GG issue 12

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12 VOLUME

INTERVIEW WITH TALES OF XILLIA’S HIDEO BABA

MICA (P) 135/05/2012

BEYOND: TWO SOULS

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NEXUS 7 FAST, SLEEK & AFFORDABLE

SOUNDS AS GOOD AS IT LOOKS

Reason’s 10

to own the best game ever created

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INSIDE: LOST PLANET 3, DIABLO III, PUPPETEER, NBA 2K14, ARMORED CORE: VERDICT DAY, F1 2013 & MORE

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GoodGame

02 - Issue 12, 2013

UPCOMING GAMES

RetailerTOP5 THE HOTTESTGAMES OUTNOW

Dark Souls II

Cyberpunk 2077

Batman: Arkham Origins

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Thief

Ryse: Son of Rome

Watch Dogs

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Evil Within

TEAM PUBLISHER Jacky Choo jacky@playworks.asia

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

Killzone: Shadow Fall

Destiny

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

1. Grand Theft Auto V 2. NBA 2K14 3. Beyond: Two Souls 4. FIFA 14 5. Armored Core: Verdict Day

1. Grand Theft Auto V 2. FIFA 14 3. Beyond: Two Souls 4. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD 5. One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2

1. Grand Theft Auto V 2. FIFA 14 3. The Wonderful 101 4. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD 5. Beyond: Two Souls

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

LATEST MOVIES TO OWN

WRITERS Justin Choo

1. Grand Theft Auto V 2. FIFA 14 3. NBA 2K14 4. Beyond: Two Souls 5. F1 2013

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. Grand Theft Auto V 2. Total War: Rome II 3. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn 4. FIFA 14 5. The Last of Us

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

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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.

Great Expectations

12 Rounds 2

The Company you Keep

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GoodGame

04 - Issue 12, 2013

A THING OR TWO ABOUT

PR E- O R D E RS Alright, pre-ordering has been somewhat of a recent phenomenon. There will be people telling you that preordering has been around since the early eighties, but pre-ordering is something that is now a common word that is used by almost everyone.

What’s a pre-order? Literally, it doesn’t make any sense. A reservation makes sense. But pre-ordering is, quite literally “before ordering” and even that doesn’t make any sense. The only way the term “pre-order” would make actual sense is if you use it in a sentence like, “I went to a restaurant but since my tummy was feeling funny, I took a dump, pre-order”. Ok, that’s not the best of examples, but you guys get what we mean.

But in all seriousness, being the gamers that we are, we already have a pretty good understanding of what pre-ordering is all about – you put your name down for a game/device that you definitely want, so that come launch day, you won’t be scrambling around Singapore trying to score yourself a copy/piece. That sounds like what pre-ordering is all about, right? Wrong.

Pre-ordering used to be a way of telling your friendly neighbourhood retailer to go ahead and place that one more order of a game, because you have already made your mind up about getting it, even before its launch date. No retailer would want to be in a situation where they are stuck with boxes of a game that they can’t sell, and the concept of pre-ordering gives the retailers a ballpark figure of how many copies of that game they should bring in. The result is less “dead” stock, and perhaps a discount (since they won’t incur the loss from dead stocks). You win, your favourite retailer wins. So while you might not think you have to pre-order a copy of

Additional character/ weapon skins

We approve of character and weapon skins because they serve as a cosmetic upgrade. We hardly used the golden lancer that we received with our collector’s edition of Gears of War 2, but we can see how it might be something that someone might enjoy. Some pre-order bonus skins can be used for the game’s campaign/story mode, but most of them are actually for use in online multiplayer only.

Exclusive skins that reward pre-ordering sounds fine to us, but if these skins can be unlocked by playing the game (either at a certain difficulty or by collecting stuff), we’re going to have to object to it.

Additional weapons/ abilities

This is a tricky one. Some games offer exclusive pre-order enhancements that really tilt the balance of the game’s difficulty and it almost feels like the developers are over-rewarding players and fans for their commitment. There are achievements for every game and it gets a little out of hand when

these pre-order perks assist you too much. On the other hand, an exclusive bonus weapon that doesn’t really do much to aid you in your quest sounds like a big waste of time, so in general, we aren’t too excited to hear games offering any form of player enhancement as a pre-order bonus.

Multiplayer Maps

We don’t have an issue with map packs that roll out (after the game has been launched) to give players more multiplayer variety. You purchase the map packs, you get to play and you don’t get to play if you don’t purchase the map packs. The problem we have is with bonus maps that are free only if you pre-order.

Exclusive maps are a big no-no for use, because it sucks to adopt a game a few months after everyone else, and get booted out of a matchmaking session because “you do not have map required to play”. This sucks, big time. Yeah, we know that the map can be unlocked for a small fee on Steam, PSN or Xbox LIVE, but for the later adopters, it just feels like you’ve been shortchanged.

While those who have pre-ordered might go, “see, that’s why you have to pre-order” this really deters new players from joining in the multiplayer fun and populating games with newbies for your owning pleasure.

the game you’re looking forward to (since there are usually copies on the shelf anyway), you’re doing the retailers (and yourself) a big favour if you state your interest by putting your name down.

Things are a little different now. While pre-ordering still serves its purpose of informing retailers about your interest, it has taken on a much more sinister role. There are 12 months in a year, and there are easily double the amount of games that launch each year, so you’re bound to run into a month where there are a couple of games being released. Developers and distributors know this, and that’s why they are marketing the games a lot earlier and throwing in pre-order bonuses to sweeten the deal, because they know that most gamers operate on a budget and can’t afford to buy every single game that tickles their interest. So pre-ordering, from a distributor’s standpoint, locks your sale down, and puts the other games (that are coming out during that window) in the backseat. You see how things work now?

We’re not complaining about what pre-ordering has become but some of these pre-order bonuses are actually very, very pathetic and sad attempts to lock us consumers down. Some of these pre-order ‘goodies’ aren’t even ‘goodies’ and most of the time, these ‘goodies’ aren’t even desirable. So the next time you pre-order a game, make sure the pre-order bonuses justify the need to put your name down for a copy.

We’ve seen our fair share of good and really crappy ones over the years, so here are a few types of pre-order bonuses that we’re shortlisting for your reference:

Whether it is a single map or a map pack, we can’t say that we applaud these types of pre-order incentives.

We’d be more inclined to give a thumbs up if the preorder bonus revolved around a discounted price off any future downloadable content or map packs.

Multiplayer weapon unlocks If they are merely different skins, yes, but if they are all new weapon types altogether, no.

The ideal multiplayer scenario is one where everything is even and no particular side/player has an advantage.

This includes the planning of the multiplayer maps, respawn locations, and a myriad of other factors including weapon balance. Throwing in pre-order-only weapons is risky business and might just tip the scales of an otherwise, balanced game.

It’s not as bad if a pre-order bonus unlocks a weapon that is only unlockable with more experience points or level. That doesn’t make it more acceptable though.

Again, if this bonus weapon were to be just another crappy weapon that no one would use, it would be rather pointless to include it as a pre-order incentive now would it?

Bottom line, pre-order bonus weapons, no-sir-ee.

Double EXP Bonuses

We’re all for fairness when it comes to multiplayer modes and matches. Double EXP doesn’t sound like a big deal until you consider the leveling up and weapon/ attachment unlocks. The line is now blurred.

We’re actually cool with double EXP bonuses. You might argue that it’s a significant boost, but players are still required to put in the hours, get their feet wet and actually earn the EXP. They aren’t given EXP, and that’s what’s important. Yes, they earn it at twice the speed, but it’s only during a short window upon activation.

Early access to demo of another game

You don’t need to be a genius to see the co-marketing here. This is bad, really bad. It suggests that a game (usually a new IP) can’t stand on its own and needs to lean on a bigger and more renowned game/franchise in order for players to adopt. Just very, very bad PR for a game that hasn’t even been released yet.

Besides, this early access to the demo is usually a few

Issue 12, 2013 - 05

days (no more than a week) before the rest of the world, so it isn’t really a game changer.

have the option not to participate in these additional missions.

Variations of this faux pas include early access to multiplayer demo of another game (usually from the same developer or publisher) or some closed-beta sign up.

Yes, we are all in favour of giving the additional missions to those who have pre-ordered. Just as long as it doesn’t feel like the developers are taking anything away from those who haven’t pre-ordered.

Additional missions

Digital Wallpaper and Soundtrack

This, we accept, as long as the side missions don’t interfere too much with the main story arc or narrative.

It must truly feel like a side mission, and later adopters should not feel like they aren’t able to fully grasp the underlining message/story of the game because they didn’t play these bonus side missions. It goes without saying that this bonus shouldn’t take anything away from the game’s story, but at the same time, it shouldn’t be an experience that is too drastically different from what the game offers.

Additional side missions serve as very good incentives for pre-orders, and the give the players who have preordered a little more of the game. This is granted the game is structured around an open-world type sandbox and players (who have activated this pre-order bonus)

These really aren’t the bonus that the developers think they are. We’re almost 100% sure that whatever soundtrack we’re hooked onto will be available on YouTube and whatever wallpapers the developers and publishers decide to include can be can be found on Google.

Art books and CDs are usually found in special editions of a game, and even those are a tad anti-climatic.

Wow! Digital soundtrack and game wallpaper? No thanks. We don’t live in the 90s.

Key chains, badges, jewelry (chains, rings, etc.), stationary and small, non-

mechanical items in general.

We’re usually quite turned off by the idea of pre-order bonuses like that, and that is because they are usually really shoddy, low-quality, low QC stuff that actually look more unofficial then official.

We’re not going to be naming any names here, but holy crap, the amount of absolute rubbish ‘goodies’ that some games offer are truly laughable, and lack consideration. We often wonder who green lights such awful pre-order ‘goodies’ because it feels like he is doing his best to get fired.

We hope to see more high quality, official merchandise as bonuses. If we take our games seriously, there is no reason for distributors and developers to take us lightly.

Stickers, Postcards, Posters and Bookmarks

Although a tad old-school (we live in a digital age now, for crying out loud), posters and stickers (that are well-done, mind you) can actually be quite a treat.

Bookmarks are just as desirable as bookmarks, but once again, tastefully done ones can actually be quite alluring.

GoodGame

The sad truth is that 9 out of 10 posters belong in the trash and the corresponding postcards and stickers should have never been printed in the first place.

Save the environment. Screw the postcards. Give us cool posters and stickers. If a poster is all you’re going to give someone who pre-orders, it better be some holographic or 3D poster printed on good quality paper that does crease when you breathe on it.

T-shirts

Maybe it’s just us, but T-shirts are usually way too big. This sucks because all that needs to be in place is some sort of chart or website with the appropriate measurements so that gamers can indicate the size of the shirt they want when they pre-order a game.

Instead, the easier route is taken, and everyone receives a XXL shirt that will never fit.

Gamers are more than willing to wear shirts that indicate their interest and fanboyism, so PLEASE give us shirts that fit. PLEASE!

GoodGame

06 - Issue 12, 2013

10

Reason’s

to own the best game ever created

G

TA V is the best game ever created, there is no question about that, and in case you didn’t already know, it is also the most expensive game to have ever been created, costing a whopping US$265 million to produce. Now, why wouldn’t you want a piece of the most expensive game ever made?

If the perfect scores across the internet haven’t already swayed you, let your friends decide for you and take a look through your friend list and see what your friends are playing. If you aren’t going to be swayed by absolutely everybody in your friend list, there is no cure for your lack of sane judgment (stupidity) and you might as put an end to your miserable life right about now.

GTA V is a M18 game, but hey, this is Singapore and parents here tend to be a lot more chill when it comes to video games. This is, of course, considering what’s available online. Maybe you’re blessed with cool parents who are actually cool with you playing M18 games, but if you’re “way too young” to be playing GTA V, this game is one that you’d want to put in your “to play” list when you turn 18 (or at least when you get a bit older). We’re obliged to tell those who are under aged to stay away from M18 games all the time, but we’re not telling you not to play GTA V. We’re just saying, now’s not the time for you to enjoy GTA V to the fullest yet, so it’s best to save the experience for a later date. The sad reality is that even the big games like FIFA 14 will be affected by GTA V’s launch, so good luck trying to find matches online.

So there are people who are already playing GTA V, people who are too young/forbidden to play GTA V due to age constraints and people who simply aren’t picking GTA V up, really, for no apparent reason. GTA V is the masterpiece of all masterpieces and quite frankly, we don’t see why anyone with a console should miss out on this man-made wonder. But just in case you fall into the third class of people who haven’t adopted the best game that has ever been created, here are 10 reasons you should.

Everything is Connected

This is a particularly impressive feat actually. Remember the days where the weapons you equipped didn’t carry over to the cut scenes? Those days are over (since almost every game uses in-game graphics to run cut scenes now) and this continuity is ever so present in GTA V. Just like in real life, the more time you spend doing a particular activity, the better you get at it. That’s all fine and dandy, but to go one step deeper is to realise that some activities that you get better at actually carry over to other activities.

Doing more sports actually adds to your stamina and strength and this helps you in your fistfights. It also works the other way around, and you could go around beating people up to increase your strength so that you’ll perform better at sports. Punching random civilians won’t net you anything more than a two-star wanted level, but if you don’t want the law on your behind, you may try punching the animals in the game. Yes. Animals.

The more time you spend driving translates to better driving and as the header suggests, all these activities tie in very naturally.

Details, Details, Details.

If the devil is in the details, then the devil is everywhere in GTA V. GTA V is just a brilliantly conceptualised game that is backed up with impossible amounts of detail. The details lie not just in the gorgeously rendered city of Los Santos, but also in the characters themselves. One of the most notable (and missable) detail was how Michael, Franklin and Trevor walk differently. We especially like subtle details like this that make the characters a lot more realistic. Heck, there are even full-fledged TV shows that are actually a lot of fun to watch, and all these little details help to slowly embed you in GTA V’s virtual playground.

Ocular Orgasm

The graphics in GTA V are spectacular. The glare of the mid day sun, the imperfections on the roads and sidewalks and everything in general looks amazing. It’s hard to believe that you’re playing on hardware that is almost a decade old, especially when you venture out into the open waters because the water effects look ridiculously real.

The mountainous areas look beautiful as well, and there is a distinct difference between the forested areas and mountainous areas.

The landscapes are a lot more lush and detailed than Red Dead Redemption and considering that the game doesn’t let you sit through a single load screen (except the initial load), the occasional dips in frame rates and rare texture pop-ins are very, very forgivable.

Something for Everybody

Shooting range ups your shooting stats and it would be wise for you to dedicate some time to the shooting range, since GTA V is so gunfriendly. But besides the shooting range, there are a bunch of other mini games for you to indulge in. Golf, Tennis, Biking, Darts, and Races are just a few to name, and while there will be certain mini games that you’ll only play once, there will be other where you will unknowingly sink an hour or two into.

It is also worth noting that the mini games in GTA V actually qualify as proper games and not just some token experiences included to fluff the game up.

Three-way: A New Way to Play

GTA V’s three-protagonist system is fantastic and while looking through voyeuristic lenses is often satisfying, it is the game’s heists and main missions that will rock your world. You can replay almost

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GTA V is as big as it gets, and it really pushes the capabilities of this gen’s consoles to the max, so this game becomes the easiest way to see what your Xbox 360 or PS3 is capable of.

This game gets a perfect score everywhere, so it is actually pretty pointless to put another crown on the king, but anything worth doing is worth over-doing, so there you have it.

100 GG

Issue 12, 2013 - 07

GoodGame

VERDICT Alternate Endings

There are a total three different endings depending on how you choose to tackle the last mission, after the last heist. While we’ll admit that this isn’t what sells the game, it’s a nice touch, and adds just that extra bit of replayability to a game that is already a hit, with or without alternate endings.

GTA V introduces a myriad of very impressionable and related characters to the players and a lot of the game’s enjoyment stem from the characters and their development. You can’t create a successful game if players don’t remember the characters and you won’t forget Michael, Franklin and Trevor anytime soon.

Three protagonists, three endings. Sounds about right.

One with Nature

There are dogs, deer, rabbits, coyotes, mountain lions, hogs and birds that you can interact with in GTA V. While we aren’t really into hunting, we have killed more than a dozen virtual critters including a bird that smashed through our windshield when we were driving near a pier. It came as quite a shock, but the pleasant surprise was how our character (Franklin at the time) also reacted to this situation.

all of the missions in GTA V, and you will, simply because of the game’s mechanics.

Being able to switch between characters means being able to snipe safely from a distance when you feel like it, pilot the get away vehicle when you feel like it, and being up-close and personal when you feel like it. It’s entirely up to you, so there is actually a fair amount of replayability, simply to experience these wellorchestrated missions from different perspectives. You’re a single player, but then you’re three people at the same time – it’s a really invigorating experience and you’ll be hooked right after the first heist.

Character(s) Progression(s)

Taking your jet ski and piloting it out to into the middle of the ocean might sound like something terribly boring and dangerous to do, but we assure you that looking for sharks has never been more thrilling. Besides, there’s an achievement associated with sharks.

There’s an App for it

Yes, there is an App for GTA V that lets you participate in activities that can and will directly affect you in the game. You can get collars for your dog and even tune your characters’ default cars.

Upgrading engine parts may need some actual in-game unlocking to do, but it’s nice to be able to mess around with the rims, horns and other small knick-knacks like the colour of your license plates.

Yes, GTA V has character progression and you can do stuff in-game to boost your characters’ abilities and stats. Taking part in races (or driving around in general) will help boost your driving stats, allowing you to handle vehicles with more finesse, while going to the shooting range will make aiming a lot easier for you.

Since GTA is often a satirical commentary of pop culture, you won’t be surprised to find out that the App is actually named iFruit.

There are a total 8 attributes that you can help improve and they are Special, Stamina, Shooting, Strength, Stealth, Flying, Diving and Lung Capacity.

GTA is as much a part of pop culture as it is a commentary of it and its influence and reach is beyond comprehension. The GTA franchise is a huge, huge franchise, and since the game is effectively a virtual world for you to run amok in, we’re surprised big names such as Coca-Cola, Starbucks and MacDonald’s aren’t begging Rockstar to be featured/placed in the game.

Perhaps they don’t want reckless gamers to blow up their stores and post the game play footage up on YouTube?

Each character has their own special ability, and it’s best to spend an equal amount of time with each character because there will be character-specific tasks and missions that you’ll face. So if you have spent half of your time training/boosting Franklin’s shooting stats, you might find aiming a bit of a handicap when you eventually play a Michael mission. It’s hardly the difference between heaven and hell, but you’ll definitely feel it.

If You Can’t Beat Them…

GoodGame

08 - Issue 12, 2013

Ellen Page is Jodie Holmes Video game characters tend to stick, probably because they aren’t seen anywhere outside of their franchise. Everyone knows who Nathan Drake, Marcus Fenix or even Wei Shen is, and we know them because we lived through them and learned about them. But here we have someone who has played Juno, Shadowcat and Ariadne (the new architect in Inception), so it’s going to be hard to see Ellen Page as Jodie Holmes, but thankfully, Quantic Dream pulled it off. Ellen Page is Jodie Holmes in very much the same way that Tom Hanks is Forest Gump and Keanu Reeves is Neo.

Developer: Quantic Dream Publisher: SCEA Platform: PS3 Release Date: Out Now

BEYOND: TWO SOULS Sounds as good as it looks I

n a nutshell, Beyond: Two Souls tells a story about

Jodie Holmes and her special gift, through 15 years of her life. Jodie has the ability to see and communicate with a mysterious entity known only as Aiden. Aiden is tethered to Jodie and while many may see this as a gift or an easy way around the obstacles in life, players will get to understand the love-hate relationship between Jodie and Aiden through chronologically staggered sequences.

You will never know what the next part of the game will be like, simply because the game’s story is told by revisiting certain chronological periods of Jodie’s life.

This is a very interesting choice of telling a story but it works in favour of Beyond: Two Souls, as players will be able to associate with why Jodie has become who she ends up to be, just by connecting the dots. Beyond: Two Souls is a story about Jodie, so the goal to connect players to the game’s protagonist is definitely something Quantic Dream should be proud of achieving, but casting Hollywood big names such as Ellen Paige and Willem Defoe was definitely a move that could’ve easily worked against them.

We haven’t really seen games starring big-time silver screen celebrities, so having A-listers as the protagonists of a video game sounds very feasible, considering the immersive experiences video games offer. This isn’t regular practice as yet, so players might need awhile before they can start connecting with Jodie Holmes instead of Ellen Paige. It doesn’t help when people keep referring to Beyond: Two Souls as “that Ellen Paige game”.

Beyond: Two Souls looks amazing most of the time, and we say that because there are times when the game just doesn’t feel as convincing as it should be, graphics-wise. Imperfections on the characters’ skin are exceptionally realistic and while Quantic Dream has done a phenomenal job with movement and clothes physics, there were parts of the game that needed more work than others. With all that said, this is still one of this year’s prettier games, and Beyond: Two Souls certainly sets a new standard for facial and motion capture in video games.

A big part of experiencing Beyond: Two Souls is its story and its story is told through gameplay rather than lengthy cutscenes. The whole game is played out using in-game graphics and this makes it very possible to include player interactions during integral story moments. This means that you can’t just put your controller down, have a sip of your favourite beverage and watch the cutscenes because there might be buttons that need to be pushed to forward the game.

You do have scenes that give you the option of exploring certain areas of the game but Beyond: Two Souls still feels rather restrictive and a tad linear.

While the inclusion of combat does give Beyond: Two Souls a more action-packed experience, but it can sometimes be as big of a miss as it can be a hit. You’ll never miss the combat prompts because everytime the game requires you to react to something, you enter a bullet-time-ish mode where all you have to do is move the right stick in the direction of the strike, or in the direction of a block, duck or dodge. Since there

isn’t a “Gamer Over” moment, the game still moves forward despite failing to perform every single move.

Instead of having a demoralising moment where the game tells you that you have failed, you’re lead into an alternate outcome, where, you end up being captured instead of fleeing the first batch of captors. Not every alternate outcome spins into an alternate story thread so performing particularly well (or poor) in a certain scenario may bring you back to the same outcome and total gameplay time does vary because there will be times where you bypass certain sequences for making certain decisions, and there will be times where you

end up going through more gameplay sequences. It all depends.

Like Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls sets out to be daring, bold, and different and it is. Beyond: Two Souls does indeed feel a lot more action-oriented than Heavy Rain, but there were parts where we couldn’t help but feel that the player could be more involved in the game.

Beyond: Two Souls would’ve scored lower if we were to judge the game using conventional means of assessing games, but we can’t do that because Beyond: Two Souls isn’t a conventional game.

Beyond Touch A second player can join in the fun by using their touch-screen device of choice (tablet or smartphone) using the Beyond Touch app. The touch screen segments of the game (controlling Aiden) felt a little too guided, but we were pleasantly surprised at how responsive controls were. The “watchers” can now participate, because there is almost no learning curve associated with playing the game using the dedicated app.

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VERDICT

Issue 12, 2013 - 09

GoodGame

Liquid Assets The thermal energy that you collect throughout the game is no longer associated with keeping you alive. Instead, thermal energy acts as the game’s currency and you can use the thermal energy that you have collected to purchase and upgrade weapons.

Developer: Spark Unlimited Publisher: Capcom Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: Out Now

LOST PLANET 3 Getting warmer…

L

AVAILABLE NOW ©1994-2013 Take-Two Interactive Software and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. 2K Marin, the 2K Marin logo, 2K Games, the 2K logo, XCOM, and Take-Two Interactive Software are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. “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. All other marks and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

ost Planet 2 was riddled with glitches and gameplay mechanics that were actually quite acceptable for its time, but frustrating nonetheless. Ironically, the game’s biggest draw was what made it the most unappealing. You see, Lost Planet 2 was jet set on being that ultimate co-op game where you blast giant Akrid with buddies, but there were too many bridges to cross in order to enjoy the game with team mates that don’t suck, because the AI for Lost Planet 2 is, in a word, turd.

So say goodbye to all the hoops you have to jump through to play the campaign with friends because you’ll be playing Lost Planet 3’s campaign by yourself – and that’s actually a good thing.

Lost Planet 3 is actually a prequel to the first game, and the events of Lost Planet 3 centre around Jim Peyton and the ice-age like planet of E.D.N III. Lost Planet 3 presents the best story telling of the franchise, and unlike Lost Planet 2, the characters in the game are memorable and easy to relate to. This game does a very good job of setting the stage for an average Joe (Jim Peyton) and how his motivations shift from earning more to provide for his wife and new born to… well, we won’t spoil it for you.

It may be how the premise of the game (or even the entire franchise) is strutured around freezing temperatures and thermal energy, but Lost Planet 3’s visuals aren’t as stimulating as most games of the same genre. The ability to pilot towering industrial-sized mechs do add some visual and gameplay variety, but it still isn’t enough to wash your eyeballs off the repetitive blues with glowing orange bits that 75% of the game presents. There is also an unavoidable sense of sameness in Lost Planet 3’s indoor sets. At least its consistent, right?

Combat for Lost Planet 3 is actually pretty enjoyable.

It’s not a particularly articulate third person shooter,

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and it can get a little predictable and grindy at times, but there is definitely a certain charm associated with old-school shooter mechanics that is bound to be appreciated. Maybe it’s just us, but we grew up with games like Megaman, where you have to avoid an enemy (or boss) and strike his weak areas when he is dizzy/stuck. Summing up action sequences in Lost Planet 3 is easy; you dodge out of the way when the big-ass Akrids charge at you and unload your clip on the glowing appendages to eventually take it down. The smaller Akrids dismember with a blast of a shotgun, so while it doesn’t take a genius to figure out how to defeat the bigger Akrids, Lost Planet 3’s passable shooting mechanics do set the stage for some pretty decent encounters. There is joy to watching thermal slush splatter with each confirmed hit.

Mutliplayer on Lost Planet 3 is pretty standard, with the usual deathmatches and objective based modes, which put a Lost Planet twist on familiar versus multiplayer types and they can be decent fun and ought to give the game some longevity, but there isn’t really anything spectacular you can say about Lost Planet 3’s multiplayer modes. The Akrid Survival mode is clearly the most enjoyable of the lot, but it still isn’t outstanding enough to push the game’s rating out of the 65-75 range.

You could say that Lost Planet 3 is just another shooter alligned to a specific story or setting and you wouldn’t be wrong, but the franchise’s decision to move in the direction of a stronger narrative is definitely one we applaud. The combat for Lost Planet 3 doesn’t fail to deliver, but it isn’t anything out of the ordinary. Where the game’s mechanics fail to impress, it makes up for in the well crafted story, characters and character relationships that are equally well voiced and well played.

GoodGame

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Boss Fights These guy are the generals of the evil Moon Bear King, and they all have their own different personalities. The boss battles are very different, and the stages are different as well.

The boss fights in Puppeteer aren’t just larger enemy types that take a longer time to defeat, and they really do add a fair bit of difficulty to each level as you try and figure out the gimmick around defeating each boss. This is very reminiscent of the old achool platormers where you have to dodge and escape predicted swipes and bashes before attacking at crucial windows to chip away at his health. Boss Battles in Puppeteer are genuinely exciting and enjoyable, especially if you have experience with the more punishing old-school platformers of the 16 and 32 bit era.

PUPPETEER Setting the stage for future platformers

Developer: SCE Japan Studio Publisher: SCEA Platform: PS3 Release Date: Out Now

Y

ou play as this little boy named Kutaro and

you have been turned into a puppet. All isn’t too bad until you find out that you won’t last long without a head – this is bad news, considering yours has just been ripped off. Lucky for you, a ghostly cat companion named Yin Yang helps you out and gets you a replacement head.

You will eventually come to a point in the game (about 15min in) where you acquire your weapon – a magical pair of scissors known as Calibrus. This pair of scissors belongs to the evil Moon Bear King, and he is one who captures the souls of children to use them as guards in his castle. Your adventrue really starts when you get your wooden hands on Calibrus, and you find different objects (as you play your way through the game’s narrative) that you can use as heads.

You’ll find more than a couple of replacement heads that you can swap around with, and each of these heads have special “abilities” that can be used in specific areas of the game and by hitting down when you’re equipped with the right head at the right locations, you’ll get access to bonus stages, abilities and other benefits/perks.

There is just so much variety in this game that no two levels ever look the same, and even though the game may look cartoony, there are textures and details to be seen in every nook and cranny because everything is hand-animated.

Puppeteer can’t really be called a 2D game because of all the visual depth presented in each level. That said, it falls short of qualifying as a 3D game, since it is

basically a side-scrolling-type platformer at heart. It is also playable in 3D and we highly suggest you do, because visually, Puppeteer is a game that has so much to offer. It’s just a very clean game that uses simple textures, vibrant colours and an abundance of variety.

This game’s visuals are easily what makes it stand out from the rest of the crowd. The premise of Puppeteer is interesting, and it translates into the game’s graphics very intently. You will see curtains draping the edges of your screen, and the levels you play through become like plays in a puppet theatre.

Even the voice acting is theatrical and puppeteer is just an adorable game from start to finish.

Its graphical style may seem to draw inspiration from Media Molecule’s Little Big Planet, but players will soon realise that this game throws feats of combat and platforming that challenge your timing, reactions, finesse as well as wit. This game is far from child’s play, and if you think you are going to waltz through this game just because you’re unstoppable on Call of Duty, think again.

Yes, Puppeteer does use very fundamental game controls (left and right to move, X to jump) to let players interact with the game, but it is one of the more demanding platformers on the market to date.

Puppeteer is a game for those who miss that feeling of playing a serious, awesome platformer and want to relive that feeling with this-gen’s graphics. It is also a game that shows the big publishers like Sony and EA that it is worth funding indie developers to produce fresh new content.

Bonus Stages The bonus stages you unlock are like mini games and every bonus game that you unlock is playable in the game’s main menu.

Yin Yang Yin Yang is a lot more than just an on-screen character, and he can be controlled using the right analogue stick to help you acquire hidden items as well as new heads. While Yin Yang is voiced with much enthusiasm, he can get a little annoying at times, and that is partly due to his catreferencing puns like “purrr-fect”.

Screen-ception You play the game as a character in this puppet theatre where you are also the spectator of the show. We know this sounds weird, but this is exactly what it feels like, especially with the cheers, boos and aws of an “audience” being voiced over at appropriate “scenes” in the game.

Issue 12, 2013 - 11

GoodGame

Keep on rollin bay-bey...

Using the right stick, your character is now able to dodge, depending on which direction you hit the right stick. Rolling advances your character slightly faster than running, so the tendency to roll all over the place will be too damn high. Pressing down on the right stick also lets you highlight where your character is, just in case things get a little hairy when you’re playing 4-player co-op.

t Developer: Blizzard Entertainmen Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment Platform: PS3, Xbox 360 Release Date: Out Now

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DIABLO III A demon in the rough

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OUT NOW

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.

iablo III has finally arrived on the console and if you happen to be a console owner who has not played Diablo III on the PC yet, you really ought to. If you have had the fortune of playing Diablo III before the console version of Diablo III, you might want to take a look at the game before giving it a pass.

After being spoilt with the most beastly rigs, we must say that the graphics for Diablo III look fantastic running on the PlayStation 3. Just by looking at it, you would think that this game was running on a decent setup, even tough it may seem a little rough around the edges. Diablo III isn’t really a graphically demanding game, but it is still a gorgeous game, and luckily for PS3 players, this port is looking very sweet.

When we first received news that Diablo III would be hitting the consoles, our immediate concerns weren’t about the action and dungeons. We were pretty sure that action and combat sequences will lay themselves out nicely on the DualShock 3 but remained skeptical about the menus and inventory. Diablo III is a deep game and one that requires an awful lot of navigation.

There aren’t a whole lot of menus to navigate in Diablo III but you will definitely be comparing items and going through your inventory, skills and quests ever so often (it’s just the nature of the game) and we are very happy to say that the reimagined interface works like a charm.

We’ve experienced Diablo III on a PC, with a mouse, and it is actually pretty hard to top that experience, but in true Blizzard fashion, they delivered. It is actually easier to compare equipped weapons to your inventory and Diablo III might just be the host of one of the most intuitive radial-type dial interface ever, and we approve with both thumbs up.

Instead of clicking where your character should go, the PS3 version of Diablo III lets you control your character directly. The controls are very reminiscent of top-down beat’em ups, and the control scheme lends

VERDICT

itself to a very different yet satisfying dungeon crawler.

It is not difficult to imagine what great fun controlling your character directly can be, and it has a totally different dynamic to it. In the PC version, your character feels like a pawn, and you are the puppetmaster. Since you are directly in control of your character’s movements on the PS3 version, you’ll feel a lot more connected to your character. This difference is very subtle, but definitely undeniable and refreshing.

Jaw dropping visuals, great control scheme, epic boss fights and one of the best loot systems ever designed make Diablo III an offer that is very hard to resist. Console-only gamers really ought to give Diablo III a shot, but do be warned that many lives have been consumed by this aptly named game. You have a mouse and a full keyboard when you play Diablo III on PC, but now that we’ve experienced it on both PC and console, we have to say that the game actually feels very at home on the console. We’re even willing to go as far as to say that it plays better on the console.

4 Player Co-op Couch co-op on Diablo III? Why not? You can play up to 4-players locally without having to deal with framerate dips or any other techincal issues.

GoodGame

12 - Issue 12, 2013

Songs for a King Developer: Visual Concepts Publisher: 2K Sports Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: Out Now

When he isn’t carrying the Heats, LeBron James can be seen hand-picking songs for that go into NBA 2K14. Besides being blessed with god-like skills on the court, the guy also has pretty solid taste in music. Big names like Gorillaz, Jay-Z, Eminem, Daft Punk and Macklemore are just a few to name, but there will definitely be more than a few tunes that’ll get you going in NBA 2K14.

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NBA 2K14 Unstoppable

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ou get used to many things when you have been gaming for a while. Whiney and trash-talking kids in M18 games, bonus DLCs, console-exclusive content, military shooters that offer token multiplayer modes and batteries dying on you during the most crucial parts of a game/match.

If you have been gaming for a while now, you would expect yearly releases of sports games such as Winning Eleven and NBA 2K. There is fierce competition and rivalry between EA’s FIFA and Konami’s Winning Eleven, and this isn’t the first time EA has failed to produce a NBA game. Can you blame us for getting very used to the fact that there will only be one NBA game each year? Is that a bad thing? Of course not.

It seems like every year, we cap off our review of the year’s NBA 2K title by saying that it is the best sports simulation game every made. The NBA 2K franchise has been running with little or no contention for the past couple of years, and 2K knows that being the number one sports simulation game isn’t easy. That’s why they’re doing their best to stay number one, year after year. Each new NBA 2K game will bring about improvements and changes for the better, that goes without saying, and NBA 2K14 is no exception.

There is an abundance of modes available in NBA 2K14 but the most notable change is the pace of the game as a result of a new control scheme. This is easily one of the biggest breakthroughs in basketball games thus far and it’s paying dividends. 2K Sports started by introducing the Shot Stick, and this was essentially a

control scheme that let players attempt lay ups, dunks or shots using the right analogue stick. 2K14 takes the right analogue controls to another level, letting you exhibit some flash with fancy dribbling as well as passing, all using the right analogue stick – the Pro Stick.

Although Pro Stick is rather intuitive, no-look passes coming out of spins will require some practice (before you become the next Steve Nash), and for some, the process of unlearning and relearning may be a little more painful than others. It feels a lot like writing with your non-master hand; it takes more effort and time, but it’s something you’ll be able to do with your eyes closed with enough practice. The ability to perform these crowd-awing passes is dictated by distance as well as the ability of the player you are controlling. If NBA 2K14 is your first NBA game, you’re in good hands, but even if you’re used to hitting a button to perform a move, NBA 2K14 will make you fall in love with your right thumb stick. Calling plays on the go is also a lot more intuitive and can be done without even pausing the game.

There are also a lot of new animations (shot types, dribble moves, etc.) to compliment the game’s more natural play-style and coupled with the best sports game commentary, NBA 2K14 plays and feels just like real basketball should.

Amidst the plethora of returning game modes that NBA 2K14 offers, 2K14 is also host to the Path to Greatness. This is a single-player mode (not available on PS4 or Xbox One) where you get to determine

LeBron’s future by choosing from two vastly different career arcs. You’ll play through a variety of different scenarios, completing events in order to move on, but both paths have the same goal, and that is to win five more NBA titles. This is a big treat for fans of LeBron James as it plays to the fantasies of what is, and what could be for the four-time MVP. It almost feels like a story mode and there is actually a real sense of purpose infused into each game.

2K has polished their franchise to a blinding shimmer and it’s good to know that everything that made the game exceptional is still in place, and that new implements aren’t too jarring. We now understand why the NBA 2K franchise remains untouchable and uncontested.

Look ma, no-look!

You’ll spend a reasonable amount of time trying out fancy dribbles with the rock, getting used to the Pro Stick, but a lot more satisfaction can be found in the artful dishing of the ball to your team mates. No-look passes make plays a lot more stylish and exciting.

Management. Skills.

Issue 12, 2013 - 13

Amored Core games are about management, skill and execution. You will need to spec your AC to your play style, whether it be light and swift or slow but powerful. This game is also about knowing which tools are best for whatever the task at hand may be. That means understanding weapon types, managing weight and power consumption, range as well as the difference between KE (Kinetic Energy), CE (Chemical Energy) and TE (Thermal Energy) amongst other things.

GoodGame

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

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VERDICT

ARMORED CORE: VERDICT DAY Variety is the spice of life

Build. Discover. Conquer.

Rule the World!

AVAILABLE NOW

Civilization Revolution

The second epic expansion for Civilization V © 1991-2013 Take-Two Interactive Software and its subsidiaries. Developed by Firaxis Games. Sid Meier’s Civilization V: Brave New World, Sid Meier’s Civilization V, Civ, Civilization, 2K, Firaxis Games, Take-Two Interactive Software and their respective logos are all trademarks of Take-Two interactive Software, Inc. Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. All other marks and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

S

o the whole world is still busy with GTA V right about now, but if you take a closer look at the games launched during the month of September, you’re likely to find gems like Armored Core: Verdict Day. Each Amored Core game brings the promise of parts.

Yes parts. More parts that your average Gundam model kit, and From Software just keeps it coming. Prepare to spend an hour or two setting your mech up because holy cow, you will be spoilt for choice. The Amored Core series has always thrived on AC (Amored Core) customisation and it’s not just about choosing the nicest parts or the biggest guns for your AC. There is actually a whole lot of consideration that goes into assembling an AC and you’ll find yourself clutching your hair with both fists time and time again, dealing with the dilemmas often associated with choices.

Sitting in your comfy sofa and flicking the thumb stick around to view the plethora of parts for each segment (14 in total) may not sound like much of a chore, but it definitely is if you plan to take your AC places. You’ll need to spend some time understanding the stuff/parts you equip your AC with, and this means scrolling through the myriad of options available and scrutinising the data that each option presents.

Thankfully, there aren’t too many parts to stall you when you first start the game.

Playing the campaign will let you unlock various elements of the game and earn money to purchase workshops, decals and parts. All of these help enhance your mech one way or another and although you may start off a little detached from your AC (despite spending a considerable amount of time equipping, painting and testing it), you’ll definitely grow to love it after the considerable amount of parts and upgrades that will be thrown at you.

The campaign is set in a future where war between three rival factions wage on. The three factions are fighting for whatever natural resources left on earth (obviously too little to share), but just like the recent Amored Core games, multiplayer is where it’s at and campaign takes a back seat.

You will probably spend a considerable amount of time customising the colours of each specific part or weapon, and you can actually hand-pick specific

Free Battle mode The optimum Amored Core online experience is when you team up with friends, but if you prefer going solo, there is some fun waiting to be had in some good old-fashioned 1-on-1 mech action in Free Battle mode.

colours for specific areas of specific parts/weapons.

The end result is a mech that is either distinctively yours or painfully generic. Your AC will also represent you online, and while bright pink mechs aren’t really the most tactical or masculine, there are bragging rights to be earned, especially when no one is able to take you down despite you sticking out like a sore thumb.

You’re likely to have more than one AC (even if you have played previous Amored Core games and already know what build suits your play style) so it’s great that the interface for assembling your AC is straightforward and user-friendly. It would be nice if there were some sort of in-depth tutorial for the newcomers, but a little diligence does go a long way.

ACVD throws a lot of information at you when you’re in battle and even more when you’re assembling your AC. It is up to you to digest that information and work your available options to your advantage/liking. Going into the Assembly and hitting Y (on the Xbox 360) to toggle the details of each part may be a tad overwhelming, we won’t lie, but the numbers start to make sense of themselves as you continue playing.

Our only issue with Verdict Day was how awfully drab and angular the battlegrounds looked. There aren’t many things that are in place to change up the often brown and desolated battlegrounds. Then again, there will hardly be a time where your AC will be stationary, so if you do manage to take in the uninspiring sights, you’re spending too much time hiding/dying.

Amored Core: Verdict Day is, more than ever, a game that is designed for online interactions. This is a game about understanding, planning, skill and execution. The scenery in ACVD is passable at best, but you’ll be moving around and boosting all over the place that everything else is a blur anyway. Visually, it seems that all the effort has been put into the rendering of details weapons and parts, and we can’t really fault the game for that.

This is a game about being top dog (albeit a massive mechanical dog) and it may not be the most exciting game if you don’t engage in online battles. GTA V may be the game with everything, but it doesn’t have hulking metal behemoths of destruction, so if you get fatigue from too much Grand Theft Auto, allow From Software’s Amored Core: Verdict Day to charm you.

GoodGame

14 - Issue 12, 2013

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e’ve seen cute cartoony characters

evolve into more realistically proportioned characters, from turn based to more action. Is the history and evolution of the Tales series any indication of what’s to come for the franchise?

This is a very interesting and difficult question. The Tales series actually follows the evolution of the game industry, so for example, the past instalments of the Tales franchise (Tales of Phantasia, Tales of Destiny) utilised the maximum potential of the console’s specs. Tales of Phantasia utilised the specs of the Super Famicom and for Tales of Destiny it was the original PlayStation. So when hardware is improved, it became possible for the Tales series to implement 3D graphics while keeping the animestyle graphics and textures. As a producer, I am really looking forward to the next evolutionary step in the gaming industry but I believe that gamers and fans of the Tales series will still want to play games with a controller instead of gestures or hands-free gaming.

What is the localisation process of Tales of Xillia like? Do you bare in mind that not everybody understands Japanese humour?

There is a special localisation team in Namco Bandai and they communicate very frequently with local-based localisation teams in Europe, America, etc. Sometimes, there are no corresponding words that can be directly translated and sometimes, words with several meanings and puns lose their wit when translated. It is impossible to translate the entire game from Japanese to English, word-for-word and still make perfect sense to the player, but at the same time, we want to keep our translation quality

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INTERVIEW with

TALES OF XILLIA’S

HIDEO BABA

at its highest, and one of the ways we do that is to bring similar and natural expressions to western players. Needless to say, a lot of thought is put into selecting the best words and phrases to use when we are localising our game.

Gamers used to look for games that were value for money, and usually, more total gameplay hours meant better value. That was then. Most of the gamers of today have games that they hardly play and they sometimes find themselves fatigued from games that last too long. This is partly because gamers look forward to playing other games as well. What are your thoughts on game fatigue and the generally long gameplay time of JRPGs? We always decide how long gameplay should be by consulting current players as well as game scenarios. It is going to be very difficult to introduce characters properly if the scenarios are very short. Most of the time, there will be “waves” in the story arc and the impact of certain sequences and story elements wouldn’t be achieved if everything was rushed out to make the game shorter.

In JRPG, we like to convey a message to our players and most of the time, this messages are conveyed through the characters and storyline. We want players to be able to connect with our characters, sympathise and emphatise with the characters in the story. Time is needed to nuture this relationship between the players and the characters, so that they will be moved or even encouraged when they reach the ending scenes.

Actually, the recent titles are a bit shorter than the older titles, but they are still considered long and it is very necessary to develop both the stroyline as well as the player-character connection.

There as definitely a big market for JRPG where western audiences are concerned, more than ever. Will we see future titles (on next-gen consoles perhaps) where both the Japanese and Western version launch in the same quarter?

I have recevied so many requests from users at many consumer events that they want to play the game as soon as possible after the Japanese release. It takes 2 – 3 years for a Tales game to be developed, so it is quite hard to respond to this question now. But I really want to shorten the time gap between both versions as

Any words about the Tales of Symphonia Chronicals HD? Just for GG readers?

The promotional team has only started to reveal bits of information to the public, but Tales of Symphonia Chronicals is very popular in Japan as well as in Western countries, so I really want users to replay the game on the PS3 and remember the moving experience that the game presents. This time the game also includes Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (previously a Wii exclusive), and I want more players to be able to experience that as well.

I would just like to say that players who have played Tales of Xillia, the will reap some good bonuses.

Did you know?

F1 driver Fernando Alonso keeps a lucky charm with him when he races and that lucky charm is actually an Asbel figuirine from Tales of Graces f.

True story.

Developer: Codemasters Racing Publisher: Codemasters Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC Release Date: Out Now

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F1 2013

Perfecting the Formula

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much as possible and we are constantly tweaking and looking for the best way to localise our games.

Tales of Xillia and Xillia 2 may take about 2 years each, but I am definitely looking into shortening this disparity.

nce every year, traffic in the central business district area of Singapore is disrupted to make space for the sport that requires the most concentration, finesse, and split second decisionmaking. Hotels and other business capitalise on the Singapore Grand Prix, but you won’t have to line your pockets with cash to get up close and personal with the action.

Fans of Codemasters’ F1 franchise won’t be caught off guard by this year’s instalment of the game since the bulk of the game remains largely unchanged.

That’s not a bad thing at all, because with every F1 game, Codemasters brings players yet another step closer to the perfect F1 experience.

Fans of the franchise are bound to notice subtle improvements to the game’s overall graphics, lighting and sound reproduction. Weather effects have also been sharpened, but it isn’t just the audio and visuals of the game that pushes the F1 franchise one step closer to reality. AI behaviour has been something that Codemasters has been focusing on and in F1 2013, rival drivers are smarter and they behave the way you’d expect actual players to behave – you are not going to hold your position if you leave a wide enough gap, and you can expect your competitors to be guarding their positions.

Career mode, Season Challenge mode, Grand Prix mode, Time Trail, Time Attack and most of the

multiplayer and co-op modes make a return to 2013’s F1 game and although the modes do not change much, there are many other tweaks outside of these modes that propels F1 2013 ahead of last year’s game.

Attempting flawless runs are a lot less punishing thanks to the ability to save at any point during any race. Very few of us are engineered and trained with the mental focus of an F1 driver, so these mid session saves allow for a lot less frustration and lap/race times that issue bragging rights.

Codemasters understands that it is history that shapes what F1 is today and F1 2013’s Classic mode is a testament of that understanding. This mode allows players to race in some of the most iconic cars the

sport has seen. What’s nice about classic mode is how the cars feel. Though sophisticated and cutting edge during their time, these rumbling machines aren’t as technological advanced as the works of engineering art we see on the circuits today, and they handle and feel very different. The classic F1 cars almost feel like untamed beasts, and the whole re-learning and mastery of classic cars like the Team Lotus 98T (1986) can either be frustrating or satisfying to the last drop (of gasoline that is). The vintage tracks and special graphical filters alone make Classic mode feel like a separate game on its own and if you have given previous F1 games a pass, Classic mode certainly warrants a try.

F1 2013 is a lot more accessible compared to previous F1 games, but it still retains a lot of fanaticgrabbing features. Codemasters’ immaculate attention to detail is definitely a big plus, but it is also the weather and track conditions and how each car feels and handles differently, depending on the set up that you have chosen to roll with. This is a game that many can pick up but only few will be able to master, because F1 2013 is a deep game, and it’s a great game because of how deep it dives into the sport.

F1 2013 isn’t your conventional sports game, but if you like ridiculously powerful four-wheeled vehicles, you need to give this game a go.

Maximum Aluminum

Issue 12, 2013 - 15

GoodGame

If CM Storm were to ever be known for a particular series of gaming peripherals, the aluminum series would definitely be it. The Aluminum series has been designed to let gamers customise their gear, but that is going to be a problem simply because the peripherals look stunning in their original state. You’re going to have to really want your own designs, because you’re probably going to end up using them just the way they are. That isn’t a bad thing at all. Though you don’t have to buy the entire set, we must say that the Mech, Reaper and Pulse-R look absolutely beastly when powered and lit. CM Storm’s aluminum series is definitely different from the rest of the peripherals out on the market today, but in a good way. There are far too many over-the-top and foolishly coloured peripherals, and that is why the understated and muted design of the Mech, Reaper and Pulse-R will definitely raise more than a few brows. We have seen quite a few keyboard, mouse and headset combinations, but none look as good as the Aluminum series from CM Storm. None.

MECH

You’ll need some space for this bad boy, since it’s handle and palm rest aren’t detachable. Although made of plastic, the Mech’s handle is more than capable of managing this considerably weighted keyboard. As it name would imply, this is a mechanical keyboard, and the Mech comes fitted with brown, red or blue Cherry MX mechanical switches.

The entire aluminum face of the Mech can be removed for custom paintwork (or intensive cleaning). Couple the Mech’s clean black-on-silver finish with its white backlights and you have a visually stunning work of art. Its white backlight is a clever choice, since any other colour backlights would probably clash with a custom paintjobs. Its backlights can also be adjusted (via a function key and F buttons) to give you 5 different levels of brightness and 3 different lighting options.

The Mech is fully programmable, allowing up to 5 profiles and 75 Macros on the keyboard to be stored. The F keys on the top of the keyboard also double as multimedia keys and there is even a Win-key-lock as well.

While the CM Storm Mech prides itself on durability and style, it is its functionality we love most. The Mech has a detachable USB 3.0 cable that powers the 2 super speed USB 3.0 ports located on the top end of the Mech. It also has a mic and audio port as well as a mini USB port, and a single cable powers all of them. No bypass cable, no single cable that splinters out into a billion other wires. Just a single USB 3.0 cable.

Great keyboards of the past had USB pass-through that gave users a lot of convenience. Cooler Master understands future proofing, even for peripherals, and we couldn’t be happier with their choice of including the 2 USB 3.0 ports on the Mech instead of regular ones.

REAPER

This is a reasonably large sized mouse, which makes it a charm for palm and claw grip users. Unlike many other gaming mice, the additional buttons on the Reaper are actually very easy to locate, and setting up macros are just as easy.

Besides its aluminum-on-rubber finish, the Reaper’s textured scroll wheel stands out the most. When plugged in, the Reaper’s simple and understated white backlight completes the chic yet menacing look of the mouse.

There are also 2 slits in the front of the Reaper that light up and while you won’t be able to change the colour of the Reaper’s backlights, you will be able change its intensity as well as how and its backlights behaves.

The Reaper tracks from 200 DPI to an impressive 8200 DPI and it allows up to 3 profiles to be stored on board. Its quite a sturdy mouse and is a little on the heavy side but its weight is well-distributed.

Its software is where the magic is at, letting you program and re-program buttons, profiles, macros and mouse sensitivity. The great thing about the Reaper’s software is that is lets you change the X and Y DPI levels independently. A default Clutch button that lets you dramatically lower your DPI to line up that headshot (while you aim down the iron sights) also makes this mouse a little more shooter-friendly.

Aesthetics aside, the Reaper tracks really well, has a good glide, and feels like a dream to use.

PULSE-R

Aluminum can be seen in the Pulse-R’s headband as well as its ear cups, and just like the Mech and Reaper, the Pulse-R’s lighting glow from beneath the aluminum-clad cups. There aren’t too many headsets that are lit, and majority of the few that are lit, tend to be overdone. The Pulse-R’s looks fit into CM Storm’s grand design scheme, but even if you scrutinise the headset by itself, it’s still a looker.

The Pulse-R’s in-line volume and mic control is also lit, making it very easy to locate, even in the darkest and dingiest LAN centre. Its detachable mic picks up plenty of detail, and its plush leatherette headband and ear cups are primed and ready for your comfort.

Like any respectable gaming headset, the Pulse-R features handles bass-heavy tones like a charm. The Pulse-R performs flawlessly when gaming (especially shooters) and its 40mm drivers handle tunes without too much trouble as well. However, there is a tendency for audio to get a little muddled when too many instruments are involved. Movies also take a hit, as the Pulse-R’s audio tends to favour environmental sounds over dialogue.

Calling the Pulse-R an all-rounder would be a little bit of a stretch, but what we can say is that it is an aggressively purpose-driven headset and that purpose is gaming.

At maximum volume, the Pulse-R does tend to leak a fair bit of sound, but all that is actually quite forgivable considering its style and comfort during use. That, and the fact that it isn’t exorbitantly priced.

GreatGadgets

16 - Issue 12, 2013

Plantronics BackBeat Go 2 T

hese are the successor the one of the best stereo bluetooth headsets we have every tried and they do not disappoint. Not at all.

The beauty of the Plantronics BackBeat lies in its weightlessness and superb bluetooth fidelity. This made it very suitable for rigorous activities such as running, climbing and weight training. Besides its overall volume, and vulerability to prespiration (and liquids in general), we couldn’t have asked for a better headset for the tasks it was set for. The BackBeat Go 2 brings about very welcomed improvements that makes it a force to be reckoned with in the Stereo Bluetooth headset market.

The initial BackBeat’s maximum volume wasn’t as high as we’d like. Perhaps its audio properties were engineered towards providing longer listening times while maintaining a small footprint, but all that doesn’t matter now because the BackBeat Go 2 actually sounds punchier. Bass reproduction has also improved slighty.

The BackBeat Go 2 uses voice prompts (instead of beeps used in the BackBeat Go) to alert users of what device is paired as well as remaining charge. Voice alerts also let you know if you have muted/unmuted your voice calls.

Google Nexus 7 W

e’re sure many of you have been to IT stores where they have a line up of the latest and greatest tablets and touch screen devices for you to try out, and we’re sure that you’re likely to hold on to the Nexus 7 a lot longer than you’d expect to. It won’t be your fault, really.

Wake the Nexus 7 up and the better-than-Retina display is bound to raise a brow or two and it is pixel-perfect. 1920x1200 is the highest resolution that a seven-inch tablet houses and all this pixel prowess is shielded by a sheet of Gorilla Glass. You’re going to need quite a fair bit of processing power to move those pixels around, and the Google Nexus 7’s 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad core processor and Adreno 320 GPU make quick work of the 2.3 million pixel panel.

The tablet’s pixel density makes browsing and reading content a lot less taxing on the eyes and its form factor does make it very appealing to those who get their information on the go. It’s also a very suitable tablet for those who download books to read as well, thanks to how well its weight is distributed.

It’s the best of Google (Chrome, YouTube, etc.) in a fast and smooth package running Android 4.3. Weighing in at a mere 299g, the Nexus 7 is certainly built for one-handed use and with enough juice to power up to 9 hours of HD video playback or 10 hours of web browsing, you’re looking at Android’s answer to the iPad mini, complete a 5MP rear facing camera, 1.2MP front facing camera and NFC. Google’s Nexus 7 is one of the niftiest gadgets we’ve toyed around with, and with a price tag of only S$379 (for the 16GB Wi-Fi model), you can’t really fault it for not having the expandable memory slots that most Android tablets have.

It’s fast, it’s sleek and it has a price tag that won’t break the bank. It boasts good battery life, is more portable (and a lot more useful) than a paperback book and sounds remarkably good for something so thin.

You’d have to be a really big Apple fan boy to resist the Nexus 7.

A fully-charged BackBeat Go 2 will give you up to 4.5 hours of listening time, 5 hours of talk time and up to 10 days of Standby time. You’ll get the same amount of usage from the first BackBeat Go, but the BackBeat Go 2 offers up to 180 days of DeepSleep mode.

DeepSleep mode keeps the earbuds charged for up to six months when it is away from the phone/device, but we highly doubt you’ll ever leave your BackBeat Go 2 for more than a day.

It’s fantastic to see improvements made to an already stellar product, and the tweaks in the BackBeat Go 2 show how keen Plantronics is on perfecting the end-user experience. This is yet another ace in the hole for Plantronic, and we highly recommend the BackBeat Go 2 to anyone with an active lifestyle. To top it all off, the Plantronics BackBeat Go 2 is coated with P2i moisture protection technology that repels sweat, rain or spills. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner.

Issue 12, 2013 - 17

GreatGadgets

Razer Kraken 7.1 T

he Razer Kraken 7.1 looks incredibly similar to the Razer Kraken Pro, but there some subtle differences that will make you prefer one to the other. Some may prefer the Kraken 7.1’s digital microphone over the Kraken Pro’s analogue one (since communication is everything) while others may prefer a single USB connection to the typical and standard 3.5mm audio and mic jacks.

For majority of the users out there who want a single multi-purpose set of cans, we’d recommend the Kraken Pro simply because it can double as a pair of headphones when you’re on the go. If you have got your mobile listening taken care of, we highly recommend the Kraken 7.1, simply because it makes a gamer’s life much easer.

Locating a USB port on a PC at a LAN shop is a lot easier than trying to find out which jack the mic/audio port is. Also, the 3.5mm jacks on the LAN shop PCs tend to have connection issues if they are over-utilised or under maintained. The Kraken 7.1’s USB connection will also grant you comms on those pesky ultrabooks that don’t have a mic jack.

And now, the sound. Despite mesh on the facade of the cans, the Kraken 7.1 is a closed-type headset, so you won’t be able to hear most of what’s going on outside of the leatherette ear cups. Its noise isolation works to enhance the depth and positional audio (made possible by Razer Surround) as well as

keeping sound in, so you’re not a nuisance to others. This is a headset that is designed “For Gamers, By Gamers” so its default deep and firm bass notes and clear highs will serve the general gamut of games. The Kraken 7.1 tends to lose a bit of its lustre when it comes to music and dialogue because of its murky mid tones. Out of the box, directional audio isn’t at the top of its game either, but all these shortcomings can be improved (some, to a great extent) with the aid of Razer Surround, that you SHOULD be using your Kraken 7.1 with.

Voice pick-up from the Kraken 7.1’s digital microphone is reasonably less muffled than regular analogue-type mics, but that isn’t necessarily something you’d write home about.

This headset is very similar to the Kraken and Kraken Pro when you take audio driver specs into account. The Razer Kraken 7.1 will use Razer’s very own Razer Surround software to produce virtual 7.1 surround sound that can be tweaked, adjusted and finally saved onto Razer’s cloud (Synapse 2.0).

You will be able to use Razer’s software for the Kraken, Kraken Pro and any other headset for that matter.

The Kraken 7.1 is fairly light, and has a construct that is primarily plastic, but it still feels sturdy and robust. There is a very reasonable amount of flex in the headband, and the leatherette ear cups are plush and very, very comfortable. So if you’re looking for a holistic surround sound experience without the need for expensive amps, you better get crackin’ on the Kraken 7.1.

Gioteck MP-1 Messenger Power Kit

X

box LIVE is the best thing to have ever happened to console gamers but all that wouldn’t mean much without a voice. We’re talking about communications here, and while the flimsy headset (that comes with every Xbox 360) works just fine, it is difficult to find anything that comes close to replacing it.

Wireless ones tend to pick up too much of the surrounding sounds apart from needing to be charged, and the majority of the respectable wired ones are actually stereo headphones with mic function, but what if you already have a sound system set up and all you needed was a headset just for comms?

It’s uber fragile and can be a tad flimsy, but we love the stock headset that comes with every Xbox 360. It’s lightweight, serves its purpose and never needs to be charged, so of course we get caught in a dilemma when our stock Xbox 360 headset stops working. The good news is that we have found one of the closest replacements there is on the third party market, and it actually looks pretty damn good.

The Gioteck MP-1’s Superlite Messenger Headset

(for the Xbox 360) is actually a dashing solution for those that need a voice. Its noise-isolating microphone doesn’t register much ambient sounds but does a pretty good job picking up dialogue and its construct is a little more luxurious than the wired Xbox 360 headset, with a sturdier plastic construct and leatherette ear cup.

It also has in-line volume and mute controls that are located on an anti-tangle ribbon-type connecting wire.

This kit comes with a battery pack as well as a 2 metre charge-and-play cable and its battery will give you just under 6 hours of game time with every 4-hour charge (max). The Gioteck MP-1 Messenger Kit is a very decent addition to any Xbox 360 and if you’re on the market for a replacement headset, you’re looking at a strong contender.

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GoodGame

18 - Issue 12, 2013

FIFA Online

comes to Singapore

It’s about time that FIFA Online 2 (FOL2) had an update because, truth be told, that game was getting old. If you have never heard about it, know that this is the online version of FIFA - You get to play with friends, strangers, build your dream team, and spend money building said team faster.

The preview event happened some time in September and it is official that Garena will be handling the new FIFA Online 3 (FOL3). We had a chance to try out the new features, let our eyes take in the new graphics and play against each other.

For new players, you’ll be introduced to the game with a tutorial that begins when you log in for the first time. You’ll be guided through the game’s menus, controls and team management with clear highlights and instructions. For veterans, skipping the tutorials is only a button away and you’ll be good to go. Our advice however is to sit through it just to know some of the differences from FIFA Online 2. Also, the main menu lets you do penalty kicks just for fun.

Various modes include friendly games with friends, matchmaking with players of the same skill level and a serious leaderboard version for players who want to show their prowess in virtual socccer.

If you have a gamepad, we strongly advise plugging it in. The keyboard controls feel extremely cumbersome for some reason.

Like most soccer games, team management and the buying and selling of players would probably be the most satisfying accomplishment, especially when you have all your favourite players under one roof. From what we’ve seen in the beta built, you’re allowed to purchase packages with random players. Pray hard and you might get that specific player for yourself. No news of whether trading players is possible at the time this article was written.

The greatly improved graphics in FOL3 is a godsent and one can only wonder why it took so long for them to get this title out. Players look better, movements are more realistic and the game’s UI has that TV sports feel which soccer fans will love for sure.

Andy Gray is back again for the upteempth time so it is a given that there’s no change in the amount of comments that you’ll be hearing from him. The crowd cheers and in game sounds also stay consistent with most FIFA games.

The game will be in its closed beta phase from 10 October till 24 October and if you’ve not been able to get a key, try your luck via Garena’s main page, fo3.garena.com.

Issue 12, 2013 - 19

GoodGame

Strife, a less

intimidating version of

DOTA 2?

How Strife aims to bring a new perspective to the MOBA genre Strife was playable in Singapore if you attended Campus Game Fest on the 4th to 5th of October at ITE College. This is a new MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) that has been developed by S2 Games and it appears to be targetted at both new players and veterans to the MOBA genre. Asiasoft will be bringing this game into South-East Asia.

S2 Games were the original team behind Heroes of Newerth (HoN), before Nexon bought over the game, and this is their second attempt at recreating a new MOBA from the ground up - learning from their experiences and past mistakes.

The game begins with a comprehensive tutorial and when asked why this was there, the team stated that players in America took awhile to be induced into the game. On our side of the world, the S2 team was surprised that Asians could get into it almost immediately. Regardless, there will still be a three-part tutorial when the game launches.

We started a simple 5v5 match against bots on easy mode and while trying to look like we knew what we was doing, the user interface helped a lot by presenting simple information about the heroes we were about to pick. During the game, all we had were 5 buttons below the screen to tell us what skills we could use and what they did. In short, it was an accessible game even for newbies.

The game mechanics behave a little different from your usual MOBA games. Gold that you get from kills are shared together with your team, so getting that last hit is no longer crucial any more. Matter of fact, the game allows you to concentrate on coordinating team attacks more than micromanaging what each hero needs to do. This changes the roles of your usual support and carry classes.

Shop menus have a recommended tab that suggests items useful for your hero and useable items are marked with a red circle so you do not risk buying the wrong item. Trading items is not allowed in the game and bonuses are shown in percentages so you’ll know exactly what you’re boosting without having to do mathematical calculations on the fly.

When asked about the competitive aspect of the game, we were hinted that the game is still up for a lot of experimentation and they wanted players to spend time with the game before actually embarking on that competitive journey.

From the initial experience, Strife presents itself as a MOBA that’s easy to learn and will probably take some time to master. Moreover, it is not as unforgiving as DOTA 2 and veteran players might start to see its charm as they keep playing it.

One might ask how Strife will differentiate itself with all the existing MOBAs in the market.

According to S2, they are reinventing the wheel to create something that has a less intimidating learning curve and alleviate the unforgiving experiences seen in most MOBAs. Those of you who have played DOTA 2 might be farmiliar with “angry moments” where friends almost become enemies or losing a match that could potentially spoil a good day.

These are some of the aspects that Strife aims to address. As you play the game, you might notice that the “All chat” has been disabled. This prevents players from talking to their opponents and stops the aggressive trash talking and taunts often seen in other MOBA titles.

From S2’s point of view, Strife was built from a blank canvas and while other games carry some flaws like hostile and toxic player environments, their goal was to remove what they feel was a “tumour” to the genre. By far, no MOBA has addressed these issues within the same formula.

It’s mostly a direct copy of the original idea from a modified game in Warcraft 3 and then adding on new rules and some form of monetization microtransactions and all that good stuff.

That is not the only thing it wants to change though. Some form of progression is a must to keep players playing and S2 has done some tweaks at account-level to get that sense of reward. Traditionally, you gain perks that affect cosmetics and gameplay in most MOBAs. Progression comes in the form of giving your character new looks and fancier looking spells.

This is evident in DOTA 2 and Valve has gone on to allow you to trade stuff and sell these in-game items via Steam.

Strife approaches this progression with a slight deviation by introducing a Pet and Crafting system. Pets are companions that will follow you in the game and get stronger as long as you keep using and feeding them. They provide new abilities to your hero and additional passive boosts. The stronger your pet, the more abilities you have at your disposal. In this turn, the way you use a hero might change over time. When we played the game, our pet allowed us to heal on the fly, and we saw our opponent’s pet throwing out a sleep spell to prevent us from running away.

We believe that this is only the tip of the iceberg and have yet to see all of the of skills available.

The Crafting system opens up another rabbit hole of skills and abilities for your hero. It allows you to customise items to fit various playstyles and experiment all of the possibilities. Expect to see the same heroes operating differently on the battlefield just because of this. Did you always have to memorise a specific strategy to counter each hero you see? This will probably not be wise in Strife.

Should you be interested to try Strife, keep in mind that it cannot be approached with the same expectation you would want to get from the existing MOBA titles in the market. S2’s emhpasis on rebuilding a new MOBA is evident and only time will tell if the masses do pick it up.

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