GG Issue 08

GG

GOOD GAME

08 VOLUME

PLANTRONICS GAMECOM 780 USB GIVEAWAY

MICA (P) 135/05/2012

OCZ VECTOR OCZ’S FINEST

BIOSHOCK

INFINITE

WHAT’S YOUR POISON?

Never judge a book

BY ITS COVER...

But no one said anything about speculating…

LENOVO IDEAPAD Y500 A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE MACHINE THAT IS ALSO EASY ON THE POCKETS, MORE IN

REVIEWS: ARMY OF TWO: THE DEVIL’S CARTEL, BIOSHOCK: INFINITE, STARCRAFT II: HEART OF THE SWARM & MORE

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GoodGame

02 - Issue 08, 2013

UPCOMING GAMES

RetailerTOP5 THE HOTTESTGAMES OUTNOW

Company of Heroes 2

Rayman Legends

Beyond Two Souls

Watch Dogs

1. Bioshock Infinite 2. Injustice: Gods Among Us 3. Tomb Raider 4. SimCity 5. StarCraft II: Heat of the Swarm

The Last Of Us

Cyberpunk 2077

Pikmin 3

Thief

Metro: Last Light

Prey 2

Grand Theft Auto V

TEAM PUBLISHER Jacky Choo jacky@playworks.asia

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

1. Bioshock Infinite 2. Monster Hunter 3: Ultimate 3. Injustice: Gods Among Us 4. Tomb Raider 5. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon

South Park: The Stick of Truth

Dragon’s Crown

Rainbow Six: Patriots

Killer is Dead

1. Bioshock Infinite 2. Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon 3. Monster Hunter 3: Ultimate 4. Injustice: Gods Among Us 5. Tomb Raider

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 ARCADE GAMES

WRITERS Justin Choo

1. StarCraft II: Heat of the Swarm 2. Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 3. Injustice: Gods Among Us 4. Tomb Raider 5. God of War: Ascension

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

1. SimCity 2. Bioshock Infinite 3. Tomb Raider 4. Assassin’s Creed III 5. Injustice: Gods Among Us

GG is a monthly publication of Playworks Pte Ltd, 42 Kaki Bukit Crescent, Level 3, Singapore 416267 www.playworksonline.com

The Cave

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.

Skulls of the Shogun

Serious Sam Double D XXL

Crimson Dragon

3.26.2013

WINNER OF OVER 80 AWARDS

© 2002-2012 Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Developed by Irrational Games. BioShock, BioShock Infinite, BioShock Infinite: Industrial Revolution, Irrational Games, 2K Games and their respective logos are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. “PlayStation”, the “PS” Family logo and “PS3” are registered trademarks and the PlayStation Network logo is a trademark 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. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

GoodGame

04 - Issue 08, 2013

GTA

2

You should never judge a book by its cover but no one said anything about speculating…

1

1

Chopper fire

You could pilot a plane in San Andreas, but not in GTA 4. Why? We don’t know, but we had a lot of fun with helicopters in GTA 4. Ah yes, piloting choppers onto tall building and picking out innocent civilians and law enforcers with a sniper rifle… that’s the life…

It seems that you will be able to pilot choppers again in GTA V, and it looks like some of them will be armed with missiles and gattling guns. Sure, you were able to pilot hovering behemoths of mass destruction, but helicopters with weapons only came in the form of military birds.

There will be several helicopters and planes in GTA V just waiting to be messed around with, and we’re guessing you don’t have to wait long before getting your feet off the ground since Trevor happens to be a former war vet with flight experience.

2 Putting the FU in fumigate

Heists will play an integral role in GTA V and these heists are properly worked into the story of GTA V. Rockstar is also diversifying missions and heists by leveraging different pairings of the protagonists. This could be artwork inspired by the heist shown in the trailer (where three armed guys in red jumpsuits exit a pest control van) and it could very well be one of the highlights of the game. Our guess is that there will be instances where you have to play as one character (and one character only) to progress each individual character’s story arc, but this doesn’t seem like one of those instances.

3 6

4 3

The Chick

She might not even be in the game, and we say this because we’ve noticed how random female characters make it to the covers of Rockstar games. Remember GTA IV’s lollipop girl?

Sure you do, but you never encounter her. NEVER. We can’t even be sure who the girl on Max Payne 3’s cover is…

Dog Physics

Yes, believe it or not, there will be dog physics. We’re guessing PETA’s probably going to get upset about something here, but we lost interest after they expressed their discontent with a fictional species of alien in StarCraft II… You think Rockstar gives two sh*ts about them either?

Not too sure if you (any one of the three protagonists) will actually own a Rottweiler named Chop (as its collar suggests), but there will be dogs that jump up against fences as someone walks too close.

4

5

Issue 08, 2013 - 05

GoodGame

7 5

Protagonists

Rockstar knows how to tell a tale and they certainly know how to craft memorable and strong lead protagonists such as Niko Bellic (GTA 4) and John Marston (Red Dead Redemption). When you get so good at doing something, you tend to aim higher and this is why you’ll see not one, not two, but three protagonists, tied together by an episodic-type storytelling.

5

Having three protagonists (or at least two at one time) means that there will not be “dead spots” in the game as players can

Trevor

He looks like you shouldn’t ever mess with him, even on days when you’re feeling lucky. Trevor happens to be the most intriguing of the three protagonists and we say that because he’s a man who doesn’t have much to lose and will let nothing stand in his way. His temperament and character design is a complete 180 of Michael. Compared to Michael, it does seem like the slightly psychotic former war veteran has been dealt a horrible hand in life, and it blows our mind to find out that Trevor and Michael were once friends but ended up on different sides of the fence.

Being a war veteran, Trevor’s skills with weapons and vehicles does make him a perfect candidate for an action-driven game like Grand Theft Auto. We have a feeling that behind his borderline psychotic temperament, Trevor is actually a good guy, but that’s just a hunch till September…

switch between protagonists to stay in the heart of the action.

Heists will be a lot more engaging as you switch between the pilot of the getaway vehicle, getting ready to open fire at the first sight of police, while the other protagonist is cracking a safe, while the third protagonist is keeping watch. Exhilarating stuff, but it also means you’ll be in charge of the game mechanics and drive when the driving is fun, shoot when the shooting is fun and fly when the flying in fun. It also means that players who don’t really like vehicular aspects can just concentrate on shooting and vice-versa.

Franklin

He’s the most broken person in GTA V, growing up without family, money or education. He soon became a drug dealer and got arrested shortly after.

So what options does an ex-felon have?

Repo-ing sports cars for Armenian gangsters. He’s a guy with a lot of potential, held back by his goofy friends, so after meeting Michael, Franklin develops a father-son relationship as Michael mentors him into a serious life of crime. Since he’s the youngest and most naïve of the three protagonists, we’re going to guess that he’s going to be the annoying one to play as, always going “huh?” and “wuh?”. It’s hard to tell what kind of character he’ll be at this point in time, but since Trevor’s the loose canon and Michael’s the strategist, Franklin’s probably going to the wide-eyed student that doesn’t talk too much. He could be a loud-mouthed Chris Tucker though…

Nah…

Michael

He looks like he has it easy, so why is he involved in the mess that is Trevor and Franklin? Michael made it big at an early age when he became a bank robber, and through the years, he has become very successful at what he does. He has a wife and two children, and it doesn’t seem like he’s in any type of financial trouble, so we’re going to guess that he’s in it purely for the thrill and to feel alive again. But it is not just a middle-aged man going through a mid-life crisis. He is a thoughtful and calculated man with a huge ego that gets in the way of his well-being. Compared to the other two, Michael has the most to lose and this is why he’ll probably pull a fast one on the two later on in the game. We’re just guessing at this point, but it sounds pretty feasible now, doesn’t it? Also, since Michael’s children hardly have time for him, he soon sees Franklin as a son and develops a father-son relationship with the young lad.

7 7 6 Jet Ski

Confirmed vehicles include a BMX bike, mountain bikes, road bikes, dirt bikes, a wide variety of cars and trucks, ATVs and yes, jet skis. We’re actually glad jet skis are included in GTA V (who doesn’t like jet skis?) and besides being a more nimble and acrobatic form of marine-craft, we’re anticipating mini games (or even achievements) for performing jumps and stunts. But why stop there? There might even be entire missions played on the waters surrounding Los Santos.

Vehicles

Just in case we have Audi fans, the GTA V equivalent of the Audi R8 is called the 9F. The franchise may not have the license to bear the symbols of these prestigious automotives, but the truth is, GTA V doesn’t need to. You’ll have no problem differentiating Mercedes’ from Maserati’s, Lamborghinis from Lotus’ and Audis from Acuras. Los Santos is huge playground filled with things waiting to be explored, so it’s nice to know you’ll be able to do so in the latest rides. Since vehicles are such a big part of GTA V, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that Rockstar brings a steady flow of updates and DLCs that come in the form of the latest automotives.

GoodGame

06 - Issue 08, 2013

WWE 2K14 T

he best sports entertainment game ever

created WWE puts out the best superstars and the most dramatic storylines, so there was already no contest when THQ was running the show. We aren’t expecting to see many changes to the formula, since 2K had just taken over the franchise, but seeing how well the NBA 2K franchise has done, other sports entertainment games won’t stand a chance, much like how other basketball games are doing right now. What OTHER basketball game? Exactly.

Expect the changes to kick in after WWE 2K14, and if you have been a fan of the franchise, there isn’t much to be upset about, because here’s a company that knows what their players want, and is not afraid to go the distance to give it to them. Remember Jordan and the Jordan challenge in 2K11? Remember Magic, Bird

and Jordan in 2K12? So I guess what we’re trying to say is that 2K doesn’t disappoint (at least when it comes to sports) and with the continuous fine-tuning and improvements made to the NBA franchise year after year after year, you can bet every last dollar you have that the WWE franchise is in the best of hands.

Better… graphics?

We’re not too sure if all the technology invested in making the NBA 2K franchise look so photorealistic is going be injected into WWE, but we sure hope some sort of unholy fusion occurs.

As it is, characters (and even crowds) in WWE games look fantastic. With the occasional miss every now and then, the NBA 2K franchise looks just as (if

What we hope to see from the franchise now that 2K’s in the driver’s seat

not more) spectacular. It’s not like WWE 2K14 will affect the sales of NBA 2K14, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed that we won’t have to wait long to get to experience the beauty that is the graphical prowess of the two powerhouse franchises combined.

Better online interactions It feels like we’ve been harping on this forever, but the WWE franchise is an entertaining franchise that is amplified when played with others. Ever since the SmackDown! days on the PS2, wrestling games was the best way of spending a lazy afternoon of your school holidays when you had friends over, but now that consoles have become so personal, we turn to online play instead of going head to head on the couch.

The problem with online interactions in previous WWE

games were that they were rather twitch heavy, and all-important reversals required you to react to prompts. There are games that have far worse netcodes that the WWE games, but many online interactions ended up with spamming since there was no way to hit the buttons (when prompted) within that small and unforgiving window. This took a lot of the fun out of online matches and although the game grew to be less and less twitch-heavy, its netcode still didn’t bring about the best of experiences.

Hopefully, with some help from the team responsible for NBA 2K’s awesome netcode, the WWE franchise can rise again to become that uber-fun brawler that everybody wants a piece of. Feed us more 2K, feed... us... more...

Issue 08, 2013 - 07

GoodGame

And then a hero comes along...

Borrowing from WarCraft III, HOTS campaign features a hero system and you will have access to at least one hero throughout the entire campaign - Kerrigan. She is easily the most powerful unit and gets even more powerful as she levels up from completing objectives. Did we say powerful? What we meant was almost invincible. She generally respawns once killed, and can literally rain Zerg on your enemies. She’s the badass in the game that you can fall back on if your creative ideas backfire, but since she’s so fun to use, you’re likely to click on her more times than any other unit.

Developer: Blizzard Publisher: Blizzard Platform: PC, MAC Release Date: Out Now

STARCRAFT II:

HEART OF THE SWARM Too HotS to handle

T

3.26.2013

WINNER OF OVER 80 AWARDS

© 2002-2012 Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Developed by Irrational Games. BioShock, BioShock Infinite, BioShock Infinite: Industrial Revolution, Irrational Games, 2K Games and their respective logos are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. “PlayStation”, the “PS” Family logo and “PS3” are registered trademarks and the PlayStation Network logo is a trademark 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. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Evolution, mutation, destruction, satisfaction An evolution mission comes around every few missions and in these are like “sample” games where you get to test and try out the different paths you can give your units. Every unit can be mutated (even Ultralisks) and they start of as simple passive upgrades before moving on to more serious and interesting full-blown mutations. This mechanic allows you to further customise your play style as you can choose to evolve Zerglings to grow wings, and thus giving them the ability to traverse hills, if it so pleases you.

he campaign alone is worth the price of admission. 20-odd missions that spread across five different planets make up the campaign and it is the sheer variety of gameplay that makes the campaign a solid experience that is far from repetitive.

It starts off slow, which is rather odd, since this IS an expansion pack, but when it kicks into gear, you’ll love the playground that Blizzard has created. There are stealth missions, defend missions and even boss fights.

It also introduces the Zerg race to players that otherwise, would not have touched the race. The majority of the StarCraft II players in the GG office are Terran players (no surprise here huh) and part of the reason why we stick to Terran was how daunting playing Zerg seemed. Things will be different after Heart of the Swarm, and we remain certain that it’s too early to have a favourite race, especially since Legacy of the Void is going to take another enternity.

Hear of the Swarm’s narrative in centered around Kerrigan’s hotheadedness and the underlining tone of the story is basically ‘revenge’. It may not be a tale that’ll leave you gasping in shock and it’s actually a rather forgettable one at that. With that in mind, you’ll keep playing, perhaps to see what other missions may be like, perhaps to satisfy your hunger for the lore, but definitely for the cutscenes.

You’ll also lose the ability to hold your jaw in place thanks to gorgeous cinematic presentations and cutscenes that are always worth a second watch. Every cutscene is rendered and scored to perfection with the highest level of voice acting. We don’t usually applaud CG footage in games, but Blizzard games just look so darn good. God knows what percentage of the price we pay goes into CG, but it is worth every single cent, totally.

Multiplayer for StarCraft II is refined and continues to be refined with every patch and update. It is what will

keep you playing StarCraft II but Heart of the Swarm only introduces a handful of units most of them are largely based on existing units. That said, they still bring about more variety and change the course of how the multiplayer games are played, as a couple of tweaks to existing units are also in place.

The multiplayer junkie may be a little disappointed by the number of new units being introduced, but they are still great fun to use and experience non-the-less.

There are a couple of new introductions to the game’s multiplayer, but the most noteworthy one is the ability to switch to a new region and play globally with one account. As you would guess, actual multiplayer hasn’t changed much, and shouldn’t (since balancing is such as issue) but this could spell quite a bit of agony for newcomers. There are however, Training, Versus A.I and Unranked modes you can practice in, so if you’re green, you should really spend a bit of time getting familiar with how things work in Training mode.

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VERDICT

GoodGame

08 - Issue 08, 2013

INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US Test your Superhuman might

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Developer: NetherRealm Studios Publisher: Warner Bros Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U Release Date: Out Now

79

GG

VERDICT

Piece of Clash The clash system is where you wager your meter to determine if you win or lose. Winning or losing has its perks, like dealing more damage or getting some health back. This isn’t really a big deal and it seems more fluff than it is fun.

Exploit your environment

B

efore we start this review, fans of versus

Zip! Bang! Pow! This IS a game about superheroes, so sound is actually a big part of the experience. Every clang, thud, boom sounds grounded and impactful. Try the game with a good set of speakers or a decent headset and you’ll understand why Injustice’s sound department offers more than a Bang! for your buck.

fighting games ought to know that this isn’t a Mortal Kombat game. Yes, it does look like it plays to the style of the recent Mortal Kombat, and yes, NetherRealm Studios had been responsible for MK vs.

DCU, but this is a whole new game. The best way to start judging this game is actually to begin with the knowledge that Injustice isn’t just Mortal Kombat skinned with DC characters.

For starters, there isn’t a block button, and like many fighting games, you hold back to block. There is your usual affair of high, low and overhead attacks as well as special attacks and character specific combos.

Like Mortal Kombat, there are juggles off wall bounces, ground bounces, and uppercuts. There are also super combos, and these are the cinematic sequences of pain. Not every character’s super combo feels the same, and there are some pretty lackluster super combos that seem painful enough, but not as painful as some of the other super combos. On the whole, combat is awesome, and there isn’t really much to complain about Injustice’s fighting mechanics… well, there is the clash system…

Hitting RB at the right time lets you use your environment to your advantage. It is worth taking note that not every character uses his/her environment the same way, and these environmental attacks can either start up a juggle, cause damage, stun, and even help you get out of the dreaded corners. Striking your opponent with back+A (on the Xbox 360) can also create a juggle opportunity as your opponent bounces off the wall after a meaty attack. Hitting your foe with the very same attack when he/she is near a corner will cause him/her to go through a rather painful transition of stages.

You’ll need to get over the “facts” to enjoy Injustice for the gem that it really is. Seeing Deathstroke kick his blade through Superman’s body or watching Harley Quinn survive a bone shattering stage transition will definitely upset the hardcore DC fan. That said, Injustice is still a spectacular fighting game that introduces several new elements very well.

As you would expect, fighting games hardly tell a tale that’s memorable enough, but Injustice’s story mode isn’t too bad an experience. If anything, it lets you get familiar with each character. The roster is

pretty impressive, with over 20 heroes and villains (we expect more to come in the form of DLCs) and the same can be said about the levels/stages. Each level is remarkably detailed with the occasional Easter egg here and there. Single player also offers a couple of challenge modes and a few other modes to entertain you if you’re not ready for the competition that awaits online, but since this is a fighting game, you’re going to want to hit practice mode for a bit before heading online to start dealing your own brand of sweet justice.

We must admit that we didn’t think much of Injustice prior to playing it. It just seems so much flash (no pun intended) that it makes a mockery of fighting games. Boy, were we wrong… so wrong. This is an awesome fighting game, and though it isn’t without its flaws, it’s definitely worth checking out if you like fighting games.

Yes, Injustice if certainly worth checking out, and it really doesn’t matter if you’re a Street Fighter, Tekken, Soul Calibur, KOF or MVC player, because Injustice introduces so many possibilities to the genre.

NetherRealm is definitely heading in the right directing with Injustice, with immaculate details (even the backdrops), spectacular visuals and a strong fighting mechanics. All that’s left is the awful matchmaking...

Issue 08, 2013 - 09

GoodGame

ARMY OF TWO:

THE DEVIL’S CARTEL The dynamic duo of death

and destruction

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Bling, Bling Baby Weapon customisation is also back, and as always you gain money by killing enemies. co-op slaying and headshots (or any special kill for that matter) will nab you additional cash, and you guess where all that money is going? A pleasing variety of customisation awaits you at the end of each mission and you can even customise load-outs for Alpha and Bravo.

Developer: Visceral Games Publisher: EA Platform: PS3, Xbox 360 Release Date: Out Now

GG

A

REVENGE SOLVES EVERYTHING

TM

DISHONORED.COM

AVAILABLE NOW

© 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.

VERDICT

fter only 30 minutes of gameplay, it was immediately apparent what kind of gam The Devil’s Cartel was, and Visceral Games isn’t to subtle about it either. The latest installment of Army of Two is about bros, guns, explosions, and co-op.

Everything else is secondary, and that is where the game runs into problems.

The previous two games didn’t tell stories that made waves, and it doesn’t seem like the third intends to do anything about this streak. If anything, the game’s narrative has taken a dive and the introduction of the two new protagonists (Alpha and Bravo) don’t really do much to fill the shoes of Rios and Salem. Rios and Salem do show up in the game and you do get to play alongside the veteran duo, but because Alpha and Bravo turned out to be such unlikable characters, you’d often wonder why Visceral didn’t give you the option to play as Rios and Salem - not that it matters since the story wasn’t a draw anyway.

Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel is still a cover-based shooter, but it may take awhile before you win the battle with the controls as getting into cover can get a little frustrating. Since staying in cover pretty much means staying out of harms way, there will be couple of deaths you will be able to chalk up the controls. It’s a tough one to get over, since we’re so used to popping in and out of cover with a tap of a button, so you’ll need to unlearn a little to get a hang of not accidentally dying.

The good news is that combat remains largely unchanged. If you liked the Aggro system in the first two games you’ll find yourself at home with The Devil’s Cartel. The addition of the Frostbite 2 engine brings about certain destruction and this allows for a pretty satisfying experience where cover can be blown up or shot through. This addition does make you feel vulnerable and cause you stay on the move or adopt different tactics, but it also adds a lot of aesthetic value

to a game that looks like its palette had been baked by the sun for weeks.

The return of Overkill (an ability that grants you temporary invulnerability, infinite ammo and grenades, increased firepower as well as no need for reloads - a timed god-mode) means rampages are almost definite.

The self-explanatory Double-Overkill lasts even longer and even slows down time. You’ll need to earn your Overkill though (by killing enough enemies) and perhaps the name is too apt for this ability, as becoming a tag team duo of mass destruction can make boss fights feel pointless. Either way, you’ll want to get your Overkill on as and when you can (especially when you’re low on health) to feed your thirst for carnage and destruction.

It’s a good time tailored for TWO Though you can play the entire game bossing the AI around, The Devil’s Cartel, like any Army of Two game, is best enjoyed with a bro. It’s all about that satisfying feeling of flanking and tactic-planning in a game that is full of wise-guy banter, shiny guns, muscles, masks, violence and explosions. Its story isn’t memorable at all, but the 8-9 hour experience will be, as you cringe (while giggling) with every macho one-liner that is spoken.

You’ll want to play this game with someone else because you’ll spot certain bugs and AI behaving like their out of character, and you’ll want to LOL and ROFL together as you plough your way through the hordes and hordes of enemies. Like the movie The Expendables, this game is full of one liners and clichés and shouldn’t be taken too seriously and although its “funny” moments are usually at the expense of the game itself, it is worth having a go at if you’ve got the time and a bro who will always have your back... and loves bloodbaths as well.

GoodGame

10 - Issue 08, 2013

WHAT’S YOUR

POISON? Vigors are the new Plasmids and although BioShock Infinite is as beautiful a game as any, it is also one that is riddled with violence and brutality. Guns and melee (Sky-Hook) can bring about murder and carnage, but Vigors offer a breath of fresh death.

This Vigor turns mechanical foes into friends, but only tremporarily. Upgrades will let this Vigor work on organic enemies as well.

Similar to the Incinerate Plasmid in BioShock, this Vigor lets you toss exploding balls of flames at your enemies. The area of effect is pretty decent when used as a projectile, but it can also be set as a trap (like a land mine).

There isn’t much to explain when the name of this Vigor is so specific, but besides summoning a swarm of crows to damage and distract enemies, you can place a crow’s nest on the ground that tirggers a swarm only when enemies get close enough.

This handy Vigor launches enemies into the air and keeps them there for a short time.

This reveals enemies in cover and also causes them to take additional damage from attacks until they land.

With a much intended pun on its name, Shock Jockey will let you stun enemies with bolts of electricity, but this is seemingly harmless Vigor becomes a lethal solution when used on enemies who are wet or standing in puddles.

This is a useful Vigor that you’ll acquire a tad later in the game and it creates a defensive shield that not only protects Booker from damage, but also coverts the ammo absorbed (by the shield) into ammo for Booker. You can also channel all the damage absorbed onto enemies.

Pull pesky snipers towards you or push hostiles away when they swarm you. It’s like Skyrim’s Fus-Ro-Da, except it also sucks. Yeah…

This is an in-your-face Vigor that lets you charge into an enemy so you can start feeding your Sky-Hook to them (forcefully, of course) – as if the icon and name isn’t informative enough.

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100 GG

Issue 08 2013 - 11

GoodGame

VERDICT

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

GEARS OF WAR:

BIOSHOCK INFINITE It was certainly worth the wait W

e grumbled right after hearing about BioShock Infinite’s delay and how it will only hit shelves in 2013. The world was introduced to BioShock Infinite two E3’s ago, and it was an experience truly worth waiting for.

The Tale Looking at it from an observer’s point of view, it is hard to comprehend the technological and visual brilliance that is BioShock Infinite. Yes, BioShock Infinite is primarily a game, but it also tells a brilliant story.

Infinite’s story is one that is experienced, not told. It is a story where the player plays an integral part and it is a story that only the player is able to appreciate. It’s one of those games that will blow your mind at the end and you’ll need to fight the urge to replay it once you’re done.

This game doesn’t necessarily build on the relationships there are formed or place much importance in the decisions being made, but BioShock Infinite’s story is surely one that you won’t forget in time to come. In fact, the entire game begs to be tattooed into your memory banks. It’s one of the best stories we’ve come across since the movie Inception.

We’re even willing to say that it’s better than Inception.

The Locale A city in the sky is an extremely ambitious and risky concept that will continue to pay dividends. Columbia is an orgasmic treat of visually stunning floating vistas interconnected by its own system of transportation (Sky-Line) and it becomes very apparent that Columbia isn’t just a city that was created to be gorgeous – it was created to be believable. While BioShock Infinite’s art style may not qualify as realistic, you’ll accept the City of Columbia as what it is without really questioning why.

Columbia is a fantastical city that is, in its own way, grounded in reality. The people are real, the architecture

is real, the happenings and politics are real and so is the gameplay experience.

The Fights Whether you are jumping off Sky-Lines and using baddies as landing pads, pumping rounds, using vigors, or snapping necks with your trusty Sky-Hook, combat feels awesome. BioShock Infinite isn’t all about shooting anything that moves, but when there are fight sequences being introduced, they are usually rather lengthy. Lengthy fight scenes are usually quite painful, but because there are so many way to dispatch enemies in BioShock Infinite, these encounters become something that you’ll indulge in. The controls feel snappy, weapons are varied and killing soon becomes a treat.

The Clothes You won’t be able to see what you’re wearing, so why is it important? Buffs. That’s why. The gear you’ll acquire in BioShock Infinite will boost Booker’s attirubutes and they range from giving your melee attacks a 70% chance of the enemy catching fire to area of effect when jumping off Sky-Lines. You can equip up to four at a time (head, body, arms and leg) and while they won’t necessarily change the way you play, they certain do a good job enhancing the experience.

The Conclusion You HAVE to play this game. Not for the developers, not for your friends, not for the friendly sales guy at your favourite game store, but for you. Bioshock Infinite is not just a great game that tells a great tale, but one that pushes the envelope and stretches what a game can and should be. You owe it to yourself to play this game and just in case you’re wondering, the first Bioshock is just as good.

Elizabeth She’s obviously an important character in the game. In fact, she is so much more important than you think.

Within the first half hour of the game, you’ll come to the realisation that Elizabeth is far more important than one would think. Posters and recordings of her all refer to her as ‘The Lamb’ or’Miracle Child’ are probably why Comstock has her locked away.

It comes as no surprise that you finally rescue her from her tower and she will prove herself to be a worthy sidekick the moment you ecounter hostiles. Her ability to cause tears (in the fabric of space and time) and bringing weapons, covers and other items to assist you will definitely make you feel glad she’s on your side. You don’t have to pay special attention to her since she is more than capable of looking after herself. She also helps you collect Eagles (the currency in Columbia) and ammo, and most importantly she stays out of your crosshairs – she’s video gaming’s best sidekick.

She appears to be naive in the beginning but soon realises that things aren’t as cut and dry as her books have described. There is this element of nuture and growth associated with your interactions with Elizabeth and you’ll get to see her mature as you progress further into the game.

Booker DeWitt You play as BioShock’s lead man, Booker DeWitt. A former Pinkerton agent, tasked to retrieve Elizabeth from the Columbia. In video games, it is exceptionally hard for the player to feel like he’s a part of everything when the character you’re playing speaks.

Having the character (you play as) speak breaks the illusion that you are the character you’re playing as and it takes away a lot of the psychological involvement that a player has to a game. Suddenly, you care less about the characters in a game because you’re not “that guy”. That said, there are games that work well despite adpoting this concept. The games that come to mind are games that need no introduction, like Halo 3, Metal Gear 3 and the Mass Effect franchise. It’s time to add BioShock Infinite to this list because the latest installment of BioShock works. It just does.

GreatGadgets

12 - Issue 07, 2013

Cooler Master Seidon 240M C

ooler Master’s Seidon 240M is a compact kit that – as with most closed-loop liquid coolers – hopes to bring the benefits of liquid cooling to the masses and it fits just about every Intel and AMD platform available

today.

The Seidon 240M comes with two 120mm PWM fans and their RPM ranges from 600-2400. This means you can either have an efficient system running near silent or an overclocked monster cooled by a hurricane. Actually, the fans can be considered relatively quiet, even if you dial the fan speeds up to 100% If you use a medium to large chassis, you’ll have plenty of room for the 240mm radiator and included fans. Push-pull configurations will require enclosures with a little more height clearance, but unless you’re doing something drastic, you’ll be fine with the stock fans and one-click overclocks.

You can hardly hear the exceptionally small water block and its pump is silent.

Many self-contained water-cooling units out on the market either have a pump that rattles or buzzes but the Seidon 240M keeps its silence without compromising on cooling performance. The tubes of the Seidon 240M are similar to the ones on the Seidon 120M. They are fairly flexible but rigid enough to prevent any crimping or kinking that may restrict the flow of water.

When the dust settles, the Seidon 240M is indeed a very well designed bit of kit, and its only downfall is that many compact cases can’t accommodate it - of course, the Seidon 120M fills that void nicely. The Seidon 240M does come with thermal compound, except it is not pre-applied. Applying thermal compound is relatively simple, and in case you’re extremely flimsy, there is more than enough being supplied for at least four applications. Just remember that when thermal paste is concerned, less is more.

Cooler Master HS-500

T

his is one of those “check out what I’ve got” kind of things and although the extremely foldable and compact HS-500’s novelty will wear off in time to come, its sound quality is why you’ll keep it on your ears.

This headset’s sound quality is sharp, crispy, firm and as with any audio device with HDSS (High Definition Sound Standard) technology, distortion-free.

Voices and instruments sounds exceptionally good, and the HS-500’s 34mm drivers pump out a very respectable bass for its class. This headset performs well across the genres (even at high volumes) but sound does start to leak from its fabric earpads when you max out the volume of your source. So unless you

like broadcasting your playlist as you commute, you’ll want to keep the volume hovering around the 80% mark.

You wouldn’t be able to tell just how well the HS-500 reproduces audio, no thanks to its deceptively small on-ear ear cups. This kit was clearly designed to be used for all occasions and it includes a regular audio cable, a cable with in-line mic and controls, a splitter for computers (mic and audio) and finally, an adapter for Nokia and Sony cell phones.

The Cooler Master HS-500 is as versatile as it is portable, as it is awesome sounding. Although it takes on the form of a large gaming mouse when completely folded, it doesn’t transform into a robot, shucks...

© 1994-2012 Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., 2K, 2K Games, Firaxis Games, XCOM, and XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and their respective logos are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, 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. “PlayStation”, the “PS” Family logo and “PS3” are registered trademarks and the PlayStation Network logo is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. All other marks are property of their respective owners.

PLANTRONICS GameCom 780 USB

Jawbone UP R

ight about December last year, Jawbone refunded users of the first UP fitness band after performance issues with defective units. The older version of this iconic band ran into problems with keeping moisture out of the device, but the major problem was how many of them broke from owners bending them the wrong way. If haven’t heard of this fiasco, we’re glad you heard it from us, because the new Jawbone UP is in place to right every wrong.

Besides syncing to your device of choice (almost every iPhone, iPad and Android devices running 4.0 or later) and charging, the Jawbone UP is worn on the wrist at all times, and it works the similarly to the Nike+ FuelBand. Your UP fitness band will track you walking distance, calories burned and the amount of time you are active throughout your day and it even tracks the intensity of each activity. The Jawbone UP is also able to track your sleep patterns and it even boasts the ability to track the quality of your sleep – something other fitness trackers don’t do.

The new Jawbone UP has also been subjected to a series of rigorous tests to ensure that it remains fully-functional despite drops, bends, and direct contact/submersion in liquids of different

temperatures. As mentioned, you only need to remove the device either for syncing or for charging. Each charge will last about 10 days, so you’re only going to need to charge this fitness band three times a month.

The UP band charges using a USB connector and it syncs to your device via 3.5mm jack.

So why do you need a calorie counter? Simple.

Because you cannot get better at something you cannot measure. In this day and age of endless stress, being able to track one’s level of activity, diet and sleep (with minimal effort) does indeed help keep one well-informed and on his/her toes. Having a device monitor your physical behaviour is one thing, but the Jawbone UP takes things up a notch by letting setting daily goals for you, tracking your workouts, reminding you when you’ve been idle for too long, and even wake you up in the mornings (by vibration).

Its remarkable piece of tech, the Jawbone UP. It’s rugged, durable, light fashionable and functional. Its water-proof, shock-proof and it’s essentially a computer that fits into this seemingly impossible form. The Jawbone UP comes in a variety of colours and sizes, so be sure to visit their website to check which size suits you.

GIVEAWAY

The good people at Plantronics have provided us with 5 units of the all-too-epic GameCom 780 USB to be given away to GG readers.

Each GameCom 780 USB is equipped with noise-cancelling mic, on-ear volume and mute buttons, spin joints on the earpods, and plush ear cushions built into a solid construct. The GameCom 780 USB transforms standard audio into a 7.1 surround sound experience, making this an excellent choice for watching HD media when you’re not extending your kill-death ratio.

Here’s how you can stand a chance to up your game and win yourself a pair of Plantronic’s masterpieces:

“Like” GG on Facebook Place a comment on how your life would be better with the GameCom 780 USB And that’s it! We’ll pick the best and most creative comments, so start planning what to comment!

GreatGadgets

14 - Issue 08, 2013

OCZ Vector T

his particular solid-state drive has the longest development cycle that any OCZ SSD has ever seen (taking longer than 18 months to bring to market) and it is the finest thing you have ever seen OCZ put out. It terms of performance, it’s right up there with giants like the Samsung 840 Pro, so you’re looking at a top-tier, enthusiast-class SSD. The purchase of Indilinx and PLX makes the OCZ Vector is truly a home-grown OCZ SSD, and it even features the Barefoot 3 controller that was built from the ground-up, specifically for the Vector. Its thin but strong aluminum finish is a mere 7mm thick, so it’ll fit in slim laptops and help improve the speed of your sluggish machine, but since this is an enthusiast-class SSD, its home is likely to be a desktop – a beastly one. It comes in capacities of 128GB, 256GB and 512GB, but we recommend getting either the 256GB or 512GB ones since you’ll get reasonably better sequential write speeds and random 4k read IOPS. We hardly talk about warranties but every OCZ Vector is expected to perform 20GB per day for five years with no issues. To put things into perspective, you write a lot less than 20GB a day to your boot drive (even if you are a heavy user), so what you have is a warranty that covers very unrealistic and extreme usage. Frankly, we’d be very surprised if you aren’t pleased with the performance of your Vector and we’d be even more surprised if yours doesn’t last 5 years. Very, very surprised.

Lenovo IdeaPaD Y500 T

his laptop comes in at just under SGD $2,000 and while that may sound like quite a pinch for a 15-inch laptop (15.6-inches to be exact), the IdeaPad Y500 is actually a pretty impressive machine that is also easy on the pockets.

First up, the Y500 sports a third generation Intel i7-3630QM processor and 8GB of DDR3 RAM. It comes it with a single 1TB HDD and a NVidia GeForce GT 650M 2GB graphics card… no, make that TWO NVidia GeForce GT 650M 2GB – yes, two.

The unique thing about the Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 is that it features a swappable UltraBay, and this is essentially an interchangeable bay that can be used for another graphics card, additional storage space or extra cooling fan. The Y500 comes with a DVD reader/writer pre-installed in the UltraBay, but users can easily swap it out for some performance boosting SLI action using the additional GeForce GT650M 2GB. The entire swap will take less than a minute and no tools are needed.

The IdeaPad Y500’s dual graphics capability compliments its powerful 2.4GHz Core i7 processor for a pretty decent gaming machine. It won’t let you play Crysis 3 on ultra settings and still run 60fps (it’s playable, but on very low settings) but it’ll do the job if you aren’t too anal about the level of detail in games. That’s said, Dead Space 3 did surprisingly well on with this dual GeForce GT 680M 2GB config, averaging 40fps on high graphics settings.

When you think about what this machine offers; a 15.6” full HD (1920 x 1080) display, always-on USB port (for charging devices), backlit AccuType chiclet keys (with number pad), VGA, full size HDMI out and dual graphics card options, this laptop is actually a very elegant solution for the average gamer looking for an all-purpose laptop. The Y500’s stylish design helps keep this relatively slim laptop looking snazzy but again it is the under SGD$2,000 price tag that’ll sell itself.

Issue 07, 2013 - 15

GreatGadgets

Always in the mood for LOLve I

t was only a matter of time before League of Legends gets its very own licensed precision peripherals and thank the gods, Razer has them covered. Its about time too, after all, this IS the game that is taking over the world one teen soul at a time.

With this collaboration, we see a yellow Naga Hex, and the League of Legends’ text logo glows in place of where a glowing Razer logo would usually reside. The red and green Naga Hex mice had glossy finishes with no backlighting on the arcs, so if you love the tactile feel of the Hex’s mechanical thumb buttons and have been holding out for a solid mouse with a rubber coated finish, have at it.

While you’re trying to restrain yourself from ripping the box of your League of Legends Razer Naga Hex (before paying for it), you may want to take a gander at the improved Razer Goliathus. The edges of the first-gen Goliathus’ hardly frayed, but they did curl up ever so slightly. This will no longer be an issue as the entire perimeters of the new Goliathus mouse mats have hems.

A free Tryndamere activation code is included with either of these Razer products, so why not?

AMD HD 7790

I

t’s price tag suggests that it is a mid-range card and S$239 places it in between the HD 7770 and the HD 7850. This card has full Directx 11.1 support and Asus’ DirectCU II lets this GPU run 20% cooler and vastly quieter while GPU Tweak lets you lets you perform real-time tuning.

This two-slot solution has a total of four output options; single-link DVI, dual-link DVI, display port and HDMI and while the box does show promise of a three-monitor setup (AMD Eyefinity), the measely 1GB of VRAM isn’t going to be very helpful with the whole experience. This is where the CrossFire bridge (included) comes into play, and while we certainly

wouldn’t recommend doing multiple displays with a mid-range card like the HD 7790, CrossFiring changes everything. We would even go as far as to say that you wouldn’t be considering the HD 7790 at all if you owned a three-monitor set-up.

With all the great games that AMD’s Gaming Evolved program is supporting (DMC, Tomb Raider, BioShock Infinite, Crysis 3, Far Cry 3, Hitman: Absolution and Firefall) the HD 7790 suddenly becomes a very compelling purchase especially when stacked against NVidia’s GTX 650 Ti. It’s also a no brainer if you want an inexpensive card to CrossFire with your existing A10 processor.

© 2012 Bethesda Softworks LLC, a ZeniMax Media company. The Elder Scrolls, Skyrim, Bethesda, Bethesda Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks, ZeniMax and related logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of ZeniMax Media Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks or trade names are the property of their respective owners. All Rights Reserved.

“2”, “PlayStation” and “À” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “ ” is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

GreatGadgets

16 - Issue 08, 2013

ANY WAY YOU WANT IT Whether you wish to travel light or heavy, there’s bound to be one that works perfectly for your needs

T

here was once a time when we used to b*tch about why ‘so-and-so’ released a phone with a non-replaceable battery, and anyone who came up with a replaceable battery option was regarded as sensible and knew what we wanted. However the number of phones with non-replaceable batteries grew and grew, and these days, why would you need to bother when you can easily do much more with an external battery? With 18,000mAh of power on your plate – by the power of Greyskull – you have enough to do anything you want. And if its portability that you crave, then how does a pocket-friendly number sound?

POCKET KNIFE BATTERY

Power Bang! 3.0 Not quite the Swiss army knife, but a powerful torchlight and a battery cell packed in a small form factor makes it a handy emergency tool to have around, be in the car or at nightspots.

BIGGER IS BETTER

Gangnam Power 18000 As battery cells get smaller, a battery that stores 18,000mAh of power is now of a reasonably portable size. It’s almost like carrying an electrical socket with you wherever you go.

THE POWER BREAKDOWN

What can you power up with 18,000mAh worth of juice? Here’s a visual approximation. YMMV, of course...

PALM SIZED POWER BRICK

APPLE IPAD

1.6

Power Bang! 6.0 Discreet, palm-sized power, charged (sorry!) with one purpose and one purpose alone: revive your phone. It also omes with a digital battery indicator if you’re particular about your battery levels.

SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 10. 1

2.6 APPLE IPAD MINI

4.1 SAMSUNG GALAXY S4

6.9 APPLE IPHONE 5

SONY RX100

12.5 14.5

Available in Stores Now © Copyright 2013 and Published by Koch Media GmbH. Deep Silver is a division of Koch Media GmbH, Gewerbegebiet 1, 6604 Höfen, Austria. Developed 2012, Techland Sp. z o.o, Poland. © Copyright 2012, Chrome Engine, Techland Sp. z o.o. All other trademarks are copyright of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

GreatGadgets

18 - Issue 08, 2013

D-Link DHP-308AV PowerLine HomePlug AV + Mini Adapter

I

t doesn’t matter what great strides wireless technology has made in the past few years, especially if you’re a gamer, PC or console. Sure your router may be this and that and have virtually no dead zones in your home and bla bla bla, but you certainly aren’t going to risk going wireless, especially if you’re competitive. You’ll soon realise that, unfortunately for you, there are complications or obstructions that are getting in the way of that wired connection that you’d bet your soul on. Meet your solution, the D-Link PowerLine HomePlug.

The best part about the PowerLine HomePlug is that even thought there isn’t a direct line that is being laid from your router to your precious gaming rig/ console, it is still, theoretically a wired connection.

Connection between both sets is achieved using your home’s existing electrical wiring, so installation is as easy as plugging one (connected to your router) into and outlet, and another in your room of choice. It uses existing outlets that you already have and with a simple push of a button, you can easily connect (through a

secured network mind you) to your router to enjoy HD video streams and of course, lag-free gaming. A steady connection of up to 200Mbps means it’s ready to take on the monstrous speeds that your fibre connection is providing so as long as the outlets are part of the same electrical system, you are good to go.

This is an elegant solution really, especially since the other involves either drilling or meandering cables all over the floor, and the DHP-308AV’s compact design doesn’t obstruct other plugs and outlets (It is actually slightly smaller than what is depicted here).

The PowerLine HomePlug AV+ Mini Adapter sets itself apart from other home plugs by offering up to 20% better coverage than standard adapters, so you can literally have a wired connection anywhere in the house, anytime you like, without jumping through hoops or putting holes through walls. A power saving mode means you don’t have to worry about this unit when it is idle, so it is a plug and forget gadget as it is a plug and play one.

Have your cake and eat it. Why not?

PROLiNK Xanthinus

O

ut of the box, this mouse DPI toggle switch lets you toggle between 800, 1600, 2400, 3200DPI and if you wanna get your own on straight away, you’ll spend very little time adjusting its ergonomics. Its teflon feet give it a glide that is divine, making very suitable for palm-grip users. There is even an additional set of replacement feet included for all you heavy-palmed players.

You’ll need the software(included) to go higher than 3200DPI, and the Xanthinus’ laser sensor peaks at 8200DPI. The software also allows you to save up to five profiles and there are a total of 9 programmable buttons on the Xanthinus. If the 4-way scroll wheel bothers you, you can easily lock the horizontal scroll

function with a switch located on the underside of this mouse. Macros are also easily edited on this beefy software as well.

Besides the DPI and profile indicators, the Xanthinus doesn’t have any other glowy bits, but customers can pay an additional member fee to change the mouse top or even engrave their names, without voiding its 2-year warranty.

PROLiNK also announced an exclusive collaboration with Barracuda to develop special gaming surfaces. The first of which is called Nivalis, and this is an extra-large surface measuring 750mm x 330mm. Expect more to come from this collaboration.

© 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.

Š Copyright 2013 and Published by Koch Media GmbH. Deep Silver is a division of Koch Media GmbH, Gewerbegebiet 1, 6604 HÜfen, Austria. Developed by 4A Games. 4A Games Limited and their respective logo are trademarks of 4A Games Limited. Metro: Last Light is inspired by the novels Metro 2033 and Metro 2035 by Dmitry Glukhovsky.

All other trademarks, logos and copyrights are property of their respective owners.