WINNING STARTS IN THE GARAGE All The Horsepower In The World Won’t Get You To The Finish Line If Your Electrical System Is Not Up To The Job. Stacey David Trusts Painless To Deliver Professional Quality And American Made Dependability Every Time.
All New 2014 Catalog Online At:
painlessperformance .com
American Made ®
PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS Find Your Dealer 800.54.WIRES
American Proud FOR 24 YEARS
Tech Line 800.423.9696
6
Stacey Hayes August Cover Model 20 questions with Stacey Photography by Andrew Gates Makeup & hair by Stacey Hayes
14 All Access
The Latest Albums Reviewed Albums Reviewed: Slayer Repentless
By Silas Valentino
Dr. Dre Compton
By Silas Valentino
18 All Access Spotlight Artists/Bands Featured:
Erick Sermon, Five Finger Death Punch, and New Found Glory By Samuel Wendel
On The Cover
Photo by Andrew Gates Make-up & hair by Stacey Hayes
www.RUKUSmag.com
22 Coming Up
Models To Keep An Eye On Featured Models: Krystin Hagen Sherman Oaks, CA
26 Game On
The Latest Games Reviewed Games Reviewed: Transformers: Devastation By Joshua David Anderson
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain By Jesse Seilhan
30 Game On Spotlight Games Featured:
Far Cry Primal, Overwatch, and Minecraft: Story Mode By Jesse Seilhan
This Page
Photo by Andrew Gates Make-up & hair by Stacey Hayes
August 2015 • RUKUS
3
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Andrew Gates All Access Editor
Silas Valentino Games Editor
Jesse Seilhan Art Director
Andrew Gates All Access Contributors
Silas Valentino & Samuel Wendel Pit Pass Contributor
Andrew Gates Game On Contributors
Jesse Seilhan & Joshua David Anderson Contributing Photographers
Andrew Gates
Contributing Videographers
Nate Olson
Contributing Make-up Artists
Alisha Baijounas, Nicolette Melland & Stacey Hayes Contributing Hair Stylists
Alisha Baijounas, Nicolette Melland & Stacey Hayes Advertising
Andrew Gates
advertise@RUKUSmag.com Mailing Address
RUKUS MAGAZINE 11304 Chandler Blvd. #6131 North Hollywood, CA 91603
Copyright © 2008-2015 RUKUS MAGAZINE & RUKUSmag.com. All Rights Reserved! August 2015 issue, Volume 7, Number 8. ISSN 2161-4369 (print) ISSN 2161-4377 (online) Visit http://www.RUKUSmag.com for more images and content.
Stacey
Hayes Photography by Andrew Gates Make-up & hair by Stacey Hayes
S
tacey Hayes comes to us from London, England. She has been in the game since she was three, when she landed her first commercial, and at age four, she did her first movie starring Elizabeth Taylor. Since her start, Stacey has done some TV shows, radio, hosting, and ad campaigns. Stacey has also appeared in the pages of some of the top national and international magazines. Currently, she can be seen on the Discovery ID show, Cry Wolfe, where she has a starring role. You can also find her on some of those late night infomercials. Stacey just started filming a lifestyle and entertainment show that takes you behind the scenes of some of the most exclusive parties and VIP clubs in London, so keep an eye out for that. Her future goals are to keep doing what she’s been doing and make a bigger name for herself.
6
RUKUS • August 2015
www.RUKUSmag.com
www.RUKUSmag.com
August 2015 • RUKUS
7
8
RUKUS • August 2015
www.RUKUSmag.com
20 QUESTIONS 1.What’s your Ethnicity? Caucasian. 2.What’s your zodiac sign? Leo. 3.Where are you from originally? Well, I’m half English and half American, my dad is from Lincoln, Nebraska and my mother’s from London, England. I spent my early years in London. 4.What did you like most about growing up in London and Nebraska? The UK is awesome, Open minded culture...a lot of history and beautiful architecture. Nebraska is beautiful in the winter with everything covered in snow and the people are about as down-to-earth as you get. My favorite thing was ice-skating on frozen lakes. I was a competitive ice skater my entire youth. Even in LA in the winter I always try to find an outdoor skating rink to get my skate on. 5.What kind of mischief did you get into while growing up? Me? Awe no I was a good girl, well mostly a good girl. I was one of those girls who developed early so at 13 years old with a little bit of makeup people thought I was 23 so that right there was enough to get me into a lot of mischief. [wink] 6.If you could have a super power, what would it be and why? To fly...I Always wanted to sore with the birds and feel free. Maybe that’s why “Freebird” is one of my all time favorite classic rock songs. 7.What’s your favorite hobby and why? It might be more of an activity that a hobby, but I absolutely love to swim whether it be the ocean or the pool. I Love water. I also love boats, ironically I end up having to take Dramamine which zonks me out, but it doesn’t stop me from enjoying it. 8.What’s your guilty pleasure? All my pleasures are Guilty. Isn’t that the point? [smile] I’m definitely a foodie I love me some good food and definitely wine, I’m big into wine I like white and sweet. I like to really enjoy myself, I don’t diet but I do work out. 9.Who do you admire and why? My daddy, because he’s a hard working unselfish strong but kind man. 10.If you could change one thing in the world what would it be and why? Homelessness and or abused animals. Any type of animal cruelty. I’m a big-time animal lover, it’s a huge passion of mine. I have one of those little placards that says, “my kids have paws,” and it’s true. I was in the grocery store one day getting www.RUKUSmag.com
my usual and the guy at the checkout said “oh I remember you all you ever buy is wine and cat food” [laugh] 11.What’s one of your personal goals? Each time I achieve one that changes, but I do really enjoy what I do. Coming up in 2016, I’m going to be hosting a new show in the UK, it’s a lifestyle and entertainment show that goes to all the hottest VIP clubs in Europe. I would like to see that do well so I can continue with it. Right now it’s picked up for four episodes, so that’s a short-term goal, it’s called “Stepping out the Glamorous Life.” 12.What do guys compliment you on the most? Usually, it’s a combination between my accent and my legs. 13.What’s your favorite body part on yourself? My small waist, I like being hourglass shaped. I didn’t use to, but now I have embraced it. Nothing wrong with some curves, right boys.? 14.What do you look for in a guy? I tell you nice is underrated, I look for nice guy, but not weak. Women love themselves a bad boy, but I would say it’s better to look for a “good” bad boy. 15.What’s the first thing you notice about a guy? Probably his Eyes. I feel like a lot of women say that don’t they, but it’s kind of true there’s something about a guys eyes and the way he looks at you. 16.What’s your ideal first date? I’m pretty simple, you can’t go wrong with dinner. I am a foodie, the way to my heart is definitely through my stomach. [smile] Oh yeah, and wine did I mention that earlier? [laugh] 17.What turns you on? Intensity and subtle confidence. I definitely like a guy who’s passionate and sure of what he wants. 18.What turns you off? Arrogance. There is a big difference to me between having self certainty and being an arrogant. Also, a huge turn off is someone who is rude to others. If I’m on a date with someone and they’re being really sweet to me and then turn and are really rude to the waiter, that’s the worst. 19.What’s your biggest pet peeve? People who run late. Which seems to be pretty much everybody. [laugh] I’m ridiculously punctual. I’m trying to become more patient with that, but it really does drive me nuts. 20.Who’s your celebrity crush? Hmmm, that probably changes depending on my mood, but right now, I’m going to go with Colin Farrell. Funny thing is, I prefer him when he’s in character with an American accent as opposed to his natural Irish one, I don’t know why. RM August 2015 • RUKUS
9
10
RUKUS • August 2015
www.RUKUSmag.com
www.RUKUSmag.com
August 2015 • RUKUS
11
"
Nothing wrong with some curves, right boys.? 12
RUKUS • August 2015
www.RUKUSmag.com
STATS: Birthday:
August 10
Height:
5’7”
Weight:
120lb
Measurements:
32DDD-23-34
See more of Stacey at instagram.com/HostStaceyHayes www.RUKUSmag.com
August 2015 • RUKUS
13
Keepin’ it Metal Photo by Andrew Stuart Written by Silas Valentino
You can’t get much heavier, bigger or more authentic than Slayer. Since the early Eighties, the trash foursome have commanded heavy metal and their discography reads like benchmarks in the genres’ progression: Reign In Blood (1986), Seasons in the Abyss (1990) and God Hates Us All (2001), each album is a landmark in metal’s supremacy. 34 years into their career, Slayer release Repentless – their 12th album – a testament to their unbroken craft. What’s made clear over its 12 songs and 42 minutes is the undying grip Slayer has over their metal monarchy. Repentless racks up a couple of firsts for Slayer both good and unfortunate. Fans will notice the disappearance of the upside down American flag logo on the CD booklet and that’s due to Slayer’s ditching of their Rick Rubin-headed label American Recordings for the independent, German-based label Nuclear Blast. This album is also the first to feature drummer Paul Bostaph since 2001’s God Hates Us All. Yet at the core of Repentless’ list of firsts is the unfortunate absence of founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman who passed in May of 2013. His legacy is upheld through the album highlight “Piano Wire” and Slayer’s decision to continue on with the band. Alongside other guitarist Kerry King, Hanneman harnessed the band’s sound of wailing guitar solos and relentless riffing. Filling his big shoes is Gary Holt of Exodus who does a fine job supporting the group amid crises. The snake charmer opener “Delusions Of Saviour” begins Repentless with an almost Eastern music-inspired riff that steadily grows until it ultimately sounds like the theme song from Top Gun, except in this version Maverick perishes alongside Goose. It’s the shortest moment of the album but serves as an introduction into Repentless – both the album as well as title track which follows. “Repentless” engages the tendency in all of us to begin compulsively shaking with that heavy metal mash. That uncontrollable urge to shove and joust your way through the most pit is activated by the rumbling palm-muted riffs from the official guitar King of metal. Bassist and singer Tom Araya complements the fury with explosive lyrics and sentiments and the band hushes up when he claims: “We’re killing ourselves a little more everyday” during the song’s peak. Serving as Repentless’ centerpiece is “When The Stillness Comes” which jerks from calm to calamity throughout its brutal 4:21 length, making it the longest song of the album along with “You Against You.” The opening guitar riff is peppered with some deranged phaser pedal but 45 seconds is all it takes until the overtone erupts and drags the riff down to some crypt of the dammed. “The last thing you see are my eyes,” informs Araya with his signature howl. It’s grim, harsh and unforgiving – all the finest ingredients of a Slayer last supper. The Hanneman-penned “Piano Wire” is also his eulogy and is marked by its expert guitar structuring that serves as a indication to the guitarist’s songwriting ability. The downward spiraling of notes that lead into the chorus are the church bells of doom while the Judas Priest-esk spray of guitar that kills the solo act as a tribute to one of his heroes. Araya offers a moment of comfort when he deems, “The music will relieve,” giving Hanneman’s ghost a peaceful rest. Slayer was struck with tragedy during the six years between 2009’s World Painted Blood and Repentless but the fact they’re able to chug through proves they’re rightful bearers of the metal flag. Even though he’s gone, Hanneman would have wanted Slayer to fight forward and with Repentless, they do just that.
14
RUKUS • August 2015
www.RUKUSmag.com
www.RUKUSmag.com
August 2015 • RUKUS
15
16
RUKUS • August 2015
www.RUKUSmag.com
Off The Wagon Written by Silas Valentino
It finally arrived. The album we’ve been waiting for since 2007 when the notorious Detox started getting passed around as the title to Dr. Dre’s third (and final) studio album. We all know what happened – or more like what didn’t happen – with the abandonment of Detox and the hip-hop community might as well exclaim “good riddance” because in the wake of Detox’s miscarriage arrives a sleeker beast: Compton. Dr. Dre didn’t have to record and release an official new batch of tracks in 2015, no one would be foolish enough to hold a gun to that bulging temple of his, but it’s this lack of a strained demand that gives precedence to Compton. Dr. Dre is making music because he wants to and our feenin’ ears are more than ready for this re-up. Dr. Dre has exhibited a lifetime of achievement and this is his moment of reflection. Through N.W.A., his production grabbed the wheel of hip-hop and retuned the horn to that iconic high-pitched wheeze that solidified the West Coast hip-hop genre. His two solo albums – The Chronic (1992) and 2001 (1999) – might as well be stocking stuffers for the rap enthusiasts. And he was the presiding godfather to Eminem, 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar. Dre’s past paints the storyboards of Compton, a reoccurring motif, and it was during the production of the biopic blockbuster film Straight Outta Compton that the inspiration snagged him and dropped him hands first in the studio. After a quick introduction that samples an audio clip describing community home developments in Compton, followed by the underwhelming lead song “Talk About It” arrives the true Compton opener: “Genocide.” From the opening sample of a car engine revving up, leading to the smack of the beat which skittles its way to the drop, “Genocide” is an immediate pleaser featuring Marsha Ambrosius, Candice Pillay and the current Compton CEO: Kendrick Lamar. Dre’s beat is rich and full of juicy supplements that buff up the track’s bravado yet the crown is shared with Lamar. Opening his verse with a warm yawn like he’s just risen from a slumber to slay, Lamar’s contribution comes off as a hand-over-heart salute to the city that raised him and you can almost hear Dre smiling from behind the studio console. “Loose Cannons” is an aggressive track featuring Xzibit and COLD 187um that ends with a tearful shooting of a female character. The detail used to describe the covering up of the murder is vivid (“Alright, I got the legs/Man this bitch is heavy/You gotta get under her armpits, man”) and it’s not made clear if Xzibit’s car was used – we all know his trunk is full of pimped-out subwoofers. Ice Cube gives a solid contribution on “Issues” as does Snoop Dogg on the robotic “Satisfaction” and the penultimate track, “Medicine Man,” has Eminem joining in guns blazing. The final moment of Compton (and quite possibly the final Dr. Dre studio album song ever) is the zero assist, solo outing “Talking To My Diary.” The beat is heavy on the horn – the final 1:45 of the song is just a somber trumpet solo – and includes an orchestral sampling from Sixties French film composer François de Roubaix. Like those old movies themselves, “Talking To My Diary” is a black and white depiction of Dr. Dre’s nostalgic yearnings (“Now I remember when we used to do all-nighters/You in the booth and Cube in the corner writing/ Where Ren at? Shout out to my nigga Yella”) juxtaposed to the immense appreciation he has for his modern success. Humble might not be the first word to come to mind when considering Dr. Dre but with “Talking To My Diary,” he makes it his final statement. Of the top qualities to posses for anyone in the spotlight, one is the claiming and bearing of your roots. Forget where you’re from and you may forget who you are. Dr. Dre remembers - and he’s spent his final hour paying tribute.
www.RUKUSmag.com
August 2015 • RUKUS
17
Written by Samuel Wendel
Erick Sermon, E.S.P. Erick Sermon’s Perception
Forget “Hotline Bling” and pimping butterfly’s. If you’re yearning for some classic oldschool hip-hop look no further than the latest solo album from Erick Sermon, entitled Erick Sermon’s Perception or E.S.P.. Sermon is an old hand in the rap business, emerging in New York’s underground scene in the late Eighties as part of the duo EPMP alongside Parrish Smith. And with E.S.P. Sermon proudly shows that he hasn’t changed much, delivering another batch of lyrically deft, humorous tracks over triedand-true basslines. E.S.P. oozes old-school hip-hop charisma. Every track is funny and catchy, with Sermon showing off razor-sharp rhyming and verbosity. It’s a well-used style, but Sermon manages to adhere to a formula that’s immediately recognizable but energetic enough to not sound stale. There’s nothing game-changing or particularly memorable on Sermon’s seventh LP, but E.S.P. is a solid collection of songs that will appeal to longtime fans and casual hip-hop fans alike, serving as a welcome reminder of what made Eighties and early Nineties hip-hop so infectious and satisfying.
Five Finger Death Punch, Got Your Six
facebook.com/fivefingerdeathpunch
As the title of its latest album implies, Five Finger Death Punch has got your back, especially if you’re a fan of the band. Got Your Six, the sixth studio album from the heavy metal band, returns to the formula that catapulted them to fame in the mainstream metal scene. The album is a single-mindedly aggressive, 40-minute display of fistpumping metal anthems perfectly crafted to please longtime fans of the band. Lead singles “Jekyll and Hyde” and “Wash It All Away” are classic examples of Five Finger Death Punch doing what they do best. The two tracks are paced by blistering guitars and a thundering rhythm section, complemented by simple-but-relatable lyrics full of attitude and posturing – classic Five Finger Death Punch. But it’s the power ballad “Diggin’ My Own Grave” that steals the show, starting off slow before bursting into high gear with a sing-along chorus. A close second is “No Sudden Movement”, which pops up the middle of the album with a knockout guitar-riff. In the end, Got Your Six rarely veers off Five Finger Death Punch’s well-charted course, bringing another generous helping of knuckle sandwich to the mainstream metal buffet table.
facebook.com/newfoundglory
New Found Glory, Resurrection Ascension
Barely a year removed from releasing Resurrection, their eighth studio LP, New Found Glory have reissued the album with an additional seven tracks. Retitled as Resurrection Ascension, the expanded album features remixed tracks, acoustic versions and two brand-new songs. But the most noteworthy – and album stealing moment – is the addition of a new version of the track “Vicious Love,” this time featuring Paramore’s Hayley Williams on vocals. She elevates the track to another level, in effect stealing all the glory. But elsewhere, the remixes and new tracks may resurrect some abandoned ideas and provide some nice context, without overshadowing the original album. 2014’s Resurrection found these veteran pop-punkers in a state of flux after the departure of key band members, but the album itself was a workmanlike effort that follows the backto-basics direction that so many bands turn to when faced with an identity crisis. Filled with sleek, accessible mainstream punk anthems, Resurrection was a middle-of-theroad crowd pleaser and a worthy addition to New Found Glory’s discography. With the exception of Williams’ turn in “Vicious Love,” Resurrection Ascension offers diehard fans a brief glimpse of where the album could have ended up if they had experimented a bit more.
18
RUKUS • August 2015
www.RUKUSmag.com
Krystin
K
Hagen Photography by Andrew Gates Make-up by Alisha Baijounas
rystin Hagen was born in Sherman Oaks, California. She’s a sexy blend of Italian, French, Danish, and English. She’s been acting and modeling since she was in elementary school. Although, Krystin grew up singing, dancing, and modeling, as she got older she decided to concentrate on dancing which helped keep her body toned. When Krystin was younger she also liked to play dress-up and soon found herself modeling. Her first modeling gig was for a department store where she was a live model in the store window. Krystin soon got in to bikini and glamour modeling. Currently, you can find her at different conventions as a promo model. She has also done a variety of reality TV shows. Her first movie role came in the teen comedy, American Idiots. She also has another movie being released, starring Carmen Electra, although no release date has been set. Krystin plans to continue modeling and acting, since it is her passion and what makes her happy, it also gives her the opportunity to work with more amazing people and grow her fan-base.
22
RUKUS • August 2015
www.RUKUSmag.com
www.RUKUSmag.com
August 2015 • RUKUS
23
24
RUKUS • August 2015
www.RUKUSmag.com
THE STATS Birthday: May 19 Zodiac Sign: Taurus Measurements: 32DD-24-33 Height: 5’7” Weight: 115lb Ethnicity: Italian, French, Danish, and English. Hometown: Sherman Oaks, CA Turn Ons: Someone who is funny, nothing is sexier. Turn Offs: A guy that only talks about himself. Ideal first date: Someone who picks me up, opens the door for me, a nice dinner somewhere, champagne, and good conversation is perfect, I’m pretty old fashioned. Guilty Pleasure: Junk food. I love anything full of fat and sugar. Pet Peeves: It drives me crazy when people say my name while they are talking to me, I know my name and you know my name, don’t keep saying it. Celebrity Pass: Channing Tatum. See more of Krystin at
instagram.com/krystinhagen
www.RUKUSmag.com
August 2015 • RUKUS
25
More Than Meets The Eye
Written by Joshua David Anderson
Transformers is one of those series that has seen success in almost every field except video games. There are great versions of the cartoons, the comics are consistently high quality, and even the movies, while critically reviled, have made boatloads of money. But in the realm of video games, the Transformers have been decent at best and terrible at worst. So when Activision announced at E3 this year that they would be putting out a somewhat budget multi-platform game starring the Autobots and Decepticons, you can imagine that no one would have cared. But you would have been wrong, because people cared almost immediately. The reason was twofold: the game was being made by renowned action developers Platinum Games, and the look of the game focused very specifically on the original 80s designs. Now that the game is out, fans are also excited about one more thing: Transformers: Devastation is a ton of fun. If you ask most die hard Transformers junkies what they hate about the Michael Bay movies, the answer will almost always be the designs of the robots. Even the recent cartoons or the last two video game releases by High Moon Studios are generally liked, but the design of the robots are usually criticised. There is just something about the original look of the first generation of Transformers that people love, and Platinum has nailed the look for Devastation perfectly. The Autobots and Decepticons all look like their original cartoon counterparts, and they animate beautifully. The five playable Autobots (Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Wheeljack, and Grimlock) all have a unique feel and weight to them, and their transformations are a joy to see. Similarly, the Decepticons all look fantastic as well, with the named boss characters being particularly wonderful to see in motion. The biggest downside to the game is the sparse environments don’t look nearly as good, and do not change enough over the short campaign. But these flaws seem minor when the characters in the game look and move so well. The aesthetic and look of the game goes hand in hand with the incredible combat system. Platinum Games is known for making high energy, fast paced combo heavy titles like Bayonetta, Vanquish, and Devil May Cry. The DNA of those games, particularly Bayonetta, is found in Transformers: Devastation. Each playable Autobot has a bevy of moves and combos to use, and all of them look great in motion. In addition, each character can transform into their vehicle form mid-combo to slam down on an enemy or race into them at top speed. It may look a little ridiculous to see a yellow car squeal its tires in midair to zoom down into an enemy’s face, but it feels so cool to do it that you quickly forget about the plausibility. Each Autobot also has a specific skill that you can use, like dashes to grapples, and each hero has an ultimate move you can build up to clear the area of Decepticons. The combat is quick, the hits are brutal, and the game encourages the player to always stay on the offensive. If there was nothing but the great combat and the cartoon look, Transformers: Devastation would be a great game, if not short and a little thin. However, Platinum has tried to remedy this by adding different difficulties, stats and leveling up, and even random loot drops. That’s right, you can equip different guns and melee weapons on your giant robots, and you can even use old weapons you have found to increase the power and level of your newer ones. There is even boss-specific loot, so you can end up beating the giant Constructicon Devastator, and then equip his drill hands to punch the next set of robots. Along with the story mode, there is a challenge mode that pits you against premade fights, and a decent set of collectables to find. The loot system certainly helps make up for a somewhat short story mode, and the combat feels so fun that you will take any chance to play more of the game, even just to try out that new sword or that character you have never played. Whether you are a fan of the original show, or you are a devotee of Platinum’s other games, Transformers: Devastation feels like the game you have always wanted. It looks like the Transformers you remember, it plays like a tuned, tightly crafted action brawler, and it offers enough things to do without wearing out its welcome.
26
RUKUS • August 2015
www.RUKUSmag.com
www.RUKUSmag.com
August 2015 • RUKUS
27
28
RUKUS • August 2015
www.RUKUSmag.com
Top Gear
Written by Jesse Seilhan
Few franchises have meant more to gamers than Metal Gear Solid. Visionary Hideo Kojima started Solid Snake’s journey back in 1987, which has somehow transcended time, appetites, and control schemes for nearly three decades with all-time classic games, perhaps most famously with the first Metal Gear Solid game in 1998. The subsequent sequels have all been an attempt to recapture what made MGS so great, layering on new gameplay, insane narrative, and a devotion to perfection other developers rarely have time or money to achieve. With Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Kojima is finally stepping away from the franchise that has inspired generations of gamers, by giving them the culmination of more than 30 years worth of work as his last great gift. While open world games have become the genre of choice in recent years, MGS has never attempted something so spacious, sticking to compact hallways and well designed levels, executing just fine within that scope. But Phantom Pain is the complete opposite, as players have the “entirety” of Afghanistan and other portions of Africa to play with. Various checkpoints are scattered across the land, as are various enemy encampments, from massive fortresses to science facilities, all filled with goodies to steal and enemies to take down. The gameplay is the real highlight, but those that played Ground Zeroes two years ago have essentially already played with the controls. Moving Snake is incredibly smooth, but the amount of choice is the real joy, as players can take on missions in literally dozens of different ways, loaded to the teeth with high explosives or going stealthy for a quiet infiltration. As for the story, you need to forget what you know about Solid Snake. MGSV takes place in the 1980’s, as his father Big Boss is beginning to build the Outer Heaven empire, a place where wayward soldiers can fight for what they believe in, seperate from any political or national allegiances. This means literally building a base and its staff, farming resources you find in the field and using that to create and fortify a rig in the middle of the ocean, complete with barracks, research & development, training quarters, and more. The staff you use to fill these spaces are also found in the field, which brings us to the greatest new wrinkle in this series: the fulton. Based on real technology, Big Boss is able to attach a balloon to nearly any person or object in the world, extracting them back to headquarters. Highly-skilled soldiers that survive the trip now become part of your military and can be used on their own missions, or apply their unique research in the development of new weapons and tools. Finding key figures is important to not only moving the story along, but to unlocking some of the most powerful and interesting items in the game. The game has more than 200 missions, which is both a dubious number and term. The main story can’t really be separated and weighed against the other content, as both look, act, and feel the same way. Narrative-focused ones tend to have a cutscene either setting them up or closing them out, but the variety of gameplay during these sections is identical to the over 150 Side Op deployments. These are shorter chunks of gameplay, where Snake has to complete one of a bunch of different acts, like extract a witness, tail a guard, capture a wild animal, or clear mine fields. Everything trains you for the next thing, regardless of what path you went down, and they all go toward researching and funding new weapons, all of which can be modified and used in nearly any situation. Same goes for companions that you can bring out into the field that help eliminate or identify key targets. After more than 70 hours played, I can safely say this is one of the best video games I have played in years. So many tiny details and aspects of the gameplay are masterful, worth the years it took to put the entire package together. The meta-game is strangely addictive and helps break up the well-designed missions, but part of it lives online and the servers have been down or struggling to stay up since the game’s launch. While some story beats and “gamey” mechanics (like a busted economy and cooldown timers) keep this thing from achieving perfection, its lasting impression is one of true greatness. Few franchises truly evolve, but Phantom Pain proves that given an absurd amount of time, money, and creativity, some experiences can become something truly awesome.
www.RUKUSmag.com
August 2015 • RUKUS
29
Written by Jesse Seilhan
Far Cry Primal
In what seems like a yearly occurrence, we have a new Far Cry game ahead of us. Hot off the heels of Far Cry 4’s brilliant open-world and gameplay, we’re going back in time with Far Cry Primal. This is Ubisoft Montreal’s first currentgen only Far Cry game and the early teaser trailer gives us all the greatest hits of the Stone Age: spears, tribes, and wooly mammoths. What isn’t known is how Ubisoft will shoehorn all of their favorite staples, like climbing towers or upgrading weapons. This should be a low-tech game, so hopefully the team gets out of their funk and spices the franchise up a bit, seeing as how this will be the 11th Far Cry game in 12 years. Still, the graphics look stunning and the last two proper games were hallmarks of the industry, so things are looking good for Primal.
Overwatch
You know what genre really needs another big-budget entry from a famous developer that has never made one of these things before? Class-based multiplayer arena shooters! This time it’s Blizzard getting in on all the action with Overwatch, their first new IP since StarCraft in 1998. Nearly two dozen characters have been revealed thus far, all with unique abilities and gameplay, from the standard soldier and stealth classes to some wacky blends of familiar tropes wrapped up in a new package. The game goes into beta later this year, with a release window of TBD, but Blizzard has perpetually made stellar gaming experiences with very few stumbles along the way. Hopefully their experiences with Heroes of the Storm and whatever Titan was going to be has helped shaped Overwatch into something more than just another esports focused twitch shooter.
Minecraft: Story Mode
Is there a franchise that Telltale isn’t interested in? After successfully adapting Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, and Borderlands into their style of episodic adventure games, their most ambitious project yet awaits them in Minecraft. The blocky builder has a lot of things going for it, but characters, story, and stereotypical experiences are not among them. But the literally millions and millions (and millions) of people that play Minecraft are ripe for something more, and Story Mode looks like it might actually flesh out the insane world that Mojang created way back in 2009. And Telltale isn’t skimping on the production values, as great voice actors including Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Billy West, John Hodgman, and many more will help bring this universe to life. The first episode drops in October and will run into 2016.
30
RUKUS • August 2015
www.RUKUSmag.com
RUKUS Digital subscriptions at
MAG.COM