GG Issue 04

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GOOD GAME

04 VOLUME

WWE 13: PRE-ORDER DETAILS INSIDE

NBA 2K13 THE KING OF THE COURT RETURNS

MICA (P) 135/05/2012

DISHONORED

DELICIOUSLY DIFFERENT

REVIEW WHY IT IS ALREADY THE NUMBER ONE CONTENDER FOR GAME OF THE YEAR. FIND OUT MORE IN

PREVIEWS: GRAND THEFT AUTO V, HITMAN ABSOLUTION, BIOSHOCK INFINITE, METRO: LAST LIGHT & MORE

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02 - Issue 04, 2012

UPCOMING GAMES

RetailerTOP5 THE HOTTESTGAMES OUTNOW

Far Cry 3

Hitman: Absolution

God of War: Ascension

Aliens: Colonial Marines

Halo 4

1. Borderlands 2 2. Resident Evil 6 3. NBA 2K13 4. FIFA 13 5. Darksiders

The Last Of Us

Tomb Raider

Assassin’s Creed 3

Prey 2

Metro: Last Light

Grand Theft Auto V

TEAM PUBLISHER Jacky Choo jacky@playworks.asia

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Gibbson Ang gibbson@playworks.asia

1. Borderlands 2 2. Resident Evil 6 3. FIFA 13 4. Dead of Alive 5 5. One Piece: Pirate Warriors

The Last Guardian

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Rainbow Six: Patriots

Bioshock Infinite

1. Borderlands 2 2. Resident Evil 6 3. NBA 2K13 4. FIFA 13 5. Tekken Tag Tournament 2

SENIOR REGIONAL CREATIVE DESIGNER Marcus Greiert marcus@playworks.asia DESIGN CONTRIBUTORS Joyce Lee Kai Ting joycelee@playworks.asia MEDIA GROUP HEAD Candice Cheong candice@playworks.asia MEDIA MANAGER Johanna Kuan johanna@playworks.asia ASSISTANT EDITOR Michael Khoo michael@gx.com.sg

TOP 5 XBOX LIVE GAMES

1. Borderlands 2 2. Guild Wars 2 3. NBA 2K13 4. FIFA 13 5. F1 2012

WRITERS Justin Choo, Adam Tun-Aung, Mohd Nizam ADVERTISING SALES AND MARKETING Media Group Head Candice Cheong candice@playworks.asia Media Manager Johanna Kuan johanna@playworks.asia Philippines Correspondant Josephine Oliver PRINTING Printer Colourscan Co (Pte) Ltd 53 Ubi Avenue 3, Singapore 408863 GG is a monthly publication of Playworks Pte Ltd, 42 Kaki Bukit Crescent, Level 3, Singapore 416267 www.playworksonline.com

1. Borderlands 2 2. FIFA 13 3. NBA 2K13 4. Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition 5. Battlefield 3: Platinum Edition

Marvel vs. Capcom: Origins

Copyright© 2009, Playworks Pte Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication shall be reproduced, stored in, or introduced to a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means without the prior consent of Playworks Pte Ltd.™ and © for all other products, characters and its graphical depictions contained therein are properties of their respective trademark and copyright owners.

PLAYWORKS PTE LTD 42 Kaki Bukit Crescent, Level 3, Singapore 416267 Tel: +65 6339 3083 Fax: +65 6339 3079 Playworks would like to thank the publications; PSM3, XboxWorld 360, Ngamer, PC Gamer, Edge and GamesMaster for their excellent content, help and support for making the new Playworks magazine possible.

Mark of the Ninja

Dust: An Elysian Tail

Kung Fu Strike: The Warrior’s Rise

Counter-Strike Global Offensive

GoodGame

04 - Issue 04, 2012

XCOM: ENEMY UNKNOWN Meet the Baddies Developer: 2K Games Publisher: Firaxis Games Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: 12th October 2012

Muton Sectoid

X

COM: Enemy Unknown is hitting the stores and one of the more exciting (as if this new game is not pee-in-your-pants-exciting enough) things is the new multiplayer mode where players can pick characters to form a squad of humans and aliens, aka the good guys and the bad guys. You don’t have to be all team heroes or all team alien. You can mix and match and create an eclectic ensemble.

The key thing that makes the multiplayer mode in games worthy is the uniqueness of the available characters. Why do you think Team Fortress 2 is still so

darn popular five years after its release? That’s like the life-span of older consoles! But we digress.

Enemy Unknown has a whole bunch of unique and quirky (to a certain extent) characters available for your choosing.

We’ve always been a fan of bad guys for some reason. Some say the reason’s obvious but we can’t quite hear their explanation over the sound of our minions beating them to a pulp. So, for Enemy Unknown, let’s have a look at the character types from the aliens’ side, shall we?

Ah, yes. The most typical-looking guy from the bunch. Sure, the perception is changing a little bit nowadays but when it all started, whenever someone mentions the word “alien” or the phrase “little green men”, this is the image that people see.

Big head, frail body, humongous eyes, etc.

In Enemy Unknown, they are as frail as their appearence, but they do have this ability called “Mind Merge” which can be a devestating addition on the battelfield. What it does is that it improves the targeted ally’s toughness and accuracy, making these guys kind of like the Civil War Drummers.

On the battlefield, these guys are like mages, staying behind the front line and supporting the heavy hitters, erm, hitting the enemy in front. A Sectoid may be frail, but it definitely has the potential to change the outcome of the fight.

Not to be confused with “mutton”, though these guys are like those two chubby radio DJs (who make lame jokes) size-wise. Basically, these are your tanky, Kilowog-looking, big aliens that look much, much more badass and threatening compared to the Sectoids.

As hulking soldiers carrying rifles, the Mutons can either flank or suppress the enemy, while bombarding them with grenades. They also have a special ability known as “Blood Call”, which gives enhancements to a group of them, making them much more dangerous.

A handful of these guys and you’re set to charge in a wreck havoc on your enemy. They’re tough and also dish out quite some damage so you can’t really go wrong with them. The only thing is that these baddies are easily susceptible to psi attacks. Yeah… they’re not the smartest the alien race has to offer.

Thin Man

Floater Chryssalid After the little green man that people often see in their minds when they hear the term “alien”, another image (a much more terrifying image) they do see related to the word is the iconic xenomorph from the Alien franchise. The Chryssalids are XCOM’s xenomorphs.

These guys are fast, assassin-type units that kill at melee range and reproduce by laying their eggs in humans. The human host becomes a zombie-ish kind of a thing until a new Chryssalid pops out of the host. Exactly like how the xenomorphs reproduce.

But hey, these guys are also iconic and once you have vulnerable victims around, you can get waves of Chryssalids under your command. They are a bit short-handed due to their attacks being all melee, so long range heavy power attacks will take them out fast.

No. We will not (!) do any toilet/poop related jokes here. It’s so easy, I mean, Floater?

Really? It fits the character but it’s just so easy. So easy in fact, that if we did a toilet/ poop related joke here, our integrity will get flushed down the... DAMMIT! Resembling the wraith champion named Nocturne from League of Legends, the Floater (sigh) is a speedy unit that can ambush lone units or poke your enemy’s troops before speeding back, over and over.

You can basically annoy the crap out of your opponent with a bunch of these guys.

Acting like sadistic scouts, they have this ability called “Launch”, which lets them fly across the field to a point, allowing you to easily stage ambushes. Of course, as a light-footed unit, theses guys can’t take much damage and will fall in hordes if you overextend their stay.

It’s Slender Man! Wait, it’s not.

Whew. But that doesn’t make it less scary/creepy. There’s just something about tall and lanky guys wearing dark suits and having no expression. Actually, this guys looks like a Chinese guy, eh?

These guys are aliens, though they just look like tall and lanky Chinese guys. But once you see them move, you’ll understand they’re not from earth. That and also the fact that they spew out poisonous bodily fluids that creates a toxic cloud which, naturally, is bad for the enemy units.

The Thin Man can also make giant leaps which makes him great for infiltration and disrupting enemy units with his attacks. The cool/annoying thing about his poison spit is that the effects linger on like a horrible fart, damaging the effected units even if you kill the guy.

Berserker The name gives it all away, doesn’t it? In gaming terms, heck, even in general terms, the word “berserker” brings forth images of aggressive violence with blood and chunks of flesh splattering all over the wall. Maybe it’s just us.

So, the Berserkers in Enemy Unknown have giant armour, they stand quite intimidatingly huge, and of course, they will just run into the fray and beat the enemy into a very pitiful pulp.

Basically, if you see a Berseker charging at you, move the **** out of the way.

These guys also have a skill called “Bull Rush”, which does exactly that and also destroying any cover the enemy might be cowering behind. The only retort is to focus on the damn thing and kill it before it wrecks more havoc. They are melee-based so shoot at them from afar before it gets too late.

Issue 04, 2012 - 05

NBA 2K13

Developer: Visual Concepts Publisher: 2K Sports Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: 5th October 2012

The King of the Court Returns!

This year’s model

Pre-order goodies DLCs and pre-orders are the norm these days but with NBA 2K13, you get something really cool. You get to download this extra game which focuses on the All-Star Weekend. Yup, the three-point shoot-out, the slam dunk contest, and more are all back for you to enjoy.

The most interesting part about this pre-order bonus is the new slam dunk contest mechanics. It was a tad complicated in its previous incarnations but now, it’s a new way to play. Something like a rhythm-tap style is used for you to make those crazy and creative dunks. Looks easy enough to pick up and play, yet deep enough to spend hours mastering it.

2

K Games rule the virtual b-ball court with their

NBA 2K series. There’s no doubt about that.

Ever since the series debuted on current generation consoles, the NBA 2K series has been the pinnacle of sports simulations. Heck, even the mighty Madden franchise can’t compete. It’s a great time to be a fan of basketball games and the sport itself, but with the series’ reign starting from 2005 (with NBA 2K6) and barely anyone properly challenging the throne, it seems a tad worrying that the series might go into a complacent slump.

Good times, good times...

Any guess on the year the first ever NBA 2K title came out? Any takers? If you guessed the year 2000 (due to the series being name the 2K series), you’re close, but no cigar. Sports series name their titles a year ahead so that they can cover the upcoming season instead of the current one. So, the first ever NBA 2K game came out in the year 1999, aptly titled NBA 2K. It was released on the famed SEGA Dreamcast console and featured Allen Iverson from the Philadelphia 76ers on the cover.

The series hopped from platform to platform during the early years. The first two were on the Dreamcast but the third one, NBA 2K2, was on the Dreamcast, Xbox, GameCube, and PS2. And that was the last time

the series was on the Dreamcast as NBA 2K3 was only on the Xbox, PS2, and GameCube. Then came a sudden (and somewhat brief) change.

People who follow American sports, would know that ESPN presents the best in sports broadcasting. So, the 2K series teamed up with ESPN to create ESPN NBA Basketball and ESPN NBA 2K5 for the 2004 and 2005 seasons, respectively. It was a decent effort in merging video games and real-life broadcast style presentations, but it more cosmetic than anything else.

The true change came in 2005, when NBA 2K6 was released. This was the first game that was released on the (then) next-generation console – the Xbox 360.

Sure, there were the Xbox and PS2 versions but the 360 version was built from ground up and blew everyone away with its impressive graphics, gameplay, depth, and an all-round impressive package.

After that the series claimed the crown as the premier sports simulation and improved the already stellar game year after year. A significant milestone was reached for NBA 2K11 in 2010 when they brought back the greatest and most iconic basketball player of all time – Michael Jordan. Featuring his airness and some classic teams and players gave the series a refreshing face-lift, and the whole retro/nostalgia thing continued on in the following years as well.

And we’ve come to this, the 2012 edition, aka NBA 2K13. For a series that has been at the top for this long, there’s always the danger of becoming just a cosmetic update each year. That said, 2K Games is not known for churning out cosmetic updates and cashing in. So, what’s new in this year’s version? This might be the last NBA 2K title in the history of the world (if the Mayans were right and we all perish on December 21 this year). Let’s see what 2K has in store for us.

The graphics have been impressive for each year and surprises keep rolling in (well, there’s always the sweat issue, but we won’t nitpick). This year also sees the mandatory tweaking and polishing over last year’s graphics plus the new things we’ll be seeing in this year’s DLCs and pre-order bonuses. They also have about 4000 plus animations for this year’s edition and subtle details like how the players’ hands properly wrap around the basketball (instead of being stuck to the ball like flippers) will make seasoned fans smile for sure.

After graphics, we have the core element of the series (of any respectable sport video game) which is the gameplay (mechanics, physics, etc). I wrote this in my review of the first great NBA 2K title NBA 2K6 – I wrote that everything else was stellar and the way that the ball hits the back of the rim, after a shot, making that “thunk” sound is beyond authentic, that is just showing off the feel of the sport that the developers are well aware of.

The control scheme has been changed for the analog sticks. Previous versions had the Right Stick as a shot stick, while dribbling is controlled by the Left Stick, which also controls movement. Admittedly it was a tad complicated to pull off fancy leg work but with 2K13, they’ve made the Left Stick solely for movement while the Right Stick controls your handling of the ball.

Tons and tons of dribbling moves become available with ease now, and don’t worry, you can still use the Right Stick as a shot stick, just click down on it (aka the R3 button) and you can use it for shooting.

Fancy additions The usual suspects are back (Association, Creating a Legend, etc.) but they’ve added more to MyPlayer.

Subtle stuff such as you being able to meet your team’s GM, asking for change of coaching staff (you diva, you), even taking your teammates out to dinner to create a better bond (or in other words, bribing

GoodGame

“So, from the looks of it, NBA 2K13 is set to raise the bar higher (once again)”

them to fit your needs). These aren’t game-changers but they give that extra little something for fans of the series.

Another new feature is the introduction of Virtual Currency (VC), with which you gain by playing games and completing tasks - they’re similar to experience points in RPGs. What do you do with these points?

Spend it on your MyPlayer, erm, player! Buy him new suits to wear to press conferences, official gear to wear during pick-up games, plus attribute-boosting items in the accessory shop.

The Beats The NBA 2K series has had really cool tracks in its past editions. This year’s one is going to be something special though, thanks to a certain someone. If you look closely at the game’s cover (which features three superstars – Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma Thunder, and Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls – for the first time in franchise history), you’ll see it says “Executive Produced by Jay Z”. Yeah, that certain someone.

Expect awesome tracks courtesy of Mr. Hova himself and a few of his friends. No need to say the sound quality will be top-notch. Might he be an unlockable player in the game? Who knows? Celebrities have been featured in NBA games before.

There’s also an important rumour that it was Jay Z who suggested the next big feature that we’re excited about...

The Dream Team(s) The 1992 American basketball team was the stuff of legends. It was brim-full with legendary players.

Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, and much more. So, this behemoth team will be playable along with the 2012 Olympic squad featuring the likes of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and LeBron (ugh) James.

It’s old-school versus new-school at the highest level.

So, from the looks of it, NBA 2K13 is set to raise the bar higher (once again) for sports titles. Their ex-rival series (not going to mention names here) has pulled out (once again) and we, the fans, don’t have to worry about the series becoming a lazy cash-cow anytime soon as well. Can’t wait to hit the virtual courts once again.

GoodGame

06 - Issue 04, 2012

DISHONORED Deliciously Different T

here’s just something about steampunk.

Really. Anything that has something to do with steampunk comes out cool. Okay, most of it comes out cool. It’s a genre that hasn’t been overly diluted and more prominent in video games and literature than in popular culture and other story-telling mediums like films.

Influenced by 19th century sci-fi works of H.G. Wells, Mary Shelly, and Jules Verne, the steampunk genre has been more or less an underground kind of a movement and even at times when it crosses over into mainstream popular culture via movies, TV series, or even music, the general population won’t even realise that its steampunk.

But still, the genre, (or you could even call it a sub-culture) continues to grow and gain followings in its own way.

We’re a fan the genre, from the comic books (such as some of Warren Ellis’ work, Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, etc) to the films (The City of Lost Children, and the more recent Sucker Punch, and the awesome B-movie Iron Sky). We love steampunk games such as Final Fantasy VI, the Thief series, the BioShock series, and so on.

Imagine how excited we, and the whole sub-culture’s fans, got when we first heard about Dishonored. It’s an assassin game, which is already a big plus as we love the whole Hitman and Assassin’s Creed series. It’ll be from a first-personperspective and from the first impressions, it has the feel of the first BioShock, which is a great thing already.

Developer: Arkane Studios Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: 10th October 2012

Here’s the setting: the game takes place in an industrial (of course it’s industrial, it’s steampunk) city named Dunwall, which is based on London and Edinburgh back in the late 1800s to early 1900s. But unlike the cities were like (in real life) back then, Dunwall has advanced technology and fantastical unearthly powers all coexisting in some sort of peace.

That’s thanks to an oppressive regime that rules the city with no nonsense heavy armoured officers called Tallboys, who will blast the bejesus out of any rowdy law-breakers.

As with any totalitarian regime, the contrast between the rich and the poor is uber stark. The poor of the city is infected with a plague that makes them cry blood and act violently. To maintain the districts proper and to keep these so-called Weepers out, barriers known as Walls of Light are placed between each district, disintegrating any who crosses them.

You play the role of a legen-wait for it-dary bodyguard named Corvo Atano who was in service (snigger) to the Empress until she got whacked. To

to become almost invulnerable, or at the least, a major pain in the arse for the government and its Tallboys.

Another cool thing about the gameplay is that it works on an open-ended missions structure, where you can accomplish your missions as you see fit. Barge in like a boss and kill everyone or sneak in like a ninja without anyone ever noticing your presence, it’s up to you. You don’t always have to kill your targets as well, and the entire game can be completed without ever killing a single NPC. But hey, what’s the point of being a badass assassin when you aren’t slicing someone’s throat, right? And from what we’ve seen so far, the graphics and animations are top-notch, and they compliment the game’s unique setting. So, the graphics, the setting, the gameplay, the mission structure, etc all look really fresh and inspiring. What more can you add to this?

How about some stellar voice work? Yup, the game got big names like Susan Sarandon, Carrie Fisher, Michael Madsen, and Chloe Grace Moretz (Hit-Girl from Kick-Ass) providing their talents.

“Another cool thing about the gameplay is that it works on an open-ended missions structure, where you can accomplish your missions as you see fit” REVENGE SOLVES EVERYTHING

TM

DISHONORED.COM

10 OCTOBER

© 2012 Bethesda Softworks LLC, a ZeniMax Media company. Revenge Solves Everything, Dishonored, Arkane, Bethesda, Bethesda Softworks, ZeniMax and related logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of ZeniMax Media Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All Rights Reserved.

make matters worse, Corvo gets framed for her murder so he has to bail and become a badass assassin to seek revenge for his Empress and also for setting him up for the fall.

As mentioned earlier, Dunwall is a city that has both technology and the mystic arts, so with the help of an enigmatic character called the Outsider, Corvo gets to use plenty of awesome magical powers that allow him

In this time and age where blockbuster sequels are the “in” thing, it takes guts and a whole lot of inspiration to come up with a new IP which not only has a unique setting but also a fresh new style of gameplay. Dishonored is right on course to be that special something that’ll whet our appetite for something different.

In Stores 5th October 2012

PRE-ORDER

FOR A CHANCE TO WIN

A SKULLCANDY NBA MIX MASTER HEADSET Pre-order entries end on the 4th of October 2012. Draw date will be on the 10th of October 2012. Winners will be contacted

via phone or email. *Terms and conditions apply

Store Locations

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© 2005-2012 Take-Two Interactive Software and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. 2K Sports, the 2K Sports logo, and Take-Two Interactive Software are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. The NBA and individual NBA member team identifications used on or in this product are trademarks, copyrights designs and other forms of intellectual property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective NBA member teams and may not be used, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of NBA Properties, Inc. © 2012 NBA Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. “2”, “PlayStation” and “À” ” is trademark of the same company. KINECT, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Entertainment are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “ Software Association. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Sponsored by ONE FUTUREWORLD (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD

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10

08 - Issue 04, 2012

SCENARIOS we’d like to see in

GTA V

Developer: Rockstar North Publisher: Rockstar Games Platform: PS3, Xbox 360 Release Date: TBA 2013

Movie-based missions, we mean We know it’s coming. When? Not sure. Details? Scarce as heck. All we have so far are a teaser trailer and a few screenshots. And all these have been dissected and discussed to death already. DAMMIT ROCKSTAR, GIVE US MORE! Now, a lot of people are guessing about who the main protagonist be and what kind of story the game will have, but we’d like to suggest some movie-based scenarios that we’d like to see in the game as missions. Past GTA games have had a few before so, here’s hoping GTA V will have these:

1. A MEXICAN STANDOFF

2. A BANK HEIST

Okay, not exactly the most exciting in terms of gameplay but imagine a scenario where you find yourself deep in a Mexican standoff, with your actions set to determine the future of several characters you’ve learned to get used to. Something like this should happen late in the game with several outcomes waiting based on your decision. End the scene with a slow-mo shoot-out scene.

A lot of bank heist missions are seen in various games.

Heck, there’s even a game based entirely on heists.

Special prize for guessing that game’s name. So, instead of a generic run-in-shoot-grab-stuff-shoot-yourway-out kind of a mission, we’d like to see a far more intricate and well-planned heist where you, like the Joker in the film, will feel like the ultimate criminal mastermind.

(Reservoir Dogs)

(The Dark Knight)

3. A SNIPING SCENE

4. A KISS OF DEATH

5. WAR (Gangs of New York)

6. FIGHTING TOURNAMENT

If you guys missed this stylish ganster flick from 2007, do yourselves a favour and go watch it. Though the action in this scene was done by a side character, the scene was absolutely gorgeous. A sniper, armed with a Barrett M82, takes shots from an opposing building, bringing forth the wrath of hell and taking out 10 plus guys before going down in a blaze of glory. Epic stuff.

It was a really heart-wrenching thing to see that scene and what followed. But it was also really poignant and badass, like how only classic gangster movies can make you feel. It will need a bit of setting up, but to figure out and determine the fate of a close friend or family member, and dish out the execution yourself, man, that’d be good stuff.

Or like in The Dark Knight Rises. Surely, you have seen that already. No? WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH YOU? Anyway, back to Gangs of New York. That first battle between the two gangs was a gory epic and imagine you’re thrown smack in the middle of such a battle. The chaos, the violence, the scope (we’re sure the technology’s there to make it huge), it should be quite a massive piece.

I was going to put “ala Warrior” but just to get a picture of Bolo Yeung printed, I’m going to put Jean-Claude Van Damme’s star-making martial arts flick. The hand-to-hand combat in the GTA series hasn’t been that ground-breaking or even satisfying. We saw a glimpse of something cool in The Ballad of Gay Tony with the illegal fighting side game but we need more, something that would be part of the main storyline and involve the main character. Of course, the combat has to take it to another level.

7. A PARKOUR CHASE

8. A JETPACK/GATLING GUN (Kick-Ass)

9. AN ALIEN INVASION (Mars Attacks!)

10. A HUNTING MISSION, you know what, this last one’s different

Parkour’s not a new thing in video games. Heck, there are games based entirely on parkour and we saw “some” sort of free running in GTA IV. But you guys remember that scene in Casino Royale at the beginning? Man, that was intense. The way this can work is to tweak the free running aspects of the game itself, making it more dynamic and action-packed. It can be done without going overboard.

Kick-Ass was such a great (and different) superhero flick that we just love in our office. Nic Cage as Big Daddy was one of his best roles ever! Anyway, so this scene that we’re talking about does not include Big Daddy but takes place near the end of the film where Kick-Ass flies up to the penthouse of the bad guys with a jetpack which has dual Gatling guns and blasting the bejesus out of a couple of henchmen, including one who’s holding a bazooka. Add in the same Elvis song for added effect.

It’d be a tad too serious if we have an alien invasion like, er, any other alien invasion movie, but the GTA series always had tongue-in-cheek vibes for certain things. Tim Burton’s wacky 1996 movie is the perfect basis for such tongue-in-cheek-ness we’re looking for.

Have the story revolve around Area 51 (it was there in the last GTA game set in San Andreas) and some captive aliens who escape and call in the cavalry. We’ll need guns ala the Men in Black films.

Yeah, we had it in the DLC for Red Dead Redemption but those who played GTA: San Andreas will remember countless hours roaming around the woods looking for Bigfoot, but to no avail. It’s payback time in GTA V. No need to make it even a side mission. Make it a hidden mission and this time, you do get to hunt the furry bugger with the help of your automatic weapons and unleash the fury caused by disappointment for nearly a decade.

(Smokin’ Aces)

(Casino Royale)

(The Godfather II)

(Bloodsport)

Issue 04, 2012 - 09

GoodGame

WORLD OF TANKS

War is Approaching!

C

lan Wars that is! Clan Wars will no longer be a distant dream for the SEA cluster for it will soon be paving its way to our shores here in World of Tanks. With over 100 clans already created on the server and much more expected from the second round of account transfers from the NA cluster, Tank Commanders are all pumped up and raring to go.

Wargaming.net sees a really positive dynamic on the SEA realm so plans are in the works to launch global map Clan Wars on the 10th of October, 2012. The region on which battles will be held will be known as “Asia� to the other servers and battle schedules for provinces will be made as comfortable as possible for all our loyal players in the Asian Pacific region.

So forge your alliances now and get ready for the

greatest tank battles of all time - Clan Wars is coming soon.

What is Clan Wars?

Clan Wars is a browser-based multiplayer military and geopolitical component of World of Tanks MMO where battles are fought on a big world map known as the Global Map. In this mode, clans can take part in a global campaign in which they vie for ultimate domination by conquering or defending territories.

The map is divided into provinces where selected

occupied territories will provide the clan with income and bonuses. Clans can plan assaults, carry out espionage to reveal the strength of enemies and engage in diplomacy to forge alliances.

Clan Wars has met with huge success and is extremely well received by clans from the other regions, garnering participations of thousands of clans around the world in a bitter struggle for world domination.

Visit World of Tanks SEA for more information: www.worldoftankssea.com

GoodGame

10 - Issue 04, 2012 Hitman: Absolution, more than any other third-person game that has been released this year, is a game about choice. A lot of effort has been put in to ensure that the mechanics of the game that create sensible choices for players to adopt as well as letting players off the leash to showcase their brutality.

It’ll be exciting to see how the narrative works to string all the missions together, and it won’t be a moment too soon till we get to don that signature black suit and red tie. Or a cop’s outfit… or a gardener’s outfit…

HITMAN: ABSOLUTION Video gaming’s original assassin is back I Free

DELIVERY NOW AVAILABLE IN

SINGAPORE

t has been a long while since Agent 47 last visited and we can’t help but wonder what he has been up to during his five-year hiatus. Come to think of it, wondering too much about an elite assassin with a flawless record isn’t too good for health now is it…

Jokes aside, this generation of consoles needs a game like Hitman: Absolution, and it needs it quick. We are constantly bombarded with games that celebrate explosions for the sake of celebrating explosions, and while chaos is generally eye candy to gamers, it soon becomes a mind numbing experience, especially when we’re not the cause of these explosions. Because sometimes, too much Michael Bay is just too much.

Once upon an assassin Hitman: Absolution has a strong narrative, and while not a lot has been revealed, we know that Agent 47 is the driver of the story, rather than just a protagonist.

The way objectives are created (or updated) are based on the progress he (you) has made throughout the level and it gets updated along the way with information that he (you) acquires. The unique thing is you hardly need anyone to spoon-feed you and whisper in your ear to tell you what to do – you’ve seen it for yourself, you’ve eavesdropped on a conversation – so the gamer’s experience is a dynamic one, to say the least. It’s a very dynamic world that the devs have painstakingly created, and one that we’re eager to dive into.

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Killer Instinct Like the overused Detective Mode in Batman: Arkham Asylum, Agent 47 can use instinct to quickly identify points of interest, targets, hiding places as well as objects in the environment you can use. The only difference is that you WILL run out of instinct and need to wait till it recharges before using it again. If you play on the game’s hardest difficulty, expect no help from the game whatsoever, and expect a serious challenge,

Developer: Io Interactive Publisher: Square Enix Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: November 2012

especially on the first playthrough.

Instinct also allows you to perform point shooting, this ability lets you slow down time and mark your targets, and when time resume, take them all out.

Cleanliness, it’s a virtue While players familiar with the Hitman series know that you can take out targets loud, proud and with close to zero finesse, being sneaky is just too rewarding to pass on. Players can expect to have an abundance of means and ways to go about completing their objectives and there is hardly any other stealth game that offers half the variation the later Hitman series offers. Sure, there is ‘art’ in putting a bullet through a person’s skull from a mile away, but it’s studying your surroundings and planning ‘accidents’ that’s sheer satisfaction.

Roaming the scoping out elements in the environment and surroundings is key, and thanks to the game’s Glacier 2 engine, the large levels look magnificent. Sourcing out disguises and improvised weapons feel very natural as the graphics of Absolution do very little to distract you from the gameplay. Certain levels have many entry points for each hit and since there isn’t a best route, it is up to you to surmise the situation and orchestrate your strike. If it doesn’t look like murder, no one’s going to be looking for a killer, right?

Not leaving any traces behind is also a good way of playing as it helps keep you undetected. Hitman: Absolution isn’t one of those games where you’ll ‘die’ instantly once you’ve been discovered, but executing professional, squeaky-clean hits does net you a higher score. The points you accumulate can then be spent on upgrades. There are penalties and collateral that will affect your score, as well as bonus points for silent kills, orchestrated accidents and hiding bodies, so apart from being a third-person-shooter, Absolution is very much a thinking man’s game.

Issue 04, 2012 - 11

GoodGame

Developer: Irrational Games Publisher: 2K Games Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: February 2013

5 things to do while waiting for

BIOSHOCK: INFINITE G

amers don’t like waiting. And it’s not just in loading games or browsing the internet. Waiting in general, irates the heck out of gamers. More so when a game that they’ve been looking forward to gets delayed. Man, hell breaks loose with the rants from these fans.

Same s**t happened this past May when BioShock Infinite, the highly-anticipated sequel/prequel, got its release date pushed back to February 2013 instead of the previously announced date of October 2012. It’s only four months, but that’s a hell of a long time in gaming terms.

So, instead of bugging 2K Games or developer Irrational Games (that’d be just plain rude), we have some suggestions to keep you busy until that faraway date of February 2013 comes hopping along.

All you BioShock fans, here are five things to do until then:

3) Books – Read Atlas Shrugged and The Devil in the White City

Here’s the toughest of the challenges – reading not one, but two (!), books before the game comes out. And these aren’t just short novels either. Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City is around 447 pages and Ayn Rand’s epic Atlas Shrugged clocks in at a whopping 1,168 pages. Again, why?

These books have similar basic ideas and ideals you will find in the game.

1) Games – (Re)Play BioShock and BioShock 2 2) Films – Watch The Shining and Blue Velvet It’s a no-brainer, a bloody obvious choice, but when was the last time you played the first BioShock? How long has it been since you jumped back into the multiplayer in BioShock 2? And we’re not even getting to the achievements/trophies. Don’t tell us you have collected ALL of them. You have? Liar…

You guys might be familiar with Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining thanks to Jack’s Nicholson’s iconic line “Here’s Johnny!” but David Lynch’s Blue Velvet might be a different issue. The latter is a 1986 classic surrealistic/ noir thriller. Why these films, you ask? Because they inspired the game’s designer Ken Levine.

4) Music – Listen to Bioshock 2: The Official

5) Toys – Get your filthy paws on a Big Daddy

Soundtrack - Music From And Inspired By The Game and the song Will the Circle Be Unbroken

The BioShock series has always been known for its magnificent use of classic music. The special editions of the first two game came with the game’s score but there were also the songs that you hear in the games.

Only BioShock 2 has an official soundtrack, so go hunt for that one. While you’re at it, check out the song (and its many, many renditions) used in Infinite’s trailer.

and a Big Sister

We’re lucky that these days, we get cool action figures of video game characters. Imagine back in the 8-bit or even 16-bit days, how great it’d be to have had proper action figures of classic titles. So, for you BioShock fans, if you haven’t got yourself these iconic character toys, head online or to China Square Central for the hunt.

GoodGame

12 - Issue 04, 2012

Developer: 4A Games Publisher: THQ Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC Release Date: TBA 2012

METRO: LAST LIGHT

Back to Moscow

Metro: Last Light takes you back to the postapocalyptic world of author Dmitry Glukhovsky.

W

hen Metro 2033 (the game, not the book)

hit the stores back in early 2010, roughly under three years ago, it was a sleeper hit.

Not many people outside of Russia were excited, or even aware, of this IP (we’ll get to that later). But then the game got released and despite some minor flaws, it won over a myriad of fans, including the critics.

This surprise blockbuster of a game was set in the year 2033 in Moscow where the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust has made living conditions pretty down-right messed up. The story follows a young man named Artyom who encounters life-changing experiences (none of the fluffy, bright sunshine kind) which would result in the fate of the world.

A little bit about the game’s creation, or creator, if you may. It was based on a novel by one Dmitry

(which would nab him millions of dollars), he chose to make it into a video game instead. And thus, the video game of the same name was brought into life. The reason he chose to turn his novel into a video game rather than a film, according to Dmitry, was that a video game adaptation gave him much more artistic freedom.

Apart from the great story and the stellar atmosphere Ukrainian developers 4A Games created, the game was notable for its graphics, which are still being used as a benchmark for PCs. The game was also linear (something which some grumpy gamers criticised wrongly), making the set-pieces and scripted sequences much more effective and engrossing. But alas, some Fallout 3 fans still spoke out about it not being a free-roaming game.

Russian electric performer Dolphin to write the soundtrack for the novel and artist Anton Gretchko to work on some oil-painted artwork.

The sequel to the game Metro 2033, will not be following closely with the novel Metro 2034, and it will be name Metro: Last Light instead. It will be in the same vein as the first game and good news is that Dmitry is working closely with the developers, to make sure the content is up to expectations from both the fans of the novels and the first game.

So, what’s this new in this video game sequel? Once again, you will be in the shoes of Artyom, the first game’s protagonist. It still takes place in Moscow where in the tunnels of the Metro, life is still pretty much crappy. The remaining humans are under attack from the mutants who roam in the catacombs beneath the surface. The sky is still poisoned and the surface is a not so safe either. And worst of all, instead of uniting and fighting off these threats, people being people, the station-cities of the Metro are stuck in a civil war where everyone’s trying to get a hold of the doomsday device

around and explore the atmospheric world. Then you also have the challenge of rationing ammo while making every single bullet count. This adds the tension and survival factors that the series has come to be known for.

As for the polish and production values, the game will one-up on the already gorgeous (like we mentioned earlier, the first game’s still being used as a benchmark) graphics with next generation tech, which boasts stunning lighting and physics. We bet our bottom dollar that this one’s going to set another benchmark for years to come. If you’re also big on voice acting, you got the likes of Lance Henriksen (Bishop from Aliens), Nolan North (he did Desmond from the Assassin’s Creed series, Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series, and many more), and Patton Oswalt (that funny, chubby guy you’ve seen cameo-ing in films).

From the looks of it, Metro: Last Light is shaping up to be a better sequel that’ll raise the bar. The only downside is that unlike the first one, a lot of people

that is locked in the military vaults.Typical.

So, it’s up to you, as Artyom, to save everyone and become the last light in humanity’s darkest hour. Now, you know where the title Metro: Last Light comes from.

“Great story, bro,” as they say. But what about the cool features? Hold your mutant six-legged horses, we got you covered. You got your arsenal of hand-made weapons, making the game stand out from your other cookie-cutter shooters. Use stealth to take out enemies (both mutant and human) or to safely (though the word “safe” is hardly applicable in this game) roam

have been following this game’s development and there are high expectations. But Dmitry’s a different breed of modern storyteller/author. Though he still keeps traditional writing his main medium, he is spreading his work around in modern ways. Plus, as mentioned, he chose to make a game out of his novel before turning it into a movie. It’ll be interesting to see what he does next, and with him involved with the development, Metro: Last Light should be a title that we need to keep an eye on, come Q1 2013.

“ Instead of selling the rights of the novel to turn it into a film (which would nab him millions of dollars), he chose to make it into a video game instead.”

Glukhovsky (you can only pronounce it after drinking at least a fifth of vodka). A Russian author and journalist, he started writing his debut novel Metro 2033 and published it on his own website in 2002, Free to read. Not exactly a great business plan, we would say. But it proved us wrong and went on to become a hit worldwide. It was finally released in book form in 2005 and became a bestseller in Russia. International rights were also sold and later, the novel was published around the world as well.

After the novel became a blockbuster, Dmitry did something that’s not so common with authors. Instead of selling the rights of the novel to turn it into a film

Despite some of the naysayers, Metro 2033 has managed to nab itself a place among the AAA titles for the PC. So, how do you follow it up a few years later?

With a sequel, of course! But it’s not just your typical cashing-in kind of a sequel, no. The book sequel came first. It requires some explanation though as the new game won’t be based on that.

Confused? So, our dear Dmitry wrote Metro 2034 in 2009 (before the first game came out). The story was a sort-of sequel to the original with the story taking place a year later. It became Russia’s local bestseller for that year. The book is now available for free online on its official site. Dmitry also collaborated with

REVIEW TESTED ON

GoodGame

14 - Issue 04, 2012

TESTED ON

IT’S A

RPG

Equipment and how you choose to specialise your character with skill points (earnt from levelling up) will let you play the way you like to play. The skill trees in Borderlands 2 is a lot more comprehensive than the one offered in the first game.

Equipments like grenade mods change the way your grenades work, some giving you elemental damage, shorter fuse time, cluster grenades and even stickies. What shield you you choose also helps tailor your character to your play style. While some shields have very high damage tolerance (and even elemental or blast resistance), they might take forever to regenerate. A guns-blazin player might feel inclined to equip said shield, but snipers would definitely opt for one that regenerates really fast.

Why it is already the number one contender for Game of the Year

Finding the right shield might not be difficult since there is loot to be found everywhere, but finding the best one may mean spending money on vending machines and such.

Skill trees on the other hand, give your character ‘permanent’ boost, that can range from improved character-specific abilities to the ability to carry more ammo, kill bonuses and the like. A skill tree is rubbish if you don’t hesitate to spend your skill points, so we’re glad to say that Borderlands 2’s skill trees will constantly force dilemas on you, level after level.

Combine all these possibilities and the four characters currently available (the Mechromancer is on her way) and you can really hone in on how you want to play this epic role-playing FPS. And we haven’t even started talking about guns. Holy cow, the guns, holy cow…

Developer: Gearbox Software Publisher: 2K Games Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: Out Now

IT’S A

LOOTER

IT’S A

SHOOTER

ds 2 is a In case you’re new to this planet, Borderlan that. It at one good darn a and oter, first-person-sho awesome FPS an e creat to ding rstan unde of lot a take are have experience and the folks at Gearbox Softw sound and feel ons Weap ce. scien a to got it down look and that ons satisfying to fire and even the weap you make ll that’ s ence differ e feel similar have subtl ent differ how (like other the over one choose travel at elemental weapon types have rounds that react units y enem way The different speeds). will (depending on where they are being shot) y. ungr kill-h and ersed certainly keep players imm of tion varia ense imm the t abou just But it isn’t t abou just isn’t It guns and how they feel and sound.

RPG the It’s r. eithe re gunfi to s how the enemies react

element that we loved so much in the first a Borderlands that hits the sweet spot. Pop more than Psycho Bandit in the head and you’ll be . pleased to see “Critical” pop out of his head and y enem an into ds roun atory Pump inflam to the watch as the numbers (that correspond great her Anot . body his of out damage dealt) pop an enemy when that is 2 ds erlan Bord t abou thing l know has resistance to a certain element, you’l hing to switc by react can and ely ediat almost imm other weapons for more effective hits.

FPS Like you, we have had too many military of y wear y prett n grow have and play to games of ons weap and them. The unconventional style eyes. sore for sight a itely defin Borderlands 2 is so good The game is far from realistic, but it feels ter Shoo Best win even that Borderlands 2 might of 2012...

Loot is what drives players in Borderlands 2. If you aren’t into looting and comparing weapon/ equipment stats, this game will coax you (slowly but surely) and before you know it, you’ll be more concerned about drops than anyone else. There is loot to be found just about anywhere and Borderlands 2 is a game that knows loot better than any other game. Since you’re a vault hunter, looting works to keep you engaged in the world of Pandora and closes the gap between player and character.

There different types of loot and different ways to obtain stuff. Basic loot come in the form of ammo, money, health and crappy weapons (which you’ll still pick up, to sell). Better loot can come in the form of elemental weapons, shield/grenade upgrades and even special items like Iridium that can be used to upgrade the amount of loot your character can carry.

Killing normal enemies will also grant you the occasional drop, but the better loot usually comes from defeating bosses, completing side quests and objectives. There are many boxes, loot chests

destructables that may (or may not) present you with the ammo, health, or equipment that you might need when you’re on your quest.

Generally, looting is addictive. Looting in Borderlands 2, is ridiculously addictive. Taking down a couple of small-fry Skags and Bullymongs may score you loot and mission bosses usually drop items, but unlike Diablo 3, we found looting the carcasses of the smaller enemies feel just as satisfying. Tougher enemies drop better gear, weapons, unlocks and upgrades, but it really doesn’t matter once you get into Borderlands 2 if it moves, you’re going to kill it, if not for the loot, for the EXP. Loot is shared in multiplayer, and while many reviewers and sites are quick to hit the dislike button on this, we found it absolutely necessary. In a wastelandish setting, loot is precious, loot is everything. Heck, you can even hear enemies yelling at you, telling you they want your gear. Having share loot or the possibility for loot to be taken away from you enhances what the game is about. It would suck if some random stranger were to pop into your game and pick up that epic sniper rifle that you’ll been fishing for (when he doesn’t even use sniper rifles), but you could do the very same thing to someone else. If you want to play it safe, keep your friends around. Friends that share, of course.

Issue 04, 2012 - 15

IT’S A

LOOKER

it comes Borderlands 2 is a giant leap forward when ally acclaimed critic the to el sequ the and ics, graph to vibrant Borderlands sees the use of even more ery. Once scen as well as ons weap colours in both e for cell again, Gearbox Software claims the thron time, load on ante the g shaded games by uppin

face that overall frame rate as well as a user inter pop-ins is delightful to navigate. Though texture ), they ware Alien tly beas a on are still evident (even the of scale r shee the g iderin cons , gible are negli ds 2 erlan Bord that maps and the amount of detail as are ies enem and ons weap s, boasts. Character game is the that world the as ned desig ntly brillia ent in set in, Pandora. There is hardly a dull mom el. sequ ome awes this awesome,

GoodGame

IT’S A

HOOKER

The game keeps you hooked and you keep returning to it, that’s what we mean.

It could be the impressive loot system, the bajillion wea pons, the great gameplay, or the writing, we don’t kno w. All we know is that we want to keep playing Border lands 2 for as long as we can. With the rich amount of add-ons that the first

Borderlands was decorated with, we’re anticipating the replayabilit y and lifespan of Borderlands 2 to be as fini te as the number of guns that the game’s weapon generator can generate. Having a playable character as an add-on is new to the Border lands franchise, and although we haven’t had a chance to play as the Mechromancer, we’re already hoping for more characters to come our way .

87 Bazi…

How many guns you say?

IT’S A

JOKER

The writing in Borderlands 2 is hilarious, and the characters’ personalities are colourful, enga ging and entertaining. The humour and witty sarca sm that we’ve come to expect from this sequel has far surpassed our expectations and this helps quests and missions feel a lot less grind-y. Borderlan ds 2 is an entertaining game to say the least, and it’s a game with impressionable characters that will definitely grow on you. A prime example would be how annoying we found Claptrap to be, but somehow wished that he didn’t stop talking.

Even the game’s main antagonist, Hand some Jack spews trash that is music to our ears. He so deliciously cocky, arrogant, and he’s is easily our favourite antagonist, again, thanks to supe rb writing.

HHHHH

100 GG

VERDICT

The answer is 87 bazillion, in other words, closer to infinity than zero. We wouldn’t know because as gamers we can only count up to a thousand… if we tried really really hard. What we do know is that there is an isane variety of weapons in Borderlands 2 and you’d be pretty damn lucky if you managed to pick up the same weapon (with the same stats) twice. The first Borderlands had quite the sh*tload of guns as well, but it became apparent rather early that there was a lack of variety when it came to how the weapons looked and felt. Borderlands 2 makes up for this by introducing a much wider variety of weapon modelling, reload and firing animations as well as how they feel.

You’re bound to stumble across weapons

that look identical (usually the crappy drops) but they are bound to have different accuracies, magazine sizes, damage as well as ammunition types. The seemingly identical pistol you have picked up may have different rounds that explode on impact, but require you to shoot ahead of moving enemies to compensate for slower bullet travel. The ‘same’ weapon may also give you more rounds-perreload, so while you’re bound to pick up similar looking weapons, check the stats.

There are also disposable guns that are always a blast to use (pun intended). Instead of switching magazines when you hit the reload button, you toss the emptied weapon at your foe for additional damage. Definitely worth a shot (again, pun intended).

GoodGame

16 - Issue 04, 2012

Developer: Bandai Namco Games Publisher: Bandai Namco Platform: PS3, Xbox 360 Release Date: Out Now

TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT 2 It’s time to re-enter the Tekken

O

ne of the most epic fighting franchises with

an unwavering legion of fans is back and with a roster this comprehensive, getting lost in TTT2 is easy – that’s a good thing. No silly unlocking and blocked DLCs on disc (yes Capcom, we’re talking about you) means you can jump straight into a character you want to master and start working your way up the food chain. Fighting games that force you to unlock characters were designed by douches that want you to play the way they want you to play, and restricting player choice intentionally is bullsh*t no matter what your intentions are.

In general, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 feels and plays like it’s predecessor. It’s definitely more refined, prettier and more pristine, but unlike other genres, fighting games that try their best to stay true to their roots are very much celebrated. This is seen in many recent revivals such as Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, King of Fighters and Soul Calibur and although some of the titles mentioned have done better than others, keeping your audience/fans seems to work wonders for the franchise. After all, ostracizing your fans by changing up things too much just makes the player base smaller.

For some, tag matches might not be as entertaining as solo matches, since not everyone has the time to memorise and understand the properties of another character. The good news is that you can go up against an opponent using just one characters and the damage taken /dealt is scaled very well when a tag team is going up against a solo character. This is great and does not penalise one-character players for playing the way they want to.

Apart from the usual Arcade mode, Survival, Time Attack and Fight Lab (training), TTT2 also has Ghost Battle, and this mode simulates live competition pretty well, but as we’ve mentioned, online is where this game is at. It’s a standard affair, leaderboards, watching replays or matches as you wait for your turn – we’re not complaining, this is how things are supposed to be.

Unlocking and purchasing accessories will also add a decent amount of mockable fun to the game.

© 2009 - 2012 Gearbox Software, LLC. All rights reserved. Borderlands, Gearbox Software, and the Gearbox logo are registered trademarks of Gearbox Software, LLC in the U.S. and other countries. Borderlands is published and distributed by 2K Games. 2K Games and the 2K Games logo are registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries and used here under license. “PlayStation” and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks and “PS3” and the PlayStation Network logo are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. KINECT, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

The Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Soundtrack is awesome and adds a lot of intensity to the game.

Crank up the volume when you’re playing on levels such as Indonesia (Wayang Kulit) and you’ll immediate get what we’re trying to say. In fact, the sound track is enough to warrant the purchase of the Prestige Edition of the game.

After all that is said, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is definitely an invitation to any gamer who has – at any point in their life – played a Tekken game. Bringing together players from the different series is definitely going to make TTT2’s online fight scene as vibrant as ever, and this is what’ll give this title oodles and oodles or replayability.

Serious about fighting games If you’re serious about fighting games, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is as big a playground as any. It’s a technical game that involves reading your opponents and executing combos, but because the roster is so comprehensive, it’ll take sometime to understand your match ups. Once you understand the characters and master your combos/nerves, you’ll be boss, but until you do, prepare to have your heart broken from time to time.

HHHHH

97

GG

VERDICT

Issue 04, 2012 - 17

SEVENCORE

GoodGame

S

EVENCORE is a free mount action Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG), where technology and fantasy collide in a unique postapocalyptic universe. It features a compelling storyline, a rich companion system with pets that you can ride and fight with, dungeons, raids, quests and so much more. SEVENCORE brings together narrative, extensive customization and fusion-fantasy elements for a standout, story driven MMORPG. Players are allowed to choose any three playable races; the Sion, the Nuuk and the Brutus and three classes – Warrior, Gunner and Magician. Each race and faction draws on their cultural diversity to bring unique spells, armour and weapons to players as they charge into the accelerating conflict that threatens the game’s world. SEVENCORE’s characters are highly customizable with a plethora of sliders are available to make your character look just the way you want it if you’re unsatisfied with the pre-built ones.

There are two families of weaponry for each race, which can be improved through the crafting system which requires finding specific resources such as ores or wells.

Featuring in-depth customization of characters, the mount system is SEVENCORE’s main attraction. It has a unique emphasis on mounts, offering players the chance to ride both

animal and mechanical variants which can fly or swim. Players can engage in combat on land, sea and air via these mounts, harnessing a range of special abilities they grant as players level up, as well as a variety of exciting options to suit the player’s personal style.

The mounts in SEVENCORE don’t just help players move around, they can also join combats to fight side by side with players. Different mounts possess different combat skills that allow players to launch melee, ranged or area attacks. These mounts can obtain new skills as characters advance and also level up using items. Additionally, players can grab other player’s mount and enjoy its unique skills.

Immersing gamers in a deep and engaging storyline that will evolve via expansions, SEVENCORE’s narrative will be distilled through quests and non playable characters (NPCs), each race and action will experience the story differently, based on their own unique in-game history and culture. As the game progresses, players will be able to piece together events and motives behind the game’s world history that shapes their daily gameplay and help them understand the bigger picture and ultimately become the force to change the future of SEVENCORE’s universe. The race-based story starts to develop and unfold after several levels later.

More details regarding SEVENCORE can be found on IAHGames or at www.sevencore.asia

GreatGames

18 - Issue 04, 2012

SUPERSTAR LIVE

E

ver envisioned yourself onstage with the shine of the spotlight on your face? Aspiring superstars can now belt out their favourite performances in the comfort and privacy of their rooms. Incorporating singing, dancing and performing, SuperStar Live enables hopefuls to create celebrity versions of themselves without the hassle of auditioning.

Targeted at dancing and singing enthusiasts, IAHGames and Maxis Berhad, Malaysia’s leading integrated communications service provider, presents the latest online free-to-play game which allows those who are reserved in real life to express themselves freely through anime-style avatars and interactive features like sharing live singing, dancing and urban dance-scapes.

“With the recent trend of reality star-search programmes and the invasion of K-pop, we are pleased to be able to bring this game in to the region where players will be able to embark on their own online journey to become a SuperStar. With the recording function, players can share their talents on online portals like YouTube, have a chance to get discovered and become the next SuperStar,” said Mr Roland Ong, IAHGames Group CEO.

Sing your heart out!

Just dance

Croon to favourite English, Chinese, Malay, Korean and Japanese songs in the convenience of homes. Inner Gleeks will delight with the game’s karaoke mode, which will help them hone their vocal talents. The game also uses a unique low capacity/high frequency sound, which produces the same high quality sound as offline karaoke systems.

Budding girl or boy bands can also hold concerts online, with each fully-customisable concert room able to accommodate six singers and up to 20 spectators.

Too shy to show your moves in public? Players with two left feet can party it up with original dance moves in SuperStar Live. Fingers will never get bored with five different dance modes. Those up for a challenge can try out the eight-key expert mode to impress audiences in the concert room.

In-game couples can also try the Couple Dance Mode. The mode features exclusive couple animations and will earn players heart bonus points to boost scores.

Unique customisable avatars and concert rooms Want to look trendy and try out crazy looks? Enhance your avatar’s SuperStar look by creating distinctive appearances with different body types, fashionable apparel, and funky hairstyles. For more choices, pre-paid cards can be purchased to obtain iCash, which can be used to buy unique items like masks and themed costumes from the shop, making sure your avatar turns heads as they walk down the red carpet.

Concert rooms can also be designed with up to 600 different furniture and props, creating a unique space where players can practice their moves and vocals.

Share your talent Take the final step to becoming a real life SuperStar by showcasing your voice online. Record your performance in-game and save it on your computer in various file formats such as mp4, avi, and ogg. The variety of formats allow for players to tweak it to perfection before uploading it to YouTube for the world to see, taking them one step closer to their dreams of fame and stardom.

More details regarding SuperStar Live can be found on IAHGames or at SuperStar Live’s Facebook page. http://superstarlive.net https://www.facebook.com/ SuperStarLive

Issue 04, 2012 - 19

Cooler Master Jas Pro M ac users envy PC users for their ridiculous amount of upgrade options and PC users envy Mac users because of products like the Jas Pro. The Jas Pro is a charmer (even if you aren’t using a MacBook) and it’s one we’d definitely recommend, especially if you use an external keyboard for gaming. It is very well weighted and the high quality aluminum used to construct the Jas Pro feels awesome. There are also parts of this stand with equally high quality rubber lining to protect your laptop from scratches – double win.

This stand’s height is adjustable and no matter what height you set the Jas Pro to, it remains sturdy. Heck, you can even you use this for your tablet as a charging stand as it has a generous opening (where the base of your tablet would rest on).

Who would’ve thought that something as simple as a laptop display stand could be so desirable?

GreatGadgets

Cooler Master Notepal Ergo 360

I

f you have ever used a MacBook, or Razer Blade on your lap, whilst it’s being charged, you will know why we chose to feature the Cooler Master Notepal Ergo 360.

Having a high-performance laptop that doubles as an electric grill is one thing, but having your machine malfunction due to poor heat dissipation is definitely a big no-no. Of course, these machines are designed to withstand and diffuse heat, but when you consider the thousands you’ve invested in these machines, spending a little extra to prolong the life of your laptop suddenly makes a whole lot of sense.

If you have used your laptop on your bed and or any other cushiony surface, you’ll know that the area where your laptop rests on get pretty warm. Since the heat gets trapped, your machine isn’t as cool as it is supposed to be, and while this may not cause any immediate problems, poor heat dissipation can drastically reduce the lifespan and reliability of your machine’s components. Heat can also affect the overall performance of your machine. Bottom line, heat is your worst nightmare.

Notebook/laptop coolers have a way of looking overly tacky with ridiculous lights and significantly noise with low-grade OEM fans. Cooler Master obviously understands this crisis and the Ergo 360 is one for the books.

Without adding much weight, the Ergo 360 offers flexibility and style on top of cooling. It has an adjustable

and rotate-able kick-stand that lets you adjust the viewing angle and direction of your laptop, making it great for office use and presentations with the stand stowed away, the Ergo 360 provides a gentle tilt to facilitate typing. This kickstand can also be detached and used separately as a tablet stand.

The Notepal Ergo 360 has an overall matte black plastic finish, with a black, brushed aluminium surface where your laptop would sit to help with heat dissipation. It has no problems propping a 17” laptop up and its two 80mm fans provide a decent amount airflow. Other small details like anti-slip holders, rubber feet and grooves for easy management of its USB cable make the Cooler Master Notepal Ergo 360 a great accomplice to any beasting laptop.

GreatGadgets

20 - Issue 04, 2012

Razer Taipan I

t has been awhile now since Razer has outted an ambidextrous mouse and while the wait is finally over, there is actually more to rejoice about the Taipan than we had thought.

An ambidextrous design means this mouse will work and feel exactly the same for lefties as it does for regular right-handed users, but the Taipan brings more than just the usual braided cable and gold-plated USB to the table. Razer seems to be bringing dual sensors (laser and optical) to all of their current gen rodents and we don’t see why not, since tracking is nothing less than superb. With a high of 8200 DPI, high fidelity tracking is what you’ll need and it’s exactly what the Taipan delivers.

The Razer Taipan is also good news for those who dislike rubber coatings, as the majority of this mouse has a slightly coarse, textured plastic finish. In order to not compromise on grip, the sides of the Taipan are lined with a rubberised and contoured grip, and they feel fantastic. It has all the other fixits we have come to expect from a Razer mouse and although it does look gorgeous glowing green, the ability to customise its backlighting would have been nice.

Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth Edition M echanical keyboards are an unstoppable force of nature and unless you have specific reasons (i.e.: need a wireless keyboard for media center), you’re better off with a mechanical keyboard. They make typing speedier, more enjoyable, and they are definitely more durable than membrane keyboards.

We loved the BlackWidow Stealth because it wasn’t the fingerprint magnet that the BlackWidow Ultimate was, and there is just something about matte blacks that scream class. Of course, it wasn’t just the finish of the Stealth that we were bonkers about.

The Razer BlackWidow Stealth is equipped with Cherry MX brown switches, and of the four widely

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available switches, brown switches require the least effort to actuate. This means less fatigue and longer typing/gaming sessions. The thing about the BlackWidow Stealth was that even though it was a great gaming keyboard, it didn’t have the awesome backlighting or the pass-through USB, audio and mic jacks that the higher-end BlackWidow Ultimate had. It was good, but it felt incomplete.

The BlackWidow Ultimate Stealth Edition clears the gap between the BlackWidow Stealth and the BlackWidow Ultimate by offering brown switch lovers the same aesthetics, functionality and convenience that the blue switch users have been enjoying. It’s a little late, but at least it’s here.

Issue 04, 2012 - 21

GreatGadgets

Plantronics Voyager Legend T

he Plantronics Discovery 975 has always been our favourite Bluetooth headset, as it is one of the best marriages between style and tech, and it has been the undisputed champion of comfort, clarity, class and style up until today. The Plantronics Voyager Legend is the latest and greatest in Plantronics’ wide range of Bluetooth headsets and it could possibly be the one to dethrone the Discovery 975.

The Voyager Legend sports a long and sleek mic, and it uses three mics. These three mics will work together to cancel out noise as well as wind. This means you won’t need to scream to your steering wheel (while driving with the windows rolled down) to be heard – we tried it, and it is indeed, sharp. But you can’t expect to be top dog by just being elegant and having outstanding clarity. You will need other perks to back you up, and the Legend has many.

Voice commands and notifications are also a part of the Voyager Legend’s arsenal, and you can simple say “answer” or “ignore” to either accept or reject a call. You could hit the discreetly located button to answer your calls the old-school way, and

this button also tells you how much talk-time you have left, as well as which phone you are connected to. The Voyager Legend is comfortable to don, but if you have it lying on your desk or dashboard, all you have to do is put it on to answer a call, thanks to the Legend’s Smart Sensor technology.

This headset has buttons for mute, play-pause, power, call answer/end, and volume, and while everything that we’ve mentioned so far already sounds fine and dandy, it’s the headset’s ability to announce your caller’s name (instead of a number you probably can’t recall) that we’re really pleased about. This enhances the truly hands-free experience that the Voyager Legend promises, and this is definitely the icing on the delectable cake that is the Legend.

A magnetic charging connector, up to 7 hours of talk time, battery display on smartphones, dedicated Apps and voice command options round out this superb specimen, but does is it enough to steal the limelight from the oh-so-gorgeous Discovery 975? Yes. It’s going to be Legend… wait for it… dary!

Armaggeddon Mikoyan Foxbat W arplane enthusiasts will know the Mikoyan Foxbat to be a highly maneuverable interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft, so with that in mind, Armaggeddon had to be aware of the expectations they’re setting gamers and reviewers up with when they chose to name this mouse.

First impressions of the Foxbat aren’t too bad; lights, additional buttons, and overall design suggest that this

is a gaming mouse. In other words, it screams ‘gamer’ and it’s screaming pretty darn loud. The top of the Foxbat is coated with matte rubber while its sides are textured plastic with some detailing for added grip. It feels good. In fact, it feels great.

Out of the box, the Mikoyan foxbat’s dedicated CPI button lets you toggle between 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 CPI, and these levels are indicated with a backlit LED (located just below the CPI button). You will not be able to change the overall backlight of the Foxbat, but you’ll be able to adjust the intensity and pulsation.

As for the user experience, the Foxbat’s left and right click buttons are exceptionally nice to click as they provide excellent feedback. This may appear to be an ambidextrous mouse, the lack of side thumb buttons on its right side will give lefties less options. Its two side buttons are easily located and they require less effort to actuate, and there is also a weight system that lets you manage the weight of your mouse. The Foxbat’s optical sensor allows for great tracking as well, and this is immediately apparent, even when moving the cursor around on the desktop.

So is the Mikoyan Foxbat an apt name for this mouse? With 64KB of memory for macros on top of everything it presents, we think so.

CM Storm Recon A mbidextrous or not, this mouse will certainly please the claw or palm grip user.

On the fly, you’ll be able to adjust the DPI of your CM Storm Recon with the dedicated DPI switch buttons located just below its backlit mouse wheel (800, 1600, 3200, 4000). The DPI of the mouse is indicated by the colour of the backlighting of the mouse and this high precision optical mouse also offers on board memory that allows up to 5 profiles and 36 macros to be programmed.

The grip of the CM Storm Recon is excellent, and

the rubberised coating of the mouse feels superior to many of the rubber-coated mice we have tried. The scroll wheel feels responsive as well, and the clicks are tight and require slightly greater force to actuate, so this mouse is suitable for those who worry about accidental clicks.

Besides not having a braided cable, there isn’t really much to complain about the CM Storm Recon. This 9-button mouse could also offer more backlight colours (instead of just blue, green and red), but we’ll let that slide since it looks pretty awesome without backlights.

GreatGadgets

22 - Issue 04, 2012

Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard T

he Wedge Mobile keyboard is designed to compliment the Wedge mouse (featured last issue) and this dynamic duo will be your best bet if you’re always on the go, and if cables make you cringe.

The Wedge Mobile keyboard’s svelte form factor and its metallic bezel reminds us of Apple’s first tablet, and the majority of this keyboard just a couple of millimeters slimmer than the iPhone 4.

The top of Microsoft’s Wedge keyboard appears to hover, thanks to some clever design concepts. The extra space needed to house the keyboard’s 2 AAA batteries is used to give the keyboard a gentle tilt while the multipurpose cover powers down the device and even converts into a tablet stand.

Its slim profile doesn’t do much to affect the keyboard’s tactile feedback. We tried this keyboard hammering the keys (the same way you’d hammer your keys on a mechanical keyboard) so you can take our word that this keyboard will be able to withstand ‘heavy hitters’. If you have used the Microsoft Arc keyboard, you’ll feel right at home upgrading to the Wedge keyboard as the feedback from both keyboards are very similar.

This Bluetooth keyboard will work with most tablets, and has shortcut keys that are Windows 8 ready. As mentioned, it’s a perfect compliment to the Wedge mouse, and a very classy solution for media centres, or even if you have a severe shortage of desktop space.

Western Digital My Passport 2TB T

he Western Digital My Passport series of portable drives have been extremely popular, thanks to their sleek form factor as well as speedy USB 3.0 interface. The thing about storage is that you can never have too much, and this is why we’re excited to report that My Passport is now available in 2TB volumes.

We have a couple of My Passport 500GB portable drives in the office, and it’s almost immediately that we noticed how thick the 2TB volume is compared to the 500GB one.

Considering we’re getting four times the space with less than half the increase in thickness, the trade off is actually very acceptable. With a retail price of S$299, S$0.15 per GB sounds extremely attractive for a portable HDD with USB 3 transfer speeds. We say go.

Go and don’t look back on drives with smaller volumes.

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GreatGadgets

24 - Issue 04, 2012

Shhhhhhhh....

Small Room, Big problems

A

small room can really cramp your style, and since we live in a country where property costs more than an arm and a leg, compromises have to be made. Having a small room doesn’t necessarily mean drastically cutting corners though. There is a solution for every problem.

Noise is an issue for many rooms, and this problem’s intensity is easily doubled when said a room is shared, either with a spouse or a sibling.

Irritable neighbours can also be a problem, so noise is definitely a no-no, and should be kept to a low-low.

Remember people saying that computers are getting more and more personal? Well, it’s even more personal for gamers. The problem with high performance systems is that they tend to generate a considerable amount of heat, which cause case fans to sound like a harrier that’s about to take off. A proper case that is designed to insulate sound (while providing good airflow, mind you) could mean the difference between tossing and turning and a good night’s sleep.

Fractal Design Define R4 and Antec P280 “People often scrimp on their PC chassis, and while the case seldom affects the performance of a system, I definitely recommend spending a little more on a quieter, better built and cooler-looking chassis. Why? Because a chassis can typically last you a couple of upgrades, so it might as well look good and provide additional benefits.”

We can’t agree more with what our editor says and a noisy chassis struggling to remove heat from it’s components can definitely be disruptive to sleep, especially in the dead silence of the night. The Fractal Design Define R4 and Antec P280 are two of the quietest cases we’ve come across that boast awesome build quality, relatively silent stock fans, as well as have noise dampening measures in place to ensure noise does not escape the chassis. Apart from keeping the decibels down, these two cases are also devilishly good looking and definitely worth considering if your current chassis is giving you problems.

Sennheiser MM 30i

Ranger Handy Keyboard

Armaggeddon Black Hornet MKA-3

If you own a tablet or a smartphone, you probably browse the web or watch a couple of videos in bed just before you fall asleep. It’s all good if you have the room to yourself, but if you aren’t that fortunate, you can be considerate with the Sennheiser MM 30i. For an ear-ear type headset, the MM 30i boasts brilliant bass performance while maintaining impressive highs and mids. But the main reason why we recommend the MM 30i is because very little sound escapes at medium to slightly high volumes – that’s actually pretty loud for leisurely listening at night. It’s made for the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and it also has the in-line mic and controls you’d expect.

Your gaming rig would probably serve as your media center, since there is an abundance of multimedia content online. The benefits of a small room is being able to lay back on your bed and watch videos from your 27” monitor (or TV).

You’ll need a wireless companion that’ll take care of your typing and browsing needs and Ranger’s aptly named Handy Keyboard is what we recommend.

While it doesn’t replace your gaming oriented mechanical keyboard, the Handy Keyboard is a wireless companion that also replaces your mouse with a conveniently located, built-in track ball. It also has 15 hotkeys for browsing, media and volume while it’s form factor is excellent for a 2.4GHz wireless keyboard that works up to 10meters. A dedicated on/off switch helps prolong battery life (2 x AAA) and there is even a slot at the back of the keyboard for storing the Handy Keyboard’s USB receiver. It is also compatible with the Xbox 360 and PS3, so it’ll definitely come in handy (no pun intended) when you’re entering those long pre-order bonus codes.

A small room usually means a small computer table with very little desktop real estate. This shortage of real estate can be a major inconvenience to gamers who reply on macro presets, as many keyboards that offer additional macro functions often require a lot of space. This isn’t the case for the Armaggeddon Black Hornet MKA-3.

The Black Hornet is a compact, mechanical solution for those who are pressed for space as the omition of the number pad definitely frees up more room for your mousing hand. This gaming keyboard is also backlit and offers adjustable backlighting effects and polling rate, 6 marco-able keys, multi function F keys and even 32KB of onboard memory. It’s built like a mechanical keyboard should – (tough and rage-resistant) – and it also has a cable management system for its detachable USB cable. This is definitely one of the best Armaggeddon keyboards we’ve laid our hands on, and they come equipped with either Cherry MX black or brown switches.

Issue 04, 2012 - 25

GreatGadgets

Breaking Stereotypes I

f you ask any average person to describe a gamer, the descriptive is usually obese or underweight, bespectacled, pimply, bad breath, poor social skills and a slew of other not-so-desirable attributes. The fact is so much further from fiction and in this day and age, gamers are really just regular looking people with a hobby that is far more exciting than most hobbies.

Gamers aren’t slobs that spend every waking hour infront of their PC/console, because there is work to be done, school to attend and chores to handle. While we’re all for spending any spare time on games and tech, we also understand that regular exercise is important, and can even improve your

response times as well as your focus. If you enjoy gaming and playing with your tech/gadgets, why wouldn’t you want to live longer so you can play more?

We’re not saying that everyone should go rock climbing, wakeboarding or start going Schwarzenegger in the gyms. We’re suggesting an activity that can be done with any amount of people, anywhere, almost anytime, at any pace – running.

Running doesn’t have to be boring thanks to all the tech that surrounds this exercise, and we have picked the best out of the bunch for those who are serious about their runs, and if you’re thinking about starting, you can’t go wrong with top-of-the-line gear.

Vibram Komodo Sport

MotoACTV

Plantronics BackBeat Go

It’s your must have running/cycling companion. It’s equipped with GPS, so you’ll be able to chart your routes, elevation, calories burned, speed, as well as average pace. You’ll be able to sync your runs via WiFi, and all the informantion from your run/cycle will be displayed when you log into your MotoACTV account. Your route will even be displayed on Google Maps, along with graphs, charts, and it even tells you which song you were listening to, at different parts of your run.

This digital personal fitness coach also motivates you by congratulating you on your longest run, most calories burned and fastest lap time. It also reminds you of your running posture, target number of strides per lap, and even reminds you to hydrate yourself. It’s awesome, and you can even use the MotoACTV indoors, on treadmills, ellipticals, walking and even golf.

If you use an Android phone, you’ll be able to sync your phone to the MotoACTV. Reading texts and answering calls directly from the MotoACTV is surely a plus for Android users, but it really isn’t that much of a buzzkill for non-Android users because this awesome bit of tech also lets you pair it with Bluetooth headphones, heartrate monitors and bike cadence sensor, wirelessly.

Optional accessories like the armband and bikemounts are available, but this kit comes with enough accessories to kickstart your healthy lifestyle.

If you’re a wireless type of person, running with a single cable constantly wagging in front of you will drive you mental. The search for a pair of Bluetooth stereo headset can be rather daunting, especially if intend to use them during exercise. You’ll need to equip yourself with a headset that doesn’t restrict you, and provide a snug and secure fit throughout your workout.

The Plantronics BackBeat Go is perfect for the active, weighing in at 13 grams (almost nothing), this headset provides up to 4.5 hours of listening and talk time and there are even in-line controls for skipping tracks. Slipping them into your pocket is worry-free thanks to its compact size as well as tangle-free cable, but it is the headset’s stabilisers that will keep the BackBeat Go’s earbuds firmly planted in your ears.

The only downside of this headset is that it is a tad softer than regular wired headsets – this is understandable, since a blanace has to be struck between sound quality, weight and battery life. The lower volume does work in the BackBeat Go’s favour, making it feel similar to an open-type headset, where you’ll still be able to hear your surroundings. This is great if you use it for running, as you’ll still be able to make out loud noises in your immediate proximity that may warn you of danger. Want to win one? Like us on Facebook to find out how.

Many minimalists and purists believe that running barefooted is the best way to run and while that might sound like a good idea, blisters and the risk for stepping on sharp objects made us turn to the next best thing.

Besides being a ridiculously comfortable, light and flexible pair of walking shoes, the Vibram Komodo Sport is designed for pavement running as well as for use in gyms. We have toes at the end of our feet (instead of a stump), so it’s easy to understand that typical running shoes (no matter how light they may be) just don’t promote your body to move and function the way that it was supposed to.

These kicks promote better running form, and this improved form translates to more efficient running, which translates to longer distances, shorter timings and less injuries. It is important to land on the ball of your foot when you are running, and the flat (but rugged) sole of the Komodo Sport makes it easier for you to land on the mid to forefoot area. Having a thin sole also help you feel the surface you are running on, and while this may sound trivial and slightly uncomfortable, you’ll completely understand what we mean within 400 meters of your maiden run with these shoes.

Vibram has a wide range of FiveFinger footwear that cater to many different types of runners and atheletes, and the only way you’ll know which size suits you is to try them out – instead of shopping for them online.

These minimalist ‘barefoot’ shoes come with a booklet that advises you on how you should prep yourself if you’re new to ‘barefoot’ running, and if you are running right, you’ll be feeling the muscles you’ve been neglecting soon enough – no thanks to conventional running shoes.

If you want to start, you might as well start on the right foot, with the right footwear, and we strongly recommend Vibram FiveFingers. We’d recommend them even if your job requires your to be on your feet a lot. They take a while to get used to, but once that bond has been formed, you’ll swear by them, like we do.

GreatGadgets

26 - Issue 04, 2012

Dissecting Gamers Finding your soulmate is easy once you understand how you play

L

ike it or not, how you play says a lot about your character and when you take the time to think about it, that special someone you might be looking forward to spending the rest of your life with has to be able to live with who you are as a person.

These are just our speculations and not to be taken seriously… unless you really want to…

The Graphics Nazi – The genre and calibur of the game isn’t important, as long as it’s pleasing to the eye.

Your Ideal – A looker and one that’ll probably turn heads. Intellect is a definite plus, but not entirely necessary. No? Then you’re just lying to yourself.

The Gameplay Guy – The graphics can be uninspiring but the gameplay better be good.

Your Ideal – Looks aren’t that important for you, as

better of you. It’s worse if you constantly find fault with others in team-based games or have some kind of superiority complex to go along with your raging. (Don’t we all know someone like that?)

Your Ideal – A hollow shell of what used to be a person who will take whatever you can throw at him/ her without even squeeking. It sucks to play with you and it sure as hell is going to suck being victim to your verbal abuse, but fortunately for you, there is that special someone for e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e.

The Silent – You hardly say a thing in games – that’s long as he/she isn’t upsetting to the eye. Your mate needs to be able to engage, challenge you the way you want to be challenged.

shopping. Said person also has to bring some challenge to you, be it mentally or physically. In a good way, of course.

The Solo – You only play single player games and you don’t give two sh*ts about multiplayer.

Your Ideal – You need someone who won’t cramp your style and give you the space you need. It would be a win-win situation if he/she felt the same, of course.

The Nocturnal – Play all night and sleep all day –

The Multiplayer Junkie – You hate playing alone, don’t see the point of playing with AI, and you either enjoy competitive games or simply love exploring a game with a friend.

Your Ideal – Preferably, someone who doesn’t have hordes of friends because you’ll want him/her to spend time with you, even if it is as mundane as grocery

The adrenaline you get from gaming makes it easy for you to lose track of time and you end up paying for it the next day. It’s a vicious cycle that feels impossible to break.

Your ideal – He/she is fine with you ‘wasting’ your weekends sleeping, because he/she is as fond of sleep as you are. If you choose to be stubborn and ignore this, you will be cursed with perpetual nagging and close to no sleep.

The Raging Rager – You get terribly engrossed in games and you allow your competitive nature get the

IF you play online – and in general, you aren’t that vocal.

Being vocal just isn’t your thing (at least in games) and it’s not that you think whatever you say will be stupid, it’s just that you don’t give a crap about anything.

Your Ideal – Someone who doesn’t constantly hound you to express yourself. You function on common sense and expect people to understand that you do.

Social Gamer – You don’t really play REAL games and instead of hitting the ‘Maybe later’ button, you hit the ‘Invite all my friends’ button to almost every game you try.

Your Ideal – Any living thing that won’t complain/hit you every single time they receive a ‘Your friend wants to invite you to play blahblahblah’ message on Facebook. It’s either that or someone that doesn’t have a Facebook account.

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The Alienware M14x delivers a powerful gaming performance in a compact laptop size. featuring breathtaking performance with 3rd Gen Intel® Core™ i7 Processors so you can always Game Victorious.

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