchise, and those that can’t stand the thought of jumping into Master Chief’s sweaty boots. But say what you want to about the hugely popular franchise, it hasn’t sold more than 65 million copies since 2007 by simply being mediocre. Even if players don’t own an Xbox, they have at some point during their gaming history heard about Halo – or at least tried it out on a friend’s console. Point of the matter is that Halo in its entirety is massively popular and a rather important franchise in the gaming world – and there is no escaping it. It has been the subject of much discussion, pioneered of
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Chief’s Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris, to be led by Spartan Locke. Fireteam Osiris will see characters Holly Tanaka and Olympia Vale as well as Edward Buck team up with Spartan Locke to take on the good Chief. In terms of multiplayer, the game has stirred up a bit of controversy. Traditionally, the previous Halo games all had multiplayer functionality that allowed for offline play, but this iteration is taking a different approach. For Halo 5, the offline split-screen co-op and multiplayer modes have been removed. It also won’t have any local networking options – needless to say that some gamers are rather upset about it. Speaking of multiplayer, we know that there will be a new map called Fathom, and that a number of changes
have been made to the Empire map that was made available during the game’s beta phase. It will feature 20 maps at launch and that 15 additional maps will be released as DLC for free. There is no doubt that Halo 5: Guardians will sell well, as with all the games that came before it. Players should expect the familiar controls, visuals and gameplay that has made the franchise into what it is today. Some aspects of the game might be somewhat controversial, but given enough time to adjust to the changes, players are sure to forget about the issues and just enjoy the next instalment. It should go without say, but if you are a Halo fan, this one should definitely be on your radar. g
AT A GLANCE Shooter
New characters and new game, this one will appeal to everyone. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
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343 Industries Microsoft Microsoft
Oct 2015
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PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
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Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water
E M W A VIE G E R P
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water Dark secrets exposed
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
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Tecmo Koei Nintendo Core Group
PLATFORMS
GAMING
Q4 2015
This Wii U exclusive title is the fifth main title in the Fatal Frame series since its inception in 2001. Players take control of a character and in this case three of them, who have the unique ability to engage ghosts through the Camera Obscura. The technology of the Nintendo Wii U will offer players a unique experience thanks to the gamepad screen becoming the Camera Obscura. Players will raise the gamepad to the screen and deal damage to the oncoming creatures through taking photos of them and tilting the camera will cause more damage to the creatures.
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
GENRE
Players will be tasked with exploring obscure locations such as an underground cave used for human sacrifices or the shrine occupied by life-size dolls or the flowing stream inundated with dead priestesses. Each eerie location, one step closer to solving the mystery. Fatal Frame Maiden of Black Water utilises Dead or Alive’s game engine and will feature the famous DOA fighter Ayane as a bonus player with her own side-mission. A retail and Nintendo eShop version will be available, dependent on country. g
AT A GLANCE Survival Horror
Three interconnected stories of mysterious deaths, a haunted mountain carrying down its dark waters and a dark truth to uncover.
gamecca76
by Nthato Morakabi
A
forest of doom, plagued by a recent string of tragic deaths and a dark history of suicides, brings three interconnected individuals together in a weaving tale of mystery and death. With a stream of once holy water running between eerie locations, the darkest mystery of all lies in the history of death and darkness on Mount Hikami. Cursed with the ability to see the shadows of those spirited away, the three protagonists, through the power of the Camera Obscura must overcome their fears as they uncover the truth behind the deaths around them.
Storage for every application.
E M IEWW A VIE G EEV R PR
Transformers Devastation T
he Transformers franchise has been around for decades starting off as a line of transforming toys to eventually become a TV series, comic book, a Live Action film and of course a video game. Focussing on the planet threatening rivalry between the Autobots, led by their honourable leader Optimus Prime, and the Decepticons, led by callous leader Megatron. The Autobots face their greatest foes in a battle once more for the safety of Earth, only this time the Decepticons have been augmented by the enormous power of Plasma Energy. This very energy is the essence to Megatron’s nefarious plan to Cyberform Earth and rebuild Cybertron on the blue planet. Will the Autobots be able to overcome their super-powered enemies and save earth? Following the signature fast-paced action that Platinum Games is known for, players will be able to instantly switch from robot to vehicle in attacks, perform slam downs, counterattacks, and infinite combos; the customizable combat system will allow for unique battles and amazing aerial and ground combos. And the 5 difficulty levels will push players to their best through intense gameplay as they engage enemies as the five playable Autobots Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Wheeljack and Grimlock. Spanning the generations with multiple reboots, Transformers Devastation follows the Transformers: Generations line but with a strong visual design inspired by the somewhat recent Transformers: The Movie. Several voice actors from the original show are to reprise their voice roles in Devastation, including Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime), Dan Gilvezan (Bumblebee), Michael Bell (Sideswipe), Gregg Berger (Grimlock) and Frank Welker (Megatron, Soundwave). Transformers Devastation will be available on previous and new gen consoles as well as on PC. g
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Oct 2015 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
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PLATFORMS
by Nthato Morakabi
Autobots! Roll out!
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
GENRE
AT A GLANCE Action - Fighter
Earth is under peril once more from the terror of super-powered Decepticons who are on a mission to Cyberform earth. Can the Autobots win?
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E M W A IE G EV R
- Motorspo Forza GAMING
More cars, more tracks, and higher
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by Charlie Fripp
ort 6
speeds
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million copies over the last couple of years. The latest iteration in the franchise is Forza Motorsport 6, or just Forza 6 for short, and this time around it tries to do a couple of things slightly differently than before. On the surface Forza 6 operates like most other Forza games. It’s as close to driving hyper expensive supercars as most of us will ever get, and the hard-core racing sim gameplay is both present and correct. Players have to race in five Volumes, with each Volume consisting of three Series. Within each Series, players have to race in about four to six races – that is a lot of racing. Beginning each Series, drivers can choose what type of vehicles they would like to use. But there isn’t jumping into the fastest Bugatti just yet, as the game cleverly takes players on a power journey through all the types of vehicles available. At the start
GAMING
ay the words Forza Motorsport and many gamers will automatically know exactly what video game you are taking about – even if they have never owned a copy of the hugely-popular franchise. That is the power of Microsoft’s incredible marketing machine, making sure that people know about their titles even if they don’t have an Xbox. There is really no need to explain what Forza Motorsport is, but just in case there are some gamers that were really born yesterday (and under a rock), the franchise is Microsoft’s offering to give players a glimpse into that it probably feels like to be behind the wheel of some of the best, most expensive and fastest cars in the world. It’s a racing simulator that has some of the best visuals when compared to its peers, and it quickly becomes apparent why the franchise has sold more than 20
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of the game, players will see that they cars and races available will be smaller and slower than those offered later on. One has to ease into the good stuff after all, as the game is rather unforgiving in its difficulty curve. The first couple of races will see gamers jump in behind the wheel of Volkswagens, smaller Audis and a plethora of C- and D-Class cars. This is both a blessing and a curse, as these cars are easier to handle and manoeuvre around corners, but they do tend to come with some much slower speeds and most of the time they don’t look as flashy as the other on offer. But small steps will go a long way in Forza, as it has been across the franchise, and it takes time and patience to fully understand how the mechanics work and what the title is all about.
With that said, it doesn’t mean that players will have a dumbed-down experience from the start, only getting more complex as the game progresses. Oh no, all the good stuff that has made Forza… well, Forza, is available from the first starting grid. Players can still tinker with gear ratios, experiment with downforce or see how close they can come to the magical power-to-weight ratio that will rocket their car further and faster – even if it a Fiat 500 Abarth Esseesse. All those elements have been retained for the die-hard petrol heads who like to adjust, shift, tilt or modify to squeeze every last kilowatt out of the engine. With that said, if that isn’t your thing, then you can just complete ignore it all together. That is the beauty of Forza 6. It has really tried to appeal to the broad spectrum of racing gamers out there, in the
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directly, as some give you a starting line position boost, add a bit of weight to your car (for a hefty payout bonus), or reward you for perfect turns. As with the tuning, purists can chose to completely ignore the Mod Packs without it having an effect on their driving, the opponents faced or gameplay. On the flip side, there is a reason why the Mod Packs and easy tuning setups have been added, and that is simply because Forza 6 is very difficult and brutally unforgiving. Logic would dictate that even if drivers are somewhat seasoned, they should theoretically be able to keep up with most of the competitors on an average difficulty setting. This proved to require some tuning yet again, as other drivers just don’t let up in their pursuit for first place. The difficulty level can be tweaked almost as much as
GAMING
sense that you can delve as deep or as shallow as you want without diminishing the overall experience of the game. If you want to tinker but don’t know how, the game also gives players the option to download tuning setups created and shared by others. That way, players get the benefit of a finely tuned machine without the need to do it themselves. Tuning, testing and retuning is usually reserved for the purist, but appealing to the arcade side of racing fans, Forza 6 also introduced Mod Packs - virtual packs of cards that allow players to tweak and augment their vehicles. For example, one card may gift your car 6% extra grip on any track, while another card will add 10% horsepower and 12% grip. Not all mods are applied to the car
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the cars in the game. Players can tinker with the AI driver skill, turn all the technical driving aspects like ABS and traction control on and off and toggle between cosmetic or realistic damage. This once again proved that Forza 6 can be adjusted to fit the entire spectrum of racers, be it new drivers, casual racers or those looking for a real challenge. The rule of thumb here is that if there is a car in front, players are going to have to work very hard to overtake it. Even if gamers consider themselves fairly competent drivers, dropping the AI difficulty to ‘Inexperienced’ doesn’t guarantee a win. Speaking of cars, there is a huge selection to choose from – even more so that in Forza 5. In total there is about 450 cars, which is twice more that the last game, and almost all of the biggest, oldest and storied manufacturers are
covered here. These cars need to be raced on tracks, and here too the game doesn’t disappoint. It has 26 tracks, each with different routes and configurations, so with that players are staring a huge variety in the face. Forza 6 is definitely one of the best entries in Microsoft’s flagship racing franchise and a huge step up from its predecessors. However, it might not be the best entrypoint in the series for newbies. As mentioned, Forza 6 can be brutal at the best of times and it might be incredibly frustrating for new players. Developer Turn 10 has done a fantastic job of trying to meld arcade play with sim experience, but that might not appeal to everyone. Thankfully you don’t need to make use of all the aspects to play the game the way in which you want to – and that is where its massive appeal lies. g
AT A GLANCE GENRE
Racing
REVIEWED ON
x0
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Turn 10 Microsoft Microsoft
PARENTAL ADVISORY
6+ gamecca76
PLATFORMS
Forza 6 is definitely one of the best entries in Microsoft’s flagship racing franchise
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
92 73
E M W A IE G EV R
Mad Max GAMING
Laying waste to the wasteland.
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Mad Max
by Walt Pretorius
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gasoline (guzzle-ine, in Mad Max slang) is more valuable than gold, and where battle is done with modified vehicles on the blasted highways and byways. But even if you have no knowledge of this setting, the game will, as you explore the stark yet strangely beautiful wastelands, give you clues as to how all of this came about, and who Mad Max actually is. The idea behind the game is relatively simple. After a near-deadly altercation the delightfully names wasteland warlord Scabrous Scrotus, Max is left without his most prized possession – his car. Without it he cannot continue his journey to find some inner peace. He is found, though, by a zealous blackfinger (mechanic) called Chum Bucket, whose devotion to the Angel Combustion leads him on a holy crusade to build the greatest car ever made, the Magnum Opus. And Max is just the guy to help the
GAMING
ometimes first impressions shouldn’t be the ones that opinions are based on; some things take a little time to develop. Thankfully publishing a monthly magazine sometimes affords us with the opportunity to spend a little longer with a game review, because we’re not competing with websites to get our review out before anyone else. And in the case of Mad Max, that extra time really was a blessing. The game doesn’t mess about with preambles; it throws you right into the action because it doesn’t need to explain too much about the characters and settings. If you don’t know who Mad max is, and what he’s all about, you’ve been living under a rock. Even if you just have the recently released movie as a reference (which does little to tell you about Max) you know that this is a world filled with post-apocalyptic neo-tribalism, where
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misshapen little wrench-jockey to do it… while ridding the wasteland of Scrotus’ terrible influence. So starts a long and arduous game, which will see the player travelling between the strongholds of minor warlords (all who want Scrotus gone) and performing a large number of tasks to complete his quest. Max will assault oil refineries and transfer stations, take on convoys, clear minefields, hijack vehicles, eliminate snipers and a host of other activities. This is a game that is all about side quests, because completing them not only removes Scrotus’ influence, but it earns the player Scrap, which is the wasteland’s currency. Without it, there is no progression, and the Magnum Opus will remain unbuilt. So while these missions may feel a little like grinding, they are integral to getting through the game. And, thankfully, they are varied enough that it doesn’t become overly
monotonous completing them. Scrap is used to upgrade various things on the Magnum Opus, including engine, armour and offensive systems like the ever-handy harpoon and flamethrowers. It is also used to upgrade Max’s personal equipment (like his knuckledusters and shotgun) and unlock new skills and fighting combos. But while these two elements add quite a lot of progression depth to the game, they aren’t the only way to improve things. Max can also undertake side quests to improve the various strongholds he visits, which add some very real advantage like refilling his ammo with each visit, or instantly refuelling the Magnum Opus (both bullets and fuel are rare, after all) and a few other things. Additionally, as Max’s reputation grows, he earns points that can be spent improving his base attributes with a character names Griffa, a sort of psychoanalyst-shaman
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to yank the wheel off of (or the driver out of) one car while a short-range shotgun blast ruptures the fuel tank of another is exciting stuff, even if it can get pretty frustrating early on if they gang up on you. Enemy vehicles can also be collected and used in the game, although they tend to be specialised, rather than the all-round approach (and tank-like nature) that the Magnum Opus brings to the table. There’s a lot of combat on foot, too, as Max takes on various installations in the wasteland. Liberating an outpost can be quite a challenge, but the timing-based brawling combat (similar to that used in games like Batman: Arkham Knight) can lead to fluid fights using a counter-system. And while he’s dishing out the pain, Max builds up Fury, which unleashes some truly punishing strikes when it is activated.
GAMING
who also helps reveal Max’s back story and motivations in numerous quasi-mystical cut-scenes. And then there’s the main quest, the building of the Magnum Opus and the liberation of the oil-producing Gas Town from Scrotus, clutches. The tale wanes a little in the first half of the game, as the player does a lot of fetching and carrying, but towards the latter parts of the title the plot resurfaces and becomes a rather enjoyable narrative. You just have to push through to get to it. The Wasteland is a treacherous place. Aside from the lack of water and deadly sand-storms (which can really wreck your in-game plans if you’re caught in one) it is crawling with goons and bad guys in extremely dangerous vehicles. Vehicle combat is tense, chaotic and exciting, and as the Magnum Opus grows in power, they become extremely satisfying. Using a harpoon
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While cruising the wasteland or knocking the teeth out of Scrotus, goons can be massive fun, no ambitiously-huge open world game is without its problems. You’ll likely find a few quirks in Mad Max; sometimes there’s a bit of a frame rate stutter, or some disturbing pop-up. Sometimes the physics act up a bit. That kind of thing. But, on the whole, the game offers the player a great experience, with the rich and wonderfully engaging (if somewhat depressing) world being one of the stars of the show. It is filled with interesting (if thoroughly insane) characters that add a lot colour and background to the game, right down to the crazy slang that they use. And then there’s Max, who is a great character if you’re into the silent, brooding, vengeful and deeply disturbed type. The game does quite a bit (through Griffa) to explore Max’s headspace. Whether that’s a good thing or not
is up to personal taste, but at very least the developers were decent enough to stick to Max’s root, giving him an Australian accent. You’ll hear British, American and South African accents, too (the latter always brings a smile to my face, because it’s particularly well done). When you get down to it, Mad Max is the kind of game that dumps a whole lot of tools and options at your feet and stands back to see what you do with them. It really will be what you make of it, and there is very little time spent feeling like you’re being pushed in a particular direction. That might not suit some players, and the grinding may rub others up the wrong way. But ultimately, this game is a long journey, and whether you enjoy the trip really is up to you. It can be extremely rewarding, and building up the character, car and strongholds can deliver immense amounts of enjoyment. g
AT A GLANCE GENRE
Action adventure
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Avalanche Studios Warner Bros Ster Kinekor
PARENTAL ADVISORY
18+ gamecca76
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
PS4 PLATFORMS
Tons to do, a great setting and lots of action are the order of the day in Mad Max.
REVIEWED ON
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
85 79
E M W A IE G EV R
FIFA 16 GAMING
Other year, another FIFA
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FIFA 16
by Charlie Fripp
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with the first game way back in 1993, but the lingering question is still on matter content. Has EA run out of ideas on how to improve the game? Getting the obvious out of the way, EA has naturally bumped up the graphics a bit, but it is still not a significant upgrade from last year’s FIFA 15. One thing that we have come to pay attention to are the spectators, and here they are still cardboard-like and on many occasions move in unison. Games like NHL 15 had over 1000 different character models, but maybe EA is systematically rolling it out over all the franchises. In terms of new mechanics, FIFA 16 features a couple of added moves, like new tackling mechanics and animations. The animations are negligible, but the revamped slide tackle system makes it possible to control the length of the slide. This becomes important when players think a tackle will
GAMING
t almost seem like we keep on repeating ourselves when it comes to certain games – another year, and another release of Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, Battlefield – and FIFA. It is equally great and rather tragic that the football franchise spawns a new game annually, keeping those who tired of the previous title entertained for the next couple of months. But with that said, there is a reason why the FIFA video game franchise is one of the best in the industry. Throughout the franchise’s history, it has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and FIFA 12 still holds the record for the “fastest selling sports game ever”, selling over 3.2 million games in the first week of release. Electronic Arts’ latest iteration of the franchise, FIFA 16, solidly builds on the foundations that were planted
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be unsuccessful, as they will be able to cancel the attempt mid-tackle, get up, and change position. Just as defence was upgraded, so too has attacking. The biggest change here is the no-touch dribbling mechanic. In short it allows players to create space between them and the ball so that they are able to change direction quickly and fool other players. Striking has also been given a bit of an overhaul, but here sadly things don’t feel right. When striking the ball, on more occasions than not the ball went flying over the goals at speed (or at a crawl) instead of going where intended. For the first time in the franchise’s history, gamers will also be able to play with a number female football teams. While it is a step in the right direction, play for now has been limited to only the International Women’s World Cup in terms of anything seriously competitive.
Women’s teams can also be used in Match Day, an offline tournament, and online friendly matches, but there is no way for players to start a career mode with a women’s team, and they also can’t create their own character. Sticking to FIFA’s international regulations, it also isn’t possible for a men’s team to compete against a women’s team – not even in a friendly. Like we said, it is definitely a step in the right direction and the world’s best 12 women’s teams have been faithfully recreated with motion capture and everything, but it would have been great if the men’s and women’s teams were interchangeable in all modes. With all of that said, if you are a FIFA fan, there is still no reason why you shouldn’t get FIFA 16. It might only be slight upgrades, but as we said, it is still one of the best football games in the business. g
AT A GLANCE GENRE
Sport
REVIEWED ON
x0
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
EA Canada EA Sports Prima Interactive
PARENTAL ADVISORY
3+ gamecca76
PLATFORMS
Even with no substantial upgrades, it is still the best at its game.
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
81 83
E M W A IE G EV R
Metal Gear Solid The Phantom P GAMING
Breaking free!
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Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
by Walt Pretorius
d V: Pain
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often convoluted) narrative that the series has displayed through its long run. The story in The Phantom Pain is much weaker than before, and feels almost like a tacked on element, a flavour rather than a theme. But that might be because the nature of the game has changed somewhat, and players of this new MGS are in for something of a new experience. Set in the expected quasi-fantasy, possibly-anime world that has evolved around the series, The Phantom Pain sees the player (in control of Big Boss) take to the desert wastes of Afghanistan, where he does battle against Russian invaders. Like previous games, The Phantom Pain pits the player against large groups of enemies and encampments all on their lonesome… but unlike those other titles, it takes away the limitations and linearity that previous MGS games displayed. Want to stealth in
GAMING
have tried, over the many years I have been writing about games, to like certain franchises. But the Metal Gear Solid series has always managed to land on my “meh” list, for various reasons. Scripting and linearity, an over-dependence on the stealth mechanic, truly silly names and a few other factors have taken games with great story lines and made them titles that I didn’t really care for. Hey, it’s my opinion. The funny thing is, Hideo Kojima’s MGS swan-song, in the form of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, takes almost everything I disliked about every previous metal Gear Solid game and chucks them out of the development window. Almost… the silly names are still there. Oddly, one of the things that flew out the window this time around is the generally strong and well scripted (if
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and stealth out? Great. Want to go in guns blazing? Also great. A combination of the two, say sneaking in and then laying all kinds of explosives on ground defences while using an assault chopper to cover you extraction? Sure, why not? The Phantom Pain gives the player a degree of freedom that is massive, even in other free roaming titles, and doesn’t punish the player for doing things in their own way. This is a more mature Big Boss, one who sometimes sneaks in, and sometimes blows the hell out of the front gates. You can even choose what time of day to go about things, and rely on weather reports to take advantage of atmospheric conditions. To carry that idea further, things can – and do – go pearshaped in missions, leaving the player to think on their feet and come up with snap solutions to deteriorating situations. It’s exciting and tons of fun, and almost
anything goes. And best of all is that the game doesn’t force you into a play-style. At least, not intentionally. See, aside from running around Afghanistan, Big Boss is setting up a new private military group, called the Diamond Dogs. And for that to happen, the player needs to make sure that enough manpower and resources reach Mother Base, a repurposed rig out in the Indian Ocean. But those resources come from the battlefield… and so does the manpower. Ever truck that is blown up is a missed load of useful goods, every soldier killed is a potential new recruit lost. And while it might seem a little pedantic to carefully analyse enemies and pick the best ones to send home for “recruitment”, getting Mother Base running at a premium means new weapons and equipment that come in very handy. For example, specialised flare grenades can be used to
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the enjoyment of the title. As to be expected, The Phantom Pain looks great. The dusty landscape in beautifully handled, and the characters look perfectly in place in it. There are very few cut scenes, though, save for the big, dramatic opening sequence, and those that are there feel uncharacteristically flat. Worst of all is that Keifer Sutherland, who provides the voice for Big Boss, is sorely underutilised, and even his character feels stiff and shallow. The only character that feels real and engenders any kind of connection is the foxy female sniper Quiet, but sadly the developers saw fit to take this capable warrior and interesting character and turn her into the game’s eye-candy. It feels like a gross exploitation, to be honest, of a character that didn’t need to be flashing her boobs to get attention. Although there are free roaming games with bigger,
GAMING
resupply ammo and suppressors, or new weapons can be used to‌ well, kill bad guys. Even plants and local wildlife can be sent back for cash rewards and other benefits, which adds even more to do to a game that has many, many layers already. The Phantom Pain will keep you busy, whether planning an assault on a base, or managing resources and manpower at Mother Base, building new facilities, planning new research projects or even sending out teams to perform side-quests that keep the cash rolling in. There is tons to do, and every aspect of it feels like it has a tangible benefit on the overall experience. Even the multiplayer ties into this idea; it pits players against each other in a complex arms race and base defence game that needs almost as much care and attention as the main title does, and adds significantly to
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Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
more varied maps, The Phantom Pain gets things right in so many ways that its quirks (like those damned weird names) are easy to overlook. Even the flat characters and weak plot mean little, because this game allows you to craft experiences. Tense firefights and daring escapes will stick with you long after the lacklustre narrative has faded from memory, largely because you, as the player, are largely responsible for everything the goes right – or wrong. These missions can turn into truly gripping, exciting adventures, and they are the stuff that a great game is made of. How ardent fans of the Metal Gear Solid franchise will react to what really is a radical change of pace for the franchise remains to be seen. If they enjoyed the tight scripting and strong stories, they may find that The Phantom Pain isn’t a good fit. But if they enjoy a game
that provides them with practically all the freedom they could expect from a video game – in fact, more than most games have ever given before – then the excitement and adventure of The Phantom Pain will certainly get them going. It gives the player every opportunity to make the game what they want it to be, whether it’s the ultimate control in terms of base management, or the freedom to approach any mission exactly the way they want to. It is the smartest progression that we have seen in the franchise, and in the genre. It doesn’t define the franchise; rather, it reinvents it, blowing its doors open to a wider number of players who may have shied away from the stealth-heavy previous titles. And, as such, The Phantom Pain becomes a real triumph, for overcoming the limitations and strictures of its forebears. Well done indeed. g
AT A GLANCE Action Adventure
The Phantom Pain breaks free of the confines set by previous Metal Gear Solid titles and gives players a game in which the idea of freedom actually means something. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Kojima Productions Konami Ster Kinekor
PARENTAL ADVISORY
18+ gamecca76
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
REVIEWED ON
PS4 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
95 89
E M W A IE G EV R
Rugby World Cup 2015
GAMING
Incremental improvements
90
gamecca76
GENRE Too little has been Rugby
by Lein Baart
done to call
World 2015 a
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
3+ AWARDS
HB Studios Big Ben Interactive Apex Interactive
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
Score
45
AT A GLANCE
PARENTAL ADVISORY
REVIEWED ON
PLATFORMS
good game
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
gamecca76
Sports
PS4
they lack any real sense of involvement, while rucking on the other hand causes a game’s pace to stutter to a crawl, which is a grievous oversight considering how often this title will force you into them. Like its predecessor Rugby World Cup 2015 will see you wrangle the right analogue in order to find the correct angle to ruck at. This was insultingly easy in Rugby 15, and though effort has been made this time round to provide some form of challenge to players the game has an infuriating habit of changing the required angle just as you are about to secure the ball, which more often than not leads to a penalty against your side. The system’s biggest fault however lies with the speed at which you are able to get the ball out once the ruck starts. The animation takes forever to complete, meaning that any forward momentum is completely lost, and the utter lack of anything such as pop passes from the ground or the ability to pick and go means that you will spend a good portion of the game stuck waiting for your scrumhalf to feed the ball to the backs. It’s a pity as running with the ball is perhaps the only time that the game shows any real glimmer of quality. The AI no longer falls apart the moment you attempt something unexpected, and while you won’t be pulling off any spectacular set pieces there are times where you actually feel like you’re playing a real game of rugby. Sadly these are few and far between, and too often you’ll find yourself once again waiting impatiently for the ball to enter play. Overall Rugby World Cup 2015 is a better effort than HB Studio’s last attempt, though this isn’t saying much. g
Rugby World Cup 2015
N
o one can fault HB Studio for a lack of perseverance, if not much else. Last year’s Rugby 15 was, to put it kindly, an atrocious hamfisted wrangling of the sport that should never have seen the light of day. Plagued by poorly implemented systems, terrible A.I. and the lack of anything resembling a challenge, the game was doomed to fail from the start. However the Canadian developer hasn’t given up on its rugby ambitions, and just in time for the world cup the studio has released a follow up. Rugby 15 was a game characterised by a couple of fair ideas that failed in execution, and for those who played it this version will be readily familiar. For those that haven’t however HB Studios have been kind enough to introduce the controls via a slideshow. Because reasons. There is an option to practice specific mechanics such as rucking and scrumming but these just dump you into a scenario with next to no indication of what you are supposed to do, making them awkward lessons at best, and the game would have been better served by an interactive tutorial. Once you have actually come to grips with the game you’ll have the option of either playing the Rugby World Cup or a friendly match. The lack of modes is somewhat surprising considering that most domestic and international tournaments were present in the previous release (in some form or another), and the lack of licencing, which includes players for national teams, is readily apparent right from the start. Unfortunately Rugby World Cup 2015’s woes continue once you get into a match. The lineout, scrum and maul mechanics are all serviceable, though
91
E M W A IE G EV R
Destiny: The Tak GAMING
Righting the wrongs‌
92
gamecca76
Destiny: The Taken King
by Walt Pretorius
ken King
93
gamecca76
E M W A IE G EV R
D
detractors want to take another look at this MMOFPS. The main thing that The Taken King adds to Destiny is a whole chunk of new story, revolving around the Taken and their titular leader. These new missions will see the player travel to Saturn to do battle against a crop of new enemies… and much better enemies that we’ve seen before. The Taken all have differing abilities and require new approaches to best in combat – some split into copies of themselves, others buff their compatriots, yet others flush you out of cover or temporarily blind you. It’s a lot more challenging as a result, and the combat feels less “rinse and repeat” than before. Bosses have also been given a shot in the arm in Taken King; instead of the bullet-sponges we encountered in the original game, these bosses have varied abilities and take different approaches to best. Taken King also brings a new closing raid to the mix, called
GAMING
estiny spent its first year being a game that many people loved, and many people loved to hate. The new Bungie shooter spurned a lot of complaints from gamers, including stinginess when it came to loot drops, enemies that were simply too similar to one another, and a handful of other quibbles that were forgiven by the ardent, but annoyed just about everyone else. Even DLC that was released for the game didn’t do much to address these issues, and when Activision decided to nerf some of the game’s loot exploits, people got even madder. So The Taken King, a major expansion for Destiny, really has its work cut out for it. The good news is, though, that Taken King doesn’t just add to the game – it modifies it in a number of ways that might just make Destiny’s
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Destiny: The Taken King
Kings Fall, which is arguably far better than Vault of Glass and Crota’s End. To help combat the new challenges each Guardian class gets a new subclass. While the Warlock’s Stormcaller and Titan’s Sunbreaker are great, the biggest boon is the Hunter’s Nightstalker ability which – for a change – has a tangible advantage for the whole fire-team, rather than just the Hunter themselves. That’s a good thing, because Taken king is best played with a team. It can be played in single player, but cooperation (particularly aboard the massive Dreadnaught warship) is key, not just to survival but also to unravelling many of the major setting’s puzzles and mysteries. In addition, the user interface has been given an overhaul, making it easier to track quests and various other tasks. Perhaps most important of all is the fact that the loot
drop system has been revised, with more valuable drops happening more frequently through the whole game. This is great for veterans and newbies alike, as decent equipment now no longer feels just out of arms reach. A new infusion system also allows you to dismantle equipment and use it to bolster the abilities of your favourite weapons, which gives them added longevity and makes the whole affair feel less like a gun-swapping exercise. In the end, the overhaul that Taken King delivers to the overall Destiny experience is a great one. It revitalises the experience and makes it a much more attractive prospect to slog through. However, the damage done by previous issues may linger… hopefully those that were turned away from the game will be willing to give The taken King a shot, because it really does make Destiny the game it was always supposed to be. Here’s hoping. g
AT A GLANCE MMOFPS
REVIEWED ON
The Taken King does everything to fix what was wrong with Destiny, and the result is a much better experience overall.
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Bungie Activision Megarom
PARENTAL ADVISORY
16+ gamecca76
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
PS4 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
85 95
E M W A IE G EV R
Skylanders: Superchargers GAMING
Now with added horsepower
96
gamecca76
GENRE
The wallet-killer is back, but this
by Alex Scanlon
year brings some significant and valuable changes
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
7+
Vicarious Visions Activision Megarom
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
Score
82
AT A GLANCE
PARENTAL ADVISORY
REVIEWED ON
PLATFORMS
to the franchise.
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
gamecca76
Adventure
PS4
only one. The developers have really gone to town on making this version of Skylanders the deepest and most engaging yet. While customisation and the like still remain relatively shallow (perhaps even too shallow for the younger market that this game targets) things like level design have really been given a shot in the arm. Many of the charming and sometimes challenging levels have had puzzle elements thrown in which, while not extremely difficult, do add a new layer to the experience, elevating it a little above the button mashing combat that we’re used to. This adds a lively, quirky charm to the game, as well as a level of variation that will keep players coming back for more. The game also features a hub that can be decorated with Legendary items, bringing a level of world customisation to the title. This hub can be used to access mission and side missions, a character store (for hats, of course) and some opponents to play the returning Skystones minigame with. There is no denying that the cash cow is back in the milking shed, though. Activision struck gold with the Skylanders concept, and they’re not likely to stop creating new games and toy ranges on a yearly basis because, well, whining kid are a great way to motivate parents forking out tons of cash on yet another Skylanders range. But, at the very least, Superchargers feels like a better quality product than the last few releases, thanks to some sweeping changes and a great collection of toys that are better designed and more exciting than before. It may be a grudge purchase for some, but the new game ideas should keep youngsters happy for quite some time. g
Skylanders: Superchargers
W
hen it comes to being the king of yearly game iterations, Activision is really getting into the swing of things. We see a Call of Duty game every year and now we see a new addition to the Skylanders franchise on an annual basis too. And that, generally, means the purchase of a new starter pack. Pretty soon kids the world over will have a cupboard full of the game’s Portal of Power interface bases. Thankfully, though, the characters from all the previous games still work with Superchargers, the latest addition to the Skylanders stable. And this year, the change to the game are more substantial – and consequently more worthwhile – than before. The biggest change, of course, is the addition of land, sea and air vehicles to the game. This opens up a whole new arena of play, including kart-style racing and co-op multiplayer that sees one player drive while the other controls the weapon systems. It’s a great way to enhance the franchise, and adds an extra level of strategy – pairing certain characters with certain vehicles gives the player often needed boosts. But it also opens up the Pandora’s Box of adding a whole new collectible range of toys for the title, and where you may have only missed a few locked areas in the past (thanks to not having compatible characters in your toy collection) this time around not having a sea or air vehicle excludes the player from massive swathes of activity. The game comes with a land vehicle in the starter pack… purchasing a sea and air vehicle will not only keep the peace, but will open tons more to do. While the vehicles are probably the biggest change to the game, they aren’t the
97
E M W A IE G EV R
Disney Infinity 3.0 The Force is strong in this one…
T
best of all, there is no exclusion here – you can do almost everyWthing in the game with the characters that come with the starter kit, no extra purchases necessary. The starter kit, though, is a little lighter than previous versions of Infinity, with only two characters and no game disks included. The characters – Anakin and Ahsoka – are also very similar, and some of the game types, like the first person shooting bits, will need another character or two to access. However, the sheer volume of activities that are available right out of the box is staggering. You’ll be doing lightsabre battles in the streets of Coruscant, or dogfighting in the debris fields surrounding Geonosis. You’ll be exploring possibly the most complete in-game version of Star Wars ever created, and having a great time doing it. Aspects like combat and movement have been tweaked,
GAMING
he “toy-to-game” juggernaut is not showing any signs of slowing. In fact, with Activision’s yearly iterations of Skylanders, Disney is working hard to play catch-up in the market. That said, the House of Mouse has a powerful arsenal of recognisable characters at its disposal, and the latest version of Infinity – 3.0 – takes Disney’s recent acquisition of the Star Wars franchise and places it front and centre for this release. And what a release it is. While Infinity 2.0 had a few lacklustre moment, the kids over at Activision had better sit up and take notice of this latest edition in their direct competitor’s stable. Not only does it bring characters that people have a rabid devotion to into the world of Infinity, but it places so much fun at the hands of the user that it almost becomes overwhelming. And perhaps
98
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Disney Infinity 3.0
are limitless, and the expression and fun that the Toy Box allows makes it a reason to keep coming back for more. Disney stands poised, with this particular release, to take big strides in the genre, and its associated market. While they may have played second fiddle to Activision from time to time, the inventiveness and variety brought about in Infinity 3.0 makes it a great option. The characters are varied and fantastic to play with, too, and the added Star Wars factor will appeal to kids of all ages. It’s not perfect – there is a bit of repetition here and there and, as mention, the starter pack feels decidedly lighter than it should – but this is certainly the strongest release in the Infinity stable to date, and it will go a long way to solidifying Disney’s presence in the “toys-togame” market. And it’s great fun for the whole family, too. g
AT A GLANCE Adventure
REVIEWED ON
With tons to do and a great cast of characters, Infinity 3.0 is the best game in the stable to date.
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Avalanche Software Disney Interactive Prima Interactive
PARENTAL ADVISORY
7+ gamecca76
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
x360 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
86 99
by Walt Pretorius
and while the characters are a little lacking in personality at times, their varied abilities and animation still make them fun to play. And we haven’t even begun touching on the Toy Box yet… The Toy Box serves as a central hub to the game, and is part tutorial for using the game’s extensive and competent level creation tools (which allow for a massive variety of game types and options) and part chaotic craziness that celebrates the entire Disney universe. And it is vital in keeping Infinity 3.0 from being a grudge purchase; while playsets from previous iterations cannot be used with 3.0, the characters “brought to life” by placing the toys on the base can be used in the Toy Box. Doing so leads to a zany flight of fantasy. Arm Thor with a lightsabre and have him do battle against Toy Story villains in the Pirates of the Caribbean setting… why not? The combinations
E M W A IE G EV R
Resident Evil: Revelations 2 Not all that revealing
P
It doesn’t even allow for other applications to run in the background. It is, essentially, a resource hog. If you can work around that, the game provides a serviceable port and a fun experience, particularly for fans of the ever-growing Resident Evil franchise (this is the tenth release). The story takes place between Resident Evil 5 and 6, and brings a few familiar faces to the fore, as well as a few new ones. The episodic nature has allowed the developers to jump between characters and story arcs with little effort, resulting in a tense and entertaining tale that unfolds organically, rather than in a linear fashion. Aside from the main plot, there is more for the player to do, with a few game modes that are rather entertaining, including a wave-based survival mode that allows the player to create their own character, and upgrade them as they progress through all the waves of bad guys. It also
GAMING
orts bring their own bag of problems to the table, and Resident Evil: revelations 2 is no different. While it was originally released as downloadable, episodic content for PC and TV consoles (across the board, mind you) it has been released as a full game for the PS Vita, with all chapters and a bunch of extra content ready to go from the moment you complete the download. It is only available via download, and it weighs in at a whopping (for a Vita game) 3GB. A little more, actually, thanks to a large day one patch. And herein lies the first, and biggest, issue that you will have with this title. It will simply chew up as much space as it can on your memory card, meaning a lot of shuffling around of stuff and not much bouncing between games. Revelations 2 is a jealous only child.
100
gamecca76
Resident Evil: Revelations 2
experiencing frame rate drops, particularly in the later phases of the game. Similarly the cut scenes are of a worse quality than one would like – but all of this may be the result of trying to cram what is essentially an immense game into a very small space. In the end, Resident Evil: Revelations 2 does have a place on the Vita, and can lead to a very enjoyable experience, particularly as far as fans of the franchise are concerned. It has a decent narrative and competent controls (which change a little according to which character is in play). It is an enjoyable experience, overall, but not one that is going to blow your hair back. The entire franchise needs to return to its glory days, though, so it’s not particularly surprising that Revelations 2 may leave you underwhelmed, even if you do look past its handful of issues. g
AT A GLANCE Survival Horror
It’s a decent port, but aside from being an utter resource hog never rises to anything above mediocre overall.
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Frima Srudio Capcom Online
PARENTAL ADVISORY
18+ gamecca76
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
REVIEWED ON
PSV PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
60 101
by Rob Edwards
features some different modes which allow you to revisit chapters and play them with different conditions – like one insanely difficult example in which the bad guys are invisible. There is a lot to do, and numerous reasons to come back to the game. But one of the biggest draws of Revelations 2 on other platforms – co-op multiplayer through the main campaign – is missing. This omission is a big one, particularly when you consider that the Vita version does allow multiplayer gaming in other modes. Now, though, the player needs to rely on a sometimes dodgy AI to get through the game, which is less than ideal. Some things went slightly wrong in the port, too… most noticeably the graphics. They’re serviceable, but they certainly aren’t sterling, and you may well start
I
102
Platform Adventure Grow Home is sweet and child-like, with just enough challenge to let the gamer feel like they’re achieving
REVIEWED ON
PS4 PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
GENRE
AT A GLANCE
GAMING Bound of flame
A slow, steady climb…
something. PLATFORMS
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Ubisoft Ubisoft Online
PARENTAL ADVISORY
3+ gamecca76
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
Score
Grow Home
80
by Alex Scanlon
f you have a fear of heights, you may want to approach Grow Home with caution; even though the game used simplified graphics, it manages to create a staggering illusion of height. And it’s all about climbing. Well, OK, actually it is about cultivating a giant plant, called the Star Plant, but climbing is the way you’re going to get around the most. To create a visceral feeling within the activity the developers have implemented a control system that is quite clever. While it takes a little getting used to, binding each of the player’s character’s hands to the shoulder buttons of the controller gives climbing a thoughtful and almost realistic feel. The character in question is a robot called B.U.D., an somewhat clunky and clumsy, child-like creation that uses procedural animation to look truly awkward and gangly in the most endearing way. Supported by his mothership (M.O.M., of course) B.U.D. needs to nurture that Star Plant, while unlocking new movement modes and equipment like jet packs. Grow Home is a simple game, really, and one that won’t take long to get through. But it is well worth playing, with a gently learning curve and just enough challenge for the player to feel like they’re actually accomplishing something. It has a few frustrating moments, sure, but they feel so organically part of the game that they don’t really matter. Ubisoft’s moves towards creating games that have an indie feel (things like Child of Light, Valiant Hearts and now Grow Home) is yielding some great results. This platformer is almost sweet and innocent, and will keep the player busy while still providing a somewhat relaxing experience. It’s a nice break from all the over-the-top violence and stuff. g
Grow Home
E M W A IE G EV R
a Huawei P8 Smartphone! Courtesy of Huawei TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us one of the P8’s features (Sep 2015 issue). Insert “P8” in the mail’s subject line. Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com
Competition closes 31 October 2015. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd and Huawei. 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
E M W A IE G EV R
Tearaway Unfold GAMING
The grand adventure gets even bigger
104
gamecca76
Tearaway Unfolded
GENRE
Imaginative and Tearaway
has been reinvented gracefully for the
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
7+ AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
Score
81
AT A GLANCE
PARENTAL ADVISORY
REVIEWED ON
PLATFORMS
PS4.
105
by Walt Pretorius
creative,
Media Molecule SCEE Ster Kinekor
gamecca76
Adventure
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
this almost weakens the game, rather than providing it with a degree of strength. See, the added sections and missions feel tacked on, for the most part, and detract from the main mission in varying degrees. They remove urgency from the simplistic narrative, as much as they add tons more to do and, consequently, a lengthier experience. Additionally, some of the systems have been reworked in ways that are a little less than ideal. For example, combat with the nefarious Scraps is more frequent now, and it starts feeling like less of a challenge and more of a chore before long. One thing that Media Molecule did beautifully was transfer the control scheme from the multi-functional Vita to the almost-asmultifunctional Dualshock 4 controller. The player will use the controller in unique ways, and the gyroscope, light bar and touch pad all come into play. Drawing shapes on the touch pad is a little tricky, though, but downloading the companion app for your smartphone or tablet will make things much easier in that regard. For the most part, Media Molecule managed to retain the charming fantasy and strange magic of the original in Tearaway Unfolded. The almost child-like innocence of the game is as strong as it always was, and the improvements in graphics (as well as some of the additional content) make for a more enjoyable outing this time around. Best of all is that they never approached this project as anything near a conventional port. They were fully aware that it would need to be a different beast of the same flavour, and did solid work in translating the action from the small screen of the Vita to the bigger one of the PS4. It’s a great adventure for the whole family. g
PS4
ded
M
edia Molecule puts imagination at the core of their games. Like the excellent LittleBigPlanet games, the Tearaway titles also hold this premise dear. But unlike the multimaterialed word of the former, Tearaway is all about worlds made out of paper. That’s how it was when it was first released on the Vita around three years ago, and that’s how it still is with this PS4 remake. Instead of just chucking a port on a disk, the developers took their time to create something of a new experience with Tearway Unfolded. They had to; the controls that formed part of the original game’s charm, like poking your finger into the world using the Vita’s rear touch screen, simply cannot be done with the DualShock 4 controller. It’s less of a remake and more of a reinvention, then, but it has been done with all the grace and charm that one would expect from media Molecule. The original story is still there, of course, tasking the player with controlling the main character in delivering a message to… well, to themselves, really. And in this delivery, the player will take the character through a world that is rich and varied, even though the whole thing is a virtual paper construction. In fact, on the PS4 the world is much richer, and even more varied than it was on the PS Vita. It is alive with movement and carefully crafted detail that catch your eye rather than leap out at you; they are a collection of subtle notes that add to an overall melody, rather than being a catchy tune. And this almost hidden level of attention makes the game quite magical. There has also been a lot of content added to the original story, but strangely
Xeodrifter
E M W A IE G EV R
Xeodrifter From hard to easy…
Xeodrifter is clever and tightly designed.
PS4
PLATFORMS
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
presentation are extremely simple, the truth is that Xeodrifter is a challenging and cleverly designed game. It takes advantage of elements never available to older games to create a title that looks and feels retro, but has a clever, modern twist to it. The levels are tightly designed and smart. Sadly, the bosses – seven in total – are the same creature with different colour schemes, the various incarnations have different attacks and attack patterns… this helps keep the challenge and adventure at just the right level. Xeodrifter is a very welcome addition to the PS4. g
Renegade Kid Renegade Kid Online
PARENTAL ADVISORY
7+ gamecca76
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
Score
A great 12-bit game,
REVIEWED ON
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
GENRE
GAMING Bound of flame
AT A GLANCE 106
Metroidvania
that simple in this Metroidvania style title. Interesting (perhaps gratifyingly) Xeodriter uses a reversed difficulty curve, meaning that the game is harder in the beginning and easier in later stages, thanks to the numerous power-ups that the player collects when defeating the game’s bosses. These power-ups also allow the player to customise equipment, and unlock new areas that weren’t accessible before. That means that there is a lot of back and forth in Xeodrifter, just like any good Metroidvania title should offer. While the graphics and general
75
by Rob Edwards
T
here have been a number of older titles being given a new lease on life, thanks to PSN Plus and Xbox’s Games for Gold. Some are much older, while others, like Xeodrifter, are fairly recent. Initially released in 2014 for the Wii U and PC, Xeodrifter is a fun and sometimes tense sci-fi exploration game that celebrates the increasingly popular 12-bit genre of retro gaming. It places the player in the role of a space ship pilot who is stranded in space, thanks to a broken warp drive. To fix it, they must explore four different planets and collect green crystals. However, things are not
Teslagrad
E M W A IE G EV R
Teslagrad
The agony and the ecstasy
It looks great, but some poorly implemented game mechanics make Teslagrad far more frustrating than it
REVIEWED ON
PS4
has any right to be. PLATFORMS
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Rain Games Rain Games Online
PARENTAL ADVISORY
7+ gamecca76
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
Score
Platformer
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
GENRE
AT A GLANCE
GAMING Bound of flame
by Alex Scanlon
t
eslagrad is a game of extremes. It uses beautifully presentation and an intoxicatingly fun game mechanic to draw the player in, and then brutalises them with inconsistent controls, unreasonable difficulty spikes and boss battles that are simply far too challenging for their own good. The story is told purely through the medium of the game – there are no written or spoken words anywhere in the title, and the player is left to decipher what is going on through recurring game elements and the almost mime-like action onscreen. It works better than you might expect, though, and Teslagrad’s tale is relatively powerful thanks to its uncluttered simplicity. The game is an almost Metroidavnia platformer in which the action is determined by the lead character’s ability to change the polarity of giant magnets. Using this trick, the player can traverse levels in often thrilling ways, but the game manages to get confusing from time to time, because there is no visual indication of polarity or gravity fields. This leaves some levels to be massive guessing games for the first few tries which, when combined with controls that feel imprecise and sluggish, are really frustrating. The boss battles are no better – the controls are simply not precise enough to get through them without a lot of frustration, particularly when you consider that they are complex, and a single hit on the main character means failure. Teslagrad is full of great ideas, but somewhere along the line the logical application of how a game should work started playing second fiddle to its beautiful presentation. That simply should never happen – no matter how good looking a game is, poorly implemented game mechanics cannot be disguised. g
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Zombi The true art of survival
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that’s what makes it so welcome of these platforms. But why? We have seen numerous games since Zombi U (as it was originally called) hit the shelves, including the excellent Dying Light. Why should Zombi be so cool to play, particularly considering that it is three years old (a long time in game terms)? The reason is simple: Zombi has not lost the core idea that made it awesome in the first place. And that idea, quite simply, is that the character you control is not a professional soldier, secret agent, star athlete or any other kind of person that may display skills beyond the ordinary. In fact, ordinary is exactly what they are. And that adds a sense of reality to the game. There have been plenty of survival horror games which feature ordinary people, true, but add one more element to the mix, and you have a heady mix that
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here are probably too many Zombie games out there. We have become thoroughly desensitised to the shambling and groaning, and the blood spatter generated by a well-placed blunt-weapon strike is far too familiar. It is time, really, to find other things to smash. With that said, though, Ubisoft have brought Zombi to PC, PS4 and Xbox One, and it really is most welcome. This game was originally released when the Wii U first hit shelves in 2012 and, despite the platform exclusivity, it provided the player with a brutal, visceral zombie experience. The port obviously sees the Wii U game pad (which was a huge part of the original release) removed from the picture, while a few graphical tweaks and the like step in. But it’s pretty much the same game, and
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And then there are the zombies… these aren’t the slow, mindless shamblers we have come to expect. They are fast, vicious and out for blood, and running into a pack of them may well mean the end of the character. Ammo is scarce, noise attracts them, and there is only so much you can do with a melee weapon. All these elements combined, along with the fact that Zombi has a great setting (even if its story is a little weak) make it a game that is more true to the spirit of its genre than most we have seen in recent years. It has translated well onto the new platforms (although the game pad is sorely missed, thanks to the added tension it brought to the experience) and although it’s a bit dated, it is a most welcome addition. And at the great, bargain price, playing Zombi is almost a no-brainer. g
AT A GLANCE Survival Horror
Although dated, Zombi (on its new platforms) embodies the spirit of survival horror like few others manage these days.
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Ubisoft Ubisoft Megarom
PARENTAL ADVISORY
18+ gamecca76
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
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x0 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
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by Walt Pretorius
actually makes this game feel like one in which you need to survive. Death is permanent. If the zombies get you (and they will) it is literally game over for that character. No checkpoint. No respawn. The player pretty much needs to start again, from the home base, with a new survivor. It can get frustrating, particularly when you’ve built a character up a bit… but the whole concept adds to the dread of the title, particularly when you run into your old character, who is now a zombie wandering the streets of London. To make matters worse, they have all your equipment, and if you want the cools stuff you’ve collected back, you’re going to have to kill the person you spent so long looking after. It’s jarring the first few times, and it brings a true feeling of horror – and survival – to the game.
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Platform Adventure If you like your games harder than gravel, with a great retro flavour, you may want to get into La-
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PSV PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
GENRE
AT A GLANCE
GAMING Bound of flame
Prepare to be brutalised
Mulana Ex. But only if… PLATFORMS
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Pygmy Studio Rising Star Online
PARENTAL ADVISORY
12+ gamecca76
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
Score
La-Mulana Ex
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by Rob Edwards
here are players out there who seem to believe that a game isn’t worth playing if it doesn’t kick your butt up and down the virtual street; these are the same kind of people that think dying a million times in Dead Souls or Bloodbourne is the ultimate mark of being a gamer, and love the bragging rights (whether true or false) that beating the game supposedly earns them. The attitude is a kid-of throwback from a few decades ago, when virtually every game was brutally punishing just a few levels in. For those people – particularly if they like retro style games and own a Vita – there is La-Mulana Ex. Everything about the game feels like a throwback to the’80s, from the subject matter right through to the level design and punishing nature of the title. The player takes on the role of an Indiana Jones-esque character that explores a mammoth tomb because stuff. This tomb is crammed with enemies that are fast and vicious and puzzles that are as obvious as the sky is green. Through the length of the game the player will be able to upgrade their explorer, and will be able to utilise they portable computer to help uncover clues and solve puzzles. But at no point will they be able to say that La-Mulana Ex has become too easy… the challenge never lets up, and unless you get a kick out of this virtual masochism, it may well prove far too frustrating for you. Testosterone driven ‘80s freaks will possibly get a kick out of the massive amount of exploration and combat on offer, but normal folks will probably just get a headache. It’s a great homage to a bygone era, but maybe a little evolution could have helped the title. g
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host of new tools, tons of knowledge online and simplified business models thanks to online sales have placed game development within the reach of many more aspiring game developers the world over, and there have been many success stories – including from here in South Africa. Games like Desktop Dungeons and Broforce have made big splashes in the indie arena.
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h Gareth FouchĂŠ
By Nthato Morakabi
cards Another South African developer is hoping to make some waves. Armed with knowledge, tenacity and passion, Gareth FouchĂŠ makes games in Durban (by the sea), South Africa. He took some time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about his hopes, his inspirations and how he got into the whole game development thing.
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GM: Greetings Gareth! It is a great pleasure to speak to a local indie developer who is well… local. Would you give us a quick intro to Rogue Moon Studios and why that name in particular? GF: Rogue Moon Studios is a small indie game development studio based in sunny Durban, South Africa. Rogue Moon is myself, the designer/ developer, and a number of talented contractors scattered around the globe who create the lovely art and music you’ll hear in our games. The name “Rogue Moon” comes from the idea of a celestial body escaping the confines of gravity and drifting off into space, forging its own path in the darkness. I like to think that I’ve “gone rogue” like that, career wise.
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GM: Many people think going into anything Indie is definitely going rogue, career wise. So how did you start developing games in the first place? GF: Like most kids, I’ve dreamed of making video games ever since I first loaded a cartridge into a TV game console. Games let you experience things you couldn’t otherwise experience, transport you to exotic worlds filled with interesting characters, and I wanted to craft those experiences, build those worlds. So when I went to high school and then later university, I studied computer science. And in my spare time, I read books and scoured the internet for tutorials, wikis, help
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pages, anything that could teach me how to build the games I wanted to build. It takes a lot of time, effort and dedication, but slowly you build up the skills to be able to turn your ideas into reality.
were prototypes and tech demos, and projects that mostly ended up abandoned, all of which were part of the process of learning how to make something of a sufficiently high standard that I’d consider trying to release it commercially.
GM: Considering you studied Computer Science and Maths, was this geared towards eventually going into Game Development? Would you encourage one to study Game Development?
GM: I know there are many communities that gamers can join, are you part of any and how integral is the gaming community to your development. What role does gaming play in your life in general?
GF: I studied computer science and maths, primarily. I took all the modules related to game development, subjects like AI and graphics programming, but I made sure I had a broad knowledge of computer science as a whole. The game industry is small in SA, and even in the US or Europe it can be hard to get into. So if I studied Game Development, I’d ensure that it wasn’t the only thing I studied, that I had skills I could fall back on to earn an income. That being said, yes, it would definitely help an aspiring Game Developer to study. Game development is a highly technical and demanding field. Self-study is great, of course, but learning from knowledgeable people will be a huge boon. I know that, for example, Wits now offers a great game design track. It wasn’t available when I was studying, but I would certainly have tried to get in that course if it had been.
GF: Well, I’m a life-long gamer, and a member of a number of online gaming communities such as Make Games SA (http://www. makegamessa.com/), the local community for game developers here in SA. I also follow a whole bunch of game devs on twitter, there’s a great community there. It’s great to connect to people who share your passion and want to see each other succeed. But, I’ll admit, between having a full-time job, a social life and making games on top of that, I don’t have nearly as much time to play games as I used to! If anything, that’s made me much more discerning in what I play than I used to be. My gaming time is precious, and I don’t have patience for games that don’t respect that. Don’t expect me to grind for hours, don’t waste my time with filler content, and don’t lose my progress because of some arbitrarily punishing save system.
GM: Thanks for that insight. I think learning from those who are in the industry makes a huge difference practically. Back to development, was there a particular idea or game that popped up and turned from idea to implementation? GF: I wouldn’t say there was any one idea that popped up. There gamecca76
GM: I guess it’s safe to assume your games will follow suit, yes? In terms of the industry, how difficult is it? Care to share advice, struggles, victories or challenges faced as a company? GF: It’s extremely difficult. The barriers to entry drop every year, there are more and more powerful, cheap tools available, and a wealth of free knowledge is
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GM: And where do you think the games industry will be in the next 5 years? GF: People who try to predict the future generally just end up looking foolish. The industry changes so rapidly that all you can do is try to keep your eyes open and observe which way the wind is blowing. Will VR be the next big thing? Or just another gimmick that never quite took off? I don’t know. What I am interested in is the rise of new payment models such as Kickstarter and Patreon. The ability to go directly to fans to raise the funds to build games, to have that direct relationship with your customers, is a game changer.
GM: I agree that having a direct relationship with the customer makes a huge difference, therefore what does being a Game Developer mean to you both as a gamer and as a developer? GF: Quite simply, it means the ability to pursue my dreams, and to try to share those dreams with other people. That’s all I want out of life, really.
GM: That’s deep. What inspires you both in gaming and
outside of gaming? GF: Well, obviously the games I enjoy inspire me. I love roleplaying games, sims, action games, strategy. I’m always playing games with a designer’s eye, seeing what works and what doesn’t, picking up new ideas. Beyond gaming, I’m inspired by books and movies, music and TV, and just the world around me. The people I meet and the places I visit. Creativity is all about taking in a range of influences and filtering them through your tastes and experiences, remixing those influences into something new and different.
GM: And within the Indie scene, anyone who inspires you? GF: I’m a big fan of Tom Francis, the creator of Gunpoint. I really enjoy his games and his design philosophy, I enjoy following his development process on his blog. David Pittman, the developer of Eldritch and Neon Struct, is making the kinds of games I love to play, and I admire his work. Jeff Vogel of Spiderweb software has been producing indie roleplaying games longer than most AAA studios have been around, he’s another indie who I have a ton of respect for.
Angeles. http://systemcrashgame.com/
GM: What was the inspiration behind it? GF: I’m a fan of collectable card games like Magic the Gathering, Netrunner, and Hearthstone. And I love the cyberpunk genre. System Crash draws from works like Blade Runner, Neuromancer, Total Recall, the Matrix and Ghost in the Shell.
GM: Sounds like the kind of game I would love to play! I’m a fan of card games myself. Lastly as just fun questions, do you have a favourite game? GF: Deus Ex, the first one. I love first person action RPGs, and Deus Ex is the best of the genre, in my opinion. A great storyline, interesting setting (also cyberpunk), fantastic level design that lets you really play the type of character you want to, whether that is stealthy cyberninja, walking tank, hacker, or some combination of those. It’s a masterpiece.
GM: And anything you are currently playing?
GM: Is there a game you are currently developing, would you tell us about it?
GF: Right now I’m playing a few games. I’m making my way through Pillars of Eternity, a great, crunchy old-school RPG from Obsidian. I’m building up my pharmaceutical empire in Big Pharma. And I’m playing the wonderful philosophicalfirst person puzzler The Talos Principle.
GF: Yes, Rogue Moon is close to releasing its first game, System Crash, a Cyberpunk collectable card game. An intriguing singleplayer story campaign featuring 100 missions and more than 90 cards to collect will pit players against a range of challenging opponents, from corporate security forces and automated defence systems to street gangs and bounty hunters. Recruit and equip your Agents, ready your software and prepare to face the mean streets of San
GF: I have a dream project in the back of my mind, a game I hope to release some day. A combination of Deus Ex, Baldur’s Gate 2 and Morrowind, a massive first person RPG set in a sprawling fantasy world, one where you can get lost for hours exploring the setting, with interesting characters and a compelling, branching narrative. One day, I’ll make it. g
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GM: If there was a game you would love to work on, what would it be?
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available online. But that also has a downside, it means that more and more people are trying to get into game development, or releasing games on platforms like Steam and the App Store. So the big struggle these days is getting noticed amongst all the competition, standing out of the crowd. It’s getting tougher and tougher. I wish I could tell you the secret, but I’m still figuring this out myself. The best thing to do is build your ideas, put them out there and get feedback. If an idea has promise, and you get it where people can play it, hopefully it will start generating buzz, gain traction in the media.
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Legacy: Wizardry
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By Lein Baart
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here are few games that can truly be said to have bridged the cultural divide between the West and the East. Games like the Final Fantasy series have become household names the world over, yet even such a venerable franchise owes its dues to titles that came before it, in this case a series that has largely been forgotten by the hemisphere where it was created.
Why was it created?
Wizardry, like most of the earliest
progenitors to modern gaming, began as a rather humble affair, and actually is the amalgamation of two side projects by Andrew Greenberg and Robert Woodhead, both of whom were studying at Cornell University at the time. Beyond the obvious Dungeons & Dragons inspiration, both developers, who had not met at the time, drew heavily from the games available on the PLATO system the university was running, and according to Woodhead Wizardry was an attempt to translate the relatively massive multiplayer dungeon crawlers onto then nascent personal computers of the time.
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By the time the two did meet in June 1980 both had begun work on their own fantasy RPGs. While Woodhead was already in the process of creating a game for the small publisher Sir-Tech, he had come to consider to Greenberg’s attempt as superior. Both worked on completely rewriting the game in Pascal to improve performance, and by late 1980 a working version of Wizardry was presented at the New York Computer Show. However
released a Pascal runtime system, which allowed for nearly a year of playtesting and refinement. This was ultimately to the game’s benefit however, as when Wizardry: Proving Ground of the Mad Overlord did eventually hit the shelves it took the PC gaming market by storm.
Why do we care?
Wizardry, along with Ultima, came to dominate the RPG market of the eighties, and for the rest of the decade many competing games emulated its menu-driven firstperson combat, which includes the likes of The Bard’s Tale and the Might and Magic series. Though the franchise’s popularity began to peter out in the nineties, in the Western market at least, Wizardry was still responsible for a number of innovations, including the likes of party-based combat, changeable classes for characters and multiple endings. Perhaps the series’ most enduring impact however is the mark it has left on Japanese RPGs. Both Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy can directly trace their inspirations to Wizardry, and much of the gameplay that has come to typify this subgenre can be linked to the particular style Sir-Tech employed. In fact, while the West last saw a Wizardry game in 2001, the franchise remains incredibly strong in Japan, with regular releases under the name and a dedicated following. Wizardry may now be a memory in the West, but its legacy is one that has shaped RPGs across the globe. g
Woodhead and Greenberg delayed the launch of the game until Apple
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Ramjet’s rantality
have almost come to terms with the fact that the Platform Wars are here to stay. Not the war between manufacturers, mind you, but the war between end users. Don’t admit that you like PlayStation to an Xbox fanboy, and woe betide the poor soul who claims to enjoy console gaming in a room full of PC gamers. This war is so solidly entrenched in the psyche of gamers that it would take a shotgun blast to the head to loosen it, along with the rest of their brains. What fries my noodle, though, is the reason for this fight. The whole struggle seems to be centred around the fact that people have an innate need to feel superior. They are not arguing because they have the superior system, but because they chose the superior system. It’s ultimately ego-driven; gamers aren’t exactly humble people to start with, but when it comes to their choice of gear, they’re even worse. Still, this doesn’t really address the reason behind the vehement defence of their own choices which, if we take a moment and put on our big-boy
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pants, doesn’t make a lick of difference in the real world. No one of consequence really gives a rat’s ass about whether you prefer Xbox to PS4. No one. The only reason that this argument could still be going on with the sustained vigour that it still displays, contrary to any evidence that may have come to light concerning the platforms in question, is that gamers are exactly what everyone always suspected they were… socially stunted, insecure hermits that have no other way to prove their selfworth. Hey, put that pitchfork down. Not everyone who plays a game falls into this category. But there are a good number of usual suspects who do. Spend any amount of time on any of a massive number of social media groups dedicated to gaming, and you will see the same idiots come up with the same arguments time and time again. What makes it funny is that these arguments actually lack any form of substance. They’re full of more hot air than a hippopotamus who took full advantage of the all-you-caneat buffet at Big Burt’s Bean
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BY rAMJET
Shut Up Already...
Burrito Palace. They sputter and spurt half-truths and half-baked opinions. Because, you see, their choice has been made, and they will defend their choice and their oh-sofragile egos to death, and facts, figures, research or even logic have absolutely no place in their zealous outpourings. Every now and then, a reasonable voice does emerge, the one that says: hey, gang, we’re all gamers. Platform is unimportant. It’s the love of the game, not the platform, that counts. That poor soul either gets drowned out by the uninformed morons who blithely keep banging on about why their platform is better (notice, you’ll never hear one say “I bought the PlayBox 4, but actually the X-Station One is a better machine”) or worse, launch into why Battlefield is better than COD. It’s utterly, thoroughly infantile, and completely pathetic. I have a suggestion. Put your ego aside. Stop thinking that you need to validate yourself in the eyes of a bunch of people that don’t really care. Play a game. Enjoy it. And the rest of the world be damned. g
a Skylanders: SuperChargers Bundle! Courtesy of Megarom TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us one of the vehicle types in SuperChargers. Tell us your platform of choice. Insert “Skylanders” in the mail’s subject line. Subscribe to www.gamecca.com (Optional) Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page (Optional) Competition closes 31 October 2015. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd and Megarom Interactive. The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •
com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com petition • c omp et itio n • c ompetition • co mpetition
WIN
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Catan Histories: Settlers of America Steam Torpedo Journey to Star Wars: The ForceAwakens – Shattered Empire #1 Head Lopper #1 Tank Girl: 21st Century Tank Girl #1 Faster than Light #1
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around, the excitement within the South African video game community reaches near fever-pitch. It is, of course, the time of year when South Africa’s premier video game expo, rAge, takes place in Johannesburg. With gaming, hardware and a whole bunch of associated lifestyle products on show (and on sale) rAge is a go-to event for anyone and everyone who loves their gaming. We caught up with Michael James, the Senior Project manager for the rAge Expo, who took some time out of his absolutely crazy schedule to chat to us about the expo this year – what to expect, how things have changed, and what his favourite memories are. And he also gave us some insight into the recently announced rAge Cape Town expo, which will be kicking off in the Mother City in March 2016…
GM: So it’s that time of the year again… what can we expect to see from rAge 2015? MJ: Each year we try and make the show bigger and better, but this is easier said than done because we set the bar so high each year. ;) rAge is the ultimate geek experience catering to everyone’s inner child. We’ve got hands-on of some AAA video game titles that are only due for release in the months to come, we’ve got consoles, gaming rigs, comic books, international developers, figurines, computer hardware, local game developers showing their projects, GAMING
overclocking experts, eSports, a giant LAN, competitions, cosplayers,
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local artists and the entire Dome packed with people who love all of these things.
GM: What kind of growth did you see between 2013 and 2014 in terms of attendance? MJ: We saw an increase on Saturday, Friday was similar to the year before but Sunday saw a drop off in visitors. We’ve attributed this to various sporting events over the same weekend and of course the weather wasn’t playing nice. The general sentiment was more engagement at the show and we’ve optimised all the entrances so this means less waiting in queues to get in.
GM: How many visitors do you anticipate to attend rAge 2015? MJ: The expectation is somewhere around 35 000, but it’s hard to know what the weekend will bring. Some years we’ve been surprised by an unexpected jump in visitors because the growth has always been consistent, so when it grows too quickly it’s both good and bad, because we build the show expecting certain things to grow and when they expand too much it can create crowding issues. But I’m not complaining, I love the fact that rAge is still popular and growing after twelve years.
GM: What are the challenges that have arisen over the years in putting rAge together? MJ: Space is a major concern for
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me; each year we work miracles with the venue but sometimes we have to compromise on some things to get it all in – for example, moving some of the LAN into Area 51, which we did last year and again this year. So why not just move the show somewhere else is what I often get asked. Great idea in theory but there is no suitable alternative we’ve looked at that matches the Dome. As for the rest, it’s all just logistics and timing and people’s stress levels. We’ve got many exhibitors and each one is unique when it comes to requirements. This is why rAge is the most exciting show in the country – you never know what you’re going to see or experience next.
GM: If you could add any factor or element to the expo, what would that be? MJ: Hollywood is the simple answer; we’re working with a few of the movie studios so watch this space. I would also like stuff like robotics (maybe a robot war arena), more cellular technology and more gadgets and that kind of stuff. All of these areas are at the show in small ways so I guess I’d just really like more and bigger and better.
GM: Do you think that rAge attendance is indicative of the state of the video game industry in South Africa? MJ: Since rAge isn’t exclusively a video games expo it isn’t solely reliant on the video game industry to make it work, so it can weather periods where the release schedule GAMING
timing isn’t looking great or some big games and their budgets have moved
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into the new year. There’s a sort of ebb and flow to the show and the industry, sometimes it’s up and other times it’s down but overall I feel it balances out well. The nice thing about the show each year it that it reminds everyone what the audience looks like and how passionate everyone is. Sometimes all you need to keep going is a handful of excited ‘kids’ cheering for something cool at the show.
GM: OK, so most people know this already, but next year will see the launch of a rAge event in Cape Town. What prompted this decision? MJ: This announcement is long overdue and the time has come to make this a reality, and with the closure of NAG magazine it’s opened up a lot of resources and time for us to do another expo. A monthly print deadline, no matter how well you manage it, destroys two weeks of your life every month – if you add a recovery week that doesn’t leave much time for new things. Also, Cape Town has been asking for a little bit of rAge for years and I’m glad we can finally put something together for them.
GM: Will rAge Cape Town change anything regarding rAge Johannesburg? MJ: Nothing will change for Johannesburg; the Cape Town show will probably grow the JHB show a little as we’re able to offer decent deals to those clients that participate at both. We’re also getting many calls and enquiries from Cape Town companies we’ve never dealt
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with before, these are companies that operate in all provinces so my expectation is as we grow the footprint both shows will benefit.
GM: How do you think the two shows will differ? MJ: It’s hard to say until we do the Cape Town show, they could be different in a million ways but the flavour, energy and passion of what we do in Johannesburg will definitely be present in Cape Town. What is exciting is that a new venue brings new ideas and possibilities to try different things so we are looking forward to making rAge Cape Town into its own individual experience.
GM: rAge Johannesburg is at the perfect time of the year for the big game releases – how do you think the timing of rAge Cape Town will affect the “flavour” of the expo there? MJ: Already a lot of announcements have been made in the games industry about titles moving their release dates to February/March/April next year, so there will be ample opportunity for new games not able to be shown at rAge JHB to be seen in Cape Town.
GM: What can attendees expect from rAge Cape Town (on paper, at least)? MJ: Pretty much exactly what we do in Johannesburg – I don’t have any secret things that will now magically happen in Cape Town that haven’t happened in Johannesburg GAMING
until now for some reason. What you can expect is our very best efforts
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for the new show. We want it to blow everyone away but we’re not exactly sure how it’s going to look and I’m not going to guess.
GM: Are there plans to expand the rAge empire to other towns in South Africa in the future? MJ: Not at this stage. We want to perfect the Cape Town experience before we consider any more expansion plans.
GM: In closing, what’s your fondest memory of the rAge phenomenon? MJ: That one is simple; the people that come to the show and their excitement and enthusiasm. When I was a kid I used to visit the old computer show, it was three days and each day I used to walk to the venue with my friends and explore the whole show. There wasn’t much gaming or anything really exciting at the show but we went looking for it anyway. We even used to put Commodore Amiga demos on stiffy disks and then reboot machines showing boring accounting software, and then we’d slip away grinning hoping to spread the word that computers were meant for so much more than printers, plotters and monochromatic accounting software. So now rAge is what it is because I’m able to build an expo that I would have loved to see as a kid growing up. So when I see those thousands of people rushing in as doors open on Friday morning and queuing for ages before we even open the doors, I know I’m doing something right and that’s my best memory of rAge.. g gamecca76
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BY Lein Baart
The Working Gamer’sWhine... Y
The Time Betwixt
ou are hereby warned; this article is going be nothing but a bitch and whine of the most first-world persuasion. If you were looking for something thoughtful and/or profound, turn the page (I don’t know why you’d look here to begin with, but that’s another matter). Still here? Ok, this is it: I won’t be able to attend rAge this year due to a massive work schedule. Hell, the whole of October is currently looking like a barren desert in terms of my favourite vice. As complaints go it’s tired and unoriginal, but it’s affecting me at the moment and I’ll be damned if I won’t waste a page on it. I sincerely doubt that is an unfamiliar problem to anyone who actually has to trade their time for food, shelter and games. When you count
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your leave in days rather weeks free-time is a commodity more precious than gold. I’m fully aware that this a dilemma only the fortunate have to contend with, but gaming is nothing if not an entitled activity, and you aren’t reading this magazine to learn more about global warming and starvation epidemics. Thing is though, work has the insidious habit of affecting my gaming in more ways than just cutting into my time. As a student I loved (still do actually) getting my grubby hands on epic RPG’s and grand strategy games, titles that I knew I could sink entire days into and still only scratch the surface of what it had to offer. I recently picked up Pillars of Eternity (a game so old-school its mere existence causes a temporal paradox) and my first thought wasn’t excitement at
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the countless hours of gaming joy it was likely to provide, but rather dread at knowing I had just bought a game that that it would likely leave me a sleep-deprived drooling idiot at work on more than one occasion. I frequently find myself evaluating releases on the time they’re likely to consume, and more than once I’ve steered clear where before I would have dived in unreservedly. I’ll re-iterate, this whining is nothing that hasn’t been said before. It’s part and parcel of daily life, and short of becoming homeless not much is going to change. But for those that will be able to make it to South Africa’s biggest gaming convention, I hope that rAge 2015 offers up all the electronic awesomeness you desire. If not, well remember I’ll be at my desk crying inside. g
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Catan Histories: Settlers of America
here are very few games that have achieved the reputation and popularity of Settlers of Catan, but the makers of that venerated classic board game are not satisfied with their island life anymore. Catan Histories: Settlers of America takes three to four players to the New World as they seek to expand their empire into the burgeoning and resource rich West. As players expand westwards across the large board, which splits the United States into large hexes, they will deplete the resources in the east. That means that not only will they need to establish new cities, but will also have to build railway lines and acquire locomotives to ferry resources back, maintaining settlements that are older and stronger. And, of course, there’s gold in the west,
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which adds even more to the depth of this exciting, thoughtful game. This expansion ties the great dynamic of Settlers of Catan to some very recognisable real-world histories and concepts, and many will find the overall experience elevated, even if it is still quite similar to that of the original. Settlers of America uses the familiar wooden blocks and tracks that fans of Catan have come to know and love, and while the game may seem a little less free (thanks to the fact that hex tiles aren’t laid by the players but are rather predetermined and fixed on the board) it still requires massive amounts of strategy and scheming to come out on top. Settlers of America is a fantastic addition to the ever-growing Catan family. g
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Steam Torpedo
team Torpedo is a rather unique game that reminds one a little of Battleships (in a vague way, really) and throws in a steam-punk flavour for good measure. Set in an alternate reality in which the First World War has been raging for a decade, Steam Torpedo tasks the players with creating a superior underwater battle craft and dominating the seas. The game is designed for two players, each of whom will put together a submarine by selecting tiles and utilising them. Each tile gives the craft some or other edge, and the system allows a massive degree of variety for submarine builds. The players then enter into a table-top, underwater dog fight, trying to best each other. During play, each player will need to assign their five crew
members to take best advantage of their sub’s capabilities, while trying to either destroy the control room of their opponent’s sub, or kill all of its crew. Steam Torpedo is simple to learn but can take ages to master; finding the right combination of submarine capabilities is fun and challenging, and players may play over and over again, trying out different builds against each other. Each game lasts around 40 minutes, so it’s a relatively quick and exciting game. It’s also beautifully presented, with well-made pieces fitting into a rather small box. It’s easy to get lost in the zany, quasi-science of Steam Torpedo, and the game is perfect for smaller gaming evenings or even round robin tournaments, thanks to its many variations and quick play time. g
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Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher: Rated:
Journey to Star Wars: Shattered Empire #1 Greg Rucka Marco Checchetto Marvel Comics Teen +
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by Clive Burmeister
With the hype over the new Star Wars movie growing day by day, Marvel’s new prequel story, Shattered Empire, has already gained a lot of attention. The story picks up as the Rebel forces have just discovered that their plan of attack for the Battle of Endor is really a trap by the Empire. The Death Star is already operational, and the energy shield is still active. Greg Rucka is a superb writer, capturing all the action and excitement that is Star Wars, so that you really feel like you’re experiencing the battle of the second Death Star for the first time once more. Although issue 1 covers what we saw in the end of Return of the Jedi, it is seen from a new perspective, and leads us to where the new developments can begin from the next issue.
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Title:
Head Lopper #1
Writer:
Andrew Maclean
Artist:
Andrew Maclean
Publisher: Rated:
Image Comics Teen
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by Clive Burmeister
There’s always something special about a comic where most of the production is done by the same person. Story concept, writing and art all from the same mind, sharing the same vision. And it shows. Head Lopper, while being quite a fun book of light-hearted mindless violence and humorous talking severed heads, has a very well thought out direction, where multiple sub-plots tangle and entwine into longer running scenarios, which is certainly not mindless. The comic tells the story of Norgal, a renowned swordsman more commonly referred to as Head Lopper, for obvious reasons. When he travels to the Isle of Barra to solve the residents’ leviathan problem, he is then roped in to helping them eliminate the source of the monsters. But not everyone is grateful for his assistance, and they seek to trap and dismember him.
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Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher: Rated:
Tank Girl: 21st Century Tank Girl #1 Alan Martin Various Titan Comics Mature
by Clive Burmeister
Tank Girl is one of those characters that seem to have been around forever. She has been written and illustrated by so different people, some of them big names in comics. And in these many different stories a lot of things change, but the fundamental character remains. Tank Girl is a strong female character, sassy and kind of insane, with a knack for violence and twisted sex appeal. She’s probably not a great role-model, but with such a strong female lead, loyal to her friends and feared by her not-so-friends, one could do worse. This new series sees a host of new talent taking on Tank Girl. If you like your comics brimming with silliness, oozing with action, dripping with sexiness (and other not as sexy natural liquids and gasses), and howling with over-the-top bodily harm, Tank Girl might just be what you’ve been looking for.
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Title:
Faster than Light #1
Writer:
Brian Haberlin
Artist:
Brian Haberlin
Publisher:
Image Comics
Rated:
Mature
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by Clive Burmeister
Faster than Light is one of those books that is difficult to box into one genre. It is obviously science-fiction, with faster-than-light travel having just been discovered, and a team of handpicked astronauts about to explore the unknown. But there are also strong elements of a thriller in the pages, with a tight tension between the characters who are themselves, to a large extent, being kept in the dark about their true mission. Not to mention the reader being given just enough information to wonder at what is really going on. And then there is the Horror aspect to the book. A dark feeling of dread grows as the book proceeds. You know it is coming, just waiting to leap out. It’s a bit early to tell, but I’m hoping we’ll see something comparable to Alien or Event Horizon in this comic.
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Last word
e are living in the fastest industrial revolution since the printing press. This revolution has a techno-organic mechanism which is measured by the vast, exponential growth of technology. What is more exciting, and to a degree scary, is that this rollercoaster ride is in a constant transition of change and growth and it is shifting our way of life and existence as we know it. We have all experienced that, with change and growth, chaos is the part and parcel of the learning development. On the one hand, with every moment that passes, everything that we have learned is being questioned and on the other hand, unless we are willing to organically align with these shifts, we are being left behind. Society as we know it is constantly evolving and no, this is not abnormal… except that in the past we as a species had time to process the evolution. One is starting to see the growing changes in the workplace. One of the changes that seems to be
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transitioning exponentially in our changing markets is the role of the middleman. The middleman is still considered a sought-after position that definitely has the chance to make a success of an opportunist’s position. Supply and demand requires this essential element in the marketplace… or does it? One of the definitions of a good middleman could be seen as follows: Firstly, they must be able to expedite and promote transactions that otherwise could not or would not occur. Secondly, they should be in a position as to serve as a buffer in case of a supply or cost impact. Thirdly, they should be in a position where they are able to provide market information directly to their clients. Fourthly, they need to be in a position where they need to provide value-added services and products directly to their specific target market. Lastly and most importantly, they would require a reputable influence and standing in their industry and community. However, manufacturers are now going directly to the consumer and major companies do not understand
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BY Katia Taliadoros
Middleman
why they are failing with their marketing plans. Can consumers not facilitate their own transactions? The need for the buffer a middleman provides is removed entirely when a consumer can cut the cost by going directly to the source. As far as providing information, well, come on, this is the information age… one typed word on your phone and you know more about the product than any sales pitch. Truthfully the relationship between manufacturer and consumer is becoming more and more intimate and the middleman is becoming more and more the spare wheel. One just simply needs to take a look at how industries are adapting. Take a look at how indie developers, music companies, the film industry, retailers, publishing houses, banks and even crowd-funded companies are altering their approaches. Within this exponential growth that society is following, it may be safe to say that the middleman will start to become the old man sitting on the bench, feeding the birds dried crumbs and wondering how the world became what it is today. g
an Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate Bundle! Courtesy of Megarom TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us the name of one of ACS’ main characters. Tell us your platform of choice. Insert “ACS” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gamecca.com (Optional) Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page (Optional) Competition closes 31 October 2015. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd and Megarom Interactive. The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •
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