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Cedestoni Salazar May/June Cover Model 20 questions with Cedestoni Photography by Andrew Gates Makeup & hair by Bioanca Robinson
14 All Access
The Latest Albums Reviewed Albums Reviewed: Radiohead A Moon Shaped Pool By Silas Valentino
Drake Views
By Silas Valentino
18 All Access Spotlight Artists/Bands Featured:
Aesop Rock, Joe Bonamassa, and DJ Hardwell By Samuel Wendel On The Cover
Photo by Andrew Gates Make-up & hair by Bioanca Robinson
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20 Coming Up
Models To Keep An Eye On Featured Models: Niyanta Acharya Greensboro, NC
24 Game On
The Latest Games Reviewed Games Reviewed: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End By Jesse Seilhan
Dark Souls 3
By Joshua David Anderson
28 Game On: E3 2016 Exclusive Coverage:
E3 2016, LA Convention Center By Jesse Seilhan & Josh Schilling This Page
Photo by Andrew Gates Make-up & hair by Bioanca Robinson
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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 Contributors
Andrew Gates & Rupa Begum Game On Contributors
Jesse Seilhan & Joshua David Anderson Contributing Photographers
Andrew Gates & Rupa Begum Contributing Videographers
Nate Olson
Contributing Make-up Artists
Alisha Baijounas & Bioanca Robinson Contributing Hair Stylists
Alisha Baijounas & Bioanca Robinson Advertising
Andrew Gates
advertise@RUKUSmag.com Mailing Address
RUKUS MAGAZINE 11304 Chandler Blvd. #6131 North Hollywood, CA 91603
Copyright © 2008-2016 RUKUS, LLC. All Rights Reserved! May/June 2016 issue, Volume 8, Number 3. ISSN 2161-4369 (print) ISSN 2161-4377 (online) Visit http://www.RUKUSmag.com for more images and content.
Cedestoni Salazar Photography by Andrew Gates Make-up & hair by Bioanca Robinson
C
edestoni Salazar was born in Okinawa, Japan, but raised in a small town called Covina, California. She started modeling, and go-go dancing at the age of nineteen. Her first photo-shoot might have been for a club’s promotional flyer, but when Cedestoni turned twenty-one she began working as a promotional model for various beer, and liquor companies, even becoming a Bud Girl for Anheuser Busch. Cedestoni has also models at many car shows, trade shows, as well as other events in and around the Los Angeles, and Las Vegas areas. You can also catch up with her at OHM Nightclub, in Hollywood, and 801 Hill, in Downlown Los Angeles, where she works as a bottle-service girl. Cedestoni is also nearly completed with her esthetician training, and with that, she plans to build her own brand, and open a salon in the future. So, not only can she stay beautiful, she can also help you stay beautiful.
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20 QUESTIONS 1.What’s your Ethnicity? I’m ¾ Japanese, and ¼ Caucasian. 2.What’s your zodiac sign? I’m actually an Aries and a Pisces. I was born on the cusp, but I believe I’m more of an Aries. 3.Where are you from originally? Born in Okinawa, Japan and moved to California when I was six years old. 4.What did you like most about growing up in Los Angeles, CA? I loved it here, and I’m still a resident. I like how the town is small, so you pretty much grew up with the same people. Everyone knew everyone. 5.What kind of mischief did you get into while growing up? I really didn’t get in to any. Is that weird? [laugh] I was very involved in school and extra-curricular activies such as sports, and ASB/Student Government, so, I was always super busy. 6.If you could have a super power, what would it be and why? To teleport. I would to travel to every place in the world and experience life. 7.What’s your favorite hobby and why? I love playing sports. I’ve always been a very competitive person in everything I do. I grew up playing volleyball my entire life, from middle-school, and all throughout college. I watch a lot of sports too. If you want to play, bring it on! [smile] 8.What’s your guilty pleasure? Food! [laugh] I’m a huge foodie, and I love every kind of food, plus I’m always up for trying new things. 9.Who do you admire and why? My family and close friends. No one in particular, but they know who they are, and they have each had a different impact in my life. I really don’t know what I would do without their love and support. 10.If you could change one thing in the world what would it be and why? I would change all of the violence going on in the world. I really hate watching the www.RUKUSmag.com
news nowadays. There is always something bad going on in our world and society just seems like it’s not getting any better, it’s quite sad. I wish we could just live in a happy, and peaceful world. And the other sad thing, the news doesn’t even show it all. There is so much more going on in the world that we don’t even get to see, and it is not recognized. 11.What’s one of your personal goals? To own my own beauty business. I am an esthetician, and want to eventually build my brand to, and become very successful. I know it’s going to take time, but I’m taking it one step at a time. 12.What do guys compliment you on the most? My hair, and my legs. 13.What’s your favorite body part on yourself? I would definitely say my hair. I feel like it’s a signature piece of me. [smile] 14.What do you look for in a guy? Someone who is more family oriented, would be huge plus for me. I love when he is more a family man. I also want a man who is goal driven. Having aspirations are a great trait for someone to have. 15.What’s the first thing you notice about a guy? The way they present themselves. I don’t know why, but I look at an outfit, smile, and the way they carry themselves. 16.What’s your ideal first date? Oh gosh. I’m so simple. [laugh] Just take me to dinner, and let’s catch a movie. 17.What turns you on? I have a weakness for tattoos, nothing too crazy, and a smile. Also, a sense of humor, the way you carry yourself, being family oriented, ambition, honesty, intelligence, I mean, I can keep going… [laugh] 18.What turns you off? Cockiness, not being humble, hygiene.
and
bad
19.What’s your biggest pet peeve? Traffic. 20.Who’s your celebrity crush? Trey Songz. May/June 2016 • RUKUS
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STATS: Birthday:
March 21
Height:
5’5”
Weight:
120lb
Measurements:
32C-25-33
See more of Cedestoni at instagram.com/cedestoni.xo www.RUKUSmag.com
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SURPRISE! Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images Written by Silas Valentino
In the age of surprise album releases, Radiohead delivered a spontaneous evaporation. In the weeks leading up to May 8 – which would ultimately be the release date of their ninth LP: A Moon Shaped Pool – Radiohead’s website and Internet profiles began to cease in their existence. Instead of just singing about it, Radiohead showed how to disappear completely until out of the digital shadows came a 15-second snippet of what was to be the record’s leading single “Burn the Witch” – released via Instagram of all mediums. In the 23 years since their debut album, Radiohead have consistently delivered surprises – via sonic shifts or album rollout methods – and this latest effort has them conquering both. Radiohead’s previous LP, 2011’s The King of Limbs, was a tease. Although a worthy display of complex rhythmic structures, it felt undercooked and left many fans begging for another go around. Not a band known for repetition, Radiohead have erased any doubt on A Moon Shaped Pool with a fastidious record riddled with robust string and choir arrangements (courtesy of the London Contemporary Orchestra) under the direction of guitarist Jonny Greenwood. He supplied the triumphant and eerie film scores to several films by director Paul Thomas Anderson and if A Moon Shaped Pool is to be summed up neatly, it’s when Greenwood’s orchestration met the rest of the band’s art rock. And no other song efficiently encapsulates this relationship like the album opener “Burn the Witch.” We open with a boiling panic like a train destined for an off-rail disaster. The string section plays col legno battuto – that is to say “hit with the wood” – where string players use the wooden side of their bow to strike the strings creating a chugging rhythm. Drummer Philip Selway crafts a delicate beat produced on electronic percussion that lightly carries the unsettling baroque pop single into a final 30-second climax of ascending notes and string screeches. Quickly the chaos is contained as the remainder of A Moon Shaped Pool is much more lucid and calm but Radiohead have instilled a sense of discomfort and spend the remaining minutes explaining as to why. A relationship ends after 23 years and Thom Yorke, for the first time since Radiohead have begun releasing music, is broken up. He separated with his longtime partner Rachel Owen just before the majority of A Moon Shaped Pool was to be recorded and the ghosts linger, sometimes transcending in gorgeous ways. While previous Radiohead albums remain distinguished by monumental songs such as “Karma Police,” “Everything In Its Right Place” and “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” A Moon Shaped Pool offers fleeting moments throughout the album in lieu of structured song. The second guitar line providing a contrasting melody that interrupts the mood during “Ful Stop” at the 3:29 mark or the mid-song change up in “Present Tense” as Yorke pleads “In you, I’m lost” are just two of the strongest examples of aural euphoria that lay nestled beneath these tracks awaiting to be cherished. This is what it means when we talk about the rewards that come with extensive listening; Radiohead have never made it easy. We close with a familiar friend but retouched and sung with heavy tears considering its influences. “True Love Waits” has been a fan favorite since the band began playing the ballad live in 1995 but the only official recording has been the audience assisted, guitar-plucked version released on 2001’s I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings. 21 years after its debut “True Love Waits” arrives alongside minimal piano notes that drip off Yorke’s fingers. It’s an all-too fitting conclusion to this album, which will inevitably stand among Radiohead’s discography as their love-lost LP.
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Emotional Views Written by Silas Valentino
Fame and success have never sounded so moody but then again hasn’t that always been the marquee emotion driving Drake? Canadian hip-hop’s greatest export returns with his fourth studio album: Views, an appropriate title for rap’s pensive sing talker who often evokes layered perspective through his dribbling wordplay. He’s mastered the sense of looking outwards across the sky – a visual captured in the album’s artwork – as a way to express whatever present predicament curses his psyche and for an hour and twenty minutes we’re treated to Drake’s stylized song therapy. The Toronto native appears to have a lot he needs off his chest (per usual) as he sits plopped up on the pod of his city’s most noted landmark, the CN Tower, in his album artwork and he spares no expense in terms of song quantity to fully convey his thoughts and beliefs. Twenty tracks in total including last years mega-hit “Hotline Bling” compose Views and while content may be king, at times his loquacious rambling feels as though his ambitions got the best of him. The hits are present (“Bling” and “One Dance”) as are the fan favorites (“Feel No Ways”) but trimming and editing continue to be some of Drake’s lesser traits. Drake has confirmed that Views’ theme revolves around Toronto’s seasons. The opener, “Keep The Family Close,” begins with a woman’s voice mentioning the cold as the winds of winter begin to swirl. “All of my ‘let’s just be friends’ are friends that I don’t have anymore” he begins, detailing the lost companionship of previous lovers. (And isn’t that line the most Drake-iest of lines?) There are sparse orchestral strings lamenting his pain but eventually some quick drum rolls enter with a little rock guitar to help boost the agony. “If I ever loved ya, I’ll always love ya that’s how I was raised,” Drake informs both his listeners and bygone friends. This sentiment alone maximizes his boyish charm, a feat he’s been capitalizing on since his singing to Young Money. The Drake song for people who don’t like Drake would most likely be “Hold On, We’re Going Home” off his previous studio album, 2013’s Nothing Was the Same. Some of this magic is recaptured during the View’s highlight “Feel No Ways” which has Drake teaming up once again with Jordan Ullman. The producer, who is one half the duo Majid Jordan, blesses “Feel No Ways” with a drum-heavy beat that recalls “Hold On.” Coming off like a lo-fi chillwave tune with a moaning Drake overlapped, “Feel No Way” turns out to be one of the more exciting moments on Views for the way it adds depth to an otherwise similarly sounding LP. The song of the moment (and quite possibly of summer 2016) is the dancehall-meets-Afrobeat number “One Dance.” Drake and his crew of producers reinterpret a 2008 house groove called “Do You Mind” by the relatively obscure Kyla and the results are a world hit single. Slowing down the original Kyla tune and adding a simple but infectious Afrobeat rhythm was all it took to give Views its shining star and Drake his premier number one on the Hot 100 listing. “One Dance” is not only an appealing pop song, it’s also a testament to musical globalization: a Canadian rapper remixes a UK club song with a guest verse from the Nigerian singer Wizkid. If there was ever a contender for replacing “We Are The World” as the global community ballad, “One Dance” just might have a shot. Perched on top of the world (or the CN Tower) with his moody blues and worldly hits, never has the phrase “heavy is the head that wears the crown” exuded such relevance. Drowning in a conflicting sea of sorrow and success, Drake sips from his Sprite soda can and looks out at the impending storm clouds with unflinching hope.
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facebook.com/AesopRockWins
Written by Samuel Wendel
Aesop Rock, The Impossible Kid
A rarity in the hip-hop world, Aesop Rock does everything completely by himself on his latest album The Impossible Kid. There are no guest appearances on the seventh studio album from the Portland, Oregon-based artist. The full creative control allows Aesop Rock to put all of his immense talents as a writer and lyrist directly in front of the listener, without any distractions or help from outsiders and, for the most part, he doesn’t disappoint. The Impossible Kid starts out strong with “Mystery Fish,” a booming opening track that sets the stage nicely for the album’s lead single “Rings.” If you’re looking for a rapper with an ear for lyrical narrative and an impressive vocabulary, look no further than “Rings” where Aesop leads the listener through an introspective tale loaded with vivid imagery. Overall, the album features mostly strong tracks that highlight Aesop’s impressive talent as a lyrist, but here and there he misses the mark. For example, “Rabies” is a repetitive mess that plays away from Aesop’s strengths. Thankfully, these moments are few on The Impossible Kid. Standout tracks include “Shrunk”, “Lotta Years” and “Rings.”
Joe Bonamassa, Blues of Desperation
facebook.com/JoeBonamassa
Despite its world-weary title, modern day bluesman Joe Bonamassa’s latest release, titled Blues of Desperation, is a surprisingly upbeat and bright blues-rock album. It retains the poppy feel you’ll find in the work of other blues revivalists like The Black Keys. While perhaps not destined for radio stardom like the aforementioned group, Blues of Desperation is jam-packed with crunchy guitar licks throughout. On his twelfth studio album, Bonamassa clearly knows his way around the fretboard – but that’s not saying much for a guy who opened for B.B. King when he was a mere 12 years old. You’re not going to find much of anything original on Blues of Desperation, but Bonamassa takes the listener on a ride spanning all corners of blues-rock’s storied lineage. Bonamassa’s guitar namechecks everywhere from Nashville to New Orleans, and at times even takes on a distinctly Led Zepplin-esque rock flavor. For blues fans everywhere, Blues of Desperation should be a welcome inclusion to the genre’s already overstuffed discography. Standout tracks include: “You Left Me Nothin’ But the Bill and the Blues,” “Distant Lonesome Train” and “Livin’ Easy.”
facebook.com/djHardwell
Hardwell, Hardwell Presents Revealed, Vol. 7
As the title implies, Hardwell Presents Revealed, Vol. 7 is the seventh compilation album from Hardwell, the Dutch music producer and DJ. The album cobbles together a collection of remixes of dance and pop music by artists such as Galantis, Moby, The Chainsmokers and G-Eazy x Bebe Rexha. It only features two new tracks by the DJ himself. Totaling 25 tracks, Hardwell Presents Revealed, Vol. 7 is a marathon listening party. But despite the daunting track list, Hardwell keeps the affair pulsing with energy throughout. It seems built to mimic the mammoth DJ sets popular with the youth these days. Like any live DJ set you’ll hear, it’s designed to be listened to by nocturnal millennials with a taste for staying on their feet into the early hours of the morning. Hardwell doesn’t do anything new but he keeps the party going that he started six albums ago. It may not be for everyone, but for fans of dance music and remixes of Billboard 100 tracks, Hardwell Presents Revealed, Vol. 7 should be right up your alley.
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Niyanta Acharya Photography by Andrew Gates Make-up by Alisha Baijounas
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iyanta Acharya was born in Kathmandu, Nepal. When she was twelve years old, her family migrated to Greensboro, North Carolina. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, Niyanta, made the move to Los Angeles, California to pursue an acting career. She has done a number of print, and spokes-modeling jobs for a wide variety of companies throughout the United States, and now has her eyes set on making it in “the biz.” Niyanta has been making her way up in the industry by working on numerous indy films, which you can find on her IMDB page. Currently, she is juggling acting classes, auditions, and modeling jobs, but plans on breaking into the world of TV soon… Be on the lookout.
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THE STATS Birthday: January 15 Zodiac Sign: Taurus Rising, Scorpio Moon and Capricorn Sun. The astrology buffs out there will appreciate my answer. Measurements: 34B-24-34 Height: 5’3” Weight: 100lb Ethnicity: I’m South Asian, Nepalese to be more specific. Hometown: Greensboro, NC Turn Ons: When somebody is very passionate about what they do in life. Turn Offs: Nonchalance. Ideal first date: Good food and lots of good conversation. Guilty Pleasure: Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Or anything that stains my fingers and makes my nose run, really. Pet Peeves: People who judge others. Celebrity Pass: Robert Downey Jr. See more of Niyanta at
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A Fitting End Written by Jesse Seilhan
Uncharted is a series that has defined third-person action and adventure for nearly a decade. The blueprint created during Drake’s Fortune was perfected with Among Thieves, expanded with Drake’s Deception, and now cemented with A Thief’s End. Nathan Drake has found untold fortunes, forgotten cities, and mystical beings during his time, but the one thing he never seemed to find was closure. Naughty Dog is here to give Drake just that, with one last globetrotting romp that pushes the power of the PS4 to the max and delivers one of the most memorable and polished experiences of this young generation. The Last of Us taught Naughty Dog quite a lot about storytelling and pace, putting characters before set pieces. UC4 reaps these benefits, fleshing out Nathan Drake’s backstory while also giving him real consequences in the present. He basically hung up the pistol after UC3, settled down with a wife, got himself a normal 9 to 5 job, but the return of his thought-to-be-dead brother gets him back in the exploring game, kicking off 15+ hours of globe-trotting adventures that put him at odds with the pedestrian life he chose after the last journey. The way this game explores the relationship between Nathan and his wife is both mature and impressive, giving gamers more to think about than what weapon they will use in the next encounter. The superb acting by everyone involved, especially Troy Baker as the brother Sam, matched with Naughty Dog’s trademark visuals makes for the most graphically impressive game ever launched on a console. This entry into the Uncharted universe doesn’t add too much to the formula, but the landscapes have been expanded and the addition of a grappling hook does mix up the climbing and shooting. Instead of narrow city streets or ancient linear ruins, Drake and company have wide open areas to check out. We’re talking Tomb Raider levels of free roam environments, with winding paths, secret caves, and full freedom to approach situations however you like. While this liberty is only reserved for a few missions, the grappling hook does add verticality to more traditional sections, where you can whip around a map before slamming down on a foe with your fists. The gunplay is the same as it always was, but new golden guns pack a lethal punch with each shot and are as scarce as they are deadly. Multiplayer returns in a more refined nature than in previous games. While players can choose between various classes and loadouts, everything ends up fairly balanced on the battlefield. That is until someone spends some hard earned in-game currency on a power weapon, AI compatriot, or mystical power like a totem that instantly kills anyone within the vicinity. The maps feel long enough for sniper battles, with enough dangerous jumps and tight quarters to make both the rope mechanic and close quarters combat feel like viable options. It features daily challenges, like knocking out X number of foes using a grenade, while offering a metagame currency that unlocks single use booster packs and novelty items for accessorizing your favorite Uncharted character. Uncharted 4 is almost the perfect game. The audio and visuals are top of their class, the high-water marks drown the competition, and the little moments rival The Last of Us in their subtlety, but not quite in their impact. At the end of the day, this is another jaunt to mysterious places, filled with crumbling bridges, mercenary shootouts, and plenty of boxes that need to be moved in order to scale a wall or two. There isn’t anything new in Uncharted 4, which is what keeps it from reaching perfection, but it nails everything it goes for and is the best reason to own a Playstation 4 to date. Don’t hesitate adding it to your collection if you own the console, as the single-player campaign is good enough to justify the purchase, regardless of the value you find in multiplayer shooters. Time will tell if this franchise gets a sequel (and the ending does tease a bit), but A Thief’s End is the best way to close out a legendary series with class and style.
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Darkest Dungeons Written by Joshua David Anderson
It is hard to believe that less than a decade ago a game made by FromSoftware would come out that would change the gaming landscape quite as much as Demon’s Souls did. An obscure title from Japan, it was followed up two years later by Dark Souls, and since then the Souls franchise has been firmly established. Even if you don’t play the games, everyone seems to use Dark Souls as a term for difficult and obtuse design in games. With the newest release, Dark Souls 3, FromSoftware has decided to put a ribbon on the Dark Souls series, even as its popularity seems to be the highest it has ever been. By doing this, they have the challenging task of trying to make a game that iterates on the previous ones while still retaining the magic of the first. One of the core features of a Souls game is the way in which they tell their story. “Does Dark Souls even have a story?” is the famous question asked by gamers looking at it from a distance, and that is a valid question at the first look. The Souls games tell stories in indirect ways, with few cutscenes and murky dialogue from NPCs. Most of the story is found in item descriptions and the environment. Dark Souls 3 is no different. If you don’t care about story, you are given just enough plot to keep moving. The setting is that the fire that keeps the world going is starting to fade, and you need to get five ancient lords back on their thrones, dead or alive. For the Souls fan, and for people wanting to go deeper, Dark Souls 3 recontextualizes some of the lore from previous games, and answers some old questions from the beginning of the series. The narrative in Dark Souls 3 is the best in the series since the first game. As for the combat, it is arguably the best it has ever been as well. Taking huge amounts of refinement from both Dark Souls 2 and series offshoot Bloodborne, the combat is faster than before, with a large amount of weapon variety and ways to build your character. It has been streamlined without really being simplified, with core concepts of stamina, weight, and item management all being present but better explained. Dark Souls 3 also introduces the concept of Battle Arts, which are weapon specific skills the player can use to do new and exciting moves in combat. Some skills are designed to help break through an enemy’s defense, others allow for a buff to add damage or a status effect. Because this is different on each weapon, the player is encouraged to try different arms in battle, and allows for weapons to fit a playstyle more directly. This has also helped make some traditional bad weapons in the series viable, as the battle art may be something you can’t get elsewhere. Visually, Dark Souls 3 is superior to all games in the series, with the exception of perhaps Bloodborne. FromSoftware used the same engine from Bloodborne here, and sometimes you will even recognize assets from that Playstation exclusive. However, the art direction in Dark Souls 3 is very different from Bloodborne, with less of the gothic horror and more dark fantasy. The lighting is fantastic, with rays of sunlight poking through forested areas, and the use of particle effects like fog allow for devious ambushes to seemingly come from nowhere. On PC the game can run smoothly at 60 frames per second, with consoles hitting a fairly consistent 30 fps. However, the console versions do an incredible job of keeping up visually with the PC version, with settings and graphics that seem to mirror the “High” settings on PC. This all works beautifully with the stunning art direction and environmental storytelling that FromSoftware is so good at doing. In all, it is a fantastic looking game. While some may be sad that this seems to be the last Dark Souls game in the series (for now, anyways), fans should be happy with this final chapter. The combat feels fast and responsive, the bosses are some of the best to date, and the story and lore add enough new information while still adding plenty of references and fan service to the series. With DLC hinted for later this year, Dark Souls 3 should wrap up the series nicely, and make any fan excited about what FromSoftware does next.
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Exclusive Coverage By Jesse Seilhan and Josh Schilling
It felt like E3 might become a thing of the past, with huge companies like EA, Disney, and Activision pulling out of the yearly trade show. Rumors swirled of the show’s demise for months leading up to the first press conference, but we’re here to say that the state of gaming is as strong as ever and E3 is still the place to go if you want to see the latest and greatest in gaming. And while a few companies did take off, plenty filled up in their place, like 2K’s giant faux-New Orleans booth for Mafia III and Bethesda’s shrine to their various games like Doom, Skyrim, and Fallout. Nintendo converted their entire show floor to The Legend of Zelda, complete with 160 demo stations that required up to six hours of waiting just to get a chance to play Link’s new adventure. The press conferences were a little less exciting than usual, with very few surprises announced leading up to the big show. Sony is rebooting God of War in a Norse setting, ditching the isometric bloodfest for an over-the-shoulder combat system that stars Kratos and his son. Microsoft unveiled a slimmer, sleeker Xbox One S, complete with a redesigned controller and HDR capabilities. They also closed their show by teasing an upgraded Xbox One, due out next holiday and codenamed Scorpio. Ubisoft showed off their known franchises while debuting Steep, an extreme sports title for the GoPro generation. And EA updated most of its sports games while still keeping quiet on the myriad of Star Wars games it has been working on for years, sparing a few minutes to briefly tease the next Mass Effect game. We played over 30 games this year, from top titles coming out this holiday to future projects with vague release dates. Regardless of what console you own, all three major systems are getting quality games this year and PC gamers will have the best-looking versions of them all. Here are the top six games we played and why you should be excited to get your hands on them!
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One of the biggest shockers from Sony’s press conference was the news that Rocksteady was going back to the Dark Knight well, designing a Playstation VR exclusive Batman experience dubbed “Arkham VR.” The trailer showed next to nothing, other than Mark Hamill’s wonderful Joker dialogue, but we got to try on the headset and give being Bruce Wayne a spin for about 15 minutes. And after trying half a dozen VR games and demos, Batman left a huge impression and might be one of the best reasons to buy Sony’s new accessory come October. The demo starts off in Wayne Manor, where Alfred approaches from your right to hand you a key. You have full range of motion here, so you can move your hands as they clutch the Move controllers and your 1-to-1 movement is mirrored on the display. You use this key to unlock the piano in front of you, which can then be played by grazing your hand over the keys. Once you’ve had enough, the floor underneath opens to reveal that this is actually the entrance to the Batcave and you’re about to don the Caped Crusader’s costume. You grab the floating bat symbol in front of you and throw it on your chest to get dressed. You grab the cowl and place it over your head, stick your hands in some cylinders to get the gauntlets, and further your descent down into your lair. You’re then given some batarangs to toss around and the Batclaw to fire at targets, all before being positioned in front of your trusty supercomputer. Unfortunately, the screen faded and our time was over before I could really see what was going on in Gotham. Now this demo was short, but Rocksteady is promising an hour or so worth of content. Some of which we already know, like a detective mode section that has Batman tracking down the villain who killed his trusty ex-sidekick Nightwing. A Batmobile driving mission was also revealed, meaning this game might actually have some teeth to it. With price and full scope yet to be revealed, it is hard to say if the entire package will be worth it, but what we played was impressive enough to keep it on our radar.
Batman: Arkham VR Publisher: Warner Brothers Platform: PS4 Genre: Role-Playing Release Date: October, 2016 www.RUKUSmag.com
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Few racing games are as fun as the Forza Horizon series. Some might have more cars, more realistic physics or graphics, pluck real race courses from around the world, but they often lack the heart and soul that Horizon wears on its sleeve. We’ve been to Paris and we’ve seen Colorado in the past few years, so the team at Playground is taking us Down Under. Australia is the perfect setting for a new game, with luscious jungles, dense urban environments, and beachfronts fit for the dune buggies being added to the franchise. We got our hands on the PC version and it looked incredible from the starting line to the finish line. Our demo was short but sweet. Starting off behind the wheel of a Lamborghini Centenario, we whipped around the coastlines and through tunnels, fighting off the competition with massive speed and tight handling. Then we crossed paths with a souped up jeep, which took us into the off road sections, with plenty of brush to get lost in. We eventually made our way to the beach, where the dune buggy showed up and handled completely differently, but still packed ton of fun with the bumpy dunes in our path. Finally, we got to experience those trademark Forza moments by racing a helicopter that was towing a jeep. The series has often had these high-stakes races against giant vehicles and this one is no different, with all the near misses and rubber band AI found in the prior two. Over 350 cars will be in this game, as will the always up-to-date and modern music selection. The team working on the game are taking the visuals very seriously and sent a team to Australia to film the night’s sky for an entire summer. That attention to detail is obvious with each passing moment, as the environments pop like no other racing game we’ve played thus far. And with Microsoft’s new Play Anywhere program, people who buy the digital version of the game when it launches this September will get a free copy on their PC, with crosssave and cross-play built right in. For racing fans who never got into the Microsoft console game but have spent plenty of cash building a nice PC, Forza Horizon 3 is a must-buy on day one.
Forza Horizon 3 Publisher: Microsoft Platform: Xbox One, PC Genre: Racing Release Date: September 27, 2016
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NeatherRealm Studios is back doing what they do best, putting out a new fighting game every two years. And with the massive success of Injustice, the team is back with another superhero-filled brawler, but this time the character list has been expanded and a new gear system spices up the metagame. We were shown a short presentation that had us wanting to pick up our fighting sticks and hash out our super beef after seeing the massive brutality and excellent new roster additions. And given how the first game ended, we’re wondering how they are going to top the crazy story that put Superman in a space prison and turned the comics upside down. The gear system is the most important change to the franchise, as you will actually get loot drops after each match, like an RPG or shooter. Each piece of loot modifies your physical appearance, your stats, and your moveset. So a level one Superman will look, play, and feel different than a level 100 son of Krypton, decked out in alien armor and powered with some explosive new laser eyes. The whole thing is going to require some major tuning and balancing to work, but the level of variety amongst even just one character is impressive enough to give them the benefit of the doubt. Who knows what crazy combinations people will come up with when all of the loot is finally on the table. Of course guys like The Flash, Aquaman, Batman, and Supes are back, but joining the cast are Gorilla Grodd, Atrocitus, Supergirl, and plenty of other DC folk. The silhouetted character select screen gave us plenty of juicy thoughts about characters like The Riddler and Booster Gold, but time will tell who eventually makes the cut. They have also said to expect their strong DLC tradition to continue, with more fan favorites and probably a guest character or two from Mortal Kombat or another Warner Brothers property. No date is set yet, but you can be sure that the tried and true NetherRealm April release window will be hit in 2017. Also, it should be noted that after the epic fail that was MKX’s PC release, only the current generation of consoles are getting releases this time around.
Injustice 2 Publisher: Warner Brothers Platform: Xbox One, PS4 Genre: Fighting Release Date: 2017 www.RUKUSmag.com
May/June 2016 • RUKUS
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This is definitely the year of virtual reality becoming a real thing that exists. Gone are the fantastical dreams of late 80’s and 90’s VR. Now we have actual products that can deliver a believable immersive experience in a headset you wear over your face. But even though VR is here, it hasn’t been totally proven yet, with some of the experiences on the currently available platforms feeling thin. Sony will enter into the VR space this October, and the recently announced Farpoint seems to be a true attempt at making a killer game for the system. Farpoint puts you in the boots of an astronaut exploring a remote alien world filled with hostile bug monsters. Being a Playstation VR title allows you to get an up close look at this treacherous world, and the view inside the PSVR headset makes it feel like you are surrounded by danger on all sides. Controlwise, the game works pretty well. If you want to look at something, you just do. Want to stare down that chasm or peek around that rock formation? Simply do it in real life that the effect is pretty convincing. Moving is handled through an analog stick like a regular video game, and while this takes a bit to get used to, it works pretty well. As for handling the alien hostiles, you use the new Playstation VR Aim rifle controller, shown for the first time alongside Farpoint. The PSVR Aim is very cool, with two analog sticks for moving and adjustments, and plenty of buttons to use for ammo types and reloading. It also feels good to hold, and while you play the game, does a great job of roughly matching the image of the cool weapon you see in VR. There are some smart design decisions in Farpoint as well, like lifting the gun controller towards your back to switch weapons, as if you were pulling that shotgun off of your back to blast that space spider in the face. Aiming and firing is also as easy as putting the controller up to your face and pulling the trigger, with the result being incredibly satisfying. Farpoint should be launching sometime this year along with Playstation VR.
Farpoint Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America Platform: PS4 Genre: Sci-Fi Action Release Date: 2016
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It seems crazy, but there really aren’t enough good video games with dinosaurs in them. They used to be all over the place, but the gaming world seemed to move on. Maybe there weren’t enough new ideas about dinosaurs? Thankfully, Guerrilla Games came up with a great twist for their upcoming adventure RPG, Horizon: Zero Dawn: What if the dinosaurs were also robots? Horizon: Zero Dawn takes place in the distant future, after mankind has supposedly lost in the apocalypse, and machines have taken over. People start living a tribal, caveman type existence, and the robots find a biology book and decide to just copy-paste everything they see in there. Now you have giant apatosaurus-like creatures with satellite dishes for heads, mechanical crabs that carry around cargo containers on their backs, and robot cows that roam around in herds. You play as a young woman named Aloy who seems to have some superior technology that allows her to hack these beasts and ride them around as she tries to discover what happened in the past. This crazy setting really allows Horizon: Zero Dawn to do some cool stuff. Aloy’s primary weapon is a bow and you can craft different arrows for specific reasons. Fire arrows let you weaken an enemy, rope arrows let you tie the beasts to the ground, and your focus mode slows down time while you aim for the robots’ glowing weak points. The best part is, when you shoot those weak points, not only do you do extra damage, that actual part of the robot dinosaur may actually fall off, becoming a special crafting material you can hopefully make into a cool weapon or arrow. The game seems like it will have a compelling story and an interesting setting, but the real exciting part of Horizon: Zero Dawn looks to be the way the different creatures all interact with each other and with you. This certainly seems to be one of the most thrilling titles to come to the Playstation platform next year.
Zero Dawn Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America Platform: PS4 Genre: Role Playing, Action Adventure Release Date: February 28, 2017 www.RUKUSmag.com
May/June 2016 • RUKUS
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Depending on your history with the Dead Rising series, the next sentence may not mean anything to you, or it may mean everything: Frank West is back! If that gets you excited, then Dead Rising 4 looks to be some of the most fun you can have this holiday, and it fits perfectly as this zombie free-for-all is set during Christmas in the town where it all started, Willamette, Colorado! Dead Rising 4 puts you back in the shoes of the famous wartime photographer, and seems to have some of the same open-ish world leanings as its predecessor, Dead Rising 3. The map seems massive, the mall is back as an explorable area, and the craziness of the survivors seems at an all time high; all of the things you want out of this series. However, some smart changes are coming along as well. Now you can have different classes of weapons attached to different buttons on the controller, so pressing X will make you swing your melee weapon, pressing the bumper will toss a throwable item like a grenade, and pulling the left trigger will automatically aim your gun, or in some cases, firework launcher. This change feels great as it is less cumbersome than the old system of cycling through all the different types of weapons, and allows you to mow down zombies even faster. And for those worried that Dead Rising may get too serious and lose some of its charm, have no fear. Dead Rising 4 seems chock full of the goofy and humorous antics of the past games, with Frank West donning a triceratops helmet that blows fire, cutting the dead up with an ice sword, riding around in an electrified go-kart, or even wearing powered-up robot armor and tearing zombies in half! Whatever the story ends up being, Dead Rising 4 looks to be a hell of a good time, and may end up being the most fun you will have this holiday season!
Dead Rising 4 Publisher: Microsoft Platform: Xbox One, Windows 10 Genre: Zombie Action Adventure Release Date: Holiday 2016
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