Gamecca Magazine September 2014

I S S U E 6 3 / Vo l . 6 September 2014

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

Risen 3 Sacred 3 Dead Rising 3 Forza Motorsport 5 Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Ulitmate Evil Edition and more...

Smite It!

Diablo 3 back on consoles

What We’ve Missed...

Pure Crazy

Sunset Overdrive gets nuts

We round up a whole lot of Xbox One games...

Par ty Time!

The Xbox One hits SA this month...

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Given to games and hardware that score above 90

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Given to games and hardware that score above 85

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Given to games and hardware that score above 80

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Ed’s Choice

Given to products that stand out for various reasons. This award is not dependent on score.

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his is a very exciting issue of Gamecca. Not only is it one of the biggest issues we have ever put together (if not the biggest) but it also comes just ahead of something that many South African gamers have been eagerly waiting for – the launch of the Xbox One. We’ve had to wait almost a year for the new Microsoft console here at the southern tip of Africa, and the hype that has built up during the time we have been waiting has been equal parts frustrating and exciting. But the wait is almost over, and in a little more than three weeks (from publishing) the Xbox One will grace retail stores across the land.

Thanks to the folks over at Microsoft’s South African office, several members of the press (including us) got early access to the Xbox One and, as a result, we were able to put this launch issue together before the launch. In that way it becomes a guideline for our readers, enabling them to make informed decisions – and that’s exactly what we hoped would happen.

So here it is – our Xbox One launch issue. Inside, you’ll find reviews of many Xbox One games. Some of them are older, yes, but they’re new to South Africa, and we treated them as such. In addition, there are a number of games that we took another look at, purely to see how they perform

From the Editor

AlmostHere

by Walt Pretorius

on the new Microsoft console. And, naturally, we take a look at the hardware and the overall experience it provides, all in a handy feature that will tell prospective buyers everything they need to know about the system, setting it up and using it.

As for the rest of the year… well, it’s September, which means that the next two months are going to get crazy. We are staring Quarter 4 in the face and, quite frankly, it’s looking pretty exciting. There are a lot of great games on the way, and we’re pretty pleased about that here at the Gamecca offices, because the last few months have been extremely quiet. And now that we are fully equipped with the latest hardware, you will notice a shift in the magazine – you’ll be seeing far less games reviewed on Xbox 360 or PS3. In fact, those games that do get reviewed on those platforms (in theory, of course) will only be the ones that don’t appear on the latest consoles. The reason for this is quite simple; we want to provide reviews based on the best possible experiences, and therefore a shift towards new hardware is a necessity.

Right, that’s more or less enough from me. WE all have other things to get to… you need to get reading this magazine, and I need to get some last minute catch-up gaming in before the tidal wave hits.

So, if you’ll excuse me…g gamecca63

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THIS MONTH’S COVER

Sunet Overdrive doesn’t take the apocalypse too seriously...

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Regular: Did you know Six video game facts for you

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Feature: Sunset Overdrive Armageddon gone crazy...

Publisher / Editor: Walt Pretorius walt@1337-media.com

Publisher / Art Director Katia Taliadoros

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PReviews: Games 11 Upcoming games

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Feature: The Evil Within Taking Survival Horror back to its roots...

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Reviews: Games 15 games investigated

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Regular: Legacy Is the Zelda franchise the greatest gaming series ever made?

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Column: Ramjet’s Rantality Too much convenience...

Katia@1337-media.com

Writers: Alex Scanlon Charlie Fripp Clive Burmeister Katia Taliadoros Lein Baart Nthato Morakabi Rob Edwards Suvesh Arumugam Walt Pretorius Letters:

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Taking fun seriously!

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

GAMECCA is published by 1337 MEDIA

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Feature: The Next Box Xbox One arrives in South Africa this month!

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reviews: Hardware Seven awesome bits of kit

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Regular: Internet Has decency died?

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Regular: Security Keeping your phone safe

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Column: Technically Speaking What is tech to you?

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Feature: The Other Games Games that had (and still do) an influence

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Column: The Time Betwixt Why aliens won’t visit...

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Gadgets four awesome lifestyle enhancers!

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COOL STUFF Four of the latest comics to enjoy

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Gamecca Vol. 6 Issue 63 September 2014

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“The Ultimate Evil edition demonstrates exactly the game that Diablo III was always meant to be.”

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FeatureS Sundset Overdrive The Evil Within

PReviews Assassin’s Creed: Rogue FIFA 15 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Shadow Warrior DriveClub PES 2015 The Vanishing of Ethan Carter LittleBigPlanet 3 Fantasy Life Gauntlet Shape Up

Reviews Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evile Edition Dead Rising 3 Forza Motorsport 5 Ryse: Son of Rome Risen 3 Sacred 3 Tales of Xillia 2 Kinect Sports Rivals Watch_Dogs Call of Duty: Ghosts Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Battlefield 4 Sniper Elite III FIFA 14 Road not Taken

RegularS Did you know Legacy

COLUMN Ramjet’s Rantality

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Did You

Know?

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1…

that PlayStation Network was attacked again?

After the devastating hacker attack that left PSN inoperable for a couple of days in 2011, you would think that Sony learned their lesson, but apparently they didn’t. In the middle of the month the platform that makes the bases for any online activity on PlayStation was attacked by a DDoS attempt, flowing to servers with fake traffic. As a result the service was taken offline for about two days, although no user data was compromised..

2…

there is a Lacrosse game in the works?

There are computer titles dedicated to almost every sport type in the world, and one game developer would like to add lacrosse to the roster. If you went la-what, then don’t worry, as it’s primarily a US college sport. But in its defense, it’s one of the fastest paced contact sports and actually very fun to play – it’s a combination of football, basketball and hockey, all played on grass pitch. Developer Carlo Sunseri has made a number of independent lacrosse games, but has taken to Kickstarter to fund his development on a proper game, which he hopes will kick FIFA’s butt.

3…

pinball machines are now legal in Oakland, California?

Can you imagine a childhood without the joy of hearing the pings, rackets and bounces of a pinball machine? Well, that has been what people in Oakland, California has been dealing with for the last 80 years.

Pinball was made illegal in the ’30s because it was considered a form of gambling, but the machines back then also didn’t have the flipper on each side.

While the law hasn’t been enforced for decades, it was finally taken off the law books last month – which technically made it legal to play. But Oakland isn’t the only town that took a new look at old laws. In May a Massachusetts town legalized arcade games, as back then they didn’t want to create an “urban-type honytonk environment.”

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DID YOU KNOW

Another attack, laegal pinball, card games and more...

4…

that FIFA 15 won’t have Pro Clubs mode?

The FIFA franchise has been around for a number of years, and so has the Pro Clubs mode. This allowed gamers to create or join clubs and then compete in 11v11 online gameplay. Well, that mode has now been removed for FIFA 15 as the game just didn’t allow for it on the old generation of consoles. “We’re very confident in the amount of innovation and depth we’re delivering for FIFA 15 on PS3 and Xbox 360 but there are some things we couldn’t do for FIFA 15 on PS3 and Xbox 360, either based on the limitations of these consoles, or our time and resources,” Electronic Arts said in a statement. The mode wasn’t terribly popular, so it might not be missed as much.

5…

that there is an Assassin’s Creed card combat game? ust as the FIFA franchise, Assassin’s Creed has been around for a pretty long time (although not as long as FIFA has) and the franchise has tried to cover about every base humanly possible. The bulk of the popularity comes from the console games, but occasionally developer Ubisoft has delved into mobile games – as with Assassin’s Creed Memories. If you have never heard of the game, don’t be too ashamed, as it only launched at the end of August. It’s a free-to-play card combat spin-off taking place in new areas like feudal Japan while cover already know locations like Renaissance Italy and Colonial America. It blends card combat with RPG and strategy elements and is available on iOS.

6…

that late actor Robin Williams will make an appearance in World of Warcraft?

Despite their subscription numbers falling, World of Warcraft developers Blizzard has stuck to their promise to honour late actor Robin Williams. According to some clever gamers, they have spotted three different NPC Robin the Entertainer characters scheduled to be included in the upcoming expansion Warlords of Draenor. While some names of the characters aren’t known, one is a djinn (Aladdin), the other a human female (Mrs. Doubtfire), and a human male speculated to be a monk. WoW community member Jacob Holgate petitioned Blizzard on Change.org to include a character of Williams, as he was also a game enthusiast. g gamecca63

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Sunset Ov The Joys of A 14

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Feature: Sunset Overdrive

verdrive Armageddon

by Lein Baart

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he modern-day vision of the future is seldom one to inspire hope. From dystopian worlds to an earth overrun by whatever flavour of plague and/or horror that’s the most vogue at the moment, we are a species obsessed with our own demise. Be it zombies, aliens, nuclear war or even the supernatural, we have explored seemingly every conceivable way in which the world may be brought to ruin, and (spoiler alert) few of them bode well for us. Except for, that is, an apocalypse envisioned by the minds at Insomniac Games, where an overhyped energy drink is about to lead mankind to its doom in one of the most irreverent and awesome ways you could imagine.

For those only acquainted with Insomniac through their bigger recent releases, the bright and whacky Sunset Overdrive might appear to be a stark change

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of pace for the developer, especially considering the colour-challenged worlds of the acclaimed Resistance series and (the not-so acclaimed) Fuse. This was however the studio that brought us the Spyro and Ratchet and Clank franchises, and in many ways Sunset looks to be a return to their roots… just with a hell of a lot more lunacy.

Set in 2027 in the fictional Sunset, USA, a city owned and controlled by the megacorporation FizzCo, the game’s plot will revolve around a doomsday scenario straight from the abyss of the absurd. FizzCo, having hosted a massive party to celebrate the launch of its newest energy drink Overcharge Delirium XT, have brought about the end times as the beverage has mutated those that partook of its delights a little too eagerly. Now the metropolis is filled with the OD’d,

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Feature: Sunset Overdrive

deadly abominations that crave human blood and Overcharge Delirium alike, and players will take up the mantle of a former FizzCo janitor turned badass who seeks to escape the quarantine imposed on the city.

If the idea behind the game seems just a little ludicrous at this stage of its development, you can imagine the difficulties creators Marcus Smith and Drew Murray had when they first had to pitch it, not only to their bosses but also to potential publishers.

Indeed, with inspirations ranging from Tank Girl comics to the Hyena Men of Kenya documentary, and an initial presentation that, according to Smith, “Was basically like a hoarder showed up with a bag and dumped it on the table. ‘Guys, check it out: We’re gonna do this!’”, it’s a wonder the title was green-lit to begin with. The real struggle however was finding a publisher that

not only bought into the game but would also allow the studio to retain the IP, an important point for a developer that owns none of the franchises it has made famous. Thus, when Microsoft agreed after a demonstration that apparently ended with Murray “on top of a chair, mimicking how the game was going to play, and the last minute heroics”, Insomniac Games agreed to release the title as an exclusive for the Xbox One, the first time in twenty years that the studio will not launch a game on a Sony console.

So then, what exactly will Sunset Overdrive be? The technical answer: an open-world action third person shooter. While that might appear to be a rather generic descriptor, the game is promising to be much, much more. Its tongue-in-cheek premise aside, it’s the gameplay that should set this title apart from the

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horde of open-world action games that are available on the market at any given time. At its core Sunset Overdrive will be a game in which, as Insomniac CEO Ted Price has stated, “Fun trumps realism”, and thus it looks like the laws of the universe aren’t quite as binding in 2027 as they are now.

Broken down, the game will basically consist of three underlying elements, the first being movement through the cityscape. Whether grinding on a rail a la Tony Hawk Pro Skater style (gravity doesn’t appear to be a factor here), wall running impossible distances or zip-lining through the air on conveniently situated wires, Sunset Overdrive is a game that promises to see you constantly on the go, and the more fantastical your method of traversal the better. Your character will be capable

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of impossible acts of acrobatics, and you will be constantly encouraged to use them, to the point that you can only manage a trot when choosing to leg it on the ground.

While the movement scheme itself is enough to warrant attention, the combat will share equally in the spotlight. Sunset Overdrive is an Insomniac game through and through, and for those that remember the imaginative arsenal that Rachet and Clank and Resistance placed at your disposal, expect no less from this title. From a bowling ball launcher called The Dude to a gun that flings teddy bears strapped with TNT at foes, there will be a huge array of nonsensical and creative weaponry that builds on the flippant atmosphere the setting creates. Requiring more than just a twitchy trigger finger however, the title

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Feature: Sunset Overdrive

will feature a style meter that will measure how well you combine acrobatic manoeuvres with inventive destruction, and will reward you with “amps” once you have gained enough points. These amps can be used to upgrade everything from weaponry, such as causing a randomised mini-nuclear explosion with your default rifle, to movement, and the variations offered appear to be plentiful and pleasingly chaotic. It all adds up to a game that should be fast and frantic, and players will be encouraged to take the most aggressive and devastating approach possible, reality be damned.

Those hankering to take online the madness that Sunset Overdrive hopes to deliver will have the option of an eight player co-op mode called Chaos Squad.

While details remain scarce at the moment, the basic

premise will see you defending vats of Overcharge Delirium XT from hordes of OD’d, with tower defence elements thrown in for good measure. It’s not all happiness and goodwill between players however, as you will be competing for style points that will carry over into your single-player game, allowing you to unlock even more amps.

Sunset Overdrive is a title that is bound to see itself compared a number of other games, most likely Saints Row 4, both for the genre and the equally frivolous dismissal of usually tragic events. While its inspirations may be many and varied, this is a game that seems to be shaping up to something quite unique in its own way, and a cathartic blend of humour, chaos and craziness if the promises hold true.

Welcome to the apocalypse, it’s time to party! g

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Assassin’s Rogue GAMING

Traitor to the cause

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Assassin’s Creed: Rogue

Creed:

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Set during the Seven Years’ War, Assassin’s Creed: Rogue will the tell the story of Shay Patrick Cormac, a former Assassin who, having been betrayed by the order, has turned to the Templars and become a hunter of his former kindred. Chronologically placed between Assassin’s Creed 4 and Assassin’s Creed 3, Ubisoft have stated that the game will serve as the final instalment in what they have dubbed as the North American saga, and will tie-in to both titles as well as Unity. Alternating between an 18th century New York, the North Atlantic Ocean and the River Valley (according to Ubisoft, “a large hybrid setting of the American frontier”), expect to see the return of many familiar faces, including the likes of Haytham

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he Assassin’s Creed series has always retold the same classic story. No matter the setting or the time, it has always been a tale of good versus evil, of right versus wrong. While all the games have attempted to muddy the distinction by painting the Templars as acting ultimately in what they believe to be the best interests of humanity in general, there has never been any doubt as to which of the opposing ideologies was just. One has to wonder however just what it would be like on the other side, and for what reason someone would join a cause so patently wrong. Well wonder no more, as Ubisoft’s latest offering is primed to answer these questions, and more.

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Assassin’s Creed: Rogue

take the fight to you by boarding your ship. The same will go for land exploration, with your former brothers fully capable of using the same skills that you have at your disposal, requiring players to keep a wary eye on any potential hiding spot.

Assassin’s Creed: Rogue is without a doubt fan service. It’s one last taste of what made us fall in love with Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, though by its very nature the plot may mean that those new to the series will have a harder time getting into the game. It should be noted though that as yet there has been no official announcement for the PC, and the game will be avoiding the next-gen consoles entirely, at least for now. g

AT A GLANCE Action Adventure

An unusual twist to the customary AC narrative, Rogue will be offering players one last chance at unbridled naval exploits Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Ubisoft Sofia Ubisoft Megarom

Nov 2014

Platforms

GENRE

ETA

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

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by Lein Baart

Kenway.

Gameplay-wise this will be a title with much in common to the swashbuckling adventures of Black Flag. Once again naval combat will take centre stage, with Cormac’s ship, the Morrigan, playing much the same as its predecessor. That’s not say Ubisoft will not be leaving the game untouched however, as the setting alone will mean players will have to contend with the frozen northern waters while engaging in skirmishes, and new weapons will include a machinegun-like puckle gun and the ability to set fire to a trail of oil in the water. The AI will also see an improvement, and the assassins that you will be so ardently hunting will not stand still, instead opting to

E M W A VIE G E R P

FIFA 15 GAMING

Going towards another goal 24

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Fifa 15

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AT A GLANCE Sport

You can never go wrong with a FIFA title, and this one should be no different.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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EA Canada EA Sports Electronic Arts

ETA Sept 2013

Platforms

GENRE

by Charlie Fripp

he FIFA franchise has been around for, well… ages and there is no sign of it slowing down any time soon. As stable as a Samsung or Apple smartphone release, players of one of the most popular franchises can look forward to another release later this month.

While opinions on the matter might differ, the core of the FIFA titles have developed to a point where it will be difficult in improve upon, and all that is left is refining and tweaking individual aspects of the game. And that is exactly where FIFA 15 is.

As usual, all the familiar teams will be included for gamers to take to the top of the leader board, as well as all the officially licensed players that go with that. For South African fans, the inclusion of Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates has been retained.

This year’s iteration tweaked the passing, updated the graphics, and a changed the way gamers control the players on the pitch – with a bit more accuracy and realism.

There is actually not a whole lot that can be said about the FIFA games, as every year Electronic Arts manages to slightly update the mechanics, visuals and add some minor new tweaks. But with that said, it is always worth checking out, especially if you are a football fans. The FIFA franchise seems to have fairly a bit better in the market when compared to PES, so most players tend to gravitate towards it.

And that isn’t a bad thing, as FIFA really is one of the best and most authentic football games out at the moment.. g

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

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Call of Dut Advanced W GAMING

A new approach to combat

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Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

y: Warfare

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areas. This is the first time that a Call of Duty game has benefitted from a three year development time, and almost a year after the release of the next generation (or is that now current generation?) of consoles, the development team – in the form of Sledgehammer Games, who are new to the franchise – has had more time to dig into what they can do with the PS4 and Xbox One. The story, told with the help of Kevin Spacey, is set in 2053, and sees the player as part of a private military corporation trying to help rescue humanity after a devastating attack wrecked pretty much the whole planet. There’s lots of technology and tactics awaiting the player, too, with elements like exoskeletons and

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ventually every franchise needs to change and modify itself to become something new. It’s evolution, which is needed to keep things fresh in longer running franchises, particularly when that franchise manages to spit out an iteration every year.

And so the team behind Call of Duty have a lot of new ideas in store for us. The franchise has already gone through two shifts – from World War II to modern conflict, and then to a more futuristic slant with Black Ops II and Ghosts. And that’s where they are sticking, for the meantime, although the latest title, Advanced Wars, will take things a bit further in terms of what the battlefield of tomorrow might look like.

But they’re also upping their game in other key

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Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

The exoskeletons will also add a sense of verticality to the game, which Activision believe will have a massive effect on multiplayer. There will also be over a thousand player rewards in multiplayer, as well as customisation options that will allow for more than 2 billion unique combinations.

The Call of Duty franchise has often been criticised for being a ‘copy-and-paste’ series, but it seems that the new direction will inject some much needed freshness into the shooter. Naturally we’ll have to wait and see, but with Battlefield’s latest effort being delayed until 2015 and the solid sales performance of the new consoles, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare may just emerge as 2014’s dominant multiplayer shooter. g

AT A GLANCE First-person shooter

With new mechanics, a new developer and Kevin Spacey, this might just be the breath of fresh air that the franchise needs. And Kevin Spacey.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Sledgehammer Activision Megarom

Nov 2014

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by Walt Pretorius

advanced weaponry and equipment changing the way war is waged.

“We’ve made several key decisions with an eye towards creative excellence on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. We’ve really approached this game differently,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “This is our first three-year development cycle. It’s our first time with Sledgehammer Games at the creative helm.

And we’re shaking up the formula in several ways. New core gameplay mechanics with the exoskeleton suit. A riveting new story. An iconic new character played by one of the world’s best actors in Kevin Spacey. We’re having a lot of fun making this game, and we think the world is going to have even more fun playing it.”

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Shadow Warrior

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The Ninja way in a modern day tal

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Shadow Warrior

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le.

AT A GLANCE First Person Shooter

Lo Wang’s legendary blade, proficiency in weapons and host of powers, pit him against gods that have pushed the world to the brink of destruction.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Flying Wild Hog Devolver Digital TBC

ETA

Sep 2014

Platforms

GENRE

by Nthato Morakabi

he world is being pushed to the brink of destruction thanks to ancient gods from a different world that have been engaged in a timeless battle. Lo Wang, a shogun for corporate giant Zilla Enterprise is dragged into the war as he is tasked to acquire the legendary blade known as Nobitsura Kage, a blade that has ties with the ancient gods. Lo Wang is not alone on his quest however; he is aided by the spirit, Hoji, who was banished from the other world and now helps Wang not only find the legendary blade, but fight against a demonic invasion to discover the truth behind the coming darkness.

With a trusty Katana for frontline assault and Shurikens acting as secondary weapons, players delve into the world of the Shadow Warrior, utilizing ninja skills as well as a combination of blade, guns and magic in order to defeat the creatures of darkness.

Experiencing the rich landscapes such as the serene river stream surrounded by cherry blossoms, the swampy jungles, the inner city streets and the bamboo fields is but a part of the intense gameplay as these battlegrounds bear witness to decapitations, severed limbs and the blood of enemies both human and demonic.

Abilities to be unlocked and upgraded will give players a new edge to gameplay in utilizing the variety of weapons, ranging from handguns and shotguns to submachine guns and rocket launchers.

The over-the-top style of shooting and graceful blade attacks place the main focus of this reboot on visceral melee battles and retro-style shooting. Players can expect Shadow Warrior to bring some new school gaming etiquette to an old school title. g

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

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Drive Club

GAMING

Taking on the world

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Drive Club

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The title will centre on the players and the way the game is raced, by allowing them to drive in teams and to work together to get to the finish line first. The core of the excitement will be when players join or create a race club, with will open them up to more races and special challenges.

Inspired by real-world roads from across the world, the racing will be done in some of the fastest, biggest and most visually-stunning cars imaginable – and that is what racing is all about. Taking a leave from previous racing games, players will have the ability to pimp out their ride the way they want to, to give it a bit of a personal touch.

As most driving games do, there is a single-player

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riving games have been on consoles and PC for almost as long as the technology itself, but with that comes a bit of a problem – they have to be constantly evolved or they will go horribly stale. The PlayStation has played host to a pretty good amount of games that have taken the genre and turned it up on its head, with Gran Turismo being a good example.

It seems as though the console will attempt to replicate the success of the racing stalwart, as the PlayStation-exclusive Drive Club rolls around in October. The games will aim to take gamers where no other game has gone before – which is a pretty tall claim to make.

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Drive Club

to the annoyance of eager gamers. Settling on the October release date, Evolution Studios said that they ran into some technical issues that delayed development.

“We’re excited with what Driveclub is now. Last year we were hoping to get it done, but there was a huge technical issue. So the team had to go back and re-engineer some parts of the game,” Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida said in a press interview.

If they can manage to get the game out in time, it is sure to be a beautifully crafted title that hopefully ticks all the right boxes to appease gamers for the long wait they had to endure. g

AT A GLANCE Racing

With a strong focus on playing with friends, it should leave no man alone Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Evolution Studios SCE Ster Kinekor

Oct 2014

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by Charlie Fripp

campaign that will allow gamers to drive and compete in races in many locations around the world while earing Fame for the racing club, as well as competing in events, Faceoffs and challenges.

For multiplayer, there is a strong networking aspect and features social capabilities that will connect racers to each other. We have seen this before in recent racing games, most notable the upcoming Forza Horizon 2, but as players become more savvy with technology and the power of social capabilities are explored, so to do games incorporate them.

But the game hasn’t come without its challenges.

Originally slated for a release of February this year, the title has been pushed back many times – much

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Pro Evoluti Soccer 2015 GAMING

The More Beautiful Game

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Pro Evolution Soccer 2015

AT A GLANCE Sports

Konami brings football to life with realistic, accurate gameplay, graphics and crowd animations sure to recreate the emotions and feel of a real football game.

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PES Productions Konami Ster-Kenikor

ETA

Nov 2014

Platforms

GENRE

by Nthato Morakabi

ion 5

F

ootball is more than just a game, more than just the players and the teams, it is life and Pro-Evolution Soccer 2015 is out capture the essence of football and place it in your hands.

Running on the FOX Engine, PES15 will look to push graphical boundaries, offering a deeper level of accuracy and real-time lighting, all to bring a richer, fuller experience into the stadiums, the crowds, the players and the game. The realism of PES15 will not only be limited to how in-game players look but will go beyond to capture the play styles of their real-life counterparts, with unique animations and calculated real-time responses to situations in each unique match. Convincing crowd effects and animations move with the proceedings of the match to recreate the feel of real football games.

As with any football game, its all about realism in how the players move, pass, shoot, tackle and manoeuvre on the pitch and PES15 will be all about lightning fast controls at players’ fingertips. New dribbling skills to master, responsive sprints and improved AI will see players either engage opponents or hold them back strategically with teammates moving into space, marking opponents and offering support.

A new game mode is set to feature in PES15 offering online and offline matches complete with an agent to help with transfer negotiations. There will also be Live updates to keep real life stats and transfers in sync with PES15 making sure that in-game teams mimic their real life counterparts – this includes newly licensed PES15 leagues.

Boasting to be the most accurate and most realistic football title on the market, PES15 looks to continue this tradition in this latest instalment. g

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The Vanishin Ethan Cart GAMING

Mystery, murder and photorealis

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This looks to a genuinely intriguing game, and one that aims to tell chilling and enrapturing story Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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ETA Sep 2014 (PC), Q1 2015 (PS4)

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by Walt Pretorius

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The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

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nnovation is not something most gamers will be accustomed to in today’s digital domain, especially in the AAA arena. While indie development has mostly made up for this, one tends to find that the only the most ardent will pursue the many varied delights this segment has to offer. Every now and again however a studio will appear that has the pedigree to make itself known, yet focuses on delivering something substantially different to what’s come before. If we’re lucky, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter might just be the perfect example of this.

Developed by The Astronauts, a developer comprised of former employees of People Can Fly (famous for Painkiller and Bulletstorm), The Vanishing of Ethan Carter will be an adventure title inspired “by the weird fiction (and other tales of the macabre) from the early twentieth century”. The game will see players take the role of Paul Prospero, a detective gifted with the ability to communicate with dead, who is lured to the picturesque community of Red Creek Valley by a letter from a now missing child. While plot details are understandably scarce, everything points to a tale of supernatural mystery and murder that looks to be riveting.

For those that care about aesthetics, if the trailers hold true this will be remarkably beautiful world, as The Astronauts have opted to use a technology that aims recreate environments with near photorealism.

It’s the gameplay though that will be the highlight of the title. While the developers have stated it will not be puzzle heavy, and will feature no combat, even the brief gameplay video saw Paul recreating a murder scene in order to communicate with the victim. All in all, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a title that any fan of well-written gaming should be keeping an eye on. g

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LittleBigPla GAMING

A little help from your friends

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do all that it could on the PS3, what will the PS4 have in store for us? The answer is almost mind-numbing, because the hardware is significantly more powerful.

In this third instalment, Sackboy is transported to a new world, called Bunkum. But his arrival marks the return of three evil Titans, who want to turn this new creative paradise (with it’s myriad ideas) into a wasteland. They plan to do this by turning the world’s most unskilled Creator into an evil being, and it is up to Sackboy to set things straight.

But he will have a little help from some new friends; for the first time in the franchise, Sackboy won’t be the only playable character. He will be joined by the big and heavy Big Toggle, the small and nimble Little Toggle, the

GAMING

hen LittleBigPlanet first launched, it brought with it grand ideas of creating levels and enjoying challenges posed by a physics-based platformer, both in single and multiplayer. A community of level builders sprang up pretty quickly, and tons of new community-spawned content flooded online services – more than 8.5 million levels. This carried on through the second instalment, too, and while LittleBigPlanet may not be the biggest franchise out there, it certainly has a solid following.

So fans will be really thrilled at the fact that LittleBigPlanet is making a comeback, in the form of the PS4 exclusive LittleBigPlanet 3. Take a step back and consider the possibilities; if LittleBigPlanet could

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and upgraded, and players will have much more control over the levels they build this time around. And things promise to be simpler as well, which will hopefully spur on more people to create levels. This, combined with the power of the PS4, makes for a very promising shot in the arm for the LBP community.

And all those old creations? Well, they will still be available for play in LittleBigPlanet 3, so all your hard work hasn’t gone to waste.

LittleBigPlanet 3 promises to be a fun, challenging, creative experience for all those that decide to dig into its myriad possibilities. This franchise has always been about exploration of the imagination, and that looks unlikely to change. g

AT A GLANCE Platformer

LittleBigPlanet 3 promises to deliver more of what we loved about the previous games, only bigger, better and with more characters.

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by Walt Pretorius

agile wall-jumper OddSock and Swoop, who can fly and glide.

The implication is that levels will be more challenging, and that a reliance on these new characters is a given.

That it will be a crazy, challenging ride is definite.

Players will be able to engage in single and multiplayer (both locally and online) to crush levels one after the other. The interesting thing is that all the levels were created using the same tools that are made available to the player in the game’s Create section. In that way, they will showcase what players will be capable of doing, with a little skill and imagination.

And that leads us to the build tools and the community. The toolkit has been extensively reworked

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Fantasy Life GAMING

Choose your own adventure in cl

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AT A GLANCE RPG Adventure

Fantasy Life puts players into an amazing world of adventure, questing and role-playing as a story unfolds around the player and his RPG fantasy occupation.

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LEVEL-5 Nintendo Core Group

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Oct 2014

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by Nthato Morakabi

lassic RPG style.

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fantasy landscape awaits to be explored, an adventure in the snowy mountains, the lush hills, the azure waters, across towns and through distinct areas. Pirate captains, dark paladins and regal princesses are but a few sub-characters to the tale ready to be told, of a fantasy life waiting to be lived.

Players jump into one of 12 Life classes, roles that see players craft, mine, cut wood, fish and fight as they live out their adventure. Craft, Combat and Gatherer classes change the aspect of gameplay as players will have the option of switching between the classes on a whim; crafting stronger and better tools and weapons as the Craft class, battling ferocious monsters and skilled enemies as a Combat class or gathering wood, fish or metals as a Gatherer class.

Character customization allows players to change various aspects of their chosen character from gender, body, head and hair to face, voice, name as well as the “Life� they will want to live. There will also be the ability to own a house in each available town, able to decorate these homes with furniture players will have created. Players will take each chosen life to experience the world through the profession, as players work to forge their weapons with anvil and flame, axe into trees or fishing rod into the waters and so much more.

Apart from exploration, the world will have various quests to complete and items to collect and gather, different according to the selected class, allowing players to revisit and enjoy areas afresh.

Battle against strong opponents using spells, attacks and abilities, testing strength and will, all the while enjoying the adventure that is Fantasy Life. g

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Gauntlet GAMING

The granddaddy of co-op

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AT A GLANCE Hack ‘n slash

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Sep 2014

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by Lein Baart

here are some games that have weathered the march of time almost untouched, with even the original so well known that any gamer, no matter their age, is likely to have picked it up at some point. Then there are others that, despite all rational reason, have faded from the general gaming consciousness, preserved only as a fond memory in the minds of a select few.

Gauntlet is one such title, and for those that long for a recreation of one of the first ever multiplayer dungeon crawlers, fear not, Warner Bros. and Arrowhead Games have heard your pleas.

Nostalgia can be a tricky beast to manage however, and considering that the original arcade version is over twenty years old, Arrowhead have their work cut out to please fans while still appealing to a new generation. The developers of the brilliant indie title Magicka have opted to make a reboot that is largely faithful to its progenitor, and thus expect to see hordes of fantasy-themed enemies in procedurally generated dungeons.

The same classes, namely the Wizard, Warrior, Valkyrie and Elf, will still be on offer for up to four players at a time, both locally and online, and will play much the same, allowing you to mow down innumerable swathes of enemies.

That’s not to say that there’ll be nothing new added to this release, beyond the obvious graphical update. Each class will have access to abilities and relics (which will be used to enhance said abilities), and Arrowhead have chosen to introduce an element of strategy through the use of cooldowns, meaning that Gauntlet should be much more than a mindless hack ‘n slash title. g

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Shape Up GAMING

A fitness title with an arcade twi

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Shape Up

AT A GLANCE Fitness

A combination of arcade style gameplay and fitness challenges look to prove, that having fun while working out is bound to give the best results.

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Oct 2014

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hen one thinks of exercise one might think of gym mats, exercise machines, sweaty grunting individuals in an enclosed space and the sound of weights clanking. For others it might be the beat of constant footfall and the rhythmic pounding of music while jogging through familiar landscapes; for some it might be a living room experience aided by a gaming console. Shape Up embraces this latter form of exercise but rather than have the simple, quiet training regime, Shape up throws in a fun arcade style gameplay into what many might see as boring, hard work.

Each game mode that players will delve in to has a certain workout in mind, made more engaging by the added “gaming” element. The Training Quest Mode is one of the modes that will feature in the title, a mode set to give player’s quests in a 4-week-long program designed to reduce body fat and increase lean body mass – and will have players face off against a final boss at the end of the program to help maximize the workout .

The clever exercises have been configured to make each workout fun by how it will challenge the players such as how many elephants one can lift up in a push-up challenge or doing squats to see who will make it to outer space first.

With a focus on a points-driven system, fun gameplay to keep players playing and local multiplayer challenges that make the exercises both a challenge and competition, Shape Up sets a new trend for fitness titles.

This Xbox One exclusive title looks to prove that a combination of fitness and fun can bring a rewarding workout experience. g

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The Evil Within From the Father of Survival Horror

GAMING

by Nthato Morakabi

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he art of telling a story through some sort of visual medium always has so much potential to it, as those telling the story attempt to immerse the audience in the story as thoroughly as possible. Worlds that were left to the imagination within a written medium can now be experienced in their visual glory thanks to theatre productions, film and now gaming.

One of the advantages of gaming as a story telling medium, compared to others, is the fact that gamers become the protagonist of the story. Not just viewers watching the on-screen character go in to the dark scary room alone, they become the ones controlling the on screen character and all from the safety and comfort of their homes.

Shinji Mikami, disappointed with how a film he’d seen turned out, sought his refuge in gaming and from his

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efforts the Survival-Horror genre was born. As the dead came to life to feast on the living, thanks to a deadly bio-hazardous virus, Resident Evil was born to become the epitome of survival horror. Now, decades later, the survival-horror genre has seen a massive shift that focusses less on survival and even less on horror, with anticipated thrills that do nothing more than cause trigger happy gameplay. The Evil Within looks to recapture that lost sense of fear and dread, shifting from the fast-paced action packed “horrors� we have seen and moving back to what Shinji Mikami first achieved.

The story of The Evil Within follows Detective Sebastian Castellanos, who is tasked to investigate a gruesome mass murder. Once at the scene of the crime, he and his fellow officers are attacked by a mysterious force and the detective watches his fellow officers

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get slaughtered, before he is ambushed and knocked unconscious. Upon waking, he finds himself in the horror of a world filled with abominable, dangerous creatures wandering among the dead. He must now fight for survival against these creatures, exploring the domain ruled by these monsters while unravelling the secrets behind the mysterious force behind them all.

An immersive story looks to put players right in the middle of a tale so dark it’s sure to send chills up players’ spines. Waking up to the sound of dripping blood, the droplets staining the floor as a mouse scurries across and - realizing you are hanging upside down, surrounded by cadavers, while a hulking mass of a man-monster surveys the bodies around him like a butcher, is not the best ways to regain consciousness. This opening scene is but one of many scenarios that players will experience as they play

through the game. Those who have gone through some of the titles in the Resident Evil franchise will recognize this style of storytelling. A combination of gameplay mechanics and story driven scenarios ensure that players will feel as though they are part of the story rather than an audience to a cut scene.

As with any game directed by Shinji Mikami, the creatures roaming the various areas that Detective Castellanos must explore, is just one of three aspects to the storytelling. These humanoid creatures lurk in the shadows, ready to pounce or burst through doors hoping to literally slice the detective in half and once defeated, they must be set alight to ensure they are dead. The events within the game, however, are dynamic, meaning that not every monster will appear where it was previously and an area that may have been empty before

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GAMING

could have something lurking in its shadows when revisited.

They are key characters to the madness that defines the story and they work together with the second aspect which is the environmental level design. Creepy mansions riddled with dark corridors and gloomy libraries, abandoned rooms straight out of a dentistgone-wrong horror and other such levels ensure that there is enough material in the environment to create that sense of dread – couple these with unique and terrifying creatures and the amalgamation brings a deeper sense of fear into each level.

The last of the storytelling aspects lies is in the puzzles. Progression through the story requires meeting the monsters, exploration of the environment along with collecting of weapons, health items and

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unique objects that help understand the story further, all linked together by puzzles. The story will only progress further by solving these puzzles, each one built to engross the player further into the dark world and encourage exploration. The twisted traps, constant exploring and fast thinking ensure that the puzzles be as engaging as they will be challenging. This unique way of immersing players into the story can be seen in titles such as Resident Evil and Devil May Cry, works that Shinji Mikami worked on previously.

Visually, The Evil Within looks like it will be stunning thanks to Bethesda, the company behind The Elder Scrolls Online, Skyrim, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Dishonored, Fallout and many other recognizable titles.

The environments are highly-crafted and will be able to change in real-time as players explore them, becoming

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Feature: The Evil Within

traps to ensnare players. Well designed, horrifying deformations of the creatures exist in the world, obscure creations sure to leave a mark in the psyche. The atmosphere around each level immediately puts a darker edge to everything, especially when moving through each level, ensuring that the gameplay is a terrifying experience worthy of the survival-horror genre.

One of the key features in any sort of survival type game is the lack of resources and the need to scour the levels in search of items you can use to help prolong survival, and The Evil Within keeps to that standard.

Limited resources will ensure that gameplay isn’t rushed and each move will have to be calculated to ensure survival. The need for stealth, which will see players shuffling along in a crouch, is one of the key gameplay mechanics that prove that this title won’t be just another

action-horror hybrid.

News of a new Silent Hill has also surfaced, coming from the Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro, the director and screenwriter of movies such as Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, Pacific Rim and others. Coupled with the upcoming Alien: Isolation, it seems that survivalhorror titles look to be coming back to the fore and rekindling the old flame that set them apart in the first place. The Evil Within seems to be on the right track in regards to recreating the anxiety of a survival-horror title we can only hope for. Gameplay trailers and images show only so much potential and until the game is played, the verdict is in the air but from what has been showcased, The Evil Within looks like a game worth investing in especially if the survival-horror genre is your kind of game. g

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Diablo 3: Reaper of So Ultimate Evil GAMING

Approaching infernal perfection

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Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition

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pinnacle for the game and the franchise. Many detractors of the idea are solid converts, and comments of “this is what it was almost meant to be” and “Diablo belongs on console” are now commonplace.

The Ultimate Evil Edition provides the player with the full experience; the entire adventure starting in New Tristram and ending up in the sullen streets of Westmarch is here to be enjoyed. The refinements that were made in the Reaper of Souls expansion for PC are all here, of course, including increased level caps and the endless Adventure mode. These have been combined with ideas brought into play in the first console port of the game, including dodging with the right analogue stick and Elective mode, which gives the player absolute control over their avatar’s abilities.

Those that played the previous console version can

GAMING

his marks the fourth time that I have reviewed a Diablo 3 title in the slightly-more-than two years since the original game was released, and with each new iteration things just get better. In the time since Diablo 3 first hit shelves, Blizzard have put a lot of effort into refining, tweaking, adjusting and modifying the way the game plays. Their efforts have culminated in Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition, and in this product we have the finest Diablo 3 game to date.

When Diablo 3 was first ported to console (for the Xbox 360 and PS3) there was a lot of grumbling about how it didn’t belong there. But that port did wonders, and now that the Reaper of Souls expansion has once again been ported (including the original game and this time to PS4 and Xbox One) we have reached a

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you to exact some anonymous revenge.

The only real niggle here is one that persists from the previous port: the inventory system, while effective, feels a little clunky. It’s no deal-breaker, though… simply something you need to learn to work with.

Multiplayer is also great in the title, whether via online services, or with up to four players playing locally.

And in all of this, the adventuring, loot grabbing, monster bashing spirit of the Diablo franchise lives on.

It’s a truly brilliant hack-and-slash adventure, and if you haven’t played it yet (or even if you have) the Ultimate Evil edition demonstrates exactly the game it was always meant to be. It’s well worth the effort, and the varied character classes, difficulty levels, increased level cap and awesome Adventure mode mean that it will keep you busy for a long, long time. g

AT A GLANCE Action Adventure

This fourth iteration of Diablo 3 is, quite simply, the pinnacle of the game’s progress thus far.

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Blizzard Activision Megarom

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by Walt Pretorius

effortlessly import saved games via online services, but the power of the new consoles makes replaying the whole affair quite enjoyable, too. The compromises that needed to be made for the previous console port in terms of graphics and the like are gone – the more powerful hardware of the new consoles means that this version of Diablo 3 looks glorious. Maybe not as sweet as it would on a chunky PC, but pretty damned good none the less.

In addition to ideas introduced in the first console port, Blizzard have added a few new elements to the mix for the Ultimate Evil edition. The first is a mail system, allowing you to send gifts and messages to players on your friend list. Another social aspect is the inclusion of Nemesis creatures – creatures who killed characters belonging to players on your friend list show up in your game, dramatically improved and powered up, and allow

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Dead Rising GAMING

New hero, new city, new challeng

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Dead Rising 3

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new setting and a completely new story line. It takes place ten years after the fictional zombie outbreak that plagued Fortune City for the first two games, and centres on the young workshop mechanic Nick Ramos. Naturally the story is a bit deeper than just having to survive the zombie outbreak, but Nick has to get out of Los Perdidos in California as quickly as possible.

But no zombie game would be complete if it was easy to just up and leave, as Nick is faced with a number of challenges and obstacles. The majority of these are in the same style as the previous versions, but have been slightly tweaked to provide for a more streamlined experience.

Since it exclusively launched on the Xbox One, there isn’t much that one can say except that the visuals are naturally much better then Dead Rising 2. The game has cleaner lines, better details and the cut-scenes certainly start to

GAMING

ombies have been around since the early ‘20s in various shapes and forms, but it wasn’t until George Romero turned the genre on its head with his Living Dead films from the late ‘60s that they gained their massive popularity. Zombie fans actually have Romero to thank for the way in which the undead have been portrayed in the media.

There have been plenty instances where they shuffled onto the small screen – with the latest being Capcom Vancouver’s Dead Rising 3.

The survival horror is the third iteration the successful Dead Rising franchise, but it is different than the previous two in terms of gameplay, mechanics and especially the visuals – since it is an Xbox One exclusive.

While semi-connected to the previous versions of the game, number three features a new character, a

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multiplayer aspect has been retained from the last title, but has been refined somewhat.

The way it works is that friends or strangers can jump into each other’s games to complete the campaign missions as a team, but while the joining player will be able to wander off to explore the map and do side-missions by themselves, only the main player can elect to start story missions.

The primary player will still be taking on the role of Nick from the single player campaign, while the second player will assume the role Dick, a trucker.

Dead Rising 3, even with its quirks and bugs, is still a hugely enjoyable game. The overall grittiness in tone does contribute to moving it from an almost happy-go-lucky and whimsical title to something very serious.

The mall is long gone, and what is left is an actionpacked, sometimes stressful and hugely enjoyable game. g

AT A GLANCE GENRE

Action

REVIEWED BY

XO

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Capcom Vancouver Microsoft Studios Microsoft

PARENTAL ADVISORY

18+ gamecca63

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With a new hero and a new setting, the game takes on a darker tone

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

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demonstrate where the XO is moving towards.

But one thing that the developers still need to work on is the somewhat clunky control scheme. Most of the buttons are still in awkwardly placed and controlling Nick while running can cause him to make unplanned side-steps.

But while the graphics and the story are fantastic, the best thing about Dead Rising is the ability to craft your own weapons from parts lying around. This was a feature in the previous game, but now gamers can build weapons on the fly, including some really heavy vehicles – like combining a steam roller with a motorbike.

And that is pretty much the game – if you had to sum it up quickly. It’s a giant zombie- squashing kill-fest with as many weapons as you can get your hands on, while doing some missions and saving people in between.

You don’t have to do it by yourself – invite a friend. The

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Forza Motorsport GAMING

Blazing into pole position 64

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racing. And that’s hardly surprising, because the skill of Turn 10 combined with the power of the Xbox One means that the game you’re playing now is far advanced over what you played on the Xbox 360. Turn 10 have taken full advantage of this newfound power; it is almost as though they were champing at the bit with the older hardware, and now have free reign to do all those things they couldn’t before.

The “raw” (read as un-updated) install of Forza Motorsport 5 contains fewer tracks and cars than Forza 4, but this is merely a niggle once you get behind the wheel.

It feels more real than ever, thanks in part to the Xbox One’s haptic triggers. These give you a more tactile ‘report’ of your performance, with wheel spins and traction loss coming through the controllers as rumbles behind either the acceleration or braking trigger. It might not sound like much, but the added interaction makes controlling the car even

GAMING

here is always a lot of competition to create the ultimate driving game, and over recent years those that take their development seriously have been making progress in leaps and bounds. The Forza Motorsport franchise has certainly risen to among the best driving simulation experiences, and with lacklustre showings from other studios, Turn 10 have secured themselves a spot among the top ranks of game creators who know something about simulating the performance of high powered vehicles.

Given their experience with Microsoft’s consoles (because Forza has always been Xbox exclusive) it is hardly surprising that Turn 10 managed to get a whole lot of stuff right with Forza Motorsport 5. While we’re getting it several months (and numerous chunky updates) later here in South Africa, it still stands as a pinnacle of virtual

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manufacturer stickers and seemingly insignificant texture details. This can all be experienced through the exploratory Forzavista function, which lets you really discover the beauty of most of the vehicles included in the game, inside and out.

And when it comes to racing, the visuals – particularly specular and lighting effects – are amazing. The cars are truly present on the tracks, and while one or two of the special effects leave a bit to be desired, the overall effect is truly breath-taking. That extends to sound as well – Turn 10 have upped the game, and the engine notes in Forza Motorsport 5 are a reason to turn the sound up to the maximum.

Forza Motorsport 5 is, quite frankly, the best game in the series to date… and it makes us really excited for Forza Horizon 2, which is just around the corner. g

AT A GLANCE Racing

REVIEWED BY

This game is without a doubt the crown jewel of the Forza franchise, despite a few niggles, and is securely among the top titles of the driving simulation genre.

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more effective, and those that jam either trigger down may well learn to moderate their actions a bit better thanks to it.

With new physics models and formulae in place, the feel of the game is much improved. But the real joy of this title comes from its rock-solid presentation. It features voiceovers by all three of the famous Top Gear presenters, which are done with all the skill and emotion that one would expect. They’re highly entertaining and informative, and carry Forza Motorsport 5 beyond being a driving game – they help turn it into an automotive celebration.

Even more influence on this idea is exerted by the game’s simply stunning looks. The tracks are highly detailed and contain elements that might not be noticeable while you’re whizzing past, but certainly add to the subconscious impression the game makes. The cars, too, are beautifully modelled and painstakingly detailed, right down to

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Ryse: Son of Rom GAMING

Ryse from the ashes and reclaim

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is explored through flashbacks in the tale.

For an Xbox One title, the graphics aren’t spectacular but are certainly better than what it would have been if it was released on the Xbox 360. It’s actually a bit of a pity, as the cut-scene have their moments of beauty, and while the in-game visuals aren’t bad, they do remind gamers of something like Gears of War. Don’t get us wrong – the graphics are good, it’s just not what we would have expected from an Xbox One exclusive title with Microsoft behind it.

But a strong aspect of the game is the voice acting, which is far better than any other action/fighting/ adventure games we have seen in a long time. It’s still early days for the XO, but it does convey a true Roman feel to set a standard for current gen consoles.

GAMING

he Roman Empire long ago controlled much of the world as we know it. It was one of the biggest civilizations sprawled across massive tracts of land, but with such a big area to keep in check, unhappiness is always brewing.

That is the sense that Ryse: Son of Rome is trying to convey to the player, and it does so with rather mixed feelings. As part of the Xbox One’s launch line-up, Ryse propels gamers into the ancient times of togas, spears and open-toed sandals, and while it does a pretty good job, it fails in some aspects.

It’s a bit of a giggle, but players will be assuming the role of Marius, a Roman general who tells his life story to Emperor Nero during a siege by the Celtic Barbarians. Players go through a tutorial first as the General, but after that point the entire life of Marius

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tad unclear in its intentions. Additionally, the player gains buffs for hitting other people, which can take the form of added experience, healing, special ability energy generation and so on. The really nice (and strategic) part of this is that the player can choose which buffs become active, and can switch between them at will.

Players can also use the Kinect sensor to control Marius’ legion, but it’s neither here nor there.

While the game undoubtedly has some stunning graphics, it suffers from the repetitive combat that might annoy some players. It’s good to have a system that works, but to make gamers do the same actions over and over just isn’t fun after a while. But with that said, if you are in the market for a good action-filled Roman stab ‘em up, Ryse will be the one. g

AT A GLANCE GENRE

Action-Adventure

REVIEWED BY

xO

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Crytek Frankfurt Microsoft Studios Microsoft

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PLATFORMS

As an Xbox One game, it disappoints with controls but surprises with voice acting

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Score

75 71

by Charlie Fripp

The controls are one of the aspects in which Ryse doesn’t impress, as they feel clunky and often a bit awkward. Combat is done through a series of buttons presses and almost-QTEs, and developers Crytek Frankfurt is inches away from it being a buttonmasher. There is some strategic thinking involved, but at the end of the day, it feels repetitive as there are only so many combos, executions and quick-time events that you can do. There is also no guess work in which way to go, as the title is incredibly linear.

If you are looking for something akin to Assassins’ Creed where you can explore the well-known Roman architecture, forget it – your path has already been mapped out.

You will, however, be able to upgrade Marius’ abilities along the way, although the skill system is a

E M W A IE G EV R

Risen 3: Titan Lords Keeping up traditions

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close to the brink of destruction (caused by the Titans unleashed in the first game), everyone seems rather unfazed by their impending doom. Instead, the game tells the story of a nameless hero (not the same nameless hero from the first two titles) who has his soul torn from his body and sent to the Underworld. Upon his resurrection, he is tasked with retrieving his lost essence and in the process halting the spread of the Shadows, yet another threat to mankind’s continued existence.

While the plot is serviceable as far as fantasy RPG’s go, Risen has always been a franchise known for its massive and atmospheric worlds, and the third entry continues this trend. Set in the same Caribbean-inspired islands as its predecessor, there is a vast amount of real estate to explore in the game. Each island has been lovingly reworked, and the effort shows. From the

GAMING

f there is such a thing as development style, Piranha Bytes has nailed it. Ever since its first foray into 3D RPG gaming with the unforgettable Gothic, there has been a unique yet almost indefinable quality to every game the German developer has produced. From mechanics to plot structure to even atmosphere, for those that have played a Piranha Bytes game their handiwork is instantly recognisable no matter what the name stamped on the box may be. Risen 3: Titan Lords is no exception to the rule, and gamers can once again to expect to lose countless hours in a daze of solid oldschool RPG action.

Continuing the setting from the previous games, Risen 3 will see players thrown into a world on the verge of the apocalypse… supposedly. Like Risen 2, for a time when we’re told humanity is perilously

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as near invulnerable meat shield or crossing impossible distances when attacking, becomes a necessity to survive. Magic and ranged combat provide a far different experience however, and while the difficulty lets up as you level, battles will more often irritate than gratify. You’ll also find the skill system a love/ hate affair, either appreciating the huge amount of customisation the game offers or dreading having to hunt down the one trainer who can offer the ability you need.

Ultimately Risen 3: Titan Lords is a game that is going to appeal to a very specific market. It’s clunky and awkward, but it is hard not be charmed by the great deal of love that has gone into its development. This is a true Piranha Bytes game, but if that doesn’t mean anything to you, you might want think twice about it. g

AT A GLANCE RPG Adventure

A far better experience on the PC, Risen 3 will easily satisfy those looking for a taste of old-school in their gaming

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Piranha Bytes Deep Silver Apex Interactive

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GENRE

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

72 73

by Lein Baart

sombre, mystical fortress of mages on Taranis to the haunted ruins of the demon hunters, there is always a new vista to behold or a wonder to marvel at. This is complimented by some great, if quirky, voice-acting and dialogue, which by and large brings the world of Risen 3 to life in an endearing and memorable manner.

So far so good then, however this is a game that was built very much in the image of its forbearers, and most of the blemishes that have plagued the series remain. While the ability to block and dodge from the start of the game (as opposed to waiting for a patch) has certainly eased some of the antagonism of melee combat, this is still a stilted and awkward experience.

It’s frustratingly easy to become stun-locked when fighting multiple enemies, and you soon learn that exploiting the game, for instance using your companion

E M W A IE G EV R

Sacred 3 Stopped in its tracks.

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Sacred 3 is a mere shadow of the former Sacred games, in many ways. It is a disembowelled version of the former titles, with everything that made Sacred appealing having either been heavily modified or not present at all.

For starters, the player’s choice of characters has been stripped from seven to four (five if you count the preorder DLC character). And once you have chosen that character, you’re stuck with it in terms of looks. There is no customisation here, which is a massive no-no in this kind of game.

But that’s OK, it seems, because you don’t get any loot either. No loot to change your looks hidden in chests, and no stores to buy stuff. What you have is what you have.

Sure, the game offers a stripped down upgrade system that allows players to amp their character in a few fields, but without the benefit of stuff found on the battlefield, the

GAMING

he Sacred franchise has been around for a while, and it has always played second fiddle to some of the other fantasy RPG titles out there. But it has always had the potential for greatness, offering lots of options for adventuring and customisation – exactly what the target market of these games wants. And it has managed to develop a fairly strong following over the years, with adherents always waiting for that little spark that would elevate the series into greatness.

With Sacred 3, hope of that greatness is all but lost.

It’s not clear exactly what Deep Silver was thinking when they sat down at the drawing board to plan this third Sacred title, but what is certain is that they happily ambled down a path that seemed like a good way to go, but was actually the worst direction they could have followed.

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likes of Diablo 3, but with the Ultimate Evil edition going on sale around the same time, prospects look bleak for Sacred 3. Sure, co-op can be fun, but there are many games that offer enjoyable co-op and much more depth. Depth is exactly what Sacred 3 is lacking, as well as polish. It feels under-baked, all in all, and leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

Fans will certainly be disappointed in this effort.

And it’s pretty surprising that Deep Silver would go this way; here we have a developer and publisher that has, for a little while now, been seriously upping their game in terms of quality. For them to release this title, which really isn’t anywhere near what it should be, is a very strange move.

You can have fun with Sacred 3, sure. But it’s mindless button mashing fun, with little motivation to see it through.

And that’s really, really, sad. g

AT A GLANCE Action adventure

Everything that Sacred potentially could have grown into is nowhere to be found in this lacklustre sequel.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Deep Silver Deep Silver Apex Interactive

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GENRE

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

52 75

by Walt Pretorius

concept falls flat.

The open world that existed previously has been replaced by a string of linear levels (with small opportunities for exploration) and a handful of side quests that involve little more than the rest of the game – which, simply, comes down to smashing bad guys while collecting health, special ability power and experience point boosts. And all this is crammed into a campaign that can be cleared, with side quests, in under ten hours.

Visually, we have a different picture – literally. The game looks much better than before, and the action is visually intense. But this presentation falls flat when the lame jokes and off-colour humour (which makes up the bulk of the dialogue) kick in.

It’s a sad thing to see such potential so blatantly squandered. Perhaps Deep Silver wanted to take on the

E M W A IE G EV R

Tales of Xillia 2 So close yet so far

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intriguing, though it tends to miss out on the chance to really flesh out some of its deeper elements, most particularly in terms of the alternate universes. The game goes to great lengths to make it clear these are living, breathing worlds, yet never once directly addresses the moral dilemma inherent in Ludger’s powers. This is only compounded by the fact that Ludger quite early on acquires an astronomical debt that must be repaid in stages. The massive narrative potential though is unfortunately lost, ultimately serving only to make the pacing of the plot grind to a halt at points, as you will not be able to travel to new locations until a portion of the debt is paid off.

The character interaction, much like the first game, does much to make up for this. In true Tales fashion the majority of your inner-party conversations will be played

GAMING

he Tales series, at the very least as far as JRPG’s go, is one of the most venerable in the world, having existed since 1995. 2011’s Tales of Xillia was a brilliant entry into the franchise, mixing a fantastic fighting system with a cast of memorable and well-written characters that made the journey through Rieze Maxia a joy to play. This led, perhaps unsurprisingly, to Xillia receiving a direct sequel, marking only the third such event in the series’ 19 year history, and any Tales fan can tell you that expectations are high.

Set a year after the events of the first game, Xillia 2 tells the story of Ludger Kresnik, a born and bred Elympian who, upon a chance encounter with the wandering child Elle, is sucked into a story involving fractured dimensions and an ancient bloodline ability that allows him to destroy them. The narrative is

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time round however there is a much greater incentive to stick with Ludger rather than swapping between characters, as he features that ability to switch between multiple weapons and later unlocks a special form that sees him unleash a healthy amount of damage.

The biggest change can be seen in the levelling system, with the Lilium Web being replaced by the Allium Orb. Rather than linking varied abilities and stat boosts across a vast structure, the Orb instead forces players to focus on levelling a certain element at a time by feeding it elemental ore, which is acquired through combat as well as item drops in the field map. It translates to a simpler system that requires a fair amount of micromanagement, and while there is plenty to keep the stat-hungry happy, this might not appeal to those who grew to love the complexities of the original. g

AT A GLANCE JRPG

REVIEWED BY

A competent sequel that please any fan of the original, Tales of Xillia 2 misses out on opportunities to make it truly shine

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Bandai Namco Bandai Namco Megarom

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PS3 PLATFORMS

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PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

77 77

by Lein Baart

out through skits, which feature animated character portraits with voiced-over dialogue. These can range from the comical to the dramatic, sometimes in one go, and the voice-acting that backs it up is superb, with the entire main cast from Xillia returning. This makes the decision to have Ludger a silent protagonist extremely jarring by comparison, and while you have the option to choose various responses in both cut-scenes and skits, Ludger never seems as alive or human.

Mechanically Xillia 2 again is subtle departure for its predecessor. The title sees the return of the Cross Dual Raid Linear Motion Battle System, which, stupid naming conventions aside, is as great as ever. More of a brawler than a traditional RPG system, it can be tough to master, as it provides a frantic experience that greatly rewards those with the patience to learn its many intricacies. This

E M W A IE G EV R

Kinect Sports Rivals Getting a move on!

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There are six sporting disciplines on offer in Rivals: wake racing, rock climbing, target shooting, tennis, ten-pin bowling and soccer. It’s not the biggest list we’ve ever seen in a multidiscipline game, but it is a varied one, allowing the Kinect to show off its capabilities. Right from the start, some of the features are impressive. For example, the first thing the game does is make a digital version of the player, which is then inserted into the game. Menu selections are made using a push of the arm, and menues are scrolled by “grabbing” them with a clenched fist and moving your arm left or right.

Of all the sports presented, wake racing (on jet-skis) and rock climbing are the ones that most effectively show what the device can do. For example, acceleration in wake racing is done by clenching the right hand, while stopping is achieved by opening it. Steering comes by way of moving

GAMING

inect games have, in the past, been hit and miss affair. There have been some that have shone, but there have been others that simply didn’t do what they were supposed to. This history, however, belongs to a previous generation of hardware; the Xbox One brings with it a whole new, shiny Kinect system that, while not really well utilised yet, promises to present players with a whole new level of motion controlled gaming.

Kinect Sports Rivals is a game that shows the potential of the device. It misses a few steps, but it comes extremely close to being the technology demo that has always been required by the system. As it stands, it is arguably the finest Kinect game to date, and with the exception of one event, it does exactly what it is supposed to do.

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their ideas, but are equally effective. That’s not to say that they’re easier, though; the shooting, for example, only requires the player to point at the screen, but times challenges and moving targets make things quite interesting.

Of the six games, only one manages to get things a little wrong – the soccer. Perhaps the idea of it was a little too ambitious this early in the Xbox One’s cycle. Maybe developers need to refine their ideas a bit more. Whatever the reason, the soccer, from time to time, gets things wrong. It’s a pity, because the concept behind it is pretty cool. It even includes passing and the like, unlike previous movement-based soccer games that were all about shooting.

With its quick menu system, fun games and character creation system, Kinect Sports Rivals is a great starting point to show off what the Kinect is capable of. It makes us very hopeful for the future! g

AT A GLANCE Sports

REVIEWED BY

It’s not quite the perfect Kinect game, but Rivals makes massive strides in the right direction.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Rare Microsoft Microsoft

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12+ gamecca63

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x0 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

79 79

by Walt Pretorius

the hands forward and backward on a horizontal plane, like steering a bike. That shows the level of depth perfection and attention to small details that the Kinect is capable of.

Similarly, rock climbing requires the player to make climbing motions, complete with closing fists over hand grips. The control is extremely simple, yet very effective, and making your way up a virtual rock face can be very challenging (particularly when opponents try to pull you off of the wall) and very rewarding.

The tennis is surprisingly finessed. The player is capable of a full range of shots, including lobs and backspin, and it all works out extremely well, providing the player with an opportunity to not just flail about, but rather employ strategy to their game. Getting in the sweet shots in this game is extremely satisfying.

The bowling and the shooting, are much simpler in

E M W A IE G EV R

Watch_Dogs

GAMING

Taking back the streets

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Watch_Dogs

by Walt Pretorius

AT A GLANCE GENRE

Action adventure

Watch_Dogs on Xbox One is almost a carbon copy of the PS4 version, with only a slightly lower resolution marking a difference.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Ubisoft Ubisoft Megarom

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s

T

he obvious comparison to be draw between the various versions of Watch_ Dogs is between the PS4 and the Xbox One iterations, purely because this is a game that was designed for this particular generation of consoles. The great news is that the versions are pretty much identical – while the Xbox One version offers a slightly lower resolution, the difference is almost imperceptible to the naked eye. What that leaves is an experience that is a carbon copy between the two consoles, and a fun one for those that enjoy free-roaming third-person action adventure.

Watch_Dogs proved to be a little less than the hype promised, but it still provides an enjoyable experience in a world in which hacking is king. Playing as Aiden Pearce, the player is on a mission of vengeance in a virtual version of Chicago, fully connected to a system called ctOS, which the player can utilise as a tool in their hacking efforts.

With tons of gun play, driving, puzzle missions, and much more, Watch_Dogs provides the player with a full, lively playground that will keep them busy for hours on end, whether completing gruelling main missions or even just playing a virtual reality game via their very capable in-game smartphone.

While Watch_Dogs may not have been the absolute triumph that Ubisoft were hoping for, it does manage to employ next generation hardware beautifully, and provides the player who will look past its quirks with a lot of fun.

As far as the Xbox One version goes, it is well worth the investment – Watch_Dogs will kill a lot of time and although it can get a little ‘samey’ after long sessions, it is still an enjoyable piece of electronic entertainment. g

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

90 81

E M W A IE G EV R

Call of Dut Ghosts GAMING

The battle continues‌

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Call of Duty: Ghosts

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AT A GLANCE GENRE

First-person shooter

With only a little graphic niggle, this version of Call of Duty: Ghosts is a very worthwhile pursuit for fans.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Infinity Ward Activision Megarom

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y:

by Alex Scanlon

t’s been a while since Call of Duty: Ghosts first hit shelves – so long, in fact, that the next iteration is almost upon us. But the Xbox One is new here in South Africa (only arriving on the 23rd of September) so any game that’s going to work on it is technically new to us. And even though you could argue that Ghosts is dated, the truth is that the experience on Xbox One is actually good enough to stand up to anything that has been released in the interim (not that there has been much during this slow year).

Drawing the necessary comparisons, the Xbox One version is obviously much better than the previous generation versions. When put toe to toe with the PS4 version, a chink or two shows up, but only really in graphics.

It is a little less crisp than the visuals of the PS4, but only those who are truly picky (or have really massive screens) are going to notice much of a difference.

The Ghosts experience is still great on Xbox One, and it shows a different direction for a franchise that could easily be accused of stagnation. Inclusion of new elements manages to make it a fresher experience, and makes one hopeful for Advanced Warfare, due not too long from now.

If you’ve been holding out for Xbox One and you’re a fan, this game is well worth it.

It does have a fairly strict cap on multiplayer numbers, but there are more allowed than on previous generation hardware. It’s action packed and features a different approach that is quite refreshing for a Call of Duty game, and the idea of using a different set of enemies helps a bit too. g

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

80 83

E M W A IE G EV R

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag GAMING

Back to the brine!

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Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

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by Walt Pretorius

his is the third time that we have taken a look at the adventures of Edward Kenway – the first was on PS3, then PS4 and now on Xbox One. That makes Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag one of our most reviewed games (along with Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts, also in this issue).

But, quite frankly, I don’t mind. I have enjoyed every outing so far and this Xbox One trip was no different. When comparing it to other platforms (notably the PS4 version, which is the only really fair comparison) it is extremely difficult to spot any differences. Both are as rich, lively and detailed as each other, and the choice between the two really comes down to platform preference.

The only real hassle with this title on Xbox One right now (and for us South Africans, it’s going to be the first time we play it on Xbox One) is that, technically, it is dated. With Unity and Rogue just around the corner, Black Flag is a bit of old news.

Not that you shouldn’t play it, mind you, particularly if you are an Assassin’s Creed fan. The adventures of Edward Kenway for an important part of the AC universe, and the naval combat within the game is almost perfect. Not to mention that it is a vast game with absolutely tons to do… getting 100% in Black Flag will take more than a little time, to be sure, and it’s enjoyable pretty much every step of the way.

In short, if you haven’t played it yet, and you are getting an Xbox One later this month, this really is a title that should be added to your collection. g

AT A GLANCE Action Adventure

It’s as good as it’s PS4 based counterpart – Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag on Xbox One offers a lot to do, and a lot of fun.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Ubisoft Ubisoft Megarom

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18+ gamecca63

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

ACCESSIBILITY

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REVIEWED BY

x360 PLATFORMS

GENRE

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

93 85

E M W A IE G EV R

Battlefield 4

GAMING

Go big or go home!

86

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Battlefield 4

by Walt Pretorius

AT A GLANCE GENRE

First-person Shooter

Battlefield 4 works beautifully on the Xbox One, now that many of its kinks have been ironed out.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

DICE Electronic Arts EA South Africa

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4

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he rivalry between Battlefield and Call of Duty was won in some ways and lost in others by Battlefield 4 in the last round of games.

Battlefield 4 managed to dominate in terms of multiplayer numbers, but serious issues with the servers hampered its overall performance. Graphically, it managed to produce the goods, but the single player campaign looked arguably better than the multiplayer experience. And in terms of the single player game it offered a massive rollercoaster ride crammed with excitement and action, but managed to lose the plot in terms of narrative.

All that said, Battlefield 4 is going to be the stalwart for franchise fans who pick up an Xbox One for a little while, what with delays pushing the next instalment in the series back to next year. And, with the time that has passed, the server issues have calmed down – although you may be faced with a few substantial updates.

As always, the multiplayer community is very strong for this game, and several new elements, like the epic destruction made possible with the Levolution system, make it an exciting game to play online. But that’s not all there is to Battlefield 4.

Even though its single player campaign plays out like a Michael Bay film gone over budget, it is a highly enjoyable experience at the end of the day. The story will have the player doing battle in various sectors of the world, on land, in the air or at sea.

While the later arrival of the Xbox One means that many of the game’s kinks have been ironed out, it also means you’re gonna have some serious levelling up to do. g

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

84 87

E M W A IE G EV R

Sniper Elite I GAMING

The next outing

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Sniper Elite III

by Walt Pretorius

AT A GLANCE GENRE

Third-person action

It doesn’t force stealth, it’s brutal and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. If you can look past its quirks, this is great fun.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Rebellion 505 Games Apex Interactive

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III

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niper Elite is a little more recent than the games that are getting relooked at for our Xbox One launch issue, with the only other version we have seen in the past being on PS4. With the two set side to side, there really are no differences: that means South African gamers who get themselves an Xbox One later this month will be able to enjoy exactly the same quirky-but-fun experience open to PS4 owners.

Sniper Elite 3 takes on a different theatre of World War II, visiting the North African campaign. It’s a nice change from the usual European settings for World War II titles, and enables the player to make their long distance kills in a very different and intriguing setting.

If we have to look at downfalls, the plot, voice acting and the AI leave a lot to be desired here. But the game dynamic, which doesn’t force the player into a stealth box, and the awesome long range action are enough to mitigate even the dumbest enemy.

They may forget about you more often than not, and they might not notice that their friend (right next to them) has just had a truck-sized hole blown through them, but seeing the ultra-graphic kill cam display your bullet passing through them is more than a little satisfying.

Sniper Elite 3 demands a lot of forgiveness from the player, but those that are willing to ignore or chuckle at its eccentricities are in for a great game, full of strategy, action and more than a few X-ray views of bullets blasting through bad guys. It looks good, too, and the control scheme is utterly dependable. It’s good fun, which is what games are supposed to be. g

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

80 89

E M W A IE G EV R

FIFA 14

GAMING

Getting even more beautiful‌

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FIFA 14

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by Rob Edwards

A’s long running football franchise has found a more than welcome home on the new consoles, with added power allowing for a game that is far more realistic than ever before. And the Xbox One version stands up favourably against all other platforms, with not only all the power and performance to be found on the PS4, but also an extra game mode exclusive to the Microsoft platform.

Ultimate Team Legends brings football heroes from the past to the game in a dream-team mode that will see modern wizards rubbing shoulders with those who defined modern football.

As far as the game itself (in general) goes, FIFA 14 is well worth the effort, although with the next iteration being just around the corner, only the most ardent of fans will want to snap it up when the Xbox One launches in South Africa later this month. Still, if you’re wanting to grab this one when it hits budget bins, rather than shell out for the newer game, it is FIFA like you’ve never seen it before.

Refines ball mechanics, improved player behaviour, believable crowds in beautifully detailed stadia… these are the things that FIFA 14 are made of. It is a celebration of football that has built on the experience and expertise of developers that have truly refined their game. While many of the changes are not immediately apparent, the added realism of the title has a massive impact, and the refined graphics help make the game all that more believable.

The fairly new Ignite engine is part of what makes this game so great for football fans, and the added capabilities of the Xbox One make it a pleasure to play. g

AT A GLANCE Sports

REVIEWED BY

Like the PS4 version, FIFA 14 on Xbox One offers the player the most realistic football simulation we have ever seen... until FIFA 15 rolls around, of course.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

EA Sports Electronic Arts EA South Africa

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16+ gamecca63

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ACCESSIBILITY

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GENRE

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

84 91

E M W A IE G EV R

Road Not Taken Over and over again…

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the livelihood of the village, get lost. The player gets a limited number of years to do this. During this time, they can also engage with the townsfolk, forming friendships and even getting married.

Surprisingly, this game manages to ask a few pertinent questions, investigating things like ageing and child labour, all in the relatively simplistic plot.

The core of the game, though, is in the ranger’s adventures. These are comprised of numerous grid style puzzle boards in which the player can move various elements around. Unlike the usual push-box puzzle game, though, this one makes use of different obstacles and elements, each which have their own unique properties. Some might change colour when thrown (the ranger’s method of moving stuff most effectively) or might change position with what they bump into, and so

GAMING

have to admit it right off the bat: I am not a huge fan of most things rogue-like. The idea of dying and restarting over again as a method for progression through a game seems odd to me. Sure, there are some that are enjoyable, but I find that most tend to get a little old after you have to start over for the umpteenth time.

So it was with some trepidation that I approached Spry Fox’s Road Not Taken. But I was pleasantly surprised by the combination of rogue-like elements with puzzling, and found myself enjoying the game far more than I had expected to. At least, initially.

The premise behind this simple-yet-deep title is that the player takes on the role of a ranger living at the edge of a village. Every year, the ranger goes out to rescue children who, after picking the berries that form

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it, that is). And this is where things start getting a little trying.

The game can get brutally annoying when you have to repeat puzzles of the same level over and over again.

Add to this the fact that the relatively small puzzle areas can make it possible for a simple mistake to turn the level into a death-trap, and things get even worse. Now I get the idea that a rogue-like game is meant to be this way, and I am not whinging about the fact that the game gets more difficult. It’s that it gets old before long. In short bursts Road Not Taken is great fun, but losing a life due to its more unforgiving elements (which could have been avoided) gets extremely frustrating, and the action starts getting old.

Still, it’s a good brain-teaser, if nothing else, and fans of puzzling will likely get at least a small kick out of it. g

AT A GLANCE GENRE

Puzzle

REVIEWED BY

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Spry Fox Spry Fox Online

PARENTAL ADVISORY

7+ gamecca63

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

PS4 PLATFORMS

It’s a great combo of rogue-like and puzzling, but it does get old rather fast.

ACCESSIBILITY

Hard-Core Medium Casual

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

73 93

by Walt Pretorius

on. Using these properties, the player will need to work their way through puzzles that get increasingly difficult.

Certain objects can also be combined to form new items, many of which have distinct advantages in the game.

The ranger can also carry objects, but this will deplete his energy reserves. And that’s where things get tricky.

Being attacked by creatures or carrying stuff depletes his limited energy, while eating items in the field and recuing kids replenishes it. Each year, additional energy is added based on the previous year’s performance and how much energy was left. This means that messing up and can things progressively more difficult, and not just from the procedural puzzle standpoint. Run out of energy, and the ranger dies. Die, and all the helpful items you gathered get removed, and you start again at the previous year’s checkpoint (if you managed to activate

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The Greatest Series Ever Made?

reatest ver Made?

nd of Zelda

By Lein Baart

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hroughout gaming’s relatively brief history there have been titles that have paved the way forward for the industry in general, games that have redefined a genre or even created entirely new ones, cementing themselves as paragons in the annals of time.

Many were created in the 8-bit and 16-bit eras, when gaming was still considered a niche hobby rather than a fully-fledged entertainment medium, and most of these have survived the decades to stand as benchmarks to this current day. Of them all though, few have had as wide ranging effects as The Legend of Zelda series, arguably the most celebrated franchise to have ever been released.

GAMING

Why was he created?

The Legend of Zelda began life as concurrent project under the direction of both Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, who were working on, incredibly, a game that would become equally as famous and influential: Super Mario Bros.

This simultaneous development had a profound impact on the game that Zelda would eventually become, as the team opted to create two titles that were in many ways the opposite of one another. Thus was born a title that in 1986 revolutionised the industry, a world that players could “put inside their drawer”, and one which required gamers to actually think about what their next move would be, rather than have it fed to them. While it may seem obvious now, these were unique concepts at the time, and because of this The Legend of Zelda practically flew off the shelves, both in Japan and America. What followed is one of the greatest accomplishments in gaming, where all 17 main entries in the series have all been met with near universal acclaim, redefining gaming with seemingly every release.

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Why do we care?

The answer to the above question is a multifaceted and complex thing to break down.

From a development standpoint, The Legend of Zelda series has created so many industry standards across so many genres it’s almost inconceivable to fathom. For instance, the original gave us the ability to save our progress, a never before seen feature in cartridge-based titles, while Ocarina of Time introduced context-sensitive button presses and lock-on targeting. Every major release has seen some boundary pushed or mechanic re-imagined, and all of this has resulted in a series whose gameplay is usually epitomised as the height of development.

The franchise is so much more than just its nuts and bolts however. The Legend of Zelda, while not technically an RPG franchise, can claim a healthy amount of credit for the genre’s existence, with many features of the first title becoming staples for the RPG’s that followed.

There is a palpable sense of epicness across the franchise as whole, and no matter how many times Link must save Princess Zelda from Ganondorf’s clutches, there is always a prevailing sense of wonder, innocence and magic in the titles.

Ultimately, while The Legend of Zelda may not command quite as much popularity as titles such as Mario, it can easily be considered as one of the greatest franchises ever produced. The list of accolades the series has garnered, including (arguably) the greatest game ever made with Ocarina of Time, means that the while the Link’s adventures may never be as well-known as that of his chubby red contemporary, the series will always stand as first in the hearts and minds of many gamers (not all of them Nintendo fanboys). g gamecca63

The Greatest Series Ever Made?

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BY rAMJET

Too Convenient...

I

Ramjet’s rantality

think that I am getting too old for this. Really, I do. Because I don’t like the fact that I can tell the Xbox One to turn itself on. OK, stop sniggering and drag your mind out of the gutter. I am being serious here, and I think that I have a solid point to make.

The Xbox One (and yes, I am writing a column that is vaguely about it because this is, like, the Xbox One launch issue and stuff) comes with a very capable motion and audio sensing device in the form of the Kinect. And one of the things that the Kinect does is get people up off of the couch and moving – which, for gamers, is a pretty novel idea, not to mention a good one. Look up the diseases caused by a sedentary lifestyle, I dare you.

Anyway, so the main thing with the Kinect was (notice the past tense there) to get people moving. And although the originally Kinect only really worked well occasionally, it was a thought that had excellent intentions. Gamers actually broke a sweat (although didn’t shower more) and, had the right game been made for it, the device might have had some impact on the physical condition of these almost incurable couch potatoes.

The new Kinect, the one that comes with the Xbox

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One, is much better. It senses movement better, has better special perception, yada yada. It is a device that potentially could get people up and moving, and maybe even improve health and delay the onset of things like colon cancer (seriously, look it up).

But it also epitomises laziness.

Because the effort of pressing a few buttons (on remote controls, no less) has been mitigated.

Now you can just tell the Xbox to turn on, and it will. And it will turn on your TV and sound system, too.

Technologically speaking, that’s pretty cool – I am not denying it. But I have heard more than a few people wax lyrical about this feature as if it were a societal revolution that will cure every disease and ease world hunger. And I realised that the entire idea is considered cool by these people for entirely different reasons. Sure, they’ll tell you it’s the tech, but the real reasons are far more insidious and telling of the nature of our society.

First of all, gamers love the sound of their own voices. Any time spent online, whether gaming or just surfing around, will confirm that. So Microsoft bought into that idea beautifully.

Secondly, and most importantly,

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gamers are lazy, self-entitled shits. Not all of them, and the three that aren’t can ignore this bit. But for the rest of them, well, the proliferation of piracy is evidence enough that gamers expect the world to do everything for them, at a minimum of personal effort (or cost) for themselves. So the act of telling an entire entertainment system to turn on (with two words, let’s not put too much effort into that either) is a perfect fit. I mean, pushing three buttons on remotes while sitting on the couch is far too much effort when you’re trying to turn your muscles into porridge.

People call it convenience, but the flipside of that coin is laziness. And our world is already so convenient… do we really need more?

It’s not Microsoft’s fault, of course. They are simply employing very cool technology.

Blaming them would be like blaming rope manufacturers for people hanging themselves. The irony is that most gamers will only ever use the Kinect for this voice command functionality – a device that was meant to get people off of their butts is allowing them to put even less physical effort into their gaming.

Which, I guess, suits them perfectly. g

FeatureS 1

The Next Box

HARDWARE Reviews 108 110 112 114 116 118 120

MSI GT70 2PE Gaming Notebook Creative Gigaworks T40 Series II Stereo Speakers Creative T4 Wireless Stereo Speakers MSI Z97 XPower AC Motherboard Asus GeForce GTX 750Ti Strix OC Edition Graphics Card Raidmax Vampire PC Case Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer 4GB DDR3 RAM

RegularS 122 126

Internet Security

COLUMN 138

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Technically Speaking

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THE NEX TECHNOLOGY

Finally, it’s coming

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XT BOX

g to South Africa.

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TECHNOLOGY

I

f you are the type of person that does a lot of research and follows trends online, there is not much that you can be told about the Xbox One. It’s been around (overseas) for almost a year. The South African launch is on the 23rd of September, 2014. And it’s a remarkably powerful machine.

These things you probably know already, as well as the long list of features that the Xbox One has.

But just in case you’re out of the loop, here’s a refresher for you, combined with some hands-on experience. Before we kick off, just a short note; there will be no score attached to this feature – we here at Gamecca don’t believe that you can score a platform, because so much of what it does is dependent on the games that are made for it. And those are the things we score.

To start off, there is something that potential buyers do need to made aware of: as things currently stand, you will need to connect to the Internet through your Xbox One before you can play any games. There is an initial update (the size of which still needs to be confirmed for these later release Xbox Ones) and the console needs to confirm that there is internet connectivity. The Xbox One does not need a permanent Internet connection, but it does need to update software periodically. Also, keeping track of your achievements needs you to be connected to Xbox Live.

As far as the required internet connection goes, a system that employs ADSL via Wi-Fi gives the least set-up hassles.

A LAN system via an ADSL router (a wired connection, in other words) also works well.

But those who have an internet connection that requires authentication (in other words, a user name and password to

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connect to the ‘net) may face a few problems. There are workarounds, but they are not ideal.

AT the time of writing, this Internet requirement is firmly in place, and the Xbox One will not be able to play games out of the box. Microsoft’s South African office have told us that they are working on solutions for prospective buyers who do not have Internet access, and we will keep you posted via our website (www.gameccamag. com) as developments come through within the next few weeks leading up to launch.

That is the sum total of the potentially bad news for those that want to get hold of an Xbox One. It can be summed up as “you need a good, modern internet connection”. It’s not really all that bad, as most gamers who take their pastime seriously should already have one of those.

The Xbox One will be available in two flavours locally, at different price points. The more expensive “full kit” has the following in the box: the console, a wireless controller, a Kinect sensor, a chat headset, the external power supply and an HDMI cable. The cheaper option will have all of that, but won’t come bundled with the Kinect sensor. The price difference is fairly marked, but if you have the extra cash, getting the bigger kit is preferable, because the Kinect forms an integral part of the overall experience. But we’ll get to that later. Suffice to say that the Xbox One will work fine without the Kinect sensor, but the added functionality it brings (not to mention access to Kinect motion controlled games) may well be something you’re after.

Both will be armed with 500GB hard drives. A 1TB hard drive option has been gamecca63

Feature: The Next Box

...“The Xbox One will be available in two flavours locally, at different price points...”

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TECHNOLOGY

announced but hasn’t been confirmed for release just yet.

However, with three USB ports, it’s easy to run external storage on the Xbox One. The Kinect console itself is a formidable looking device, finished in rugged black plastic.

It doesn’t have many buttons on the front, save for an eject button next to the disk port and a touch sensitive power button.

This is because most commands either come via the wireless controller or the Kinect’s voicecommand functions. At the back it offers the expected power port,HDMI in and out ports, an optical audio port, a Kinect connection port, LAN port and two USB ports. In addition, it has an IR Out port, which ties into its system integration – once again, more on that in a while. There is also a third USB port built into the side of the console.

The controller has seen something of a reworking since the Xbox 360 days; It features all the expected buttons, and doesn’t offer anything new in terms of things like touch sensitivity. But its new shape is very appealing, and the shoulder and trigger buttons in particular have benefitted from a more ergonomic design.

And the triggers now have their own haptic feedback as well – that’s vibration, for those not in the know. Each one can vibrate separately, and although it seems like a relatively small thing, it does create quite a difference in the overall experience.

On the downside, the controller is not natively rechargeable. It requires either two AA batteries, or a separately available recharge pack.

The single ear chat headset slots into a port at the bottom of the controller. Rather than the plain old jack we got used to with the Xbox 360, this looks

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like a genuine extension of the controller, and offers volume and mute functionality within easy reach.

The Kinect unit is much larger than the older Xbox 360 Kinect sensor, but it is also more capable. And it forms an important core for the system integration that your Xbox One is capable of. Using the voice command system, the Xbox One can be turned on or off, as well as application launched and so on. But it can be used – if set up correctly – to run virtually every part of your entertainment system. With a few words, the Xbox One system can turn on every component that works with a remote control. It can adjust volume levels. It can – as it was intended – run your entire entertainment setup with the power of your voice.

The Xbox One, as a gaming console, is very powerful indeed. Combined with decent Internet access, it provides the user with a fantastic experience. Sadly, many of the broader entertainment aspects of the console (because Microsoft have always intended it to be more than just a game console) are not initially going to be available to South African users. For us, it will be much more gaming oriented. That said, Microsoft South Africa have been working hard at trimming the local experience to be the best it can be, and extra services may well be on the cards for local users soon. As before, we’ll keep you updated.

Unboxing and setting up a new Xbox One is an exciting experience, and it unlocks a massive amount of enjoyment for the user. Provided the purchaser has their facts straight and meets the Xbox One’s requirements in terms of Internet connectivity, it should provide an extremely enjoyable and satisfying experience for anyone who invests in it. g gamecca63

...“With a few every compon

Feature: The Next Box

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MSI

H C EW E T VI E R

GT70

Bigger and bigger...

T

TECHNOLOGY

he idea of a notebook dedicated to gaming is gaining more and more popularity, as various notebook manufacturers move towards creating extremely powerful, portable PC gaming solutions. With consoles being as prominent as they are, the idea of having a machine that is not all that easy to upgrade is becoming more solidified in the minds of gamers. That said, the specifications on these machines tend to be so high that thoughts of upgrading need not really be entertained for a good long while. The only consideration, then, is the generally high cost of this class of notebook.

Read through the specifications of MSI’s GT70, though, and the cost seems more than a little reasonable.

They start with an Intel Core i7 4930MX CPU, which runs at up to 3.9GHz. That’s a quick processor, and the 32GB of DDR3 RAM that accompanies it helps it clip along at a very quick pace indeed.

Naturally, as far as a gaming PC of any kind is concerned, graphic performance is all-important.

To this end, MSI have included NVidia’s notebook heavyweight, the GTX 880M chip, in this notebook. It’s a brilliantly fast GPU, and the massive 8GB of GDDR5 graphics RAM that works along with it means that the visuals delivered by the GT70’s 17.3 inch screen are top notch.

The combination of these elements alone already mean

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that gaming on the GT70 is a pleasure. Users will experience games just the way developers intended.

And installing them (as well as any apps and programs the user needs) gets done on a 1TB 7200RPM HDD, with a 384GB SSD drive included for those things that need lots of drive speed and reliability.

The specification is rounded out with numerous bells and whistles, including a keyboard designed by SteelSeries, excellent audio thanks to a Dynaudio system, three USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, an SD card reader, web cam and a Blu-Ray writer to take care of optical solutions.

So it all looks good on paper, but what about performance? Quite honestly, the GT70 is one of the most impressive rigs we have seen.

It’s also pretty big (as is to be expected with that spec sheet attached to it). But it’s not the biggest we have seen, as well as not the heaviest.

It’s no lightweight, sure, but it does make dragging your gaming machine to LANs a lot easier.

Looks-wise, MSI have avoided drama and cliché, rather opting for a more stylish, elegant machine that would look as good in a board room as it would in a gaming session (although the relatively discrete Gaming Series badge on the lid is a dead giveaway).

Overall, if you’re willing to part with the money that the GT70 costs, you most certainly will not b disappointed with its stunning performance. g

MSI GT70 2PE Gaming Notebook

Gaming Notebook

AT A GLANCE:

by Walt Pretorius

SUMMARY The specifications on this machine are really impressive, making the price seem just a little more reasonable.

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TECH SPECS • • • • • • •

Core i7 4930MX CPU 32GB RAM GTX 880M GPU 8GB VRAM 17.3 inch screen 1TB HDD 384GB SSD

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Gigaworks Boom for your desktop

TECHNOLOGY

Creative

H C EW E T VI E R

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Creative Gigaworks T40 Series II Stereo Speakers

Stereo Speakers

C

by Walt Pretorius

reative aren’t exactly new kids on the audio block; back when we were all getting excited about installing SoundBlaster cards in our 486s (yes, I am that old) Creative was the name attached to the sound cards.

So with a pedigree that stretched back quite a way in the PC audio arena, one would expect that pretty much anything that comes out of their stable delivers great sound.

If that’s an assumption you’re going to make about the Gigaworks T40 Series II stereo speaker set, you’re pretty much going to be on the money. Here’s a product that has been created not only by people who understand audio, but also for people who love good sound.

The first clue to that statement lies in the fact that the speakers themselves weren’t just chucked in willynilly. Rather, the T40 uses what audiophiles call an MTM configuration. That set-up places the tweeter (which delivers the high notes) between two mid-range speakers. The result is a smoother, richer audio mix – you may not think that speaker positioning in what is essentially a desktop stereo sound system would make that much difference, but it does.

Each speaker also houses a bass port, which vents out at the top of the speaker unit and provides full throated bass.

Next to speaker placement is material. The tweeter makes use of a cloth dome, which is better in a wider range of temperature and humidity, while the mid-range speakers employ woven glass fibre drivers. This material delivers a fantastic mid-range audio, which is the oftenoverlooked yet all-important element that gives sound a rich series of tones and full body.

The right hand speaker houses three controls – volume, bass and treble levels – as well as an auxiliary input and headphone jack. The system, being stereo, connects to numerous devices by way of a 3.5mm jack, and requires its own power.

Added to the system is a TV and console game adapter, which basically converts twin RCA plugs into 3.5mm jack. That works really well for TVs with RCA audio outputs, but as far as gaming goes… well, you could still lead your audio lines out of the TV, but new consoles use HDMI exclusively, so a direct connection to the console would need to happen with older gaming machines.

That’s not a train-smash, though – not when you consider that the audio quality delivered by this set is far better than one would expect from desktop stereo speakers. They might not offer surround sound, but as a more traditional solution (being stereo) the Gigaworks T40 Series II certainly get the job done, and done well.

And they’re really versatile, too, which helps. It’s a pity they’re not portable. g

AT A GLANCE: Summary

Creative’s excellent design and understanding of audio really shines through with this stereo speaker set.

Ma nuf a c t ure r D i s t ri but e r: Onl i ne :

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Tech Specs: • • • • • • •

Cre a t i v e Me ga ro m w w w . me ga ro m. c o . z a

Stereo Fabric tweeters Woven glass fibre drivers MTM configuration 3.5mm jack Headphone port Auxiliary port

SCORE

89 111

TECHNOLOGY

T

Creative

H C EW E T VI E R

T4

All the connections

his is one of those cases in which reading more of the packaging than just the main name of the product will provide you with valuable information. At a glance, it seems as though the Creative T4 Wireless speaker system is, indeed, a wireless speaker system.

However, the ‘wireless’ in the name doesn’t refer to how the speakers connect to each other – rather, it refers to the fact that this particular speaker system uses wireless connectivity to Bluetooth enabled devices.

The speakers have wires. So do the subwoofer and control unit.

Mildly misleading monikers aside, the T4 Wireless is actually a really great speaker system, and it brings with it a versatility that isn’t seen all that much in audio set-ups. This stems from the fact that it allows for four different kinds of connections. There is the aforementioned Bluetooth, which is always handy for those who have music on enabled devices.

Then there is the expected 3.5mm port, although this is an auxiliary port, rather than a main connection system. Next up we have stereo RCA ports (which work seeing as how this is a stereo system) which work well with older consoles and TVs. And finally, there is an optical input, which allows connection to PCs, newer game consoles and a whole lot of other things.

The full power of an optical

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connection isn’t utilised by a stereo system, but it’s a great option to have none the less.

The system is comprised of two satellite speakers and a subwoofer, with a wired control unit (which also houses a headphone port and the auxiliary 3.5mm input) and a remote control.

It may not be what everyone wants (what with the stillrabid love of surround sound almost dominating the audio arena) but as a stereo solution you could do much worse than this particular model. The audio is really what is important, and the T4 Wireless delivers the goods in that respect, thanks to Creative’s smart ideas and long history of producing great audio products.

The real question to ask with this great audio device is if you’re after stereo, or whether you want surround sound. For most applications (including music) stereo is good enough, without the need for all those extra speakers. And if that’s the way you’re going to go, this set is great. The subwoofer is fairly large, but its three speaker system delivers such awesome performance that you won’t really care.

The satellite speakers are fairly chunky, too, but the whole system looks good and sounds even better. Its slightly old fashion aesthetic balances well with virtually any environment, making this system look (and sound) at home anywhere from the living room to the gaming room. g gamecca63

Ste

Creative T4 Wireless Stereo Speakers

ereo Speakers

Summary A versatile speaker system that sounds great and offers lots of connectivity potential… even if it has wires.

Tech Specs: • • • • • • •

Bluetooth Optical connection Near field communication enabled Aluminium drivers Remote control

Cre a t i v e Me ga ro m w w w . me ga ro m .c o.za

SCORE

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by Walt Pretorius

AT A GLANCE:

MSI

H C EW E T VI E R

Z97

Abuse-proof…

A

TECHNOLOGY

lmost every motherboard and graphics card we see these days has some kind of overclocking functionality.

Overclocking has moved beyond basements lined with liquid nitrogen canisters and into the limelight, with a massive number of PC users pushing their machines to limits above factory specification. But there is overclocking, and then there is overclocking.

While setting a few tweaks on PC-based software to up the voltage on components is overclocking in the strictest sense of the concept, there are still those that want to push extreme performance out of their machines. While these guys used to have to contend with components not specifically designed for the idea a few years back, just as virtually everyone now has access to overclocking, their particular market is also enjoying attention in the form of boards and components designed to take a lot more punishment.

Sure, maybe it’s still safer than seeing how far you can push a board not specifically designed for the task, but extreme overclocking is not about the challenge anymore – it is about maximising performance now.

It’s for people who really want to push those limits that MSI have produced the Z97 XPower AC motherboard.

Quite honestly, if you’re not excited by ideas like liquid cooling, v-checks and test bench set-ups, this board will likely be wasted on you. Sure,

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it will give you awesome performance right out of the box, but it almost demands to be tinkered and fiddled with.

Just looking at the board implies this – from its liquidcooling ports through to its numerous on-board tweaking switches and buttons (not to mention its striking black and yellow finish) it seems to beg for “abuse”. It features all the tweaking opportunities a serious overclocker would be looking for, with systems specifically designed for extreme use. That includes 4-way GPU support and a host of other tweaking options.

That said, it also features some cool things to help make it a viable and powerful motherboard for everyday use. This includes things like a Wi-Fi AC module, a brilliant 12 USB 3.0 ports (as well as six USB 2.0 ports), 7.1 audio and more.

But the real joy here is having a board that can really be pushed. With 24 hours of military class burn-in testing already under its belt, each Z97 Power motherboard offers tweaking and overclocking opportunities that are beyond the norm, but still provides numerous safety systems to make sure that the investment is protected.

And even under strain, it proves to be effective and reliable, making for a board that is about more than just extreme performance… it serves perfectly for anyone who wants to get the most out of their system, while still running a PC beyond experimentation purposes. g

MSI Z97 XPower AC Motherboard

Motherboard

AT A GLANCE:

by Walt Pretorius

SUMMARY

A great motherboard for those who really want to push numerous limits.

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TECH SPECS • • • • • • • • •

Z97 chipset Burn-in tested 4-way GPU support Wi-Fi AC module 12 USB 3.0 ports 7.1 surround sound 16 phase digital power

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ASUS

H C EW E T VI E R

GeForce Silent and deadly

TECHNOLOGY

W

ith a name taken from the ancient Greek and Roman legends about a bird of ill omen, one might wonder a little about the Asus STRIX range of graphics cards. But one must also remember that, these days, strix is a genus of owls, and the comparison is far more appropriate than some metamorphosed Greek bird that ate human flesh and blood. Like an owl, the STRIX GeForce GTX 750Ti is silent and (for opponents on a video game battlefield) deadly.

Employing some of Asus’ best technologies, the STRIX is a very impressive graphics card.

While all the technicalities of the STRIX are indeed impressive, it is the amount of noise that the card generates that is the first noticeable factor in making it a great graphics solution. Despite having a dual fan solution, the STRIX GeForce GTX 750Ti is extremely quiet, with lighter games generating virtually no noise at all, and the more

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demanding titles resulting in a much-reduced audio disruption.

Noise levels aside, this card really is a performer. The STRIX GeForce GTX 750Ti delivers great performance and surprisingly low heat levels, with heat levels that are around half as high as reference cards. This is the result of Asus employing DirectCU II technology, along with two 0dB fans and power delivery components that run cooler, thanks to premium alloys.

All this adds up to more speed and less heat. Being an overclocking edition, this particular STRIX GeForce GTX 750Ti model is capable of even better performance and possesses a longer lifespan than reference cards. Overclocking is handled via the extremely friendly and intuitive GPU Tweak software that accompanies the STRIX. And for those that want to earn their bragging rights, GPU Tweak offers video streaming as well.

Add it all together, and you have a rather slick graphics card,

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Asus GeForce GTX 750Ti Strix OC Edition Graphics Card

Graphics Card

by Walt Pretorius

powered by an NVidia GeForce GTX 750 chipset and supported by a decent 2GB of RAM. Perhaps most surprising, though, are the card’s physical dimensions. Asus have managed to build some really chunky graphics cards in the past, so the relatively small size (comparatively, at least) of the STRIX GeForce GTX 750Ti OC Edition is pretty surprising. It doesn’t feature a massive housing, either – rather, the simplified casing doesn’t look overly-imposing. It looks a bit owlish, really, which is more than likely what the designers were going for.

Overall, the STRIX GeForce GTX 750Ti is a card that deserves more than a second glance. While it’s smaller size may imply a “budget” line of thinking, this is far from the truth. Rather, this card delivers to goods from a package that is sensibly sized (including for improving air-flow inside a PC case). The STRIX may not have all the features of some of the larger cards out there, but it’s still a great performer. g

AT A GLANCE: Summary

Like the owl it was named after, the STRIX GeForce GTX 750Ti OC Edition is compact, quiet and extremely effective.

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A s us A s us w w w . a s us . c o m

Tech Specs: • • • • • • •

GTX 750 chipset 2GB RAM 0dB fans DirectCU II technology Super alloys GPU Tweak software

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Raidmax

Vampire Built for awesome...

TECHNOLOGY

H C EW E T VI E R

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PC case

Raidmax Vampire PC Case

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by Walt Pretorius

t’s been some time since we last saw a PC case, but the importance of these housings for all your important components has diminished no less.

In fact, as technology marches inexorably on towards… well, who can tell, really… the need for a good PC case is getting more and more important.

Excellent airflow, spacious design, support for the latest technology; all these and more are important to those that want to stay up to date. Good looks and sensible construction are also part and parcel of the deal.

Raidmax are fairly consistent in delivering great cases, and particularly their higher end products of this type are enough to salivate over. The Vampire, for example, is an excellent box when everything is said and done, and it manages to offer ‘modern’ PC users with enough extra tech built in to be really enticing.

Take, for example, the fact that it sports a 2.5 inch HDD hot-swap bay. Or the fact that it offers two front side USB 3.0 ports, in addition to two USB 2.0 ports (which, along with audio ports, come with dust covers). Or that the racks for 3.5 inch drives can also house 2.5 inch drives – for all those SSDs you dream of building into your rig.

It’s not just keeping up with tech that makes the Vampire impressive; those that like building their own rigs will find it sensible and roomy. Little things like a toolless interior, side mounted HDD brackets, roomy cable management space and removable panels to improve installation work all help make it look like an even better prospect.

In terms of air flow, it’s a well-designed interior (that cable management space helps a lot), and comes with numerous fan fittings to ensure the best cooling for the system built into it. One rear slot (140mm), one front slot (200mm) two side slots (120mm) and a top port (either two 120 or 140mm, or one 200mm) mean that there is a lot of opportunity to blast air into the case, and for those so inclined, it supports water cooling systems too.

Three of the case fans can also be controlled using an integrated speed control system, which helps a lot to balance the noise-cooling ratio according to needs.

Finally, we get to looks. The vampire manages to be discrete and overstated at the same tme. The finish is stylish, with just enough angles and edges to look mean, while not dropping its generally serious appearance. It also features a large side panel window for those who like flaunting what they’ve got.

It is not a cheap case, but it is an excellent one.

Those wanting a performance box for a performance PC need look no further. g

AT A GLANCE: Summary

With sensible design, great space and airflow, and a taste for the latest tech, the Vampire does the PC case job beautifully.

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Tech Specs: • • • • • • •

Fan speed control 2.5 inch HDD hot swap port Tool-free 2 USB 3.0 ports 2 USB 2.0 ports Water cooling support

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Crucial Ballistix

Setting sights on performance

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rucial is a name that we are very quickly starting to associate with all kinds of memory, and the association is a good one. Whether it be top-notch, generously sized SSD drives to help make things that much smoother with your PC, or RAM that delivers the kind of punch you need when you need it, Crucial is up there among the top manufacturers, no question.

This month we continue our march through their RAM range, with the excellent Ballistic Tactical Tracer DIMM. The Tactical range of RAM fall into the midrange of the Ballistix offering, and considering the great performance we get from it, we’re getting even more excited about seeing the topof-the-line Elite series.

Armed with integrated heat sinks and LED lights that indicate status, this particular model is great for those wanting to not only get good performance, but also monitor it. It’s great RAM, without a shadow of a doubt. g

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AT A GLANCE:

by Walt Pretorius TECHNOLOGY

Tactical

SUMMARY If you’re an enthusiast who wants the best out of their RAM, Crucial’s Tactical Tracer is an excellent option.

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TECH SPECS • • • • • • •

4GB DDR3 Integrated heat sink LED lights

Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer 4GB DDR3 RAM

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The Virtual Coliseum There are no lines online‌

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by Suvesh Arumugam

The Virtual Coliseum

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ike most people in the Englishspeaking world (and beyond) I was moved by Robin Williams’ death recently. This was probably the single biggest event on social networks for the last year at least, with loads of mystery, condolences and support pouring out for the Hollywood star who tragically took his own life at the age of 63. Although I obviously never had the pleasure of meeting the man who many believed was the funniest man to ever live (and one of the best actors in history) I felt a certain bond with him through his movies. From his days on TV with Mork and Mindy, through being dragged to the movies by my mother to see every feel good flick he would star in like the Dead Poets Society and Good Morning Vietnam. I’m sure many of the millions of people who tweeted or posted like me never knew the man in person, but felt the need to grieve in a public way just the same.

The circumstances and speculation around the actor’s death was also a source of major chatter, and raised a lot of questions about the role of the internet and where the privacy line is really drawn (or if it even exists). We know now that Williams hung himself and the official cause of death was asphyxiation. But within minutes of his body being found, tweets were flying about his ongoing depression, theories of whether he had gassed himself or whether this was some sort of autoerotic fantasy gone wrong. At one point his Oscar winning co-star from Good Will Hunting, Matt Damon, tweeted: “I truly hope that people in the media can find it within themselves to give his family some privacy during this horrible time” But they didn’t. And the truth is it’s because we people didn’t want them to.

We needed to know the facts. We need to see the last tweet he posted, the last selfie that might have clues for us, the last video from his cellphone to give us closure.

This is not the first Hollywood death to draw much attention over social media.

Action movie veteran David Carradine,

who older audiences will remember as the star of the hit series Kung Fu and who younger audiences will remember as Bill in Kill Bill, died in a bizarre erotic accident. The actor was found naked in his hotel room and hanging by his neck from a rope. Although it was initially thought to be a suicide, further investigation into the actor’s personal life revealed that his bizarre sexual habits ranged from self-bondage to autoerotic asphyxiation.

While the family pleaded with the press and public at large to respect Carradine’s dignity in death, photos of his death scene were widely spread on the Internet. It’s very likely that future generations will know him more for his sensational death than his contribution as an actor and singer, and very few will know that his role in martial arts cinema paved the way for Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and Jacky Chan.

The flip side of this coin is probably the horrific goings on in Syria at the moment.

Aside from photos of young children holding severed heads (to the apparent joy of their father), the latest attraction was the beheading of American journalist James Foley.

Foley was kidnapped in 2012 and held for ransom for two years before he was brutally murdered by has captors. His execution was filmed and posted on YouTube. Although most news channels shied away from showing the gruesome video or pictures, the video was widely shared over social media. Eventually, the video was removed from YouTube and social networks began removing links and content. UK police later warned that sharing the video was a terrorist offence, making the sharing of the video a crime in itself. I wouldn’t be surprised though if it still exists somewhere out in cyberspace where eager viewers continue to access and share it.

These may seem like extreme examples, so I think a personal story may just bring home the point I’m trying to make here. I usually have my Twitter App feed running on the side of my desktop. Mostly so I that I can pick up on interesting stories to retweet or occasionally blog about. A few days ago, a trending tweet caught my eye.

It was about people being offended

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by the latest Taylor Swift video, “Shake it Off”. Now, being older than 15, I don’t really know much about Swift, except that she was the unfortunate VMA Award recipient who was interrupted by the ever obnoxious Kanye West while she was receiving her award. Intrigued, I tracked down the video and articles, and within minutes had scrutinised the video for any hint of offensive or sensation. Sadly, I didn’t find anything worth talking about, and this is probably the first time I am mentioning it.

Purely by coincidence (per perhaps divine design) this was the same day the Niki Manaj’s Anaconda video was released, to much anticipation. For those of you who haven’t seen it, I’m guessing at least 99.9% of you will find it on Youtube right after reading this, if you haven’t stopped reading to go find it. Basically,

The walls of privacy are stripped down

TECHNOLOGY

the video features a whole lot of twerking, partial nudity and sexual suggestion that is anything but subtle. It’s definitely not the kind of thing you want your boss to catch you watching at work between filing reports. But it’s the most watched video on YouTube right now, and I probably did my bit because I must have told at least 20 people about it one way or another (not including anyone reading this column).

The internet is not a filter to hone in on information that interests us. It’s a public pool where everything happens and anything goes (and sometimes people pee underwater). The walls of privacy are stripped down and what was once considered decent or proper has no place in the internet-fuelled society of the future. There are no rules about what one can or can’t do to draw attention online, and certainly no rules about what is in good or bad taste to share. The internet is not just about fluffy kittens and Charlie Sheen memes about winning. The internet is the raging mob of the coliseum, cheering as the lions and tigers devour dissidents. g

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by Iwan Pienaar

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e have all come to rely on our smartphones for most of our connected needs.

From doing the obligatory sharing pictures of your lunch to chatting with friends on WhatsApp and even solving the pub quiz by doing a quick Google search, the smartphone is our device of choice. But how many people have stopped to consider just how powerful this little device has become? The frightening thought is that the smartphones of today are probably more powerful than many of the computers we have used in the past.

Yet, for all this, not many take even a second thought in terms of protecting their smartphones from cyber attacks. Given the fact that we South Africans are a paranoid bunch, especially when it comes to pickpockets, hijackings, and so on, we are not that secure when it comes to the digital safety of these trusty minicomputers. Imagine if your smartphone goes missing or is stolen and you are still logged in to all your favourite social networking and online shopping sites. Just think about the consequences this could have on your bank balance, not to mention your personal safety, when it comes to address book details, GPS locations, and so on.

Below, we take a look at some security precautions to consider when it comes to your smartphone or even tablet for that matter.

The most basic step is to ensure you keep your device locked.

Whether this is by way of a pin code or a pattern recognition system, you

should implement this as quickly as possible. Most smartphones also provide an option to encrypt your sensitive information. This means that if your phone falls into the wrong hands, criminals would not be able to access any of the encrypted content.

When it comes to apps, how many of us take the time to read through the permissions list? If you are downloading the latest and greatest game, why is it necessary to access your address book? If you are not comfortable with the kind of access an app wants on your system, rather reject it and find an alternative one to use.

All the best-known anti-virus vendors have released security software for smartphones and tablets. And like the software you have installed on your computer, always make sure the virus definitions and antimalware databases are kept up to date.

Wherever possible, remember to keep your Bluetooth connection switched off. Not only are you saving you battery but you are also making your phone less vulnerable to software that ‘sniffs’ out open devices that are not secured properly. Another important point is that many of us set our WiFi to automatically connected to the closest hotspot. While this is great in terms of a seamless (and less costly) connected experience, it does open you up to potential malicious attacks.

When the time comes for your next smartphone upgrade, consider getting one that has anti-theft features. This will provide you with remote access to your lost or stolen phone in order for you to lock it, wipe the data from it, gamecca63

and even track it should you want the friendly neighbourhood bouncer to go and sort the criminals out.

Thanks to the arrival of cloud computing, most of your phone data gets backed up to an online sites whether it is Google, Microsoft, or Apple. However, it is best to regularly check that all the data on your device is saved to the cloud. It is also a good idea to keep an ‘offline’ copy of your files on a removable hard drive that you can lock away somewhere.

It is also advisable to log out of online shopping sites after you have made a payment. This includes your online banking accounts and any other apps or sites you use for any financial transactions. For extra security, do not save your user names and passwords of these sites on your phone. While it is frustrating to log in everything you access these sites, it is better to experience some frustration instead of dealing with stolen funds or credit card details.

As with your computer, always check that the operating system on your phone has all the latest updates and patches installed. The same holds true for your apps.

As always, our intention is not to frighten you to not do anything with your smartphone. Instead, we aim to make you aware of the potential for disaster and what to do to minimise any potential risk that you might have.

In most cases, it is simply a case of being security conscious but in others you need to have the proper software in place to protect yourself when you need it most. g

Keeping your Smartphone Safe

Keeping Your

Smartphone Safe Protecting you and your bank balance

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Technically Speaking

eing in the business of technology can be a bit tough and daunting sometimes, as you are never sure of what might take off in the industry, or what could fall flat on its face.

Couple with that is always the lingering question of what technology really is.

It might seem like a silly question to ask, but is there one person that can fully explain technology? Because here is the thing: what you consider to be technology might have been in use somewhere else for a very long time. And when that happens, it moves from being technology, to into the realm of the everyday and mundane.

A couple of months ago there was a really interesting documentary on television about an explorer who attempted to contact one of the last uncontacted tribes in Papua-New Guinea. The large island nation is just north of Australia but plays host to some of the last-remaining uncontacted tribes in the world.

Through some rather tense moments and careful negotiations he reached the tribe, and started his mission: to only observe. Many people have asked him why he doesn’t show them some of

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the technology that we use today, like smartphones and laptops, but he had a simple answer ready.

Sitting in a tree while watching one of the warriors affix a crow feather to a bone arrow, he looked at the camera and said “Why should I? This is a land where the Bronze Age has just started.”

And the Bronze Age that he was referring to was purely based on the tribe’s use of metal pots for their cooking.

For the most part, that is the height of their technology.

“There is really no point to show them our worldly things, as they have no concept of how it works or anything to relate to it. Here, the wheel hasn’t been invented yet,” he further explained. Panning to shots of the women working, they carried things where ever they went, because they haven’t figured out a way to do it more effectively, like carts or wagons, as they really had no concept that something that is round rolls.

Also, the jungle terrain isn’t very friendly to a bulky wagon, so it would be impractical in any case – hence the fact that they haven’t thought of it.

And it was that conversation that got me thinking about technology in the world that we know.

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BYcHARLIE Fripp

Uncontacted Technology...

We are very quick to develop new things and incredibly eager to show off how they work, but what I consider to be technology is out-of-this-world for others.

It’s easy for us to take technology for granted, and to bring it a bit closer to home, there are plenty of countries in Africa where something as perceivably simple as the internet is 1% or less in penetration.

I guess the point that I’m trying to make is that there will always be someone who is less fortunate than you when it comes to technology – be it for whatever reason. We are all too often quick to say that something is old or yesteryear, but the next time you see an “ancient” smartphone or laptop, just take a moment to remember the Papua-New Guinea tribe, and try to see the device through their eyes.

What would they say about it? Where do you think they would say where it came from? Take a second to think about electricity, and imagine how you would explain that without coming across as some witchdoctor with mystical powers to a device that can make the darkness go away at your single whim.

That 486 PC doesn’t seem so archaic now, now does it? g

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The Other Games

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The Time Inbetwixt

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Gadget Reviews Sony Xperia Z2 Zony Xperia T3 Jabra Sports Wireless + HTC One

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New Suicide Squad #1 Saga TP Vol 1 Rocket Raccoon #1 Rat Queens TP Vol 1

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Feature: The Other Games

by Charlie Fripp

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Feature: The Other Games

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e all love playing video games. They are an incredible way to escape, and provide excellent entertainment. And people who don’t play video games think we’re strange.

But there are other games out there, and video gamers might well think that the people who play them are also strange. We’re not just talking board games – which are showing a massive amount of growth – or collectible card games. Rather, the games in question here date back a lot longer than one might think, and they have had a massive influence on video games, too.

Before we get into the details, though, let us consider, for a moment, the definition of “gamer”.

It is a title that we all love to use when describing ourselves. And, in modern society, it generally refers to someone who plays video games. But there are other kinds of gamers and games out there, and perhaps to fully earn the title, we should all extend our horizons beyond screens.

The first alternative comes in the form of tabletop wargaming. The reason we’re kicking off here is because these strategic battle simulations gave rise to other forms of gaming, and had a strong influence on video games. And it’s quite a thing to observe; combatants bring their carefully painted miniature armies to a specifically laid out table (complete with miniature scenery like trees and building) and then wage war against each other in a contest that looks like a very complicated form of chess. The rules are generally rather convoluted, and soldiers will rub shoulders with measuring tapes and dice as the competition gets hotter.

There are many different types of tabletop wargames, with a wide variety of rules. Whether it be real world combat based on historic battles, or fantasy or sci-fi (a great example of which is Warhammer 40K, which has seen more than a few video games based on it) those that play these games are generally obsessed with detail and consumed by strategic thinking.

The biggest influence that tabletop wargaming had on video games lies in strategy and management titles. Warhammer 40K had a few great RTS games based on it, and titles like StarCraft, Total War and Command & Conquer owe a lot to ideas that originated from this long running hobby.

One such tabletop wargame was called Chainmail. This medieval combat system was created in part by Gary Gygax in 1971. But an ingenious idea to tunnel under enemy fortifications lead to a new set of rules being written for Chainmail, and these rules developed and grew until, in 1974, Dungeons & Dragons was born.

Throwing in elements of the fantasy tale he loved as a child, Gygax created a game that would, during the ‘80s, become both a phenomenon and an ultimate badge of geekdom. D&D, as it is colloquially known, pretty much defined everything for a whole new kind of game: roleplaying games.

A quick aside: computer roleplaying games are,

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Feature: The Other Games

quite honestly, only partially roleplaying. The user has limited choices, and the PC or console only has a handful of possible responses. This marks the different between computer roleplaying games (CRPGs) and pencil-and-paper roleplaying games (RPGs). In the latter, anything really is possible, bound only by the imaginations of those playing them.

In an RPG session, one player acts as part referee and part story-teller, while the other players control characters within the story he or she tells. There are rules (mostly considered “guidelines”) and paper for notes and character records, and generally lots of oddly shaped dice.

Working together, the group will create a story within the paradigm of the game they are playing – a co-operative endeavour that has created some extremely memorable moments for millions the world over.

There are a great many RPGs available, and while the activity is not in a boom period, it remains popular. From the fantasy settings of things like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder through to modern gothic horror like Vampire: The Requiem, there are many, many worlds for players to explore. What binds them all together is that they are the products of players’ imaginations, rather than relying on visuals, sounds and settings created by others.

RPGs were massively influential on video gaming. Aside from the obvious D&D-based games and other titles based on roleplaying properties (like the handful of Vampire games), many elements that we now find in video games (particularly CRPG games) stemmed from penciland-paper. Elements like character customisation, personality influence, skill development and many others all arguably enjoyed some level of influence from RPGs. No mention of deep-geek culture gaming would be complete without a look at collectible card games. Although these are the new kids on the block, relatively speaking, they have still been around for some time. Arguably the biggest two games in making this activity so popular were the Pokémon games, and Magic the Gathering. Played using carefully constructed decks of card collected by purchasing sealed packs, collectible card games combine strategy with the luck-of-the-draw, quite literally. They make for intriguing strategic battles, in which quick wits are as important as end-game tactics.

While collectible card games may not have been as influential on video gaming as tabletop wargaming and roleplaying games, they remain a very popular and viable alternative to sitting at a screen, controller in hand.

All of the kinds of gaming mentioned above are still considered deep-geek, although card gaming likely is the least so of the lot. And while this list of alternative types of gaming isn’t exhaustive, hopefully it has piqued interest in what else is out there, and in what helped shaped the video game market (at least in part) to become what it is today. g

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o Google wants to archive all human knowledge. Not just the actual, useful bits, Google want’s to record EVERYTHING. While the Knowledge Vault, as the project is called, is probably going to give conspiracy theorists and the paranoid fits of hysteria, the actual goal here seems to be noble, and beyond mere trifles like medical breakthroughs that could save countless lives, it may one day enable things like virtual assistants and intelligent robots. They’re even suggesting (tentatively) that the algorithms the project will employ could even be used predict future events. It all sounds very grand and exciting, as well as a tiny bit terrifying, and one can only marvel at a species that just a few tens of thousands of years ago consider a sharpened stick to be

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a work of technological genius.

That is until you remember the amount of useless crap we have floating around that, technically speaking, counts as knowledge. Never mind the staggering amount of false beliefs, superstitions and prejudices that we cling to as a global collective, I’m talking about the utter mind numbing garbage that’s become intrinsic to our society.

We have dipshits like the Kardashians and Justin Bieber dominating global media, while brain-dead creationists are accorded the same respect as actual scientists. We live in a world where Twilight is a bestselling series and reality television has made Snooki a household name. Face it, if we ever have aliens visit our backwards corner of the galaxy and they get a hold of that archive, we’re doomed.

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BY Lein Baart

Please Make Us Look Good...

If I can, I would like to make a suggestion.

If we are going to compile a record of all human activity, could we not at least edit the release version, create a “Humanity: The Greatest Hits” if you will? We’ll keep all the relevant historical, scientific and cultural information, throw in a cat video or two and the entire series of Breaking Bad and Monty Python, then pretend that we’re at least moving forward as a species. If nothing else however, in a couple of thousand years, long after people have forgotten why the word “Facebook” means a public display of vanity/stupidity, when archaeologists stumble upon the Knowledge Vault in search of clues as to why the earth was blasted in nuclear winter, they can at least know that humans have, and probably always will be, a gathering of imbeciles. g

COMPUTERS | GAMING | TECHNOLOGY

10-12 Oct, the dome, JHB

IMAGINATION |

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| mind | reality

video games • comics • digital lifestyle gear • overclocking gaming peripherals • local game development studios geek culture • international game developers technology • gaming apparel and accessories • eSports events local artists • anime • cosplay • collectible card games • shopping

www.rageexpo.co.za For enquiries please e-mail rage@nag.co.za brought to you by

Xperia Z2 The FlAGSHIP

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he flagship of Sony’s Xperia range is the Z2, and it proves itself to be an extremely capable and powerful communication device. With numerous features and facilities to make communication easier, the Z2 really can be what you want it to be.

At its core is a CPU that performs at a blazing 2.3GHz, which should be more than enough for anyone wanting great mobile communications. It also features a very powerful camera (at 20.7 megapixels, which is massive).

But perhaps most important is that this is a phone built to handle whatever you throw at it, with IP55/58 durability ratings extending even to its 13.2mm screen. g

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Xperia T3 An alternative Xperia

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ony have long demonstrated that they know exactly how to address very broad markets with their Xperia mobile handsets. The T3 is a device that manages to deliver the prestige of the range, at a slightly better price point.

On paper, it doesn’t do a hell of a lot to compete with its Z2 stable-mate, but it is still an impressive phone. It has a 1.4GHz CPU, and sports a 8 megapixel camera, as well as a screen that is slightly larger than the Z2 (13.5mm). It’s a bigger unit, too, but it seems that bigger phones are back in fashion. g

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Jabra

Wireless+ Great sound on the go

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aving reliable and durable personal audio is a great thing, particularly for active people that want to take their music with them and need a headset that can survive an active lifestyle.

Jabra’s Sports Wireless + do just that.

Usinf a Bluetooth connection, this comfortable and durable wireless headset makes listening to music and taking calls on the go easy. A simple set of controls are housed in the casing of the right ear-piece. The headset sits securely on the user’s head, and a selection of ear gels help maximise comfort.

The US military grade weather proofing is a big plus, too… you can take this headset anywhere.g

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HTC ONE

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Quietly delivering the goods

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he HTC One is a really excellent handset that sneaks about without much fanfare. They may not advertise everywhere, but this is a manufacturer that captures the attention of those who try their devices, and the HTC One is no different.

Powered by a 2.3GHz CPU, it competes with every top-of-the-line Android phone on the market. It also sports a rather chunk 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory.

With a five inch display and a beautiful design, the HTC One manages to combine style and performance in a handset that is full of pleasant surprises and great performance. g gamecca63

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DE SQUAD #1 New Suicide Squad #1 Sean Ryan Jeremy Roberts DC Comics

The Suicide Squad is a valuable team of super criminals that can do the jobs that real heroes can’t be seen doing. It’s a great plan, what could go wrong? Well, for starters, the team is made up some of the most violent and bloodthirsty criminals out there, along with a few that are just totally insane. Controlling them can be tricky, getting them to stick to missions equally so, getting them to work together smoothly can seem almost impossible.

A new squad means new members and new bosses, but it’s still the same chaos which follows that we love to see.

by Clive Burmeister

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SAGA TP

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P Vol.1 Title: Writer: Artist: Publisher:

Saga TP Vol 1 Brian K. Vaughan Fiona Staples Image

When Brian K. Vaughan, the writer of best selling series “Y: The Last Man�, brings out a new book, the hype is going to be intense, and so it was when Saga came out. Was it justified? I had a customer ask us to rate some new books on a scale of 1 - Saga, so what do you think? Saga is exactly that, an epic space opera, a grand tale of war, love, survival and hope. Think Star Wars meets Romeo and Juliet, get one of the best writers of our generation, and run with it. You literally cannot not enjoy Saga!

by Clive Burmeister

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ROCKET RA

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Rocket Raccoon #1

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Skottie Young

Artist:

Skottie Young

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ACCOON #1 Marvel

In time for the release of Marvel Studios’ Blockbuster Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy, came the spin off series Rocket Raccoon, written and illustrated by the popular artist Skottie Young. In Rocket Raccoon #1, Young tells a story of how Rocket gets caught up in a big conspiracy to frame him for numerous murders, and ones he didn’t actually commit. Now he needs to evade the law, and find out who is responsible.

If you’re not familiar with Skottie Young’s artwork, you should check it out. If you already love his art, you’ll find his writing is every bit as good.

by Clive Burmeister

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RAT QUEEN

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Title:

Rat Queens TP Vol 1

Writer:

Kurtis J. Wiebe

Artist:

Roc Upchurch

Publisher:

COOL STUFF

NS TP VOL.1 Image

Rat Queens is exactly what a D&D roleplaying, or generic fantasy, comic should be. It’s entertaining, funny, action packed, brutal, filled with innuendo and dirty jokes, and all bundled together in a gripping story.

Rat Queens follows the tale of a group of adventurers in a fantasy world, who split their time between beating the snot out of bad guys and causing almost as much trouble for the good guys. But what’s really fresh in this, as a fantasy book, is the banter and dialogue. It’s fast paced, sharp, and definitely the best fantasy comic I’ve ever read. Not for kids!

by Clive Burmeister

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THE OBSERVER

he complete extermination and annihilation of social network profiles, including some smartphone communication apps, has taken precedence in some people’s lives.

Reason or cause: the user.

It seems that some peeps got up one morning and deleted everything that connected them to any social network and cyber-gathering available to them.

How did I notice this?

I was briefly offended at the thought that I was rejected from their friend list, until I found out that I was part of a bigger and more profound purge.

My offended confusion turned into curiosity and got me wondering... what made some people feel this compulsive need to eradicate a part of their connection to a world that has become essentially a technological, social reality?

Is this a natural need to connect to nature…a vital need to disconnect to something that is so

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unnatural, or is it both?

Is a tech detox becoming evident as a reaction to our collectively extreme online behaviour? Has the pendulum swung for some, considering that the other extreme is so evident?

If we look at the basics of what we are dealing with, I mean, let’s face it, behind the screen, anything goes, right?

Pain inflicted in cyberspace is accelerated and exponential, without any form of control. What sense of propriety has remained in cyber world when bulling and mob mentality is encouraged, to the point of traumatic and even tragic repercussions for some.

Does this really come as a surprise that some folk would just prefer to live their lives without sharing, liking, posting, tweeting their every move? It doesn’t mean that your life ceases to exist because you haven’t posted a status or a selfie. Are people starting to get sick and tired of all the bullshit and opting for a cyber-catharsis?

Added to that, behind

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BY Katia Taliadoros

User Delete... the scenes, when one reads the fine print, one realises that we are simply puppets in a larger network. I guess some of us don’t appreciate having our “private” information, paradoxically utilised against us for marketing purposes.

For now, it seems that the reality is that most of us are too egotistical and self-involved to give up the stroking wave of the, “please look at me (and like me as I my selfesteem is non-existent) selfie craze”. Or simply the fact that the world needs to know exactly what I had for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The percentage of these ‘Social Network Eradicators’ is probably small, and yet who is to say that this little seed may not take on full effect one day.

Perhaps one day… in the meantime, it does seems that some of us have just simply had enough and gone out to smell the flowers, as opposed to posting flower pics in the far background of our selfies. g

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