the mobile phone and gaming magazine www.phonicamagazine.co.uk
Volume 2
Issue1
NEWS XPERIA ARC COMBINES STUNNING DESIGN WITH SONY TECHNOLOGY ON ANDROID PLATFORM VERSION 2.3 NEWEST ADDITION TO THE XPERIA RANGE DELIVERS VISUAL BRILLIANCE AND THE ULTIMATE MULTIMEDIA EXPERIENCE Sony Ericsson recently unveiled the new Xperia Arc smartphone with cu ng edge Sony technology and an excep onal mul media experience on the latest version of the Android pla orm - 2.3. Xperia Arc is the first of a new genera on of Xperia smartphones to be announced in 2011.
“XPERIA ARC COMBINES STATE-OF-THE-ART SONY TECHNOLOGY WITH BREATHTAKING DESIGN TO ENTERTAIN AND WOW CONSUMERS.” Bert Nordberg, President, Sony Ericsson said, “We’re star ng strong in 2011 by introducing our most exci ng Xperia product yet. Xperia Arc combines state-of-the-art Sony technology with breathtaking design to entertain and wow consumers. All on the latest Android release.”
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Xperia Arc takes the stunning design language that Sony Ericsson has become known for to a new level. Super slim and light, Xperia Arc is just 8.7mm at its thinnest part and has an extra wide 4.2” mul -touch screen. Created from premium materials and with a stunning arc body, this smartphone is sleek, strong and designed to fit perfectly in the user’s hand. The best of Sony technology is inside Xperia Arc. The Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine delivers excep onal visual brilliance and a crystal clear image which enhances the overall entertainment experience. Furthermore, Sony’s award-winning Exmor R for mobile sensor with the f/2.4 lens enables the capture of high quality, bright pictures and HD videos even in low light. All pictures and videos can be shared in HD on your living room TV via the built in HDMI-connector. Xperia Arc will launch on the latest version of the Android pla orm providing access to Google Mobile Services and the myriad of applica ons available on the Android market. Xperia smartphones add best in class entertainment on top of smartphone fundamentals such as apps, maps, email and fast Internet to create the most entertaining smartphone experience. Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc will be available globally in selected markets, including Japan, from Q1 in the colours Midnight Blue and Misty Silver.
NEWS
MASS EFFECT 3... OR NOT TO BE? MORE MULTIPLAYER FROM THE NEXT EXPECTED MASS EFFECT SPIN-OFF With the Video Game Awards set to be the stage on which Bioware reveal the next Mass Effect game, rumours have been bandied around that the new tle will not be the next in series as many had predicted – cue screams of frustra on from many Commander Shepard fans.
Instead of a massively mul player online tle, the new game will focus on the niche that Call of Duty has so far carved out for itself - along with a handful of tles - with an extensive character development system to be the structure of the game. A single player game mode is confirmed but unfortunately will not feature Commander Shepard.
“A SINGLE PLAYER GAME MODE IS CONFIRMED BUT UNFORTUNATELY WILL NOT FEATURE SHEPARD.”
The Video Game Awards on the 11th of December will be where Bioware plan to unveil a new game, with a teaser picture released on their Facebook page that so far has been dissected by many hardcore fans of the Mass Effect series – and with surprising results.
Instead, the tle will be a spin-off from the series with mul player to be a major feature, something that will most definitely be met with a mixed reac on.
I’m Commander Shepard and I order you to watch this space (it had to be done!) Paul Park
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PREVIEWS
INFAMOUS 2 PUBLISHERS: SONY DEVELOPERS: SUCKER PUNCH PRODUCTIONS FORMAT: PS3 GENRE: OPEN WORLD ACTION-ADVENTURE AVAILABLE: 2011
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PREVIEWS INFAMOUS GETS RECHARGED FOR A ZAPPY 2011 SEQUEL Infamous was one of the sleeper hits of 2009, which despite receiving both cri cal and fan-based acclaim, was largely overlooked in favour of the bigger-hi ers of the year, such as Batman Arkham Asylum, Uncharted 2 and Modern Warfare 2. But, its quality and zapping-based excellence was never in doubt, and unsurprisingly, a sequel is in the pipeline for 2011. Although, this me around, things are going to be a li le bit different… If you’re unfamiliar with the plotline and basis of Infamous, here’s a quicker than lightning recap. When the central protagonist Cole MacGrath is caught-up in a vast explosion, he gains super powers that allow him to control and alter electricity. From then on, he uses his powers to become - depending on the gamers’ choice either a glowing beacon of heroism for Empire City, or a force of evil that the city’s civilians fear. With a smart mix of feisty combat and clever role-playing elements, Infamous was a comic-styled blast to play, and the second looks to have built upon this, with the plot of Infamous 2 moving on in a similar vein. This me around, Cole will have to use his mighty powers to fight evil in the New Orleans inspired city of New Marais. A er a showdown with the Beast – a character that is briefly men oned and fought in the original tle – Cole has to ba le for the control of New Marais against the grip of The Mili a, a powerful group that wants to outlaw anyone with superpowers, while he prepares for another scrap with the Beast. To take the fight to the Beast and hopefully come out on top, Cole will have to gain new powers, and hone those that he already possesses. Not to give too much away, but one of these powers will involve ice, although it begs the ques on that, if Cole is essen ally electrical and thus allergic to water, what’s he doing mucking around with ice? That’s just asking for trouble!
Cole’s appearance, much to the derision of the series’ loyal fans, has been altered in Infamous 2, to be er reflect the persona of the character. Gone is the gravel toned and grim character of first, and in is a much cleaner and more personable protagonist, with a new voice (played by Eric Ladin) and a much sharper look. In fairness, Sucker Punch have stated that they wanted to insert more of Cole’s character into the game, and for this, they needed an actor who could not only provide a fi ng voice, but could also act out the role for the sake of mo on capture.
“IF INFAMOUS 2 MANAGES TO BUILD UPON EVERYTHING THAT MADE THE ORIGINAL TITLE SO COMPELLING, THEN IT COULD BE ANOTHER POSSIBLE HIT TO ADD TO THE ALREADY TOPPLING PILE OF 2011 COULD-BE CLASSICS.” Another addi on to Infamous 2 will be the inclusion of more fist-based combat. Rather than simply zapping the baddies from afar like in the first tle, in the sequel, melee combat will play a bigger part, with Cole now having a pair of electrified batons at hand to slap the baddies around. These moments of fis c pummelling looked excellent, and hopefully, will add a bit more…punch…to proceedings. If Infamous 2 manages to build upon everything that made the original tle so compelling, then it could be another possible hit to add to the already toppling pile of 2011 could-be classics. That said, with so many excellent tles in line for a release next year, one being the return of the Batman, Infamous 2 may suffer the same fate of the original, and be squashed into rela ve obscurity by the bigger hi ers. Let’s hope not, as Infamous 2, along with its earlier original, is a tle that deserves far more. Sco Tierney
phonica magazine uk
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PREVIEWS L.A. NOIRE PUBLISHERS: ROCKSTAR DEVELOPERS: TEAM BONDI FORMAT: PS3, XBOX 360, GENRE: SANDBOX MYSTERY AVAILABLE: 2011
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ROCKSTAR LET THE CHARACTERS TELL THE STORY, IN THIS HIGHLY INTELLECTUAL SANDBOX MYSTERY. Rockstar have the uncanny knack of nailing a game’s ambiance. In this year’s seminal tle, Red Dead Redemp on, you could almost taste the sun baked sands of Mexico and smell the gunpowder from a recently fired round. It was the Wild West - or at least how we symbolized the Wild West - in video game form, perfectly recreated and designed with an acute a en on to detail and feel. The same could be said for Rockstar’s other free roaming icon, Grand The Auto, with each tle in the series capturing the essence of their respec ve place and me, whether it be the glossy excess of the 80s, the repugnant Ghe o’s of the 90s or the aggressive nature of the 00s. When Rockstar create a world, they almost always get it spot on, and it’s a good bet that with their next tle, L.A Noire, the same will almost certainly apply. L.A Noire is a sandbox tle in the same vein as GTA, but this me around you’ll have to rely on the sharpness of your nouse, rather than the weight of your right foot. Set in the post war Los Angeles of the 1940s, you play as Detec ve Cole Phelps (played by Mad Men’s Aaron Staton), a returning war veteran who’s making his way up the police ladder. Your assigned tasks will mostly involve solving suspicious crimes, but on occasion you’ll also be asked to help out with shootouts, and also take part in vintage GTA police chases. It all sounds a bit of a laugh, but actually, it’s all very serious...
“L.A NOIRE COULD BE A FANTASTIC TITLE.” L.A Noire is predominantly a mystery/puzzle solver, and for the most part you’ll be interviewing suspects and collec ng evidence that could help crack the case. This may sound a bit tame, but there’s more to this interviewing business than meets the eye. Both Rockstar and Team Bondi have put an enormous amount of work into ensuring that the actors playing the in-game characters can get their performances across accurately, without them being ruined by some lazy character anima on.
Using a system called Mo onScan, each actor is filmed in a white room by 32 cameras, which capture every li le twitch, smirk and minute mannerism that the actor is trying to convey. This extra detail is extremely helpful, as you’ll have to judge, during the game, whether or not each character is fabrica ng their story, and and adjust your interviewing techniques accordingly . Depending on how you read the suspect’s tells, you can retort in one of three responses: believe/coax, doubt/force, and disbelieve/ accuse. You’ll have to be careful though, because if you go flying in Gene Hunt-style and lay some wild accusa ons on the suspect, they’re likely to ask you to produce some evidence to back up your claim. Once you’ve amassed enough evidence, you can then move on and proceed through the case in a way that you see fit. Although you’ll be carefully guided and gently pointed in the right direc on as you go, most of the cases in L.A Noire are open ended, so the result will always depend on how you do your homework. If you think you can nail the murderer in the case early, go for it, bust his behind in the slammer, but he may be the wrong guy, and how will that affect the rest of the game? Who knows, it’s your experience and it’s what you make of it. L.A Noire could be a fantas c tle, as it offers something that most sandbox tles (if not most modern tles) neglect: a degree of intelligent thinking. Sure, L.A Noire will s ll serve up moments of exci ng gameplay, with plenty of car chases, scan ly dressed broads and shootouts played across dimly lit backdrops, but it’s the slower and more character driven aspects that really intrigue. Will the ac ng be good enough to lead the gameplay? Will L.A Noire have enough suspense to contend with its slower pace? Will you be driven to drink by that one case you can’t solve? Personally, I hope so, as although I adore both Red Dead Redemp on and GTA IV, the lack of variety in their missions (kill all the baddies loudly/kill all the baddies quietly/chase someone) was at mes ring. If Rockstar and Team Bondi can get the mix of ac on and puzzling just right, then L.A Noire could be a massive hit. But hey, ge ng it just right is what Rockstar do best. Sco Tierney
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ENSLAVED: ODYSSEY TO THE WEST PUBLISHERS: NAMCO BANDAI GAMES DEVELOPERS: NINJA THEORY FORMAT: XBOX 360, PS3 GENRE: ACTION ADVENTURE
CHARACTER DRIVEN THRILLS AND SPILLS THAT - AT LEAST FOR THE EARLY PART - HIT THE PERFECT CHORDS.
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REVIEWS If there’s one thing I love, it’s a griping plot that’s ghtly wrapped around a smartly produced game. I’m all for pointlessly shoo ng stuff in the face, in the name of unnecessary violence and bonus points, but for me, nothing beats the ebb and flow of good story. Luckily for both me and this latest post-apocalyp c adventure, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, plot seems to be the name of the game….at least to start with, anyway… Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is set in a deserted future, where the vast propor on of humanity has been wiped out by mechanical creatures called Mechs. Monkey - the well toned central protagonist, finds himself imprisoned on a gigan c flying slave ship, and during a truly epic opening level, he has to escape before the exploding cra plummets to earth. When he awakens from the wreckage, he finds that the sole survivor – a very sexy young lady called Trip – has implanted a device onto his head, and he is now under her control. This device is tapped directly into Monkey’s brain, allowing Trip to monitor his posi on and stop him from harming her. If Monkey disobeys Trip’s orders, or allows her to die, he’ll be punished with pain, or be killed. Basically, if she dies, he dies. This uneasy partnership forms the bedrock of Enslaved’s excellent plot, and also directs a lot of the gameplay as the partner’s co-op against enemies and ba les through the beau fully designed levels. Although you can only directly control Monkey, you can ask Trip to perform certain tasks in assistance, such as moving from place to place, and distrac ng enemies on command. It’s worth no ng that at no point is Trip a nuisance, and nor do you feel like an overworked babysi er. Trip will usually survive on her own without your assistance, and if anything, you’ll be the one asking for help. Enslaved’s gameplay features a well measured amount of pla orming, puzzle solving and figh ng, with the occasional moments when all three are mixed together at once. Arguably, the best sec ons are those when you’re climbing up the divine landscapes, which for the first few levels are some of the best looking we’ve seen since Uncharted 2.
That said, the puzzling is also good fun if a li le simple, and the scrapes with the many baddies are always a brutal and flashy treat. It’s fair to say that Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is predominantly plot driven, with the characters, se ngs and plot-twists taking the lead over the ac on. This in the most part is fine, as Enslaved is well scripted, superbly acted (most notably by the game’s director, co-writer, and Monkey, Andy Serkis) and for the majority of the me, u erly spellbinding and enchan ng. But, when the plot starts to drop off, so does the enjoyment, and this is the sad case for the final lazy half of the game. In this last sec on, which is announced with the entrance of Pigsy (a pork-based comic relief who’s about as welcome here as he would be at a Bar Mitzvah), the tension and sense of magic that li ed the early levels seems to fade away. Instead of being delicate with its pacing and ac on, Enslaved starts playing for crude laughs, and ignores the smart dynamics between the characters in favour of hurrying the game towards an end. I wouldn’t say this late dumbing down ruins the game, but mixed with the samey tasking and lacklustre levels near the end, and it comes very close.
“ENSLAVED IS ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES WE’VE PLAYED THIS YEAR.” But to be honest, we love Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. It’s stunning to look at, hugely exci ng, smartly wri en and performed, both beau ful and brutal, and best of all, fantas cally cap va ng. Sure, the camera is far too twitchy and close, Pigsy is unnecessary and infuria ng, and the game as a package seems to run out of ideas in the final half, but overall, Enslaved is one of the most memorable experiences we’ve played this year. We just wish it could have held out a li le longer. Sco Tierney
PRESENTATION: 17/20 STORY: 18/20 CONTROLS: 17/20 GAMEPLAY: 16/20 DURABILITY: 14/20
OVERALL
82/100 phonica magazine uk
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REVIEWS
10 phonica magazine uk
REVIEWS
PRESENTATION: 18/20 STORY: 14/20 CONTROLS: 17/20 GAMEPLAY: 13/20 DURABILITY: 13/20
OVERALL
75/100 phonica magazine uk
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