Gamecca Magazine October 2017

ISSUE 100 / Vol.69 October 2017

www.gameccamag.com

NBA 2k18

FIFA 18

Shoot Hoops

Score More

Destiny 2 FIFA 18 NBA 2K18 PES 2018 Cuphead and more...

de ep driving Project Cars 2

Survive

Shady...

Ark: Survival Evolved

For the Light

On Tr ac k Forza

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider Destiny 2

Motorsport 7

Back to Basics CoD goes back to where it began...

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Read Online for Free!

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Bronze Award SCORE 80-84

Read on www/gameccamag.com Read on Issuu (Also available on your App Store) Read on Facebook

Silver Award SCORE 85-89

Gold Award SCORE 90-94

Platinum Award SCORE 95-100

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Gamecca Magazine: © Copyright Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd. (2009 – 2016)

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Ed’s Choice Awar

A

nd here it is. Issue number

Magazine is a somewhat organic

100… we’re finally into triple

entity. It grows and develops as

digits. It’s a pretty exciting

it needs to, and as with anything

achievement, at least for me,

organic, guidance given to that

and it is good to be able to

growth still needs to be in line with

deliver an issue that is crammed full

the development that is happening.

of gaming goodness for this landmark.

And so, with that in mind, new

We have some pretty big names

developments and directions are

on review for this month, including

already springing to mind.

Destiny 2, Forza Motorsport 7, FIFA

October, and you know what that

more.

means… the fourth quarter of 2017

We’re also welcoming back some

is officially here, and the games have

writers in this issue, as both Christo

started flooding in. In the next month

van Gemert and Lein Baart make a

or so, we are going to see a massive

return to the Gamecca Crew. We’re

number of great titles hitting shelves,

sure that you will once again enjoy

including the likes of the Evil Within 2,

their great writing and benefit from

Assassin’s Creed Origins, Wolfenstein

their expert opinions.

II: The New Colossus and many more.

2017 is promising to have a great end

at the number “100” on the cover

of year for gamers, and we here at

of this issue. Because, on a level, it

Gamecca Magazine are going to be

seemed (while it was coming up) like

right there, every step of the way.

a destination. Now, as I sit writing

It also means that the rAge expo will

this Ed’s Note (and trying not to get

be taking place within the next few

too philosophical about things) I have

days, which is always a highlight on

come to the realisation that it is more

the South African gaming calendar,

of a waypoint, a navigational beacon in

and comes just in time to showcase

a much longer journey.

all the great upcoming releases before

Over the years there have been many elements and ideas that have fallen by the wayside, for numerous

the Festive Season buying frenzy kicks in.

So, before you get to the issue, I

reasons. But now, with this milestone

am going to take the opportunity to

reached, new ideas and aspirations are

say “Happy 100” to the Gamecca

opening up. Perhaps the 100 mark is a

Crew, without whom this achievement

sign of hitting a stride, of establishing

would not have been possible. And

formulas to a degree in which they

also to our readers, without who this

are solid enough to allow for that

magazine would never have reached

expansion, and those new ideas.

this achievement. Thank you all, and

Like the industry, Gamecca

by Walt Pretorius

But that’s for later. Right now, it’s

18, Project Cars 2 and a whole bunch

It’s sort of strange for me, looking

From the Editor

rd

Hundred.

here’s to the next 100! g mgeect 2 c7a 1 0 0 ggl a ad

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THIS MONTH’S COVER

Call of Duty goes back to basics...

Publishing Editor Walt Pretorius

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Feature: Retaking Lost Ground Call of Duty goes back to the beginning

18

Previews: Games 9 Games to look out for

walt@novamentis.co.za

Art Director Katia Taliadoros katia@novamentis.co.za

Writers: Alex Scanlon Christo van Gemert Clive Burmeister Iwan Pienaar Lein Baart Noelle Adams Nthato Morakabi Rob Edwards Sibonisile Motha Suvesh Arumugam Walt Pretorius

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Reviews: Games 14 games thoroughly investigated

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Regular: IndieView What makes Pocketwatch tick?

Letters: letters@gameccamag.com

Competition Entries: competitions@gameccamag.com

Newsletter Subscriptions: www.gameccamag.com

Marketing Contact:

Copyright Š Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd 2009 - 2017

walt@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 by Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd

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Feature: Quick Pictures What’s up with frame rate, anyway?

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Regular: Internet Measuring the cost of piracy

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COOL STUFF: Movies Get Thor!

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122

Gamecca Vol. 9 Issue 99 September 2017

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COOL STUFF: Comics Awesome illustrated reading material

COOL STUFF: Books More brain food

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s e d’ c E oi h C

“A game that certainly stands as one of the gaming year’s highlights.”

Destiny 2

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18 22 24 25 26 28 30 32 33

Features Retaking Lost Ground

PReviews Star Wars Battlefront 2 Ogre Real Farm Beast Quest Rogue Trooper Redux Disneyland Adventures Road Rage Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates Sonic Forces

Reviews 36 42 48 54 60 62 66 68 70 74 76 78 80 82

Destiny 2 Project CARS 2 Ark: Survival Evolved Forza Motorsport 7 NBA 2K18 FIFA 18 Atomega Knack 2 Dishonored: Death of the Outsider WRC 7 Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite PES 2018 Yakuza Kiwami Cuphead

RegularS 84

8

IndieView

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COMING OCTOBER 27TH, 2017 PRE-ORDER NOW FROM makro.co.za

PG Copyright ©2017 Published by Bigben Interactive, and developed by Eko Software. All Rights Reserved. “2” and “PlayStation” are registered trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. “Ø” is also a trademark of the same company. All rights reserved. ©2017 Valve Corporation. Steam and the Steam logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Valve Corporation in U.S. and/or other countries. All rights reserved. Distributed Exclusively by Apex Interactive Tel: (011) 796 5040 www.apexinteractive.co.za Email: sales@apexinteractive.co.za All rights and trademarks and logos are copyright of their respective owners.

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Retaking Lo GAMING

Back to Basics f

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Call of Duty: WW2

for Call of Duty

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By: Lein Baart

ost Ground

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T

o call gaming a fickle beast is an understatement. In

remember a time since Modern Warfare, Call of Duty was first

an industry that has seen such explosive growth in

released into an era that abounded with World War 2 shooters,

only a handful of decades this is perhaps something

including the likes of Battlefield and Medal of Honor. Despite

to be expected, but even so the pace at which trends and

the congestion it nevertheless earned the praise of many, with

tastes change can be mind boggling at times. Yet there is

massive, tightly scripted set-pieces that ensured you were

something of a sense of situational irony about its progress.

plunged straight into the chaos of war. It was a campaign filled

Indie markets are clogged with platformers and NES

to the brim with memorable moments, and while hindsight

lookalikes, while not five years ago sequels and reboots were

shows this to be the start of what many feel to be railroaded

so prevalent that it appeared that originality had become

experiences in modern shooters, it blew the gaming public away

all but lost to mainstream development. Even the mightiest

at the time. However the original, much like the rest of its ilk,

franchises have felt this irresistible urge to retread familiar

failed to address some of the more horrific aspects of the war, a

ground, and while last year saw Battlefield 1 triumph in the

fact that has only been highlighted by what we’ve seen of CoD:

court of popular opinion over its arch nemesis, Activision

WW2.

GAMING

have not seen fit to take the blow meekly. Call of Duty: WW2

Primarily focused on the stories of Ronald Daniels and Robert

is an attempt to capture the glory of past years, and for many

Zussman, both fresh-faced American teenagers in the 16th

there’s hope that this will mark a welcome return to form for

Infantry Regiment, Sledgehammer Games have taken pains

the now venerable series.

to emphasise that the latest iteration of the franchise will deal

To delve in to the origins of CoD would be to repeat a story that’s already been well told, but for those who can only

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with the war in a far more adult manner than what we have previously known. While players can expect all the usual hits,

gameccaisxno

Call of Duty: WW2

including the D-Day landings at Normandy and at the Battle

It’s not only the themes that have seen an overhaul from

of the Bulge, there have been hints that the atrocities of the

what we have become accustomed to. The setting itself will

Nazis will not be blithely ignored. Though exactly what this

obviously preclude the more fantastical elements that have

entails remains to be seen, with the studio refusing to deny that

become franchise staples over the last few years, including the

concentration camps will not feature in the game, the campaign

likes of wall running and double jumping. Opting for a “boots on

trailer includes a scene showing Jewish men and woman been

the ground” approach, a phrase that has been thrown around a

forced onto trains, so it’s reasonable to expect the story to

lot with this game, WW2 will instead allow players to “hit-the-

steer clear of the usual sugar-coated tales we have been

deck” and scramble for cover, and will of course feature period-

treated to before.

accurate weaponry, including flamethrowers.

This will tie in to Sledgehammer’s commitment to more than

This curtailed approach will obviously extend itself to

mere spectacle, terrible or otherwise, with the developers

multiplayer, though in this aspect WW2 is genuinely looking

clearly aiming to bring to life the realities of war, including

to introduce something new to the franchise, if not to gaming.

aspects such as racism on the part of the Allied forces. Though

To begin with, the classed-based system has been scrapped

the story will generally be told from Daniels’ perspective,

in favour of “Divisions”, with each specialising in a different

players can expect a diverse range of characters, such as that

style of play, such as Airborne employing silenced weapons

of a female French Resistance leader, a German couple and

while Expeditionary can use shotguns to greater effect. Players

a British officer, with the goal, according to studio cofounder

will have the opportunity to earn ranks in each Division, which

Michael Condrey, to stress that, “this isn’t an American war,

will translate into skills, thereby replacing perks from previous

this isn’t a story of an American squad – this is a global cast”.

iterations.

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Where most of the excitement has been generated

mode, titled “Nazi Zombies”, complete with its own story about

however is in the announcement of two new modes.

the retrieval of stolen art during the last years of the war.

Headquarters, inspired in part by the decidedly non-violent

Still based around defending yourself from hordes of undead,

Journey if you can believe it, will act as social hub for

Sledgehammer will expand the gameplay to incorporate

players, allowing gamers to test themselves on a firing range,

classes, with each having their own their own unique abilities

display custom gear and even engage in 1v1 spectated duels.

and perks. The studio appears to be attempting to make

The idea is foster a sense of community and good online

a sincere attempt at creating a mini horror game, which is

behaviour, so to this end commendations can be earned from

appropriate considering that the cofounders of Sledgehammer,

other players for helpful conduct. Given the reputation of

Michael Condry and Glen Schofield, both worked on the

CoD’s community this might seem like an uphill battle, but

original Deadspace.

nonetheless Sledgehammer have to be applauded for trying.

GAMING

The second mode, War, will ring familiar to anyone who has

All in all, it cannot be doubted that the timing of Call of Duty: WW2’s release is fortuitous for the series, as projects such

played the likes of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory or Assault

as these are decided on years in advance. There’ll be a lot of

mode in Unreal Tournament, and will feature objective-based

questions to be answered, and whether the decision to move

scenarios which opposing teams must complete to win.

back to a more conventional setting pays off for the franchise

This can be an absolute blast if implemented right, and will

can only be answered once the game hits the shelves. However

make a welcome alternative to usual modes such as team

Sledgehammer Studio’s approach thus far seems to be striking

deathmatch and domination, which will still be included.

the right notes, and even looking past the hype that typically

Lastly the game will also include the now traditional zombie

14

comes with large releases there’s much too look forward to.

gameccaisxno

Call of Duty: WW2

Where most of the excitement has been generated however

mode, titled “Nazi Zombies”, complete with its own story about

is in the announcement of two new modes. Headquarters,

the retrieval of stolen art during the last years of the war.

inspired in part by the decidedly non-violent Journey if you can

Still based around defending yourself from hordes of undead,

believe it, will act as social hub for players, allowing gamers

Sledgehammer will expand the gameplay to incorporate

to test themselves on a firing range, display custom gear

classes, with each having their own their own unique abilities

and even engage in 1v1 spectated duels. The idea is foster a

and perks. The studio appears to be attempting to make

sense of community and good online behaviour, so to this end

a sincere attempt at creating a mini horror game, which is

commendations can be earned from other players for helpful

appropriate considering that the cofounders of Sledgehammer,

conduct. Given the reputation of CoD’s community this might

Michael Condry and Glen Schofield, both worked on the

seem like an uphill battle, but nonetheless Sledgehammer have

original Deadspace.

to be applauded for trying.

All in all, it cannot be doubted that the timing of Call of Duty:

The second mode, War, will ring familiar to anyone who has

WW2’s release is fortuitous for the series, as projects such

played the likes of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory or Assault

as these are decided on years in advance. There’ll be a lot of

mode in Unreal Tournament, and will feature objective-based

questions to be answered, and whether the decision to move

scenarios which opposing teams must complete to win. This

back to a more conventional setting pays off for the franchise

can be an absolute blast if implemented right, and will make a

can only be answered once the game hits the shelves. However

welcome alternative to usual modes such as team deathmatch

Sledgehammer Studio’s approach thus far seems to be striking

and domination, which will still be included.

the right notes, and even looking past the hype that typically

Lastly the game will also include the now traditional zombie

comes with large releases there’s much too look forward to. g

gameccaisxno

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E M W A VIE G E R P

Star Wars: Battle GAMING

Chewie, we’re home.

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Star Wars: Battlefront II

by Sibonisile Motha

efront II

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2

player campaign will see the player assume the role of Commander Iden Versio. Now what would Star Wars be without rich characters and backgrounds? Our Commander lacks not a complicated story in this game.

The daughter of well-respected parents and contributors to the Empire. She chose to not use her parents’ reputation as a means to get ahead, but instead chose to work her own way up the ranks to where she is now Commander and leader of a highly elite and efficient unit of the Empire called the Inferno Squad. With a massive weapon of the Empire just having been destroyed, she must race against time to bring the rebellion to a halt.

Her skills and character will open opportunities for players to get to taste a bit of everything that Battlefront

GAMING

015 saw Star Wars: Battlefront break the R1000 price ceiling for a game in South Africa (and my imaginary bank account with imaginary funds). But the game showed promise of delivering on a game that would bring a long awaited experience for Star Wars fans. To which they did. With one of the most impressive visuals for next-gen gaming, Star Wars: Battlefront most definitely delivered on the deal (if you could afford it then).

Now fast forward almost 2 years later, and we are anticipating the release of Battlefront II. Aimed for release in mid-November this year, there’s much to discuss.

Firstly let’s begin with the narrative. The single

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Star Wars: Battlefront II

II has to offer. For example, she is an exceptional pilot with a knack for dogfighting. So in that, you will get to be part of explosive space battles. This leads me to the massive world of Battlefront II’s Multiplayer mode. So much to do!

Up to 40 players can be engaged in multiplayer. 4 classes can now be led (Officer, Specialist, Assault and Heavy). And when it comes to getting around, you will be spoiled for choice (provided that you’ve earned it).

There is an array of vehicles to choose from (even Darth Maul’s Scimitar and Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon…).

In the course of your multiplayer campaign, you will be earning battle points. These will be earned based on the successes in the field as well as how your missions and

team’s abilities play out. You can use these points to upgrade and improve your team and equipment, or even unlock hero characters and reinforcement characters that you can spawn during missions.

EA has revealed that there will be playable characters from every era. Now not to exaggerate, but I nearly split my wig when I saw how epic playing as Darth Maul would be (not to take away from Rey, who is also on the playables list).

This article is not enough to fully describe the scale that this game is operating on. From the ridiculously stunning gameplay graphics to the endless variety of inventory and to-dos, Battlefront II will probably empty my imaginary bank account. g

AT A GLANCE Action adventure

With so much to do, you can play the multiplayer beta this month (if you pre-order).

Enjoy, no matter which side you’re on.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Motive Studios, EA Dice, Criterion Software Electronic Arts Prima Interactive

Nov 2017

Platforms

GENRE

ETA

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

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Ogre GAMING

Oct 2017 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Auroch Digital Auroch Digital Online

PLATFORMS

Crafted for war

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

AT A GLANCE Strategy

Fight for supremacy in this turn-based strategy game, developed from the tabletop wargame built by Steve Jackson.

gamecca100

by Nthato Morakabi

he name is quite deceiving, isn’t it? When I see the word ogre, I conjure up images of greenskinned, man-eating giants, (or Shrek actually…). I do not, at all, think of a giant, AI-powered robot tank. Well, legendary American tabletop game designer, Steve Jackson, came up with the concept of Ogre back in 1977 as a board wargame set in the late 21st century. It spawned a sequel named G.E.V with realistic map terrain rules and various additions. Indie development studio, Auroch Digital, took up the opportunity to bring Ogre to life as another digital adaptation of the classic tabletop.

The premise itself is simple; in the near future, a particular type of war machine strikes deep fear into the hearts of enemies and allies alike. An AI-powered unit known as an Ogre. Gigantic, and monstrous, these tanks are an army on their own. In an endless world war, of armed forces, tanks and hovercrafts, of powerful Ogres, who will rise above the irradiated battlefield and claim supremacy?

Ogre is set to be a turn-based strategy game, with lots of tactical decision-making and strategic-thinking. Steve Jackson Games created an original story, Nightfall, which will feature as a full campaign with brand new missions. Single player skirmishes, multiplayer ranking and local “hotseat” multiplayer will also feature as game modes.

Ogre promises to be a “meticulously crafted adaptation of the original” where Ogre veterans will fit right in while new players enjoy a game crafted from forty years of experience.

Featuring hex based maps with different types of terrains, a wide variety of units, factions, and of course Ogres, this upcoming title is sure to appeal to many strategy game players. g

Ogre

E M W A VIE G E R P

Real Farm

E M W A VIE G E R P

Real Farm Put your back into it

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Triangle Studios SOEDESCO Online

PLATFORMS

GAMING

Oct 2017

the best darn tootin’ farmer out there. With 2 gameplay modes so far mentioned, you can work your way up to becoming in their words an “A-list” farmer in Career Mode, or just better yourself without the pressure of fame and fortune in Free Mode. In Real Farm, you can focus your cultivating skills on land crops as well as livestock.

The success of your yields will bring in the revenue required for to expand your operations.

From more crops and livestock, to employees, to machinery and vehicles. This game operates with

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

a real-time economy. How well you manage your sowing, maintaining and harvesting can mean the difference between working at a loss or profit. I won’t lie to you, I think this game would have taken farming simulation to another level had it been set in right here at home in Mzansi (with our recent drought and water restrictions, to lobola negotiations, it would have been epic). A game like this is rather straightforward and unless you’ve done all there is to be done, then there’s always something to do. g

AT A GLANCE Simulation

For everytime you tried to have green fingers but instead killed everything you touched. Real Farm believes you can virtually do it this time

gamecca100

by Sibonisile Motha

S

imulators have been getting a lot more fans lately, and with fans looking for the most realistic versions of things they probably wouldn’t want to do in real life, a lot more titles in this genre are popping up. Real Farm is one such game. Not to be confused with the other farming simulator game out there (I know what I did there…), developed by Triangle Studios, Real Farm boasts a simulator that plays out at 4k, 60fps. Set in the open world of American farm life, you can begin your quest to be

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Oct 2017 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Torus Games Maximum Games Online

PLATFORMS

The narrative comes to life

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

AT A GLANCE Action RPG

A children’s book turned into a video game. Where have I seen this before...

gamecca100

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by Nthato Morakabi

Beast Quest

here’s this publishing company called Working Partners. They believe in what they call collegiate fiction, in which multiple authors and editors work together to create a series of books. As they say, ““No single person owns an idea…” and with this mentality, they have produced more than 1,000 books in 40 languages.

Beast Quest is one of these series, aimed mainly at boys and written by a collaborative team of authors falling under the pseudonym of Adam Blade.

To date they have sold over 17 million copies, with 120 published books, Beast Quest now spreads its wings, and flocks into the gaming world.

Torus Games, developers of Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game, worked to create the magical, mythical world of Avantia. Here, the noble Beasts have been corrupted by dark magic and it is up to you to defeat the evil wizard Malvel to restore peace to Avantia.

Featuring a sprawling epic journey across spectacular environments of snow-capped peaks and creepy forests, players will have plenty opportunity to explore the environs. Avantia is a treasure trove of ancient artefacts, and lost fortune, all waiting to be found.

As an action RPG, Beast Quest will have players fending off a variety of monsters, including the Beasts themselves. A skill tree will let players upgrade their attack, defence, and health, equip accessories and each player’s own skill with sword and shield should guide them through the quest. Apart from the main story, Beast Quest will also have a number of challenges and side quests to complete.

Turning an adventure book into a game sounds like a fantastic idea, so we’ll have to wait and see how Beast Quest fairs. g

Beast Quest

e m ew a vi G e R P

Rogue Trooper Redux 2

006 saw the release of Rogue Trooper, based on the strip from the comic 2000 AD. The game was a hit with fans. But let’s take a step back to fill in those who are unfamiliar with the title. The story follows a genetically created soldier part of the Genetic Infantry (G.I.) who is one of the few survivors of a betrayal that left an entire army killed. On the trail to find the traitor, survivor, Rogue heads out on the quest for revenge and justice for his fallen “brothers”.

The game is a third-person shooter ultimately.

With Rogue Trooper Redux, the weapons (along with a lot of other elements of the game) have been redone. With this being a heavy combat game, it will be plus to play with improved weapons. Whether or not there will be new weapons included to the inventory begs to be seen. The most obvious redoing of the game are the visuals. The game will be played in HD graphics and quite a bit of remodelling.

The reveal comparison trailer showed the improvements in how the game will look.

Another great feature that they wanted to oneup the first game in, is the cinematics. Sure back-in-the-day-graphics could only do so much with cut scene moments, but now that we have next-gen technology at our disposal, it’s only right to make every explosion noteworthy now.

Rebellion was the team involved in the making of the first version of the game, one can only hope that this will be a worthwhile taketwo for the company. One that will hopefully please old fans as well as new ones to the game, and maybe end up with #TeamRogue. g

GAMING

Oct 2017 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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TickTock Games Rebellion Online

PLATFORMS

by Sibonisile Motha

Bullets. Battles. Betrayal. Revenge.

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV NS

GENRE

AT A GLANCE Action adventure

Will improved visuals be enough to revive a classic?

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Rogue Trooper Redux

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GAMING

Oct 2017 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Asobo Studio Microsoft Studios Microsoft

PLATFORMS

A whole new (virtual) world

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

GENRE

AT A GLANCE Adventure

Now you don’t have to feel bad about not being able to afford that trip to Disneyland

gamecca100

by Sibonisile Motha

Disneyland Adventures

hether you care to admit it or not, at some point in your life you were a fan of Disney. Disney was a force to be reckoned with in the world of childhood fairy-tale life outcomes. And as the years went by, you may have heard that there was a Disneyland that paid homage not only to the beloved characters of the Disney family, but also to the dreams and fandom of little children. And then something else would have happened, you realized the cost to get to Disneyland. Needless to say, the trip may have been postponed due to “unforeseen circumstances”. But behold, there is a solution (if you are still a Disney child at heart, that is). It is called Disneyland Adventures. “Whatever do you mean?” you may ask. Well, this is a game that lets you explore the Disneyland Park in a way you most likely wouldn’t even be able to in real life anyway.

You can discover all the amazing rides in the park.

Each ride boasting a new adventure that takes the fun to a different experience. A wild west-themed ride may see you in the actual canyonlike environment. Or how about ending up on a snowy mountain that will see you see new and interesting things. Or maybe you’re just a Disney character fan, you may find yourself on a mission to gather the autographs of the Disney celebrities. This game is an improvement from the original version in 2011. With Microsoft being the big boss behind this game, Playstation players will have to sit this one out (if that’s a sad thing for them…). So save your trip money and play this instead. g

Disneyland Adventures

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Victory in the Palm of Your Hand MASTERMOUSE MM520

PERFECT FOR PALM GRIP The MM530 is especially built for high-performance palm-grip gamers in mind. A larger body and rubber side grips ensure your palm stays comfortable. Ideal for FPS and RTS games, this mouse is a valuable weapon to have on the battlefield.

A PRECISION SENSOR THAT’S SCARY We fitted the MM530 with a Pixart 3360 optical sensor with adjustable DPI up to 12000. That’s a whole lot of DPi, which means lag-free 1:1 input - every movement counts. No lag, no acceleration - all awesome.

ONE WORD: RUGGED. The MM530 is built to withstand serious punishment. The rubber grips are built to last, and key areas on the frame are composed of long-lasting, wear-free PBT plastic, some of the hardest plastic used to build hardware today. Additionally, Omron switches under the buttons are graded for 20 million presses that remain accurate and true till the end.

Road Rage

E M W A VIE G E R P

Road Rage

A little motorcycle gang violence ain’ t never hurt nobody…right?

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Team6 Maximum Games Online

PLATFORMS

GAMING

Oct 2017

the ranks to become top dog of the gang. This will not be an easy task.

The development team mentioned that the story will have a total of 42 story missions. If that doesn’t shed light on how extensive the story could be, I’m honestly not too sure what will. And just in case you feel that 42 story missions just aren’t enough in a racing game, they have also included 56 side missions. These side missions will vary in task and difficulty.

But in staying focused that this is a racing game, there will be races (obviously). Race your opponents

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GENRE

and win, knock them off their bikes if you have to. You must win. Good thing there are options in the types of weapons you may choose from to deal your damage.

Your character can be customizable, from gender to appearance. You can also choose from a variety of motorcycles depending on your personal taste. The game is open world for exploration. Each environment coming with its own unique look, feel and terrain challenges. All real-life road-ragers, stick to the game. g

AT A GLANCE Racing

A racing game that is very generous with knocking opponents of their bikes violently.

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by Sibonisile Motha

R

oad rage. The first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem.

Thankfully this game doesn’t think it has a problem. If anything, your road rage is almost essential to getting through this one. Set in the world of a city whose lawlessness is only further fuelled by the rise of motorcycle gangs that are more than willing to take the spoils of the places affected. Left with no other choice to survive, your character decides to join one of these ruthless motorcycle gangs. Once inside, it is up to you to work your way up

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Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates

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mpyre: Lords of the Sea Gates is an upcoming RPG set in a 1911 New York.

The only difference is, New York isn’t on the path to be the New York we all know today. Instead, the whole place is flooded. So you now have some roads that have by default turned into canals, and less land and forced islands that the remaining residents need to work with in order to survive. But wait, if you thought that would make things a little tough, it gets tougher. Not only is New York flooded, but actual drinking water reserves are dropping at a rather alarming rate. The ironic fight for water is made all the more difficult by factions and islands that also want to get through.

Coin Operated Games took some time to do their research on the old Victorian ways and how that would have played out in the alternate New York. Flooding and thirst can easily bring about health conditions that will require good medical attention. But like I said, this is a Victorian time, so Victorian medicine will be used. The game’s development team incorporated actual Victorian medicines into the game (and these meds had some serious poison in them back then in the hope of making one better or curing them). It will be an interesting thing to see how these meds will have an effect on the characters during gameplay.

Speaking of gameplay, when it comes to being faced with those that oppose you, you can take some time to carefully plan out your attack prior to executing it in real time. Enjoy this Victorian steam-powered (actual steam) version of New York. g

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Oct 2017 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Coin operated Games Coin Operated Games Online

PLATFORMS

by Sibonisile Motha

The thirst is real…

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AT A GLANCE RPG

With the effort made to create an authentic alternate history game, the players will decide if this game sinks or swims.

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Sonic Forces GAMING

Nov 2017 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Sonic Team Sega Ster Kinekor

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Gotta go… Fast

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AT A GLANCE Platformer

Classic Sonic, Modern Sonic and Create-Your-Own-Sonic all have amazing adventures against evil Eggman and his villainous villains of villainy. Oh and Infinite. He’s very bad.

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by Nthato Morakabi

onic! He’s the fastest thing alive! Oh man memories of Sonic Underground and playing Sonic on my friend’s Sega Genesis and then on my Nintendo DS. Hell, I even had a version of Sonic that played inside Microsoft Excel if you can believe it. The Blue Blur has been around for decades, I mean this version is part of Sega celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Speed Demon. Plenty of renditions, crossovers, TV-series, comics, even a Manga. Talk about a Legacy.

So what’s new in Sonic Forces?

Uhhh plenty! But first let’s get through the story. Dr. Eggman has destroyed, and now conquers what’s left of the world. Under his employ he has an all-star cast of villains. We’re talking Metal Sonic, Chaos, Zavok, and Shadow the Hedgehog. If that isn’t bad enough, there is the mysterious Infinite, who seems to be the greatest villain of all…

Right, on to the good stuff.

First, you’ve got the Modern Sonic / Classic Sonic switcheroo that was introduced in Sonic Generations. One plays as a 2.5D side-scroller like your uhhh classic, and the other you’re rolling in uhhh modern 3D space.

Then there’s create your own Hero, and gadgets and gizmos and recreated iconic landscapes and tag-team combos with Sonic!

Lastly, your avatar, a.k.a Rookie, is set to come with his own grappling hook (which YouTube vids show being used extensively) for attacking and reaching new areas. Also, there will be various… Wispons, basically weapons such as flamethrowers, whips, and hammers with lots of Wispons to unlock. On top of that, there are special abilities with each Wisp for more epic duels.

It looks beautiful and hopefully plays beautifully too! It better. g

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Destiny 2 GAMING

A new threat

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by Walt Pretorius

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– even when you see tons of other people running about, doing the same things that you are doing.

And what are those things? Well, they’re pretty much a bunch of grinding cleverly hidden under apparently meaningful coverings. The story missions aside, there is quite a lot to do here, like public events that crop up every now and then to help you build that experience and discover more of the all-important loot. And there is a lot of loot to find, but because the game doesn’t use any kind of procedural generation for loot, you’ll likely see the same thing show up in your inventory more than once. Still, there is a wide variety of stuff to hurt bad guys (and protect yourself) with, so a bit of repetition doesn’t feel too bad.

In addition, players will be able to undertake numerous coop activities to keep things rolling and add a great co-op aspect to the title.

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verything that was fought for is lost – the city has fallen, the Traveller has been captured, and the power-granting light that it bestowed on the Guardians has disappeared. The Red Legion has scattered those that survived their initial onslaught into the wastes. Powerless and broken, the once proud Guardians must watch as all that they fought for is taken from them. Welcome to Destiny 2.

But, naturally, all is not lost. One lone warrior has what it takes to revive the Light and return the Guardians to their power… not to mention take on the forces of the Red Legion.

Since launch, there are millions of that “lone warrior”, with people flocking to the new adventure that is Destiny 2. And yet, somehow, Destiny 2 never really loses that feeling that your character is someone special in this war

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There are also unique items that can switch up the game dynamics quite a bit, thanks to some clever ideas behind the design. Some work better than others, but they do all add a sense of variation to the overall experience of running around Destiny 2’s four large areas, lacerating bad guys as you go. These Exotic weapons are unlocked as the story progresses, for the most part.

In terms of normal equipment, Destiny 2 offers variety of different armours for different body parts, as well as weapons that come in three flavours: kinetic (meaning bullets), energy and power weapons. Each of these weapon varieties has different flavours within it too, including SMGs, hand cannon, auto rifles and more.

Basically, kitting your character comes down to mixing and matching equipment for the best possible effect, which really helps with the whole “scrappy survivors” feel that

the narrative of the game presents. The player will likely be spending a lot of time within the inventory screen, trying out new loadouts.

In addition, the player will also be tweaking their character.

Characters come in three classes: heavy battle Titans, mystically powered Warlocks, and the roguish Hunters.

Each class has strengths and weaknesses that play well individually, as well as co-operatively (an all-important aspect of Destiny 2). However, if must be noted that early abilities for the Hunter feel less useful to team play than those possessed by Titans and Warlocks. To truly feel beneficial to a team, a Hunter needs to get a few levels under the belt. Classes can further be specialised with sub-classes, which modify the overall approach of the main class.

This time around, developers Bungie put a lot more into

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that can lead to more than a little frustration.

It won’t lead to boredom, though… Destiny 2 is alive with opportunity. The way the game unfolds, combined with the fact that it is a massively multiplayer game, will see the player running into constant trouble. Even when you’re on a story quest, you may run into a public event taking place along your route, with other players engaging enemies.

There’s no problem with joining in in these instances, but be warned that these events don’t scale… you might run into some very tough opponents.

That’s one of the joys of Destiny 2 – the chaos that can ensue. It keeps you on your toes, and keeps the action quite varied. But even as chaos is an important part of Destiny 2, so is order – the kind of order you find in a welloiled team working together.

There are always benefits to working with other players in

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the narrative, and Destiny 2’s story feels much more cohesive and comprehensive than in the previous instalment. The story is well told, if not overly original, and the voice actors behind the main characters do a great job in portraying the loss and desperation felt by all of the Guardians. Additionally, the sound design and scenery, not to mention the special effects, are excellent. Each of the four worlds feels unique and authentic, providing massive areas for players to explore…

Which leads to a gripe. Destiny is pretty much a grinding based franchise, sure, but travelling great distances without a trusty Sparrow (the game’s stock “hover bike”) is a pain in the behind. Yet Destiny 2 will force you to work your way through to level 20 before you get access to your own Sparrow. It’s a rough and long road, and one

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Destiny 2 (unless, of course, you’re enjoying some of the game’s great PvP action). Some of the tougher PvE events require great team work to complete, particularly the raid that forms the culmination of the narrative.

And, just like before, once you’re reached the apparent “top”, you’ll find that you need to keep going. Although there is a level cap in the game, on you reach it, as before, you can continue to progress in light levels, creating ever stronger characters.

There certainly is a lot to talk about when it comes to Destiny 2. It is an exciting game, and one that shows definite improvement over the first instalment of the franchise. There is still room for improvement, mind you, but if you enjoyed the original title, there is little reason to believe that Destiny 2 won’t be something that you’ll love sinking your teeth into. Despite a few issues (like some

Exotic weapons that could have been implemented a little better) it is a solid, enjoyable experience – particularly if your gaming tastes lean towards the co-op side of things.

And, undoubtedly, the action will keep rolling with a number of expansions and DLC, as before. Keeping the game fresh will be something that Bungie will certainly keep their eye on, particularly considering how well they did with the original game.

Destiny 2 is, like Destiny, a game that will require players to prepare for the long haul. There is a lot to do here, both for solo and multiplayers. It will also require varied levels of grinding, but manages to keep things feeling pretty fresh despite that.

In short, this is a definite improvement over the original, and a game that certainly stands as one of the gaming year’s highlights. g

AT A GLANCE First-person Shooter

Destiny 2 features several improvements over the original game, and manages to deliver lots to do, and lots of enjoyment – despite the grinding.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Bungie Activision Megarom

PARENTAL ADVISORY

16+ gamecca100

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

88 41

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Project CARS 2 GAMING

Flashes of brilliance

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Project CARS 2

Christo van Gemert

2

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he original Project CARS was a revolutionary racing game at its release in 2015.

What made this crowdfunded racer different is that it was a Very Serious Simulator – nothing new there – and that it was destined for all major platforms. But, famously, not the Wii U. For PlayStation 4 owners it would fill the void left by the perennially delayed Gran Turismo game destined for the platform. For Xbox One owners, it was a chance to see how their favourite accessible racing sim, Forza, stacked up against something proper.

PC owners, meanwhile, had been playing alpha versions of Project CARS alongside their other favourite hard-core sims: rFactor, Assetto Corsa and Raceroom.

For mere console-owning mortals to join the realm of actual racing simulators was no mean feat. Consoles have famously limited processing power, albeit offering the advantage of a fixed platform for developers to achieve maximum optimisation.

However, a game like Project CARS really pushed the limits. It was apparent that its ambitious physics model (the extremely complicated mathematics that make videogame cars behave like real cars) was given the bulk of the PS4 and XBO’s processing power, while graphical fidelity was a distant second priority and actual game mechanics an afterthought.

Fortunately, developer Slightly Mad Studios listened to its fans. (It also kind of had to, since fans who had crowdfunded the games were legally shareholders in the project.) In the months following its release, Project CARS received 10 patches to fix quality issues and even add content. Fully-patched, Project CARS was a great racing sim, but a game not so much.

It is on that base that the sequel has an opportunity to build. And, boy howdy, does

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it go in ambitious. Fire it up the dramatic, operatic menu music sets the scene. It’s a bit grandiose, though. Sorta like playing Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries… while you ride your tricycle through the pre-school.

Get past the pomp and circumstance, though, and the first noticeable changefor-the-better is the revised menu system. It lets you jump straight into a revised career mode where you no longer have to start with karting and follow a set path. Freedom is the flavour of the day and you’re able to pick the motorsport flavour that your petrol-pumping heart most desires.

It’s also possible to just jump into the action straight away with a custom race weekend (including practice, qualifying, and warm-up laps) or a private testing session.

Unlike other racing titles, Project CARS 2 just lets you get on with the driving. No licenses, no money, no locked levels: you can take any car in the game and drive it on any track you want. No cheat codes required. This means full access to the game’s 60 tracks and 180+ cars.

The vehicle selection is actually quite fantastic.

With Electronic Arts finally relinquishing its hold on the Porsche license, that famous German sportscar brand now finally features in a racing title that can showcase its strong history race cars.

Modern and historic racers from other iconic brands also feature: Jaguar, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Nissan are new to the franchise. Favourites like Lotus, Pagani, Toyota, McLaren, Mercedes and Audi return with bolstered line-ups.

The selection of cars covers normal road cars, incredible exotica, and famous, racewinning thoroughbreds from a number of race series. You can jump into a pedestrian Toyota sports car to learn the lines on a track before getting into a Le Mans-winning Jaguar prototype, a historic gamecca100

Project CARS 2

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Project CARS 2

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A great physics engine is at the core of this title, but it’s excellent simulation does leave something to

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

3+ AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

81

AT A GLANCE

PARENTAL ADVISORY

REVIEWED ON

PLATFORMS

be desired.

Slightly Mad Studios Namco Bandai Megarom

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Racing

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and aggression can be set, because you’ll mostly just want to race against normal humans. You’ll probably also want a wheel, too – though racing with a controller is actually possible now, but will require patience to master.

On PS4 (and almost definitely Xbox One), the graphics have also taken a step backwards. Aliased edges (jaggies!) are seen everywhere and with 29 cars on track the frame rate can often dip. Some trackside textures look downright horrible and pop-in is distracting, too.

The graphics engine takes measures (such as dynamic resolution scaling) to keep things going, but it doesn’t always look pretty. The game runs far better on a PS4 Pro (and presumably fantastically on an Xbox One X), but it’s clear if you want the best experience you… want to play it on PC. In isolation, parts of Project CARS 2 are massively impressive. One moment you’re bombing down a tree-lined back straight on Spa, admiring the sunrise.

It’s been raining and water puddles unsettle the car, keeping your attention on driving. When you slow down and row through the gears, the crackling of the V8 exhaust note echoes off the barriers. A perfect moment.

But then the frame rate dips and AI opponent bumps you.

Now you’re left flying off the road and staring at muddy scenery textures. In real life, you’d say “that’s racing”. In Project CARS 2 the response is “immersion ruined”.

There are flashes of brilliance. Hopefully they can last longer, with a couple of patches to sort out the issues.

And that physics engine?

Well, let’s just close the review with this: in other racing games the driving seems real. In Project CARS 2 the driving is real. g

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Lotus Formula 1 car or the most iconic Porsches around.

Project CARS 2 also expands into a new race discipline: rallycross, which features races on short, part-tar, partdirt tracks in purpose-built rally cars. However, Project CARS 2 keep racing on tracks. For your rallying kicks, you’re best off getting Dirt 4 or WRC 7 (see page xx for that review).

But the single-player options in Project CARS 2 are really like the campaign mode in a Call of Duty game: a good way to cut your teeth and get to grips with what’s on offer before venturing online. It’s also an area where Project CARS 2 adds something really cool: a racing license.

This isn’t a license you earn, but rather a driver ranking that reflects your racing ability and sportsmanship.

Online racing has always been fraught with trolls who think it’s funny to bash people off the road. Now, they’ll be penalised, which leaves the serious racers and clean drivers to have fun in competition. Race hosts can even choose to limit races to certain license levels and whether or not a race would contribute to a license ranking. The system doesn’t track or tag serial bumperbashers, though. Trolls can still lurk in race lobbies for beginners and smash into virgin racers with abandon.

It’s not all peaches and cream in Project CARS 2, though.

On paper this all sounds ideal, but in practice it falls a bit flat – on a console.

The massively overhauled physics engine has meant making sacrifices in other areas. You might be able to race in the rain and snow, hot and cold, night and day, but in Project CARS 2 “AI” almost definitely stands for “abominable idiots”.

Computer-controlled drivers cause pile-ups, crash into you, and drive aggressively for no reason. It doesn’t really matter that AI skill

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Ark: Survival Ev GAMING

And… go!

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Ark: Survival Evolved

by Walt Pretorius

volved

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rafting and survival go hand in hand, and if you’re one of those people that is helping make this particular genre more and more popular, Ark: Survival Evolved is a game that you should really consider playing. But there are a few things that you should know about it first, in order to make an informed decision.

The first is that Ark: Survival Evolved is brutally unforgiving. You wake up on a beach (after making a few limited tweaks to the appearance of your character) with literally nothing but a little clothing.

From there, you can pretty much do whatever you like, as long as you survive.

That’s what the game is all about… survival. And, just as one might expect if you really woke up on a deserted island with little to nothing to help you along, it is not an easy prospect.

This is exacerbated by the game’s lack of tutorials.

You really need to piece things together in Ark: Survival Evolved, and figure things out on the way.

That’s all fine and well, and would already make the game a more challenging version of MineCraft (and a prettier one, too)… except that the island you have woken up on is crammed with dinosaurs.

The presence of dinosaurs is equally exciting and terrifying. They serve as a source of food, and can even be tamed, ridden and bred. But they also – some of them at least – view you as a threat or, even worse, a snack. And starting out with a bunch of carnivorous dinosaurs all about is less that conducive to long term survival.

Through the course of the game, as you level up and become stronger, you will learn how to craft all sorts of new

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devices, from primitive stone axes through to electric generators and assault rifles. It is all a matter of time… which is something that you will need a lot of to play Ark: Survival Evolved. Nothing comes quickly or easily in this game – resources are plentiful, when you’re talking basics, but building yourself a stone fortress will be more than a little time consuming. Less basic resources are scarce and generally surrounded by slavering beasts that want you in their bellies.

Skills are also plentiful, but beyond the basics, learning new things can be quite the challenge.

You earn experience for literally everything you do, but getting up there in the skills department will take more than a little grinding.

Add to this the fact that setting your own goals and exploring the island can be extremely addictive, and you have a game that will chew up a hell of a lot of your time.

All of this can be done solo, which has its own rewards. But Ark: Survival Evolved is best enjoyed with other payers, which leads to either PvE or PvP play. PvE can be extremely satisfying, with groups of players gathering together to form tribes and the like, working towards common goals. And there are a lot of those goals – Ark: Survival Evolved gives you tons of options to keep busy. You could, for example, take on an agricultural role, laying irrigation pipes and planting crops – not to mention collecting faeces to turn into fertiliser – to help feed the community and tame animals. Or you could undertake the business of collecting oil to refine and use to run hard-won electric generators. Or any of a bunch of other activities to make island life that little gamecca100

Ark: Survival Evolved

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GENRE

Massive and ambitious,

Ark:

Survival Evolved still needs work... but it’s already deliciously

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

16+ AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

78

AT A GLANCE

PARENTAL ADVISORY

REVIEWED ON

PLATFORMS

addictive.

Studio Wildcard Studio Wildcard Apex Interactive

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the background, weighed under the sheer volume of opportunity that Ark: Survival Evolved offers.

On a side note, the game can also be tweaked in tons of ways, including changing spawning rates of dinosaurs, daylight times, experience earning rates and virtually anything else.

In the end, someone who wants to try out this game needs to be most aware of the fact that, for quite a while to come, probably, Ark: Survival Evolved will be a work in progress.

Maybe not quite as much as No Man’s Sky, but still a game that is going to be tweaked and improved for a good long while.

The sad truth is that it offers a lot of potential, but that potential is, as yet, unrealised. It feels, in many ways, incomplete.

With that said, if you’re the kind that can sink their teeth into an experience that is so extremely open ended, and can look past the fact that it still needs a lot of work (and patching), then Ark: Survival Evolved may well be the game for you. It is a game that you can truly get lost in, literally and figuratively, and the potential to create a game that is your story – without a strictly prescribed narrative – is massive here.

It’s not a perfect game, not at all. And it needs to be fixed in many ways.

But, for the right kind of player, Ark: Survival Evolved is potentially incredible. Self-motivated players will find a lot of joy here, particularly if they don’t mind grinding a lot. And in a few months (or years, perhaps) it promises to be an absolutely incredible playground.

It’s already not half-bad as it is. g

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bit more comfortable. The conflict in PvE is against the environment, and it can be quite a battle.

The other option for online play is PvP, but here the game becomes more like Lord of the Flies than anything else.

You will die, a lot, killed by unscrupulous players who raid and kill simply because they can. Sadly, the PvP environment of Ark: Survival Evoled has become a playground for those who enjoy griefing, and there is almost little point for new players to join servers where higher level characters have become apex predators.

Another thing that you need to know about Ark: Survival Evolved is that the game is an almost perpetual work in progress. It took two years of tweaking before it arrived on PS4, and it was accompanied by a massive patch right from the get-go. And there have been a bunch since.

These patches fix issues, as expected, but they also add new content to the game on a regular basis.

Ark: Survival Evolved also offers some DLC right away, in the form of the Scorched Earth setting, which features desert conditions, minimal water and dragons. There is more on the way. It is almost ironic that a game with the word “evolve” it its title will keep evolving.

It’s a massively ambitious game, with a huge setting and tons of things for the player to do. As is to be expected with a game of this nature, it also has more than its fair share of bugs.

Objects will sometimes float, the player may get stuck on geometry (and still be stuck there after reloading) and those kinds of things. But most of these bugs bleed into

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Forza Motorspo GAMING

Back to the track!

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Forza Motorsport 7

by Walt Pretorius

ort 7

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year is a Motorsport year, but the lessons learned from Horizon are apparent in Forza Motorsport 7.

The most influence that can be seen from what Turn 10 has learned from their open world Horizon games is in the environment, and most clearly in the environmental effects. Forza Motorsport 7 offers a few dozen real world tracks to race on, as expected, but this year they have pulled out all the stops in making these tracks look great. Not just the “set” environmental elements either, but the special effects, too. Weather effects, for example, look truly great, with shifting elements like dust and even rolling storm clouds adding a fantastic sense of realism to the mix. And when those storm clouds open up and pour rain onto the tarmac, it gets even prettier, with beautiful reflections and water effects bringing even more life to the mix. Or how

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t is difficult to understand the thrill of a racing game unless you have truly dug into one and savoured everything that it has on offer. Tell any of your non-gamer friends that you took your Ferrari around the track at Spa and they’re going to look at you funny. Tell that to a racing game enthusiast, and they get excited. Because they get it. They get the fact that even though that car isn’t a real Ferrari, it performs like one, and you had to work hard to get it. They know that even though the track is a virtual one, it is accurate and exciting. Virtual driving can be an extremely challenging and rewarding pastime.

Turn 10 Studios get that too, which is why they put so much into the Forza franchise. Now that the game has twin paths (in the form of Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon) we’re seeing alternate releases – this

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Forza Motorsport 7

about a blistering lap around your favourite track just as the sun peaks over the horizon, turning the clouds brilliant orange as the new day arrives? Maybe even a tussle along a rainy track at night, with the lights of your competitors turning the track into liquid fire?

All these, and more, are things you will see in Forza Motorsport 7. And they are a feast for the eyes.

And the ears, too… engine sounds and environmental effects are of an excellent quality here.

But racing games are about more than the tracks and how good they look. The cars are important, too… more important, actually. And Forza Motorsport 7 has a massive amount of vehicles to drive, collect and decorate. More than 700, in fact. But before you get too excited about your car collecting aspirations, it’s good to keep in mind that Forza Motorsport 7 changes

the way in which you do so. Cars are divided into tiers, and you cannot buy a car from a tier until you have satisfactorily collected cars in the previous tier. So no jumping into a Lamborghini after a few races – you need to work your way towards it, and need to add other cars to the mix. This might be a way for Turn 10 to get people to collect and drive cars that are maybe a little underappreciated, thanks to them not having rearing horses or charging bulls on the bonnet.

Whatever the case may be, it adds a new level to the game, and a new set of goals to work through. Some may find it irritating, but it is ultimately a fun and clever way to get players to explore all kinds of vehicles.

And I mean all kinds. In Forza Motorsport 7 you’ll be racing not only hatchbacks and performance sports cars. All terrain vehicles are here too, as are trucks

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7 has on offer, although (surprisingly) your winnings at the end of races are going to be more or less that same, whether you scale up difficulty or not. The same is not said for the AI – tougher AI results in tougher rewards, which is always a good thing in a game where you need to buy lots of cars.

The other way to get cars or cash is by levelling up, which is directly affected by your performance. Better driving grants better experience awards and, when you level up, you can choose between cash, cars or driver outfit rewards. Yes, Forza Motorsport 7 has driver outfits, and a great number of them too. But you’ll only really see these between races, when your driver is standing next to your car.

Another way to get cash is by creating and sharing designs with the community. Each download, like and

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and a bunch of other slightly different vehicles. And not every jaunt behind the wheel will necessarily be a race; showcase events, while giving you the opportunity to add awesome cars to your collection, may also have you doing crazy things… like carbowling in a limo. The showcases provide plenty of opportunity to do different things during Forza Motorsport 7’s long career mode.

Not that the racing is boring. The career mode is set up to have the player run through many different vehicle types on tons of different tracks.

Add in dynamic weather and things get even more interesting. No two races ever feel the same in Forza Motorsport 7, which is great.

Even more variety can be achieved by scaling the numerous difficulty tweaks that Forza Motorsport

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Forza Motorsport 7

use will net you some extra credits. Your Drivatar taking part in races will also get you some credits, but this seems to be the least reliable way of making money in Forza Motorsport 7.

And then there is a way to boost your earnings… mods. Mods can be applied to a race (up to three at a time) to boost your earnings. Some have requirements, like performing perfect turns or driving with a particular assist turned off, or even from a specific camera angle.

Others, if you are lucky enough to find them, boost your earnings without the need to meet criteria.

Finding mods brings us to one of Forza Motorsport 7’s more controversial new features: loot crates. These can be bought using in-game currency (thankfully) and can contain a number of different things, like new cars, mods, driver gear and so forth. They feel a little

alien in the Forza world, but they are still fun to crack open.

And we haven’t even spoken about the driving yet.

Thanks to great physics, as well as a massively scalable difficulty level, Forza Motorsport 7 is a game that will appeal to, and be accessible to, pretty much anyone with a yen for virtual driving, and it delivers the excellent performance that we have come to expect from this franchise. While it is obviously best played with a wheel, even the Xbox One controller feels at home in wrestling the cars around the tracks.

Forza Motorsport 7 manages to cling to its reputation with this excellent outing for the franchise. It may feel a little less serious than some other racing sims out there, but its broad accessibility and fantastic attention to every detail make it a real winner. g

AT A GLANCE Racing

REVIEWED ON

Forza Motorsport once again delivers a top-notch driving experience with its latest offering.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Turn 10 Microsoft Microsoft

PARENTAL ADVISORY

3+ gamecca100

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

x0 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

90 59

E M W A IE G EV R

NBA 2K18 Dominate or be dominated.

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Play Now Online which is its own league with rankings, leaderboards, and trophies. 2KU where have more game modes dedicated to teaching you the game.

Blacktop where you can 1v1 up to 5v5 on street-court style basketball. All-Star Team-UP where you join other players online and take to the court. Lastly you have Play with Friends where you play with online friends. And all of these are just in the Play Now menu. Yeah. I know.

From a gameplay perspective, new players to the series will feel entirely overwhelmed. The shooting, passing, dribbling, blocking, defending all take some time to get used to. You’ll miss, cause reach-in fouls, and quite possibly throw your controller across the room. Or is that just me? We haven’t even gotten into the depth of making plays, learning to position players, runs, and so much more. However, once you get into it (or have

GAMING

here is this term that I like to use when I play sports games. That term is investment. That’s right, a game can be an investment. Even though there’s a new iteration every year, the skillset acquired, hard work put in, and hours slaved working to be the best, all work together for both current and future titles. Then you have this word hype, and that’s how I’d like to describe NBA2K18. And not the negative version of hype that falls short. No, I’m talking about every dunk, dribble, and block makes my adrenalin pump. That’s right, I love NBA2K18 and here are reasons why.

First of all, there is a shit load of game modes. I’m talking Play Now where you can choose your NBA team and dive right in. NBA Today where you play as the teams literally playing that day. I’m talking

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And of course what would the NBA be without the music right? From Hip-Hop to Rock, the selection of music had me bobbing my head (and the occasional sing along to Busta Rhymes and Def Leppard). You can also wear your headphones in My Career and listen there. A great soundtrack.

There’s tons of replayability in NBA2K18, and you can choose varying paths from being a manager to being a rising star. You have 2K TV which plays actual video footage with interviews and all the latest news. The My Team with it’s collectable/purchasable card pack players, and an online system that makes for in-depth, strategic, challenging, multiplayer. The loading times are nuisance though, throughout the game, but other than that, it’s the NBA come to life in almost every aspect, and being part of it makes me love it. g

AT A GLANCE Sport

REVIEWED ON

The FIFA of Basketball, NBA2k18 continues its long running success with sick beats and a heat to set baskets on fire.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Visual Concepts 2K Games Prima Interactive

PARENTAL ADVISORY

3+ gamecca100

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

x0 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

85 61

by Nthato Morakabi

a strong idea of how the NBA strategies work), it is a rewarding experience.

From a graphical perspective, well… you know, no game is perfect. Especially the Pre-Game Show that feels stiff and so badly staged it may as well be the WWE. (Oh wait 2K makes WWE doesn’t it… hmmmm). Other than that, once you get inside the game, and you’re on court, the game truly comes alive. I don’t remember the last time hitting a dunk got me excited. Especially with the highlight short capturing my amazing achievement. Even the Career Mode looks and feels like you’re a rising star on the road to becoming the next NBA All-Star, from the story to training, to getting haircuts and…uhh playing 2K18 inside 2K18 (#inception), and of course, being on the bench and watching famous NBA stars bringing heat, all in first-person perspective.

E M W A IE G EV R

FIFA 18 GAMING

On the offensive…

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FIFA 18

by Alex Scanlon

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E M W A IE G EV R

T

Hunter, now something of a star, wanting to build on his ambitions by taking on (and winning) some of the Beautiful game’s most prestigious competitions.

It’s the natural progression for the story, and will see Hunter rubbing shoulders with some of football’s greatest heroes. But it also feels disconnected and cinematic, with the player having little influence over the story itself.

Response options in dialogue, for example, feel more like an afterthought than a game changer, and the player ends up feeling guided more often than not – becoming more of a spectator to the scenes between games than an active participant.

Hunt Returns is still fun, even with its disconnected feeling – but it isn’t the meat and bones of the FIFA franchise. What really matters is the football itself. Here, though, it can be argued that, during all those tweaks, the

GAMING

he FIFA video game franchise has, over the years, developed a sort of “tick tock” release schedule. “Tick” years see big improvements to the overall package, while “tock” years are all about fine tuning and refinement of those new ideas. It is a system that works in numerous different fields, and it certainly works here.

FIFA 18, then, can be considered a “tock” release.

FIFA 17 brought in numerous new ideas – most notably the single player career “story”, in the form of The Journey. This year, The Journey continues from where it left off last year.

In FIFA 17, we got to experience hopeful Alex Hunter’s move towards breaking into the scene. In FIFA 18’s narrative, named The Journey: Hunter Returns (which sound, admittedly, like a bad ‘8os sequel) we see Alex

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FIFA 18

developers made something of a misstep. Or a few, even.

The focus of the game has shifted onto a more attacking game, making things a little more difficult for those that play defensively, either through choice or out of necessity.

The ball finds the back of the net more often in FIFA 18, making it a more accessible game for newcomers (they will get on the score board, at least) but effectively removing some of the strategy that the game has required before.

With flashy animations to go along with them, players can take more chances with shots on goal, and find far more success at riskier play than before.

Similarly, passes are a little too crisp this time around.

The ball very rarely doesn’t find the feet of the player it is intended for. Additionally, new ball handling mechanics make it harder to lose the ball, even at full tilt, making daring rushes across the pitch more than a little possible.

None of these are massive problems, but for a game that takes pride in capturing the essence of real players, it almost marginalises the real-world players who are more defensive, or who prefer to set themselves up for passes.

With all of that said, it must be noted that FIFA 18 is still a great game. The soccer action is intense (perhaps more so for its preference for attacking play) and the visuals are fantastic, down to great action animations and personalised celebrations.

It seems as though, this year, the developers wanted an experience that was more cinematic and dramatic than an accurate football simulation… while still retaining the core of realism that the series is known for. In short, it’s not the best FIFA year we’ve ever seen, but it certainly isn’t a bad one. Veteran players may need to approach their game strategy a little differently, though. g

AT A GLANCE Sports

REVIEWED ON

If you prefer a more attacking game of football, FIFA 18 has plenty of what you like in store.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Prima Interactive

PARENTAL ADVISORY

3+ gamecca100

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

82 65

E M W A IE G EV R

Atomega GAMING

Mighty morphin’ exoforms

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GENRE

Atomega is a great

by Lein Baart

time killer, but will require more content to survive

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

7+ AWARDS

Ubisoft Reflections Ubisoft Megarom

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

76

AT A GLANCE

PARENTAL ADVISORY

REVIEWED ON

PLATFORMS

for long.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

gamecca100

FPS

PC

are lost at death however, and while it’s technically possible to take down larger players, in practice this is all but hopeless, forcing you to scamper into tiny pathways as you hunt for weaker competitors. It all builds towards a constantly fluctuating power struggle where no one can hold dominance for long, and combined with an intricate map that contains a handful of randomised power-ups, Atomega can easily whittle away hours of your time.

There is however a reason that it launched for only a sixth of the price you would usually expect from a triple A release. At the time of writing Atomega only contains one map and one mode, deathmatch, and at this point there is no indication that more content is on its way. It will not take you long to come to grips with the game, and despite the map’s elaborate design it does not take more than a handful of matches for you to become familiar with the layout, meaning that there is a very real danger of its becoming overly repetitive.

Its lack of exposure has also not done it any favours, as while four player rounds are undeniably fun, you will need a full roster to gain maximum enjoyment, and the player base at this point is not large enough to reliably guarantee this.

At its heart Atomega feels like a pet project that managed to impress enough to warrant a release. There’s plenty of entertainment to be had here, but gamers can be a fickle lot, and being spoiled for choice it will not take long before players begin seeking nascent pastures.

The game’s survival will depend on Reflection’s ability to quickly produce additional content, though should this not come to pass there a far worse ways to spend your time, especially at this price. g

Atomega

I

n a time where multimillion dollar ad campaigns have become par for the course, replete with an avalanche of carefully edited trailers, screenshots and press releases, it’s seldom that a major publisher is willing to let a new IP out the door without having the gaming public whipped to a frenzy.

Ubisoft’s latest offering, Atomega, has arrived at our doors almost entirely without the usual fanfare, or price tag, and this quirkiness appears to be embedded in its very fabric.

A product of Ubisoft Reflections, the studio probably best known now for Grow Home and Grow Up, Atomega is multiplayeronly first-person shooter set at the very end of the universe, where up to eight players battle as Exoforms while reality collapses around them. At least that’s what the marketing blurb reads.

In truth though Atomega couldn’t give a damn about telling a story, and gleefully pitches you into a match without even a hint of a tutorial.

Thankfully hand-holding is not required, as this is a game that has mostly pared down the FPS experience to its absolute core. Reminiscent in pace of shooters such as Quake 3, or more recently Doom, the frenetic ten minute matches blitz past as you scrape and scramble to gather blocks, called “mass”, in order to morph into successively more powerful forms. Reach Omega level and for a brief time you become a near unstoppable behemoth, though should you fail to keep on gaining mass you will quickly burn out and have to climb the evolutionary ladder again.

There’s a decent sense of progression as you grow larger, with each form sacrificing speed and mobility for raw firepower and health.

All these improvements

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Knack 2 Not quite there…

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be. Knack 2 improves on many of the faults made in the earlier game, but it repeats some of the others.

On the whole, the game feels like the development team got lazy. Back to grandma’s lasagne, it would be the same as substituting canned food for ingredients that grandma made fresh, from scratch. The flavour is there, but it’s not quite the same.

This laziness becomes most apparent in Knack’s ingame companions. When you have literally beaten a path through the wilds, teleported across a vast chasm and knocked out a bunch of enemies, only to have the companions that you left behind mysteriously appear ahead of you (with no explanation for how they got there) credulity becomes strained to breaking point. It’s a small thing, but it gets annoying… you almost want to sit back and say to the companions “well, if you knew

GAMING

here is something wonderfully soothing about a familiar recipe. Like maybe grandma’s lasagne, or something like that. It has all the elements that you expect, and yet it proves to be delightful every time. Platformers are the grandma’s lasagne of gaming – there isn’t a lot new in the genre, the recipe of moving platforms, quick-to-kill enemies and environmental puzzles is pretty firmly set. But, just like grandma’s lasagne, if the ingredients aren’t just right, the whole thing seems off or, at very least, a letdown. And that’s Knack 2, in a nutshell.

But I have a bunch more words to write, so let me elaborate. Knack 2 follows on from the PS4 launch exclusive Knack, a game that left a lot of people wanting, rather than swinging in to be the new iconic platformer that the developers doubtlessly wanted it to

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liberally scattered through the world, so the inevitable deaths never become overly frustrating.

Still, sometimes fun isn’t enough… the lack of depth in the characters (all of them, really) and the very obvious laziness in putting the game together takes away from the experience. Even the great looks that Knack 2 has on offer in its environments feel a little worse off when you consider how blandly functional the environments are.

There is a lot of replayability, though, and the character does progress thanks to a pretty extensive skill tree. So you may find yourself revisiting Knack 2 for its New Game Plus and Time Attack modes. Just don’t expect it to be anything more than meets the eye – it isn’t. It is a game that solidly does its thing, without distractions like deep plots, tons of details or relatable characters. g

AT A GLANCE Platform

REVIEWED ON

It’s got all the ingredients you would expect from a platformer, but something went wrong with the recipe here...

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

SCE Japan Studio SCEE Ster Kinekor

PARENTAL ADVISORY

7+ gamecca100

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

77 69

by Rob Edwards

there was an easier way around all of that, why didn’t you just say so?”

Almost as disappointing is the total lack of exploitation of the character that is Knack. Here we have a mystical being that is new to the world, able to transform into a much larger being, and even take on elements like ice and steel to do combat, and yet his character is flatter than the paper that the script is printed on. It wouldn’t have taken much to flesh him out, even just a little.

Knack 2 can be great fun to play, however, which is the game’s only true saving grace. The platform areas are challenging, and the combat, although repetitive, allows a player to get a little inventive with various attacks and parries. The puzzles are a little too prescribed, but they can be fun to solve, particularly when using Knack’s ability to change size. And, thankfully, checkpoints are

E M W A IE G EV R

Dishonored: Death of the Ou GAMING

Get ready to Lurk…

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Dishonored: Death of the Outsider

by Walt Pretorius

utsider

71

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E M W A IE G EV R

G

up… but they are great powers.

The first, and arguably best, is Billie’s movement ability, called Displace. To use it, the player places a “ghost” where they would like to go. They can then freely move around, and can teleport to the “ghost” when they need to – as long as it is in line-of-sight. That makes for some quick, fun and risky moves.

The second is Foresight, which allows the player to “fly” around the map and mark targets, as well as scout out the surroundings. Combined with Displace, this allows the player to really dig into plans and strategies.

The third power, Semblance, allows the player to knock out a character and disguise themselves as that character. It consumes Void energy when you move, though, and can be responsible for getting the player into tricky situations.

One big change that fans of the franchise will find is that

GAMING

reat games spawn sequels (like Dishonored did) and spin-offs (like Dishonored 2 did). The spin-off, in this case, is Dishonored: Death of the Outsider and, as far as shorter games based on another go, it’s pretty darned good.

In Dishonored: Death of the Outsider the player takes on the role of Billie Lurk, an assassin for hire in the city of Dunwall. Her mission, initially, is to find her erstwhile mentor, Daud, but it soon becomes a much grander scheme to kill the Outsider, a dark god who exerts a negative influence on the world.

Right after the first mission, the player is granted the three abilities that will stay with them for the five or so main missions that make up Dishonored: Death of the Outsider.

It’s a bit of a quick reveal, and the powers cannot really be developed beyond using bone charms to slightly amp them

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Dishonored: Death of the Outsider has no Chaos system.

Killing has no consequence in this shorter game, giving the player a lot more freedom to do what they need to, or play the way that they want to. However, it does leave Dishonored: Death of the Outsider feeling a little hollower, because the player no longer has to be extra careful to not create any unwanted consequences with their actions.

With that said, Billie Lurk is an assassin, and perhaps the consequences of killing, for her, are different. Also, the player can now really let loose and do some damage, if they choose – that choice was never really available before, because the consequences of Chaos always shoehorned the player into a stealthier approach before.

Another change that grants the player more freedom is the fact that Void energy replenishes over time, rather than being dependent on elixirs. This means that players can be looser

with their abilities, because they aren’t counting pennies, as it were.

Some of the gravitas of the Dishonored world is sacrificed as a result, though. However, in a game that is significantly shorter than any Dishonored title that came before, perhaps that isn’t such a bad thing. Even the victims of Lurk’s activities feel less important, because killing them, or leaving them alive, is a personal decision that doesn’t have any lasting impact on the world.

Even though it is much shorter, there are reasons to revisit Dishonored: Death of the Outsider. The Original Game Plus mode allows you to use abilities from Dishonored 2, and custom difficulty modes allow for a lot of variations and tweaks. And the world is still as compelling, detailed and rich as ever.

It might feel like Dishonored Light, but it is still great fun to play. g

AT A GLANCE RPG Adventure

It night feel like Dishonored Light in terms of length, but some fresh new ideas and new powers make Billie Lurk’s adventures in Dunwall a lot of fun.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Arkane Studios Bethesda Ster Kinekor

PARENTAL ADVISORY

18+ gamecca100

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

REVIEWED ON

x0 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

83 73

E M W A IE G EV R

WRC 7 GAMING

Fun without fear

74

gamecca100

GENRE

As a licensed title, it’s disappointing

WRC 7

phones it in.

by Christo van Ge-

that

But

despite the missed opportunity there

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

3+

Kyloton Games BigBen Apex Interactive

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

76

AT A GLANCE

PARENTAL ADVISORY

REVIEWED ON

PLATFORMS

is fun to be had.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

gamecca100

Racing

PS4

licensed title. (Though there is not much depth beyond that; no historic rally cars or crazy fictional destinations.)

The sound is good and the graphics aren’t bad – ticking along at an unwavering 30fps but never breaking new ground. The physics engine offers nowhere near the levels of realism seen in Dirt Rally or Project CARS 2, but it’s passable. You can add some immersion by racing with a wheel, with baked-in support for popular models.

While this might seem underwhelming, the actual game isn’t. It’s solid and a good whack of fun. In fact, its lack of realismat-all-costs makes it more accessible to first-timers, who can use this to get into rallying and rally games.

Strap into one of the slow junior cars and tackle one of the 20-kilometre-long rally stages, and you’re sucked into the fun. There’s no ultra-realistic mud and gravel to master, so cars have decent grip – you’re never completely terrified of driving. This means less crashing and more racing.

To seasoned sim-racing connoisseurs this might be a bit Fisher Price in its approach, but yours truly spent a good couple of hours conquering the game’s career mode to emerge a hero.

While blasting along snow, gravel, tar and mud tracks, WRC 7 never lets you forget you’re just playing a game.

But that’s a blessing not an indictment. Games are supposed to let us escape and feel invincible. Perhaps the best praise that can be heaped on WRC 7 is that it takes us back to 1998, when the original Colin McRae Rally hit the shelves. It might not be as revolutionary as the Codemasters original, but gosh darnit it doesn’t want more than for players to have some dirty fun. g

WRC 7

F

ive right into three left sharpens, 130, brake, hairpin left caution inside.

The rapid-fire instructions from your co-driver are a vital part of any rally. Mostly because every corner – on sometimes questionable road surfaces – is taken blindly, and as fast as possible.

It’s one of those elements of authenticity that absolutely needs to be nailed. At this point, it’s almost rote for rally games.

Just part of the ol’ checklist: co-driver? Check. Handbrake turns? Check. Slidey car physics? Check. Four-wheel drive cars? Check.

In fact, WRC 7 checks all the boxes. It’s a good game.

It’s enjoyable and accessible – you don’t need to be Ken Block or Sebastien Loeb to conquer its challenges. It’s also an officially licensed title, receiving the blessing of the motorsport gods at the FIA and WRC franchise.

It’s the latest iteration of the WRC series (but unlike the name suggests, there have definitely been more than seven official WRC games). Just like FIFA titles, this is like the annual update fans await.

Thankfully, there’s more to get excited about than revised commentary and the latest ball kickers from South America.

For the 2017 season, the actual, real-life regulations for WRC cars changed to allow more power, grip and aerodynamics. This means the cars are faster and more fidgety. So, while WRC 7 is a by-the-numbers update, at least the new content is actually different.

The game itself is standard fare, though. The menus are simple and legible – nothing fancy. The career mode sees you master junior WRC cars before moving onto the big boys with double the power and speed. All the right cars are there, as well as the rally venues; a given, since it’s a

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Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite Worlds colliding again…

M

said for the characters that do battle within those virtual arenas. The character design is, at best, inconsistent, with some really good looking characters mixed up with others that… aren’t. Some characters almost achieve the level of deformed, and while the physiques of comic and video game characters are normally somewhat overstated, these go beyond even those norms. It’s a bit jarring, and the characters feel stiff and mismatched.

Then there is the story… the plot is pretty thin, and full of holes and justifications that seem more desperate than sensible. This is accompanied by a bunch of bravadodriven ridiculous one liners that will have you cringing with embarrassment for the poor voice actors who had to deliver them.

If you can get past these presentation elements, you will (particularly if you are a fan of the franchise) find a game that

GAMING

arvel vs Capcom has been around for ages, even if its roots lie in 1996’s slightly different X-Men vs Streetfighter. The genetics are strong, even though the franchise has evolved over time.

And this outing, Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite, shows a number of positive changes that make it arguably one of the best in the franchise.

But it’s not all wine, roses and song here. The game has a few issues too, although most of them are largely cosmetic.

Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite manages to get things right where they really count – in the game dynamics – but falls flat in areas that are very important to many gamers.

The first is in terms of visuals. The environments are great, with lots of flash and fancy bits to delight the eye.

The environments are crammed with character, and are something of a visual feast. The same, sadly, cannot be

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Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite

more strategy required here, rather than fast combo inputs, leaving the game feeling more level.

In fact, the whole experience feels more level and accessible and, as a result, more fun and demanding in terms of strategy. If it wasn’t for those visuals, Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite would be right up there in the fighter roster, thanks to some clever tweaking and adjustment of the way the game plays.

Oh, and just to mention… things may have started for this franchise with X-Men vs Streetfighter, but the X-Men (including fan-favourite Wolverine) are not in this game. It’s got something to do with movie rights and so forth… so those that liked Magneto, Storm or Wolverine will have to find other characters to use. It’s a bit of a blow, sure, and some of the replacement characters feel less impressive, but the game is still fun none the less. g

AT A GLANCE Fighting

REVIEWED ON

Despite inconsistent presentation and a laughable plot line, this title has soe excellent fighting action of offer.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Capcom Capcom Ster Kinekor

PARENTAL ADVISORY

12+ gamecca100

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

78 77

by Rob Edwards

is familiar, yet unique, and full of excellent fighting action.

And there are a few big changes, too. The biggest of these is the changing of a three fighter tag team to a two fighter team, empowered by an Infinity Stone. Each Stone grants different abilities that can significantly effect how the tag team operates, so there is plenty of room for experimentation and tweaking here (particularly given that it is a fairly large character roster).

Another change to tag teams is that switching out fighters can happen pretty much at any time now… mid-jump, mid-combo, whenever. This leads to setting up some pretty stunning tricks that can really win the edge in a fight.

Speaking of which, Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite has modified the way that damage scaling works. This time around, dominating an opponent with a dazzling combo that will leave them broken on the floor can’t happen right away. There is

E M W A IE G EV R

PES 2018 Subtle evolution

T

them, it really is something to behold. While FIFA may battle to make those massive improvements because it is already in very solid shape, PES big leaps are incredibly noticeable.

And with this year’s FIFA being focussed on attacking game play, and setting defensive play back, PES 2018 offers an arguably more solid and strategic game of football. That said, PES has always been the more dramatic and cinematic of the two… perhaps it’s a case of FIFA catching up to what PES was doing, instead of the other way around, as is most often perceived.

Sticking to that cinematic tone, PES 2018 sees improvements to the Real Touch feature that came into play last year. Real Touch + once again improves the way that players in-game interact with the ball, adding thighs, shoulders, stomach, chest and the entire foot into the mix.

This means, in terms of animations at least, that things look

GAMING

he on-going struggle between Electronic Arts’ FIFA franchise and Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer is not likely to let up any time soon; both franchises have very solid fan bases, with the different flavours of the two series appealing to varied appetites.

Even though FIFA still has a strangle-hold on licensing, which is a pretty big thing for some fans out there, Pro Evolution Soccer – PES to its friends – manages to keep up pass for pass, and shoots more than a few threatening shots at goal.

Strangely, this year, both FIFA and PES have had iterations that don’t see major improvements, but rather tweak the improvements made is last year’s instalments.

For FIFA, that’s a pretty normal thing, but for PES, it’s big news. PES 2017 brought some massive changes into play, and so with PES 2018 working on refining and improving

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PES 2018

Another thing that stands to get some improvement are the goal keepers. While they were pretty good in the 2017 version, this year’s instalment seems goalies that are twitchy and certainly less capable. It’s not a game-breaker, but scores are certainly going to be higher at full time with less reliable goal-keeping AI on the pitch.

So which of the two football giants scores the winning goal this year? It’s hard to say, because even though they are both soccer simulations, they are really quite different.

Yet with FIFA’s move into more dramatic territory, it is plying its trade in waters that PES knows well. The actual football feels a tiny bit better in PES. In terms of features and licensing, FIFA wins, of course. The truth is that both are great games, if for different reasons. And which one you prefer will likely come down to which one you enjoyed last year. So things haven’t really changed, then… g

AT A GLANCE Sport

REVIEWED ON

It might not be the vast improvement that last year’s PES was, but PES 2018 has plenty of great tweaks to thrill players with.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Konami Konami Ster Kinekor

PARENTAL ADVISORY

7+ gamecca100

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS

Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice

x0 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

Score

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by Walt Pretorius

more like you would expect them to appear in a real football match, and players, in terms of dynamics, are now able to handle things like inaccurate passes and the like much better.

There are plenty of new things on offer here, including a three-a-side multiplayer co-op competition that is extremely rewarding to well-oiled teams, and an entertaining random player selection mode (imaginatively called Random Selection Match) that can truly challenge players to perform under differing circumstances.

While there are numerous modes and features that are quite great, PES 2018’s Become a Legend mode is still left wanting. In this “control a single player on the path to greatness” mode, the newly placed focus that PES has on teamwork seems lost. Compared to FIFA’s The Journey, it really isn’t anything to write home about, and feels tired and dated.

E M W A IE G EV R

Yakuza Kiwami Go back to the beginning…

T

shows just how far things have come. But calling this a remaster also isn’t entirely accurate; it is more of a reworking, with lots of new things added in. It almost feels like the game is new, while the story is old.

While many remastered titles simply amp up the graphics and knock off a few rough edges, Yakuza Kiwami plays more like a modern entrant into the franchise. Combat, for example, has been lifted right out of Yakuza 0, complete with the three fighting styles that Kiryu is capable of. The fact that the game doesn’t have much guidance in the use and differing effects of these styles is something of a letdown, and they may prove confusing to newcomers… but it certainly beats the clunky combat of the original game.

Additionally, exploration has been overhauled, with tons of new things to do, people to interact with, and random fights to engage in. All of these feel like they were taken

GAMING

he Yakuza franchise first kicked off around a decade ago, and introduced us to Kazuma Kiryu, a tough guy who once worked for the Yakuza and had just completed a stint in prison after taking the fall for a friend. And as much as Kiryu tried to escape the machinations of the Japanese criminal underworld and create a new life for himself, it just kept sucking him back in.

Since then, we have had ten years of tales showing us the seedy, and sometimes strange, nature of Japanese organised crime, as depicted in this series. So, for those that have started taking on this journey more recently, publisher Sega and developer Ryu ga Gotoku Studios have reworked the original game, and released it in the form of Yakuza Kiwami.

Putting the original and this “remaster” side by side

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with flashbacks and time changes appearing out of nowhere, it seems. The side quests sometimes derail the main plot, too, making Yakuza Kiwami a sometimes jumbled and difficult story to follow.

Lastly, it is significantly shorter than the average Yakuza game – which, admittedly, still makes it longer than the average game overall. But fans of the franchise may feel a little short-changed on play time, even though the game is at a lower cost than normal.

Still, it’s well worth experiencing, even if just for nostalgia sake. While there may be some issues that came about in the translation of the original to this newer format, Yakuza Kiwami is valuable in that it defines the story, once again, for those that may not have played it so long ago.

That, alone, makes it a worthwhile journey for fans of the franchise. g

AT A GLANCE Action

REVIEWED ON

While Bound by Flame has many faults, forgiving gamers will discover some great dynamics hidden within it.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Ryu ga Gotoku Studios Sega / Koch Apex Interactive

PARENTAL ADVISORY

18+ gamecca100

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

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by Walt Pretorius

from the recent titles, creating a nice cohesion in a game that goes right back to the beginning.

And, of course, fan favourite activities, like karaoke, batting cages and hostess clubs, have all been added into the mix, as well as numerous other (often bizarre) activities.

The environment, too, is great after the reworking.

Kamurocho feels vibrant and lively, and there are tons of opportunities to explore this very real-feeling virtual world.

But you’ll have to work to get there. This is one of the weaker aspects of Yakuza Kiwami – some of the less-thanstellar elements of the original (which may have been great ten ears ago) are still around. You’ll be forced to perform a handful of missions before Kamurocho opens up to you, and they’re not great, to be honest.

The narrative, too, feels confusing and muddy at times,

E M W A IE G EV R

Cuphead GAMING

The savage beast

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GENRE

Don’t be deceived – Cuphead is brutally punishing and completely

But

by Walt Pretorius

unforgiving.

it is also a prime example of extreme attention to detail and the desire to deliver an

PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS

7+

Studio MDHR Studio MDHR Microsoft

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice

Score

88

AT A GLANCE

PARENTAL ADVISORY

REVIEWED ON

PLATFORMS

excellent product.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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PS4

objective.

And thanks to modern technology, Cuphead’s savage nature is unpredictable.

Unlikeother platformers (including those coin op games) the patterns and predictable behaviours one would expect in boss battles, for example, are all but stripped away, leaving the player with chaotic encounters that rely on quick wits, and little more.

It is, in a word, excellent. A lot of other words could also be thrown in there, many of them of the four-letter variety, but things like refreshing, challenging and original also spring to mind.

There are two difficulty modes to Cuphead. If the normal game mode proves to tough (and it quite likely will, often) then you can try it out on the easier setting – but you cannot complete the game in the easier mode. It’s tough or bust.

Cuphead also features a drop-in / drop-out online coop mode that is great fun. It doesn’t make things easier, though… arguably, things get even tougher when another player joins the fray, although there are new options and chaotic elements that a second player brings to the table.

Oh, yeah, there are also oneshot power-ups that can be bought and used in the games various levels, and some of them have really great impact on the game… but they are also limited in varied ways, too.

There is no easy way in Cuphead. Its brutal, unforgiving nature comes through at all times, even when not facing bosses. It is demanding and savage, and it doesn’t make even the slightest allowances for misstiming or that sort of thing. Its cute, cartoonish nature belies its viciousness.

Cuphead is a great example of developers putting their all into a game, and ensuring every aspect of the title is onpoint. Well done indeed. g

Cuphead

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remember, way back when the world was a simpler place, feeding lots of coins into arcade machines. Like the world, the games were a lot simpler then, too. And they were also a lot harder because, well, killing players off a lot meant more coins jangling into the slots. They were, at times, punishing things that really pushed players’ limits.

And they created a way of thinking that believed that games should be hard. Because money.

That thinking has, to some extent, changed, because these days most games are once-off purchases (albeit costing more than a pocket-full of change) that players can keep revisiting time and again. The reason for making games challenging now is different – it’s all about achievement. And you cannot deny someone that kind of achievement forever, not when you want to sell them another game later on down the line.

The satisfaction of completing a game is as powerful as the desire to complete a game.

Enter Cuphead, an apparently unassuming platformer of sorts, based on the unique cartoon style of early 20th Century, propaganda riddled animated films. In terms of style alone, Cuphead is totally brilliant, with every aspect of the presentation, from the outlandish handdrawn characters through to the sound track accompanied by dust-pops and needle scratches, through to the film noise that was all too prevalent when movies were actually shot on film, directly and securely on point.

The thinking behind Cuphead, though, is more akin to that of people making those old coin-op arcade cabinet games than the more modern approach. Cuphead is brutally punishing. You won’t just die, you will die a lot.

A handy progress bar does nothing more than highlight those failures, too, teasing you with how close you did (or didn’t) get to completing your

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Delving into the complex parts that make up

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aking games is not easy – or even someone’s first choice. But sometimes a combination

GAMING

of like minds, ambition and a healthy view of the community at large is the secret. We speak to Andy

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indie developer studio, Pocketwatch Games.

By Nthato Morakabi

Nguyen, Producer / Designer at Pocketwatch Games and the hope and motivation keeping independent game development going, as well as their latest game, Tooth and Tail. gamecca

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GM: It must be hard as

GM: Pocketwatch Games is an interesting name, reminds me of a book I read… anyway why did you choose that name and how did it come about?

AN: Pocketwatch Games was named after the pocket watch, which is a small simple device on the outside, but if you open it up and look at the interior, it is full of many, complex moving parts. This analogy describes the games we make. They seem simple on the outside, but they have many layers of depth and complexity upon looking deeper.

GM: Well that is… deep. Who makes up Pocketwatch Games, and what is the history of the indie dev company?

AN: Pocketwatch Games is currently three full time employees. We have the Founder and Creative Director, Andy Schatz, myself as the Producer/Designer Andy Nguyen, and our Programmer Dexter Friedman. The company was founded way

useful in the end. So are you a gamer? What role

just you three, but when

does gaming play in your

did you start development

life in general?

and main question, why

Indie View

back in 2005.

AN: Of course I’m a gamer!

did you, personally, start

Growing up, I couldn’t imagine

developing games?

what my life would be like

AN: I started my career

without games. All my current

at Pocketwatch working on

friends I made through gaming

Monaco: What’s Yours is Mine.

throughout the years, and it

Personally, gaming had always

is still my favorite pass time.

been a passion of mine, and

Gaming gives me the hope

I was particularly fascinated

and motivation to see what’s

with the indie game movement.

around the corner because

I was fortunate enough to be

every year yields new surprises

living in San Diego, which is

and experiences.

where Pocketwatch is based.

GM: Yep, we see how

GM: Fortunate indeed.

gaming keeps changing,

When it comes to

and on that note, what

inspiration, where do you

does being a Game

find it, both in gaming and

Developer mean to you

outside of gaming?

both as a gamer and as a

AN: My inspiration comes from… well all over the

developer?

AN: I am finally glad that

place. It comes from video

I am be able to give back to

games, board games, movies,

the community that gave me

television, travel and life

so much love growing up. I

experiences.

needed games in my life, so I

GM: I hear that. What

feel like it’s my responsibility

did you study and did you

to pay that love forward.

study it specifically to go

GM: That in itself

into gaming?

AN: I actually studied

is actually quite inspirational. I’m sure

Economics and Business

you’ve faced difficulties

Management. At the time,

in the industry? Care to

it was not specifically about

share advice, struggles,

getting into gaming, however

victories or challenges

I later discovered that

faced as a company?

economics is a great field to

AN: Making games is

understanding game design

definitely not easy, but

and the human behavior that

everyone knows that. If your

drives interesting choices.

heart is in the right place, you

GM: Well that became

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us tremendously and it’s the

a video game. My advice?

backbone of how Tooth and Tail

Truthfully, it’s going to be hard,

became what it is today.

it’s going to make you question

GM: Yeah that is actually

game?

AN: Uh can I say see above?

Or should I say Starcraft?

GM: What platforms can

yourself, and it’s going to

great. The feedback from

we expect to play Tooth

change you. It happens to

communities definitely

and Tail on, since you

every game dev, so you will not

helps. Is there a game you

mentioned controller and

be alone there.

are currently developing

keyboard and mouse?

GM: Is Pocket games, or

following Tooth and Tail?

AN: We’re looking to release

you, part of an Indie dev

AN: Not at the moment!

it on PS4, GOG, and Steam…

Community?

GM: Haha of course,

so Windows, Mac, and Linux.

AN: Yes we are. Our

okay so what can you tell

GM: And when is the

community is a very tight knit

us about Tooth and Tail

release date… if you have

and openly communicative

and its birth as your indie

one?

community. It feels like being

dev uhhh… baby?

part of an extended network of

AN: I’d say soon but we

AN: Tooth and Tail was born

got it out September 12th so

from the desire to play classic

you can buy it now on Steam:

Real Time Strategy games of

http://store.steampowered.

and are there any Indie

the 90s, but without the heavy

com/app/286000/Tooth_and_

Developers you look up

control scheme and emphasis

Tail/

to or who inspire you

on APM (Action per Minute).

GM: Great! So last

personally?

What was born was a game

question then, what is

that was playable on both

one thing you love about

of indies and their games.

controller as well as keyboard

being an indie developer

Brendon Chung is a constant

and mouse. In the end, we

and what would you

inspiration to me because

ended up with a game that

change?

of his honesty, integrity, and

retains the strategic depth

humility. I really love that guy.

and complexity of a game like

think about games in new

GM: As for the gaming

Starcraft, but with significantly

and interesting ways is

(public) community,

easier controls to get into the

really what makes every

how integral is it to your

action. It also helps that the

day so rewarding. If I could

development? How has

matches are only 5-8 minutes

change something, it would

it helped shape your own

long! (laughs)

be the cutthroat nature of

friends.

GM: That’s really great,

AN: I’m inspired by a bunch

development?

GM: That does help,

AN: Just being able to

the marketplace. It feels like

AN: We started Tooth and

and I guess that is the

a survival game out here,

Tail, our current game, with the

key feature that makes

where everyone’s trying to

intention of making an open

your game Tooth and Tail

get by, but we only have just

development community. We

stand out?

enough to get keep going.

knew we needed to rely on

AN: That is exactly right.

The industry changes so

the fans to help us balance

Simple button system, short

quickly that friends come

the game and to listen to

games, and strategic depth.

and go every few years and

their feedback as often as

GM: Alright and the

possible. This has helped

inspiration behind the

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Quick Picture TECHNOLOGY

Does a high frame rate really make a difference?

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ometime between

it the most). See, for a movie to

28 000 and 25

work, at least in the days of film, a

000 BCE, a

number of still images, or frames,

primitive human

would flicker over the screen. Show

being in what is

then fast enough, and the illusion

today known as

of motion is created. For those too

Austria picked

young to remember, movies use to

up simple tools and began carving

come on immense rolls of celluloid,

one of the oldest (and certainly

bearing thousands of still images

one of the most famous) figurines

that would pass through a projector,

on record. The Venus of Willendorf

which had a light that flickered in

might not be the oldest example of

time to the film passing through

early figurines, but it does prove an

it… thereby creating the illusion

undeniable fact: decorative figurines

of motion. And that speed is 24

– whatever their purpose may have

frames per second, a long-standing

been – have been around for a

standard for the movie industry. In

very long time. The human need to

fact, the brain can be fooled into

decorate and commemorate is as

seeing motion as low as 18 frames

old as the hills, and figurines have

per second.

been a way of doing just that for almost 100 000 years.

One of the biggest arguments that

basic principles are still there.

However, new filming techniques

PC vs Console War is the question

and technologies have allowed much

of frame rates. It is here that many

higher frame rates to be employed,

PC owners cry total and final

and film-makers are now turning

victory, because many can push

to a doubled up 48 frames per

their frame rates much higher than

second to make movies. It creates a

the 60FPS which is considered great

different feeling in the end product,

for console gaming.

with potential for les eye strain and smoother movements, not to

make a difference? Are higher frame

mention a number of other effects.

rates something that are that much

In video games, frame rates are

of a game changer that console

also a big thing. Just like movies,

gamers should ditch their hardware

video games flash images to create

and start saving up for a PC?

images on the screen, although the

The answer, as these things

mechanics are slightly different than

generally go, is not all that simple.

original movies. And that’s where

But before we start getting into

all the commotion comes in. Frame

that, let’s take a look at what frame

rates have become a new battle

rate actually is…

ground, even when restricted to

Frame rate is an idea that comes

TECHNOLOGY

with the advent of video, but the

erupts in the apparently unending

The real question is this: does it

console, with games being criticised

from the movie industry, and is

heavily if they drop away from 60

measured in frames per second,

frames per second, which is what

or FPS (which is ironic because

the industry considers a sweet spot.

it always seems that first-person shooter – FPS – players crow about

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Things have changed since then,

PCs, though, with their high-end components and overclocking

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capabilities, are capable of far

a second delivered to your

higher frame rates… the soap

eyes and brain, and a smooth

box that many PC adherents use

movement is created.

to lambaste console gamers. In turn, many arguments are levelled

gaming PC is pushing out 80

against high frame rates, for

frames per second, while your

example that the human eye can

monitor has a refresh rate

only perceive a certain number

of 60Hz. That is, sadly, the

of frames per second. The idea

equivalent of 60 frames per

is, of course, preposterous; there

second, because your monitor

are no frames in the world around

cannot show 80 frames in one

us. The human eye perceives

second.

smoothly, although focussing

are lower would be unaffected,

in motion blur when things move

but anything higher than your

very quickly.

monitor’s refresh capabilities is

start thinking that their victory is

just wasted power.

There are monitors available

in hand, there is another factor

with higher frame rates, of

that comes into play – and it is

course, and there are also other

often overlooked, even when it

advantages to the graphics

is stared at… the monitor. Just

delivered by a high-end PC, like

because your FPS measuring

improved graphics and steadier,

application indicated that you’re

smoother performance. These

getting a performance well over

should not be overlooked –

60 frames per second doesn’t

after all, graphics performance

mean that you’re actually seeing

is not all about frame rates. A

over 60 frames per second. And

game that plays silky-smooth,

here’s why…

but with low detail, is no better

Like movies and old cathode ray

than a low frame rate attached

TVs, modern TVs and monitors

to great graphics – not if

flicker. It is called a refresh rate,

you’re after a superb visual

and it indicates how quickly the

experience.

monitor is capable of flickering…

So, to add some important

in other words, how quickly it can

pointers to the argument, and

show a series of still pictures and

summarise: Yes, higher frame

create an illusion of movement.

rate does make a difference,

A common refresh rate for TVs

even though 60 frames per

and monitors using LCD or LED

second is going to deliver a

panels is 60Hz… which means

great visual quality. But not all

that it flickers 60 times a second.

monitors can handle more than

It’s simple maths from that

TECHNOLOGY

Naturally, frame rates that

dynamics and the like may result

However, before PC gamers

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However, let’s say your

60 frames per second, so if you

point onwards. If the monitor

really want to take advantage

flickers 60 times, and the

of everything your high-end PC

gaming hardware displays 60

has on offer, make sure that the

frames, then everything is

screen you are using is able to

good. You’re getting 60 frames

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Does Piracy hurt sales?

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mgeect 2 c4a 1 0 0 ggl a ad

by Suvesh Arumugam

conversation generated by more

that this is an article about

people watching the show ultimately

International Speak Like a

led to more revenues for the network,

The Other Side

de

Y

ou might reasonably assume

Pirate Day. While the parody holiday on

with more people taking up HBO

19 September invented by two friends

subscriptions to get premium access

becoming an international phenomenon

to the show. This was not a new idea.

would be a cool story, we’re talking

Back 2008, “Heroes” and “Lost”

online piracy again. In the past, we’ve

producer Jesse Alexander felt that

taken a look at the measures that

BiTtorrent sites helped the shows reach

anti—piracy groups (like SAFACT)

a broader audience and created a larger

are lobbying government to put into

community around the content.

legislation and the role of ISPs in

This was a long time ago (I’m sure

combating piracy. However, there is little

there’s a similar calculation for internet

data available to show what the actual

years like dog years). Four years is

impact of piracy is on music, television,

certainly a long time for anything

film, gaming and book industries.

happening online. Since then, we

Indeed, it

haven’t heard much

would be an

more in line with this

expensive research project to

“...piracy could actually argument, and in fact it’s been mostly the be beneficial...” opposite. We’ve seen

determine

stronger policing by

the extent of something which hasn’t

content producers of torrent sites,

actually happening, i.e. lost sales, lack

stronger laws preventing piracy (as

of reinvestment in industries and unpaid

well as punishments for offenders), and

royalties.

we’ve seen massive sites being taken

Back in 2013, “Games of Thrones”

down over the years.

was already the most pirated television

However, it turns out that 2013 was

show (possibly the most pirated media

also the year that the EU commissioned

of any form) on the planet. With over

a comprehensive study into the effects

4 million downloads per episode, many

of piracy on creative industries. Dutch

expected that HBO would be chomping

consultants Ecorys were paid almost

at the bit to shut down piracy at every

half a million dollars to study the effects

turn. However, the show’s director

of piracy on the music, television,

David Petrarca surprised the world by

gaming, film and book industries. The

saying the exact opposite. At a panel

report, finalized in 2014, was never

discussion at the University of Western

released by the EU, aside from certain

Australia, Petrarca was confronted with

small selected portions. It was only

the massive piracy figures from sites

after an extensive freedom of speech

like Torrentfreak. Without batting an

campaign by EU parliamentarian Julia

eyelid, he stated that, in his opinion,

Reda, that the commission finally

piracy could actually be beneficial to

produced the full report. The 300-page

the show’s success and didn’t present

document found that 51% of adults (in

a threat to the network’s revenues.

Europe at least) illegally downloaded

He went on to say that the buzz and

content, with 72% of minors also doing

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so - piracy was rife on the continent.

that audiences want content on demand,

However, the part that led to the

and are not happy when distributors

report being suppressed was the actual

make complex distribution agreements

effect of piracy on content-creating

that delay their access to premium

industries. The report found that there

movies, TV show airings or video games.

was “no robust statistical evidence of

So if everyone is making money, what’s

displacement of sales by online piracy.”

the problem?

In the case of video games, the report

Recent events in South Africa may

concluded that online piracy may actually

shed some light on this. There has been

contribute to increased revenues as

increasing debate over the payment of

illegal downloaders were more likely to

music royalties to writers, performers

eventually purchase the legal content.

and publishers. Estimates in July this

There was only one industry that the

year were that the SABC (South Africa’s

report found was clearly negatively

national broadcaster) owed musicians

impacted - blockbuster cinema releases.

almost a billion rand in royalties. This

However, the report concluded that the

comes amidst increasing criticism of

reduction in sales was only 4.4%.

streaming services like YouTube and Spotify’s payment of royalties to content

“There’s no record industry anymore.”

creators. If the global figures apply, it means that while labels and streaming services are getting paid - artists not so much. Perhaps it also suggests that while the network and studios are continuing

The current state of the industry is that sales are booming. The latest figures show that 2016 saw an increase in sales

Here’s what legendary rocker Roger Daltery (lead singer for British super-

since 2009). Paid streaming services

band The Who) had to say about

continue to flourish, with apps like

making a new album in 2017. There’s

Netflix, Showmax, Hulu, Amazon Prime

no question that the album would be

and other services for film and television

widely popular with fans, and would see

increasing revenues year on year. Music

significant sales on Apple Music and the

streaming services like Apple Music

like. Yet Daltrey said:

It makes one wonder why there is so

TECHNOLOGY

pot for writers and artists.

figures for the music industry (the best

continue to grow as well.

100

to maintain profits, there’s less left in the

“There’s no record industry anymore.

Why would I make a record? I would

much focus on piracy if the networks

have to pay to make a record. There’s

and creators are continuing to increase

no royalties, so I can’t see that ever

their revenues. Could it be that greed is

happening. There’s no record business.

simply more powerful than the realization

How do you get the money to make the

that we live in a sharing world? The

records? I don’t know. I’m certainly not

success of streaming services is

going to pay money to give my music

testament to the fact that people are

away free. I can’t afford to do that. I’ve

willing to pay for content, but not willing

got other things I could waste the money

to pay exorbitant prices. It also shows

on.” g

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Journey to Star Wars The Last Jedi – Captain Phasma #1 Sheena Queen of the Jungle #1 Dastardly & Muttley #1 Venomverse #1

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Third time’s the… change!

After two solo movies centred on Marvel’s mighty mythological hero – not to mention a major role for the character in two Avengers super-squad films – Thor’s third big screen outing is clearly intended to offer something new.

Back in 2011, the Kenneth Branagh-directed Thor mixed “fish out of water” misadventure on Earth with Shakespearean-style family feuds on Asgard. The film was a critical and commercial success.

Two years later, Thor: The Dark World released, with Game of Thrones regular Alan Taylor at the helm. That sequel was an even bigger box office hit.

Reviewers were less impressed though, and audiences had a hard time remembering what the movie was about a week later.

Clearly something had to be done to inject some freshness and memorability into the Thor franchise if it was to continue.

Especially at a time when cinemagoers were embracing things like Guardians of the Galaxy, with its irreverent sci-fi heroics and retro 70s soundtrack.

Thor: Ragnarok certainly seems to have taken its cue from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 and 2. It’s different from its predecessors in almost every way, with a huge overhaul of the title character’s appearance, cast, tone and marketing approach. The series also has a new director in the form of acclaimed New Zealand filmmaker and comedian Taika Waititi.

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The plot synopsis for Thor: Ragnarok is as follows: Four years after the events of Thor: The Dark World, Thor is held captive on the planet Sakaar without his hammer Mjolnir. He finds himself in a race against time to stop the allpowerful goddess of death, Hela, from causing Ragnarok – the complete destruction of Asgard.

But first Thor must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger, the Hulk.

It’s not that Chris Hemsworth’s Thor hasn’t always had a healthy sense of humour.

Ragnarok, though, promises to place the emphasis on fun instead of stiff regality. Waititi has stated that his inspiration for the movie is 70s-80s science fiction and fantasy, and has pointed to John Carpenter’s wacky Big Trouble in Little China especially. Ragnarok is intended to be a colourful, madcap adventure in space – utilising some elements from the famous Planet Hulk comic arc. The action will be set to a Queen-style synth soundtrack.

Joining a freshly buzz-cut Hemsworth is Marvel Cinematic Universe veteran Mark Ruffalo, reprising his role as the Hulk / Bruce Banner. In terms of series newcomers, Tessa Thompson plays Asgardian warrior Valkyrie, and her morally ambiguous character has aligned herself with Jeff Goldblum’s Grandmaster, ruler of Sakaar. On the villain side of things, Cate Blanchett is vengeful Hela, and Karl Urban her bulky henchman Skurge.

Familiar faces from the Thor franchise do appear as well for fans who thinks Ragnarok offers too much change. Tom Hiddleston’s fanfavourite Loki is an unlikely ally for Thor against Hela, while Idris Elba and Anthony Hopkins are back as pivotal Asgardians Heimdall and Odin respectively.

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AUDIENCES AMPED FOR RAGNAROK There are still a few weeks to wait before we see if Thor: Ragnarok delivers on its entertainment promises or not.

This said, the movie has already succeeded in getting people talking. The film’s teaser trailer broke Disney-Marvel records back in April. It was watched 136 million times in 24 hours. And in July, Ragnarok became the most discussed film on social media for two whole weeks. Excitement levels are sky-high.

For the record, only one other Marvel movie will release between Thor: Ragnarok and Part 1 of Avengers: Infinity War in April next year. That’s Black Panther in February.

Thor: Ragnarok is out in South Africa on 27 October, while LIFESTYLE

it hits US screens on 3 November. You can watch it in 3D cinemas, IMAX and 3D IMAX.

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a vast and complicated place. Between the interlinked movies and their many mid- and post-credits scenes, it can be difficult to keep up with each character. So what has happened recently with Thor?

At the end of Thor: The Dark World, Thor declined his right to rule Asgard, and returned to Earth to spend more time with mortal girlfriend Jane Foster. But that plan evaporated once Thor had apocalyptic visions during Avengers: Age of Ultron. Making the connection between recent events and the massively powerful Infinity Stones, Thor headed off-world to investigate who is collecting the Stones. As a result, Thor was missing from Captain America: Civil War. The last time audiences saw Thor was during the credits for Doctor Strange. By this point the God of Thunder has realised that his adopted brother Loki is still alive (not dead as he thought in The Dark World), and masquerading as their father Odin, king of Asgard. Meanwhile, the real Odin is somewhere on Earth. Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) agrees to help Thor find his family, if that means such powerful extraplanar beings will leave the planet.

Note: Don’t expect the events of Thor: Ragnarok to immediately follow the Strange meeting.

Rumours suggest the new film will be mostly set between Age of Ultron and Doctor Strange. This said, Cumberbatch is confirmed to appear in Ragnarok.

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THOR’S STORY UNTIL NOW

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OUT WITH THE OLD...

Thor: Ragnarok is a substantial shake-up for the Thor movie series in terms of its cast. Here are some of the key characters (plus the actors who play them) who reportedly won’t be back for the third movie. But don’t take our word for it. Marvel can be very sneaky!

Jane Foster & company In short, with Thor: Ragnarok taking the action primarily off-Earth, the human characters will be sitting out this adventure. So don’t look for slightly nutty astrophysicist Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard), wisecracking intern Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) and, most importantly, brilliant scientist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Thor’s love interest. With so much time spent apart, Thor and Jane have actually broken up by the start of Ragnarok.

Frigga There’s a simple reason for Thor’s mother Frigga, the queen of Asgard, not to appear in Raganrok. The character (played by Rene Russo) died in second movie The Dark World, while protecting Jane Foster from the film’s villain, Malekith (Christopher Eccleston).

Sif and the Warriors Three Don’t rule out Thor’s most trusted battle companions. Although their presence in Thor: Ragnarok hasn’t been officially confirmed, their actors were spotted in Australia while shooting took place there. They may not have a large role, but expect Asgardians Sif (Jaimie Alexander), Fandral (Zachary Levi), Hogun (Tadanobu Asano), and Volstagg (Ray Stevenson) to at least show their faces.

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Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher: Rated:

COOL STUFF: Comics

GET GRAPHIC Captain Phasma #1 Kelly Thompson Marco Checchetto Marvel Teen

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by Clive Burmeister

After being forced to aid the Resistance forces at gun point, Captain Phasma finds himself locked in a trash compacter, with the very dark consequences of being labelled a traitor looming. But Captain Phasma has no intention of going down, and so begins a desperate race against time for the captain to remove all traces of his involvement in the Resistance’s attack on Starkiller Base. For the captain knows that even being forced to betray the First Order will still mean a fate worse than death if the captain is caught by his superiors.

With excitement and expectations building for the upcoming new Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi, Marvel is giving us a peak into the events leading up to the next chapter in the franchise, as well as a glimpse into the character of the mysterious Captain Phasma.

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GET GRAPHIC Sheena Queen of the Jungle #1 Marguerite Bennett, Christina Trujillo Moritat, Dimi Macheras Dynamite Teen

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by Clive Burmeister

She’s sexy, she’s savvy, she is Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.

Issue one kicks off with an action packed roller-coaster ride as Sheena, while trying to defend her land, finds herself on a desperate mission to find one lost surveyor before his militaristic companions attack her peaceful village due to his disappearance. As time runs out, Sheena needs to track down this one lone man in the vast jungle, and get him safely back to her village, and hope that is enough to avoid the bloodshed.

Sheena is a beautifully illustrated comic, and has a number of comics’ top artists doing special covers for the issue, like world renowned J. Scott Campbell of Danger Girl fame. The story and script flow easily from page to page, and will have you engrossed as the drama unfolds.

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GET GRAPHIC Dastardly & Muttley #1 Garth Ennis Mauricet DC Teen +

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by Clive Burmeister

DC bring the old Hanna-Barbera cartoon series into the future with celebrated comic writer Garth Ennis. Ennis, responsible for some rough, violent, and very explicit comics in the past, may not be the first name to come to mind on such a project. But besides controversial comics, Ennis is also regarded as an incredibly creative and talented writer, and brings just the right amount of colourful insanity to the book to give it the Hanna-Barbera feel, but also provides a healthy new spin and maturity to make it an entertaining read for the current market. In this take on the story, Col. Richard “Dick” Atcherly and Captain Dudley “Mutt” Muller are on an urgent mission to neutralise an American asset for the US Air Force, but things take an unexpected turn while the crew are flying over the airspace of an irradiated Unliklistan.

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GET GRAPHIC Venomverse #1

Writer:

Cullen Bunn

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Iban Coello

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Marvel

Rated:

Teen +

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by Clive Burmeister

Horror writer Cullen Bunn takes the wheel on Marvel’s new event series, Venomverse, which sees an all star cast of venomized characters face off against a new alien threat that is targeting the symbiotes.

Venomverse also puts fan favourite Venom character, Eddie Brock, in the lead role, as the anti-hero is forced into the position of leading various Venoms from throughout the Marvel multiverse.

With Cullen Bunn writing this event, expect to see a much darker story, but Marvel have assured readers it will still be action packed, and have a little comic relief with venomized versions of characters like Deadpool, Rocket Raccoon, and the Venom from SpiderHam’s Universe, Pork Grind. Some other characters appearing all venomed up will be Old Man Logan, Captain America, and Ghost Rider.

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Agents of Dreamland Labyrinths of the mind

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Agents of Dreamland Caitlín R. Kiernan Tor Books Sci-Fi /Lovecraftian Horror

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he world as we know it hides many secrets, as government special agent Signalman knows well. Half inebriated half the time, he meets a woman in a diner to exchange information. Information that changes everything, though he doesn’t know it.

Meanwhile, near the shore of Salton

Sea, the Children of the Next Level have gathered, brought together by a cult leader with deep insights.

Otherworldly insights. Ones of a coming future that the Children will usher in. In another part of the world, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory loses contact with NASA’s interplanetary probe, New Horizons. Connecting all of these events is a woman who floats outside of time, looking to the future and past for answers that will save humanity.

And that is merely a scratch on the surface of a deeply complex yet surprisingly coherent, and intertwining novella. One where Science Fiction and Lovecraftian Horror merge to biblical proportions.

Of history, and foreshadowing, and an uncertain future floating on the precipice of destruction. Caitlín R. Kiernan writes fluidly through each distinct character, showing glimpses of the bigger picture from each individual. One can see her knowledge of the sciences, and the twisted labyrinths of her mind, which coalesce into Agents of Dreamland. Effective.

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Unnerving. Brilliant. g

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The Only Harmless Great Thing An alternate history…

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The Only Harmless Great Thing Brooke Bolander Tor Books Historical Fantasy

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ewark, New Jersey is the central point of a dark, heart wrenching story. A story about a group of female factory workers slowly dying of radiation poising. Of Indian elephants brought in, abused and forced to work in these factories. A story of ancient

mammoths who walked with pride, wisdom and most importantly, memories. The memories of the Mothers. The same that will carry on through the histories of cruelty and justice.

In an alternate history featuring the famous Radiation Girls who, instead of painting watch dials, are tasked with painting elephants with the self-luminous paint. The story may revolve around these proceedings, but the time line stretches across eras both future, present and past.

Switching perspectives through each subsection of the story to tell a grander story. A story of redemption, injustice, revenge and pride.

Brooke Bolander does a fantastic job of portraying each character in the novella, even through the telling of different eras, poetry and song woven in, you can see the link that chains the story together. It is a poignant and powerful story, written beautifully, with a strong message for all who will read it. g

by Nthato Morakabi

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Ramjet’s rantality

o the time has come… it’s time for me to turn in my pen, hang up my mouse and power off my PC. Yes, friends and neighbours (both of you), Ramjet is finally saying “Sayonara” to the world of gaming journalism. It’s been quite the ride.

So, in this final column, let’s look at the changes I have wrought by expressing my opinion over many years, in numerous publications.

Let’s dig deep and delve into the influence I have had over the hearts and minds of gamers, and look at the positive ideas I have helped foster through my gently prodding people into looking at things just a little differently. Let us investigate how my words have changed the world of video gaming, whether on a local or a global scale, and how they have helped make gaming something that is more tolerable and enjoyable for everyone.

Nope, I got nothing for ya.

Because, at last, I have

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realised that gaming is a chaotic, crazy, many headed beast that cannot change its ways. Gaming, and more importantly the community around it, is something that changes and evolves on its own.

There is no need, or space, for guidance here.

This is just something that will happen on its own. And when you have a system like this, an organically growing and shifting arena that is fuelled by the passions of millions, no one voice can change it or shape it. Nor can thousands. Or even hundreds of thousands.

I have come to realise that I have spent years wasting my breath to try and change something that cannot, and will not, change. And perhaps it shouldn’t, because even though it is filled with a massive amount of utterly annoying nitwits, it seems to be doing fine.

So all the piracy, all the platform wars, all the self-entitlement and one-upmanship… let it be, Ramjet, let it be. It is

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Final Curtain...

what it is, and there is no deviation from it. Because it is so massive, so vast, that it cannot change, not quickly. And despite the fact that there are so many idiots around in gaming circles, it is growing from strength to strength… who am I to mess with that.

I guess I just wanted to see some sort of logic and order introduced into it, really, but there is no space for that. Not in this industry.

So, for a change, I will just play games and try to stop bitching about everything surrounding that activity. It sounds like fun, and like it will be better for my blood pressure. If you cannot change something, you have to accept it for what it is. So I will try and do that, and not get caught up in the crap that bothers me. Sounds like a solid plan.

So, for those of you that read this column (both of you, again), thanks for listening, I guess. It’s time for other things. g