ISSUE 101 / Vol.9 November 2017
www.gameccamag.com
Creep-Fest
The Evil Within 2
For Gondor!
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
Assassin’s Creed: Origins Call of Duty: WWII Gran Turismo Sport The Evil Within 2 Middle-Earth: Shadow of War and more...
Nazi Hunter
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Spe ed Ki n g Gran Turismo Sport
Old World
Assassin’s Creed: Origins
Zero Taste
South Park: The Fractured but Whole
Gr eat War
Call of Duty: WWII
More Star Wars action in Battlefront 2
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Gold Award SCORE 90-94
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Gamecca Magazine: © Copyright Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd. (2009 – 2016)
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Ed’s Choice Awar
O
ctober was
season that sees great games
quite the
released. As we wind our way towards
month for video
the mad frenzy of consumer spending
gaming. In
that marks the end of every year,
the later part
there are still a number of big name
of October,
games on the way. Need for Speed:
some big
Payback, Star Wars: Battlefront 2
names started
(which graces our cover this month)
arriving,
Sonic Forces, LEGO Marvel Super
including
Heroes 2 and The Sims 4 for console
Assassin’s Creed: Origins and
will all still arrive this month, to name
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.
a few. December will see the usual
Early November (just a few days
decline in releases, but there are still
later) saw the release of Call of Duty:
a number of games that will arrive as
WWII. Also in October we saw games
the year draws to a close that deserve
like Gran Turismo Sport and Middle
a second glance, at the very least.
Earth: Shadow of War showing up,
And then there’s early next year…
among numerous others. The thing
2018 is showing a very exciting first
is – the strange thing, perhaps – that
quarter. But we’ll get to that later.
they are all great games. It’s been
In this issue, you will see some of
a long time since we saw so many
those big names on review, and we
big titles of such good quality arrive
have no doubt that there will be many
on shelf. It is a difficult time to be a
more in the next issue, too. It really is
gamer, even though it is a good one
that time of year again, when gamers
– there is a lot of money to be spent
cheer and wallets groan. And this
if you want to keep up with the good
year, more so than the last few, I am
games.
pretty certain that the overall quality
It is heartening, though, to see this
will be kept to a high standard. And,
kind of thing happening. It seems that
of course, there will be the release of
developers are putting more effort in
the Xbox One X in December, just to
this year, which is never a bad thing.
spice things up a bit.
And while this top-quality seems to
it again… it’s a great time to be a
level (there are some games out at
gamer. But that’s enough from me. You
not great) that’s where it belongs.
have a magazine to get to, which I am
It seems that some of the major
sure you will enjoy. Me, I have to go
developers and publishers out there
explore Ancient Egypt, drive around
are trying their best to live up to the
a race track, shoot Nazis (twice) and
hype.
listen to far too many fart jokes. Busy,
And best of all, we’re still in the
by Walt Pretorius
I have said it before, and I will say
be happening more at the Triple-A the moment that are, quite frankly,
From the Editor
rd
TopCrop
busy, busy…g mgeect 2 c7a 1 0 1 ggl a ad
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THIS MONTH’S COVER
Get ready for more Star Wars fever with Battlefront 2
Publishing Editor Walt Pretorius
10
Feature: Following the Footsteps There’s more star wars action on the way...
16
Previews: Games 13 titles inbound
walt@novamentis.co.za
Art Director Katia Taliadoros katia@novamentis.co.za
Writers: Alex Scanlon Christo van Gemert Clive Burmeister Iwan Pienaar Lein Baart Noelle Adams Nthato Morakabi Rob Edwards Sibonisile Motha Suvesh Arumugam Walt Pretorius
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Reviews: Games 10 games deeply probed...
88
Regular: IndieView surviving the brutality
Letters: letters@gameccamag.com
Competition Entries: competitions@gameccamag.com
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Copyright © Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd 2009 - 2017
walt@novamentis.co.za
Taking fun seriously! All rights reserved. No content may be reproduced, copied or transmitted without the express permission of the publishers. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editors and publishers. All Trademarks and Registered Trademarks are the sole property of the respective owners.
GAMECCA is published by Nova Mentis (Pty) Ltd
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104
Feature: Master the Market New thoughts from Cooler Master
Reviews: Tech Four great things to get
112
Regular: Internet Measuring the cost of piracy
118
COOL STUFF: Movies Are you ready for Justice?
128
COOL STUFF: Comics Some excellent illustrated reading options
136
COOL STUFF: Books Feed your brain with these great books
gamecca102
Gamecca Vol. 9 Issue 101 November 2017
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s e d’ c E oi h C
Assassin’s Creed: Origins
“Origins is the shot in the arm that the Assassin’s Creed franchise needed… and it’s great fun, to boot.”
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16 20 22 26 28 32 34 35 36 38 39 40 41
Features Following the Footsteps
PReviews Dead Rising 4: Frank’s Big Package Space Hulk: Deathwing Need for Speed: Payback .hack//G.U. Last Recode Call of Cthulhu Ashes Cricket LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 Anamorphine Okami HD Haimrik Agony Metal Gear Survive Hand of Fate 2
Reviews 44 50 56 62 68 74 78 82 84 86
Assassin’s Creed: Origins Call of Duty: WWII Gran Turismo Sport Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Middle-Earth: Shadow of War The Evil Within 2 South Park: The Fractured But Whole Rugby 18 WWE 2K18 ELEX
RegularS 88
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IndieView
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The Star War 10
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Star Wars Battlefront 2
By: Lein Baart
rs continue‌
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t’s fair to say that 2015’s Star Wars Battlefront was a little underwhelming for most. Released at a time when Star Wars mania was running at a fever pitch, Battlefront was a victim of its own hype, with expectations exacerbated by the fact that DICE, the creators of Battlefield, were at the helm. What was ultimately delivered however was a shooter that tried to appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers alike, leading to a gorgeous but shallow game that lacked true staying power. For many, Star Wars is a franchise that epitomises the traditional hero’s tale, with larger than life characters thrust into classical good versus evil conflicts. Its unswerving adherence to the Campbellian monomyth has lent it a timeless appeal that still resonates with fans, no matter how awful some of the
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movies have been, and it’s little wonder that almost all games set in the universe have cleaved to plots revolving around epic duels between Jedi and Sith. No one wants to play as a nameless, faceless soldier that has a near undetectable impact on a galaxy-spanning conflict. Yet despite this exact premise the original Battlefront, released in 2004 by Pandemic Studios, was a still a major hit with both gamers and fans of the franchise. It’s difficult to determine why exactly the original was better received than its reboot, as on the face of it both are very similar, with a focus on team-based combat with players taking the role of a rank and file soldier across one of four factions. Granted the original had an actual singleplayer mode, but by and large it was a mostly forgettable affair, which was not helped by an AI that could be outwitted by a dull brick. It wasn’t even particularly
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Star Wars Battlefront 2
unique, cribbing ideas from the most popular shooters of the time, most noticeably, and somewhat ironically in hindsight, Battlefield 1942. Nonetheless it remained a highly enjoyable experience, faithfully recreating the epic scope of the battles from the films while being an authentic rendition of the universe. It was much the same for its sequel, which launched just a year later. Indeed many felt that Battlefront 2 was just a retread of its predecessor, offering similar fare that was hampered by most of the problems mentioned above. Where the game did innovate was mainly in its single-player, this time offering a full-fledged campaign that saw players take the role of a clone trooper in the 501st Legion from the start of the Clone Wars through to the Battle of Hoth. It was an interesting take on the usual Star Wars plot, as you progress from a defender of the
Republic to a tool of oppression for the Empire, yet once again issues with the AI dampened its enjoyment. Better received was another single-player mode called Galactic Conquest, which saw players mix shooting with strategy as they strove to subjugate sections of the galaxy based on historical conflicts from the Star Wars universe. Of course though it was the multiplayer that was, and still is, the real draw card for the series, and here Battlefront 2 did little to deviate from the path, despite the addition of space battles and playable hero characters. Yet the same thrill and excitement evident in its predecessor was still on display, and to this day it’s still possible to find online matches, a feat not many multiplayer-orientated shooters can boast. Much like the reboot aped the first game, it appears that DICE have decided to follow in Pandemic’s footsteps
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with the upcoming sequel. The biggest addition will undoubtedly be the introduction of a story driven single-player campaign. Set just after the Rebellion’s victory over the Empire at Endor, the plot will follow Iden Versio, commander of an elite Imperial special operations unit called the Inferno Squad. Once again going against the grain, the story will aim to bridge the 30 year gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens from an Imperial perspective, which is an intriguing concept to the say the least. Reports have indicated that the campaign will only last for around five to seven hours however, so don’t expect a lengthy or complicated narrative. Of course, despite the effort that has gone into marketing the single-player, Battlefront has always been about multiplayer above all else, and there’s
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little reason to think this iteration will differ. Featuring characters, vehicles and locations from the prequel, original and sequel eras, for the most part returning players can expect to feel right at home, though that doesn’t mean there won’t be significant changes to be found. To begin with, Battlefront 2 will reintroduce the class system used in the first two games, with players able to select from either the assault, officer, heavy or specialist. Each will focus on a different style of gameplay, for example the officer providing tactical support and buffs while the specialist will be able to snipe and use traps, and will be further customisable through the use of the star card system, which should hopefully allow for a far more varied experience than before. DICE have also changed how players will access heroes and vehicles, dropping the token system in favour
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Star Wars Battlefront 2
of being able to select a character based on points scored throughout a match. The hero roster has also been expanded, at least compared to Battlefront 1’s list at launch, with most of the big names being available from the get the go. The other major change that Battlefront 2 will bring to the table is in its multiplayer modes. While 40-player objective based gameplay will return in the form of Galactic Assault, along with Heroes vs. Villains and Blast, the big new feature will be the objective-based Starfighter Assault. Set entirely in space, the mode will allow players to pilot a variety of iconic craft, such as the X-Wing and TIE Fighter, and will also include hero vehicles such as Boba Fett’s Slave 1 and the Millennium Falcon. As yet there is no word on how many scenarios will be available on release or even how many people can
compete at once, however the gameplay trailers have done a fantastic job in selling the game based on this mode alone. Ultimately, Battlefront 2 appears to be hitting the right notes and fulfilling on the promise of its predecessors. Players can even expect the DLC to be entirely free, though microtransactions will be included, ensuring that the community will not be split. It’s worth remembering however that the original Battlefront 2 made the same moves on its release, and while it’s proven to have had lasting appeal, it was not a feat the reboot was able to truly replicate. As usual only time will tell whether the tweaks, adjustments and upgrades will be enough to elevate the sequel above its ancestors, though there’s little doubt that Star Wars fans have already begun counting the days until its launch. g
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E M W A VIE G E R P
Dead Rising 4: F Package GAMING
Zombies, no pants and selfies.
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Dead Rising 4: Frank’s Big Package
by Sibonisile Motha
Frank’s Big
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D
you can use to drive yourself subtly through a hoard of the undead while flaming the zombies on the sides, while shooting at the zombies farther away, while shovelling the ones that just insist on hitchhiking in the middle of the road, while looking awesome. The access to creative weapons will only be restricted by how nice of a person you actually are. You may see a knife and a chainsaw and think, to cook and chop down a tree, or you can see a chainsaw that chops and slices your zombie friends at the same time. Your imagination will guide you through (as well as the deep, dark void in your soul). Part of the bonuses are in the form of some Capcom Streetfighter outfits that our boy Frank can don during the game. You heard me right. You see that chick in the
GAMING
ead Rising 3 saw Xbox One snatch the game exclusive and sticking it to Sony fans of the series. Dead Rising 4 was released earlier this year, and once again Playstation users were left in the cold as the game was once more an Xbox One and PC exclusive. Fast forward a few months and Playstation seem to be having the last laugh. This time in the form of Dead Rising 4: Frank’s Big Package (yes, that’s what it’s called). And with good reason; Playstation players can now not only get their hands on the full game, but also every single added bonus feature of the game, all in one purchase. Bonus content comprises of additional vehicles that
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Dead Rising 4: Frank’s Big Package
green thong-ish leotard with the blonde braids and great ass? Frank can be that, but as Frank though, not as her (hey, remember, different strokes for different folks). Oh, and let’s not forget that there is a Christmas pack included. Here, Frank can be the best-worst Santa with some Christmas-y themed weapons. Tis the season to be murderous. But let’s talk about the actual story of the game. Frank, our favourite zombie-apocalypse survivor photographer is back home, sixteen years after the first outbreak at the Willamette Memorial Megaplex mall, with anonymous source giving him clues that could lead to him figuring out the cause of the outbreak in the first place. There are a whole lot of characters in this game,
from an ambitious journo racing against Frank, to an old man who sees himself as a saviour, to a commander in the organization under suspicion about the outbreak, to a “morally-absent” doctor, there’s someone for everyone. Zombies have also evolved this time around (well some, and to an extent). You have the Evos that are agile and airborne, then are the hoards that just seem to multiply, and new zombies that transform before your eyes. What would Dead Rising with Frank be without his photography skills? Indulge yourself in taking selfies with unsuspecting zombies and remind yourself of how handsome you are. Sony’s revenge is sweet. g
AT A GLANCE Survival horror
With tons of quirk and humour, a characterdriven story, lots to do and all the bonuses too. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
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Mothership Entertainment Itch.io Online
Dec 2017
Platforms
GENRE
ETA
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
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W
GAMING
Dec 2017 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
20
Streum On Studio Focus Home Interactive Apex Interactive
PLATFORMS
Killing in the name of absolution PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
GENRE
AT A GLANCE First-person Shooter
The deadliest Space Marines explore Space Hulks, kill off enemies and embark on an epic journey.
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by Nthato Morakabi
Space Hulk: Deathwing
arhammer 40K seems to be gaining a lot of traction these days as more and more digital games come to the fore from the Warhammer universe. Usually a table-top game, the WH40K series is set in a dystopian science-fantasy universe, in an era where everything has come to ruin from war. This particular title follows the Games Workshop’s (manufacturers, developers and publishers of the original tabletop version) classic board game, Space Hulk. Unlike most Warhammer games that are turn-based following the playstyle of their original table top game play, Space Hulk is a first-person shooter, built on Unreal Engine 4. You take on the role of a Space Marine in the most feared Space Marine forces: The Deathwing of the Dark Angels Space Chapter. Your missions face you off against the spawn of the deadly Genestealer, inside claustrophobic tunnels of a Space Hulk. Your prize will be the treasured, and ancient lost technologies scattered within the gigantic stellar debris made up of ship wrecks, asteroids and various rubble. You will not only be a Space Marine, but a very special kind known as a Librarian. This offers you incredible psychic abilities that only Pyskers have. How you perform in battle, and your skills in fending off enemy forces, will offer up Fervor points which will be usable on three skill trees. Growth on these skill trees is going to unlock new powers, and advance your abilities. Along with abilities, there will be the powerful Terminator armour, along with a number of iconic weapons to use. These weapons can unlock into specialized forms as you progress through the story. A co-op mode will allow players to join up into a four-man Terminator squad. g
Space Hulk: Deathwing
E M W A VIE G E R P
E M W A VIE G E R P
Need for Speed GAMING
Made for drivers at heart.
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Need for Speed: Payback
by Sibonisile Motha
d: Payback
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has no choice but to get back together to embark on a quest for payback (as the title suggests). Led by street racer, Tyler Morgan, and betrayed by someone they trusted with a highly expensive job involving that really sexy car I mentioned earlier (still not crying…), this mission becomes more than just getting revenge, but destroying a lot of other beautiful cars along the way. The crew embarks on a mission to win a rather impossible but necessary race, and in the end hopefully bringing down a major cartel known as The House. Being able to pimp out your ride to suit your taste and style makes for a more engaging racing experience. Earn your way to purchasing the all-important parts
GAMING
eed for Speed is one of those gaming franchises that no longer require much of an introduction. This is largely due to the devoted following that the series has amassed over the years as well as the endless fandom of souped-up vehicles. Well, I wouldn’t be talking about Need for Speed if they weren’t back with another title for fans. In this next instalment, the story is one of a crew, a girl, a betrayal and a really kick ass car that I would love to be able to afford one day (but I will most likely be purchasing a classic by the time I can afford to buy it…no, I’m not crying…I’m not!). A crew that had been in some form of retirement from “the life”
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Need for Speed: Payback
games for a more authentic experience, but this has not been specifically mentioned for Need for Speed Payback. The worlds of the game will offer players that extra challenge of not only being the best driver in every landscape, but having the right vehicles to match your skills to outrun the cops and be number one. Some notable vehicles that have been mentioned to feature in this game are the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport, Chevrolet Camaro SS and the Dodge Charger R/T. The blockbuster antics of this game will ensure fans of that seemingly endless car movie franchise might get their kicks out of this game. g
AT A GLANCE GENRE
Racing
Beautiful cars, thrilling races and cop chases and scenes made for the big screen, fans may be pleased with this one. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
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Ghost Games Electronic Arts Prima Interactive
TBA 2017
Q3 2014
Platforms
that will turn your car into the beast you always wanted. With so many racing and car simulation games out there, the team over at Need for Speed know that they must deliver on a game that delivers the thrills of being behind the wheels of spectacular supercars as genuinely as they possibly can. The improved visuals and graphics of the game create and add to the open world feeling that you honestly would want to get when driving on the road chasing down someone you most likely want to kill who just so happens to be anywhere in the world. You deserve that that wonderful glare from the sun as you ram your way through cars that have a low carbon footprint. Dynamic weather is an element that has been included in many
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
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.hack//G.U. Last Recode
E M W A VIE G E R P
.hack//G.U. Last Recode Log in. Fight it out.
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
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CyberConnect2 Bandai Namco Megarom
PLATFORMS
GAMING
Nov 2017
later. Let’s get into the story. The World, a MMORPG game, sees players fight and survive their way through to become the best player. Haseo, a top-level player has an unfortunate encounter with fellow player called Tri-Egde. After some not-so-allowed moves, Haseo is knocked down to level one status. If Haseo didn’t hate Tri-Egde before, he certainly does now after Tri-Edge defeated his friend, Shino and left her in a real-life comatose state. On the quest to track down and defeat this nemesis, he will need the help of the characters he will come across,
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
GENRE
who also have a bone to pick with the beloved Tri-Edge. With Haseo’s story spanning through the three volumes, the new volume will see Haseo’s weapons and capabilities increase as his skills and abilities do, as well as his form. In Last Recode, players who had never come across the series can now experience the game in various game modes, one of them called Cheat Mode where a player can begin with full stats. With the game brought to next-gen, the combat system has been enhanced to create an all-round player game. g
AT A GLANCE Action RPG
Players can now play the entire trilogy as well as get hands-on with an allnew volume in the series.
gamecca101
by Sibonisile Motha
1
5 years ago saw the release of what would become a MMORPGinspired video game called .hack//G.U. Two more volumes of this games would be released over the years, resulting in a trilogy. Fast forward to today and Bandai Namco Entertainment have announced that they are ready to release the entire trilogy, remastered for next-gen engines in November this year. .hack//G.U Last Recode will include all three volumes of the series as well as a new volume which will see our protagonist, Haseo, take on new forms and weapon abilities. More on that
E M W A VIE G E R P
Call of Cthulhu GAMING
Nothing’s as it seems with an H.P Lo
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Call of Cthulhu
by Sibonisile Motha
ovecraft inspired anything‌
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B
is drawn into a world drowning in secrets, monsters, horrors and a cult. Admitted into a psychiatric hospital (because we all know that psyche hospitals are the furthest thing from anything horror-related), our protagonist has a hard time figuring out the reality from the seemingly unreal supernatural. Initially lured to the cheerful-sounding town of Darkwater by the unexplainable death of an entire family, you must now investigate the mysteries of the town that seems to hold a dark secret and fight the dangers that go along with it. My favourite moment in the trailer, our protagonist is seemingly floating underwater, and takes a moment to stop fighting but rather allow himself to be
GAMING
efore we get into this preview, let come out and confess that yes, I did struggle with pronouncing Cthulhu. But I am proud to help you get it right as well, all you have to do is say Cthulhu and hope that someone who is an avid Lovecraft linguist is nearby to either to tell you that you got it right, or that you are hereby banished from anything Lovecraft until you can get your act together. You see, it’s not so difficult. Let’s get straight into this title. As you may have gathered, this is a tale this draws from one of the many cult success novels of H.P Lovecraft – Call of Cthulhu. In this semi-open world survival horror, you take the reigns as a private investigator who
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Call of Cthulhu
immersed in the madness, almost in a catatonic state. The gameplay itself incorporates a lot of psychedelic scenes that create the beautiful transition from the reality of a sort-of ignorance to the surreal world of Cthulhu. Blurring the lines of your own personal sanity and still ensuring focus of the task at hand can only be accomplished by bringing you to the depths of insanity. The visuals play on the era and the colours of the game’s sombre mood. On the subject of Cthulhu, for those unawares of this cult-classic, Cthulhu is a being created by H.P Lovecraft that existed before man. Cthulhu is this looming figure that seems to be responsible for the world’s anxiety’s but nonetheless, is the core of a cult
of worshippers. The cult is underwater and followers lose themselves. As with any survival horror game, how you get through depends on our preferred method of staying alive. The trick with Call of Cthulhu, is to keep in mind that you are investigating. Simply running away from your problems (however bad they may want you dead), won’t always be of benefit to figuring out the case you are on. Now, how much of the original novel story will be a part of the game is to be seen. But from what we have so far, this will be a great introduction to the world of Lovecraft while experiencing the thrill of having to fight and flee for your life every now and again. g
AT A GLANCE Survival horror
This looks to be a great mash-up of Sherlock Holmes detective work, meets fight for your life. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
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2K Australia 2K Games Megarom
TBA 2018
Platforms
GENRE
ETA
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
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Ashes Cricket
E M IEWW A VIE G EEV R PR
Ashes Cricket T
here are a lot of sports that we enjoy here in South Africa. Yet amongst the variations, there is a trio that stands above the rest: Soccer. Rugby. Cricket. Of that trio, FIFA has a major gaming presence, Rugby is straggling along, and then we have cricket which had its last major title in 2015 with Don Bradman Cricket. Now, Big Ant Studios, same guys who brought Don Bradman, have worked extensively on what cricket gamers will hope to stand the test of time. Ashes Cricket is a game based on the test cricket series between England and Australia, which is a rivalry dating back to 1882 after Australia’s first test victory on English soil. This, however, will not be the first time the friendly feud comes to the gaming space. Ashes Cricket 2013 was dubbed “one of the worst video games of all time.” Hopefully, the new rendition with its fast-paced action and realistic capture of both the men’s and women’s 2017/2018 Ashes Tour, and of the Australian and English teams, will restore the Ashes pride. In terms of game modes, Ashes promises an in-depth career mode, with the choice of being an established star or rising as a junior. There’s an option to have your own dream competition, complete with creating stadiums and logos. Then there will be the online play to join others or play against them. A number of changes have been made to the game play, such as fully motion-capture players which will allow you to choose your own batting and bowling style. The refined cricket engine is said to allow true 360-degree batting. All of this to create an authentic Ashes experience. g
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Nov 2017 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
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Big Ant Studios Big Ant Studios Megarom
PLATFORMS
by Nthato Morakabi
Journey to “recover those ashes”
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
GENRE
AT A GLANCE Sport
The cricket rivalry between Australia and England comes to vivid digital life.
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GAMING
Nov 2017 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
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Traveller’s Tale Warner Bros Ster Kinekor
PLATFORMS
Yes, it’s another LEGO game
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV NS
GENRE
AT A GLANCE Action, adventure
Another LEGO video game that may most likely become a movie in the pretty near future... but who’s counting?
gamecca101
by Sibonisile Motha
LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2
EGO is a giant cow that just doesn’t seem to ever run out of milk for the masses, no matter how many times it is milked. Not so long ago saw the release of the LEGO Ninjago Movie (as well as video game), and now it’s LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 time. The title makes it clear about the characters you can expect to be playing as. With each character having their own unique superpowers and personalities, players can experience the game’s world differently with each character they get to control at that moment. LEGO movies, shows and games have become pretty good with the humour over the years, to a point that it’s what we expect from a LEGO animation. The story in this instalment of the LEGO milk range, sees our heroes facing off with Kang the Conqueror who has always been true to himself in wanting to see himself be the ultimate controller and ruler of the universe. This time, he is not as easy a foe as the heroes would like him to be. He has been travelling throughout times and realities and has literally kidnapped cities that he holds close to his “heart”in the hopes of creating one perfect world for him. This forces them to have to band together and become a unit that is the sum of its parts in order to save their worlds mere mortals, and not forgetting the entire universe. Voice actors from LEGO Marvel Avengers will not be in this game. Looking similar to Ninjago in terms of graphics, the colours are definitely vivid and bright to showcase our heroes attire as well as abilities in action. g
LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2
E M W A VIE G E R P
Anamorphine
E M W A VIE G E R P
Anamorphine
A surreal adventure of rendered emotions
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Artifact 5 inc. Artifact 5 inc. Online
PLATFORMS
GAMING
2017
turmoil from the inability to help his wife, and weight of that guilt, begins to warps his recollection of the past. Then it gets real trippy. First let me just let you know, that Anamorphine will have no dialogue, no action buttons, no combat, and no violence. It is going to be an emotional, surreal narrative adventure exploring the themes of mental health, depression and loss. So content advisory there. It will be, nonetheless, a story-rich experience with beautiful, dreamlike memories that bend and blend into each other like a rainbow-
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
GENRE
hued lava lamp made of memories instead of… lava lamp stuff. As Tyler, you will either have to confront the past and his subconscious in order to move forward or be consumed by it. This while living in an evolving relationship, in a surreal environment that contorts to Tyler’s inner feelings. All the while, revisiting scenes from his past that defined his relationship with Elena. With a game like this that focusses so much on visuals and story-telling, it comes as no surprise that there will be a VR version of Anamorphine. g
AT A GLANCE Adventure
Delve into the mind of a young man dealing with emotional turmoil, which manifests in surreal visions as he revisits key moments in his life.
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by Nthato Morakabi
S
o, a part of me is quite saddened that this game isn’t about the Animorphs on a morphine trip, saving the planet from an alien invasion. However, I am delighted that the morphine part sans alien invasion, is still valid, or at least the whole trippy thing. Instead we meet Tyler, a young man working as a freelance nature photographer. He experiences posttraumatic denial after his wife Elena, a cellist is involved in an accident that robs her of her livelihood and emotional outlet. As Elena quietly slips into depression, Tyler’s mental
Okami HD
E M IEWW A VIE G EEV R PR
Okami HD T
he Japanese are masters of storytelling. If you don’t believe me just google how many anime shows there are currently out there. Capcom and Clover Studio teamed up in 2006 to bring to life a story painted with heart and beauty. Okami was certainly the game with legendary status in the days of PS2 consoles (relax, it wasn’t that long ago). The story of a battle between two powerful entities for the fate of a land was brilliantly showcased in Japanese art painting style. When evil eight-headed demon, Orochi, turns the peaceful world of Nippon upside down, sun god Amaterasu loses the power of the 13 Celestial Brush Techniques and her former glory. Wood sprite, Sakuya, used all her powers to bring back Amaterasu to the world. Now with Orochi back and hellbent on his vision of destruction, Amaterasu desperately needs to obtain the powers of the brush techniques to be restored and bring the land to the peace it once knew and should be. Laced with interesting conversations and beautiful combat scenes, everything ties in together in this epic story that has survived time and console generations. Encountering a variety of interesting characters along the way, this tale is true to Japanese storytelling expertise. Although the initial HD version of the game was released by Capcom for PS3 in 2012, it has now been enhanced for 4K visuals and gameplay. Okami HD will now be compatible for play on the PS4, Xbox One X as well as PC. The PS3 version was Move controller enabled, maybe the next step for Okami would be for a VR version…hint hint Capcom. g
GAMING
Dec 2017 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
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Clover Studio Capcom Ster Kinekor
PLATFORMS
by Sibonisile Motha
Repainting the cult-classic title
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
GENRE
AT A GLANCE Action
This beautiful tale told in true Japanese artform will now be able to captivate the hearts of new-gen gamers
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GAMING
Q4 2017 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
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Below the Game 1C Company Online
PLATFORMS
Words come to life. Literally.
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
GENRE
AT A GLANCE Puzzle-Platformer
Haimrik uses Power of Words. It’s not very effective...
gamecca101
by Nthato Morakabi
Haimrik
ometimes, as a writer, I get this intense desire to have my words come to life. Perhaps not literally because having a literal word come to life would be completely useless. I’m talking more about the meaning of the word, which is exactly what Haimrik is all about. Yes I know, the name of the game is quite deceiving; nothing to read between the lines. Haimrik is a young scribe trying to make a living in a medieval town. One full of warriors, sorcerers, dragons and their multi-layered-job comrades. Lo and behold, he finds an old book, which he signs with his blood after a slight… writing accident. The book grants him the Power of the Words, which is technically a really useless power. Nonetheless, Masamba, a hungry lioness who will protects Haimrik while constantly trying to eat him, works alongside the scribe to help. Players take up the role of Haimrik as he travels through the world with his new literary abilities. The Power of Words are literal stones in the path Haimrik walks. Stepping on one of these stones, whether intentional or not, causes the word written on the stone to come to life. In order to figure out puzzles and defeat the Word King and his elite warriors, players will have to step on the right stones for the right object to appear or action to occur. The world will be created in a plain, monochromatic sepia tone, while Haimrik’s numerous anticipatory deaths will leave pools of red blood in the game. This is part of the game’s dark humour and over-the-top cartoon violence. There will, apparently, be a lot of it. g
Haimrik
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Agony
E M W A VIE G E R P
Agony
You thought your life sucked‌
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Madmind Studio PlayWay Online
PLATFORMS
GAMING
Mar 2018
your place in eternal suffering. With the goal of not only piecing together your story, but maybe make it out of there, you will literally have to go through hell to accomplish this task. You will get to interact with some other very tortured souls and navigate your way through the grim that seems to be your fate. With the ability to control the minds of weaker souls and some not-so-bright demons, this will have you making thankful prayers. The roads on your journey seem to lead to one unique and goosebump-inducing
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GENRE
Red Goddess, although her love for the anguish of souls and the taste of their flesh and blood is no mystery. Expected to hopefully around March next year, Madmind has kept nothing back in showing us the raw horror visuals that players can expect from this game. There will be lots of blood, disembowelment, disfiguration and a whole lot of visuals that will shake even the darkest of us (I think I still need therapy after what I saw). But that is the goal: a true horror experience. g
AT A GLANCE Survival Horror
No words can fully describe the twisted thoughts of Madmind Studio on their creation of this truly horrific creature (in a good way).
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by Sibonisile Motha
M
admind Studio is that kind of studio that lives to its name. And the evidence of that is found in the work they do. There is definitely some top notch artistry in this game’s visuals. One look at a trailer (believe me, you only need to see one to get a sense of what this is about) and you will get a fresh new look at the meaning of the word agony. Set in hell, you will play a tormented soul trapped with absolutely no memory of your former life or the things you may have done to earn
Metal Gear Survive
E M IEWW A VIE G EEV R PR
Metal Gear Survive I
t’s been almost two years since Hideo Kojima’s departure from Konami, and from the ashes of that once legendary collaboration, comes a game that may be a test for a new title, or a way to keep a successful series alive. It’s effectively a new Metal Gear but without the metal and only the gears to keep it rolling. It will be set during the time post-Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, as Big Boss and Kazuhira Miller evacuate from the besieged Mother Base. A wormhole tears a hole in the sky and pulls the remaining Militaires Sans Frontières soldiers, and an offshore plant into an alternate reality. The soldiers must survive this new world and its threats, finding materials to help them return to their own reality. There are going to be two main campaign modes in MG: Survive. The first is a single player where you explore the strange, mist-filled, ruined world, looking for answers and a way to return home. You and three A.I teammates must survive, discover, and unravel secrets. The second is a Co-Op online mode where you team-up with three other players in surviving and completing various missions. Progress and rewards made to your character in either mode will carry over between each mode. Zombie hordes infest this new world and as players you will have to use stealth, or brute force to take them down. Revealed creatures include the weak-but-strong-as-a-horde Wanderer, the violently exploding Bomber, and the relentless, agile Tracker. As Hideo said “the Metal Gear series is about “political fiction and espionage,” and zombies do not fit into his vision of the series.” One can only wonder where to from here Konami? g
GAMING
Feb 2018 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
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Konami Digital Entertainment Konami Ster-Kinekor
PLATFORMS
by Nthato Morakabi
…More like Metal Gear: Zombies.
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
GENRE
AT A GLANCE Action
Metal Gear Survive. Metal Gear Explore. Metal Gear Without Hideo So We Added Zombies.
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Hand of Fate 2 GAMING
Nov 2017 Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Defiant Development Defiant Development Online
PLATFORMS
Praying for a good hand…
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
GENRE
AT A GLANCE Action
The next instalment to the critically-acclaimed action RPG. New cards, new stakes, a new playable charcter and a bigger game.
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by Sibonisile Motha
he mysterious dealer of the life and fatealtering deck of cards is back. This time things have changed. This time, the Dealer wants revenge. For those unfamiliar with Hand of Fate, let’s break it down. This action RPG centres around decks of cards from a Dealer who challenges the player to win the game of magic or die trying. These cards create individual adventures with unique stories for the player to get through. Along the way cards in the player’s deck may come through just in the nick of time to add that health that you so desperately needed or that random item that saves your life in this deadly game. In Hand of Fate 2, the stakes are higher as the Dealer is really looking forward to the prospect of you, or anyone surviving. Different worlds are now at stake and lie in your hands as you fight your way through. Combat cards can now offer the player the opportunity to dual-wield weapons in battles and fights. This will be most beneficial when faced with enemies that have also levelled up just as you have too. Traverse through the mystical story in this creative Card RPG. The team over at Defiant Development mentioned that, “Each overturned card reveals a new trial: third-person combat, high-risk high-reward minigames or Tabletop RPG-style decision making,” offering players a vast non-linear game with lots to enjoy and discover along the way. With mini-game perks such as teaming up with a character who can help you and new challenges that make this title bigger and more thrilling than the first game, old fans and newbies can join in to seal their fate and the Dealer’s. g
Hand of Fate 2
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Assassin’s Cree GAMING
Among the shifting sands…
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Assassin’s Creed: Origins
by Walt Pretorius
ed: Origins
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While the setting is all new and vast, with tons of exploration to be done and other kinds of high-jinx to get up to, the most telling changes here are to the mechanics of the game. And perhaps most noticeable of all, because they are core, are the new controls. In the past, your character moved slowly and less suspiciously until the right trigger was held down. Then the character would run, act more aggressively, and climb stuff. That idea is gone. Now your character moves at a pace dictated by the left stick, and climbing is enabled by holding down a face button. Another face button toggles stealthy movement on or off. It feels, quite honestly, like a more standard control scheme, which some long-time fans of the series may be a little affronted by. I certainly was, at first, because it didn’t feel like I was playing an Assassin’s Creed game. That feeling dissolved fairly quickly, however. Combined
GAMING
t seems that taking a gap year has great benefits. It certainly did for the Assassin’s Creed franchise – last year saw a remastered version of Assassin’s Creed 2 hitting shelves, but the yearly iteration of the series, in the form of an all-new game, was skipped. So while fans of the franchise may have felt a little hard-done-by because they had to wait an extra 12 months for the next instalment in this ever growing franchise, playing Assassin’s Creed: Origins makes the wait worthwhile. Origins may not be the finest Assassin’s Creed game ever made, depending on how you look at the series as a whole, but it certainly comes close, at very least. There will be some, though, that feel that the franchise’s trip to Ptolemaic Egypt is the best adventure that the series has to offer. It all comes down to what you want out of a game.
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Assassin’s Creed: Origins
with an overhauled combat mechanic that does away with the exploitative counter kills you could use in previous versions, the new control scheme feels a bit more considered and accessible before long, and once you get into the swing of it, you’ll be running, jumping and climbing stuff all over with little fuss. As the name implies, Origins takes things back to the beginning, before the Assassins were organised. At the centre of the tale is Bayek, a warrior who once served as a protector of the people and the pharaoh – kind of like an Ancient Egyptian government agent. A dark conspiracy brings his life crashing down around his ears, however, and Bayek undertakes a dangerous, long and arduous journey of vengeance and justice across the shifting sands and through the lush oases of this rich and varied landscape. What unfolds is an experience not unlike other Assassin’s
Creed games, yet a bit different in many important ways. The player will, for example, still be tracking members of the conspiracy to bring them to Bayek’s version of justice, but the game tends to be a lot less focussed on driving the player through the main plot. In fact, with a newly reworked level system, the game actually encourages undertaking the huge number of side quests available. Each quest is rated for a particular level, and if Bayek is more than one or two levels lower that the suggested one, completing a mission will prove to be an arduous task. And so the side missions help a player to keep on, or ahead of, the level curve. The side missions are also wonderfully varied. There is some fetch and carry to be done, but it is very seldom that the player will feel like they are not doing something at least partially original in each side mission. In addition,
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much a thing of the past. The combat flows more, as a result, and a clever player can quickly dispatch of enemies using a series of strikes, dodges and parries. Additionally, selecting the right weapon loadout for your play style helps. Weapons are grouped into classes, each with advantages and disadvantages that come into play. The player can have two melee weapons, two bows and a shield equipped. Switching between them is a fairly quick and easy process, and helps keep the flow of combat pretty smooth. The target lock on system feels a bit weak, though, and switching between locked on targets is a hitand-miss affair. And then there is crafting. By collecting various materials (through hunting, looting or even attacking convoys) the player will gather materials to upgrade their equipment.
GAMING
the vast majority of missions in Origins are multifaceted. The player will generally need to do more than one thing to get the job done. Gaining experience while completing missions, discovering new areas and a host of other activities contributes to Bayek’s level. Each level provides the player with one upgrade point, which can be used to purchase abilities from the game’s large skill-tree. The tree has three main divisions, allowing a player to further customise their experience; there is a brutal, melee section, a ranged section, and one specialising in tools, traps and other kinds of less straight-forward skills. Skill points can also be gained from other activities, like exploring of the game’s many lost tombs. When it comes to combat, Origins feels very different indeed. As mentioned before, counter-kills are pretty
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Assassin’s Creed: Origins
The six pieces of equipment that can be upgraded affect Bayek’s health, carrying capacities and damage outputs, so keeping up with this side activity is a really good idea. Assassin’s Creed: Origins is the best title we have seen in the franchise we have seen for a while – certainly since Black Flag. It manages to keep the player busy with a very wide variety of things to do, in a setting that is maybe not as vertical as what we might expect, but certainly is rich and beautifully created (not to mention enormous). The game keeps the action flowing, thanks to very few loading screens, and keeps the player engaged with a constant stream of new equipment, new challenges and a great plot line. Bayek is a likeable character with strong motivations, and the famous faces he encounters within the game are believable and interesting. In short, Origins offers everything a fan of the franchise would
want. It may take some getting used to for some, though – particularly long-time adherents of the series. There are a number of new approaches here, some of which are subtle while others are more blatant. The end result is an Assassin’s Creed game that feels less governed, freer and much larger in scope. The setting holds constant interest and hidden gems, and the narrative tells and interesting tale of where it all began. Sure, the game has one or two problems – any game this ambitious is bound to have at least a few (generally harmless) bugs. But Origins is relatively free of issues, to be honest, making the player’s adventures in Ancient Egypt even more entertaining and engrossing. Quite simply, Origins is the shot in the arm that the Assassin’s Creed franchise needed… and it’s great fun, to boot. g
AT A GLANCE Adventure
REVIEWED ON
Assassin’s Creed: Origins is the shot in the arm that the series needed, and brings many great new ideas to ancient lands.
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Ubisoft Ubisoft Megarom
PARENTAL ADVISORY
18+ gamecca101
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
PS4 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
92 49
E M W A IE G EV R
Call of Duty: WW GAMING
Back to basics is the best direction
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Call of Duty: WWII
Call of Duty: WWII
WII
n…
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thrust into a situation that is frightening and bitter, and your survival hinges on keeping your wits and outsmarting the enemy. To this end, numerous elements have been introduced. For example, WWII features a more measured, less break-neck pace of play, both in the campaign and in multiplayer matches. Additionally, the player’s health doesn’t regenerate over time, and more than a few hits will spell death for the player, even at the easiest of difficulty settings. This is, quite frankly, as it should be. And it creates great tension within the game, too. Trying to evade enemy fire while fumbling with a first-aid kit to try and get that all-important one-third of your character’s life restored can be as tense as charging into a machinegun nest crammed with enemy combatant. Turning to drag a wounded comrade behind cover has gained meaning, as
GAMING
here is a time and place for all those Call of Duty vs Battlefield debates. This isn’t it. Because, quite frankly, it’s time to set aside this strange rivalry that has emerged from the bubbling cesspit that is online multiplayer and to actually pay attention to what developer Sledgehammer has done with this, their second full outing under the Call of Duty banner. And no matter which camp you fall into in that most worthless of debates, it is difficult to deny that Call of Duty: WWII is a damned fine game. The decision to take the Call of Duty franchise back to its roots has put paid to many of the series’ aspect that were getting out of hand. In WWII, you don’t play an ampedup, wall-running, tech-assisted super soldier that takes on entire enemy squads without breaking a sweat. Rather, you’re a human being, a fragile and emotional being
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Call of Duty: WWII
the heroism of ordinary men doing extraordinary things is a flavour that permeates the campaign. Charging guns blazing into an enemy encampment is as foolhardy in this game as it would be in real life. And that’s really what it comes down to… Call of Duty: WWII is less of a spectacular combat simulator and more of a gritty, emotional experience. Not, mind you, that WWII is devoid of the big set pieces. There are numerous times during the campaign that you feel the influence of big Hollywood blockbusters creeping in, like when you are careening down the road after a Nazi train. But there are other times, like when being undercover in a Nazi headquarters, that the pace feels much different, and your quick thinking needs to be applied to protecting your cover story, rather than spotting enemies hiding in the hedgerows.
This variation is one of the campaign’s charms, and it adds greatly to the overall experience. The inclusion of QTEs, though, feels a bit forced at times, and can be a little distracting from the action. But, on the whole, Call of Duty: WWII’s campaign feels like an authentic and often moving experience. This is helped, at least in part, by elements like not automatically healing, but also by a cast of memorable characters that surround you in the game. Your squad mates are important, not only because they provide colour and character to the campaign, but also because they can be a source of useful equipment, like first-aid kits and ammo packs. Sure, you can find these in the environments that game takes place in, but in a pinch having a squad mate toss you a bunch of bullets can make all the difference.
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is that the lobby in Call of Duty: WWII looks more like something one would find in Destiny. Gone are the thongs of menus that the player needs to skip through, replaced rather by a social common area that players can use to socialise and hone skills, among other things. Various points in this headquarters allow for customisation, getting missions, purchasing collectables and more. WWII brings most of the well-known and loved game modes with it, including things ranging from Team Deathmatch through to Gridiron. But the standout mode must, most certainly, be War. These matches are comprised of six missions, essentially, but come down to three missions being repeated. Performance in the first mission decides the second mission, and so on. So, for example, defenders on the beaches at Normandy could be pushed back to their trench network for the second
GAMING
Speaking of environments, WWII features a number of beautiful settings, ranging from the beaches of Normandy (the obligatory starting point for any World War 2 game featuring American soldiers) through to war torn Paris and a whole lot more. The settings are broad and fairly free in terms of player exploration and movement, and even have discoverable collectables scattered about. The AI enemies the player will face provide a great degree of challenge as well. They are firmly rooted in selfpreservation, which adds to the challenge, and are smart enough to try and outmanoeuvre the player whenever possible. In short, the campaign, if a little short, is great. But where it really counts for Call of Duty these days is in the multiplayer modes‌ The biggest change that one sees, right off the bat,
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Call of Duty: WWII
mission, and further back to their HQ for the third. When the first three missions are completed, sides are switched and the same maps played again. It’s a co-op driven mode that takes more than just running around and shooting, and shows a great evolution within Call of Duty’s multiplayer space. And, of course, no Call of Duty game would be complete without zombies. This time around, players will see some famous faces making up the cast of the very creepy part of WWII, and there is a lot of survival horror fun to be had in this mode. Overall, Sledghammer have managed to do a great job with Call of Duty: WWII. Despite tons of pre-release criticism (because gamers are some kind of clairvoyants who decide something will be bad before it is released) WWII has come out as one of the finest Call of Duty titles
released in a long time, if not one of the finest overall. Sure, there are a few issues (when aren’t there any in big games?) but the overall experience is hard-hitting, even poignant at times, as far as the single player campaign goes, and measured, balanced and fun when thing come down to multiplayer. WWII breathes much needed fresh air into a franchise that seemed, at times, like it was losing its way; the return to the World War 2 roots of the franchise was likely the best decision made for the franchise since they decided to tackle modern conflict, and it has resulted in a game that most definitely stands out among its peers. And those that have made decisions based on historical performances or petty franchise-based factions should do themselves the service of setting their unreasonable prejudices aside for long enough to at least give Call of Duty: WWII a try… it really is a fine game. g
AT A GLANCE First-person Shooter
WWII is an often powerful, sometimes moving and generally excellent World War 2 shooter, complete with great multiplayer pace and excellent presentation. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Sledgehammer Activision Megarom
PARENTAL ADVISORY
18+ gamecca101
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
REVIEWED ON
x360 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
90 55
E M W A IE G EV R
Gran Turismo Sp GAMING
The King is back
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Gran Turismo Sport
by Christo van Gemert
port
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Turismo games – more than 10 of them; with a hundred million sold – and the series remains the benchmark. However, it’s not all been a smooth run to the finish line for good ol’ GT. In 2004 Microsoft gave Xbox gamers Forza Motorsport, a series driven by car fans and real gamers, with some impressive simulation technology behind it. At around the same time, the heavily-delayed (but most-revered) Gran Turismo 4 finally hit the PlayStation 2. It was a Battle Royale in the console world, and car fans were winning (as long as they had an Xbox and PlayStation). Since then, titles in the Gran Turismo series have been the butt of jokes, for many. Hard-core fans persisted, sticking with the series even when its visionary creator Kazunori Yamauchi would let his grandiose dreams ruin progress. Gran Turismo 5 was a huge let-down, with myriad bugs
GAMING
hree hours. That’s how long I had to wait to play the original Gran Turismo, when it released on the PlayStation in 1998. I popped into the shop to spend all of my hard-earned holiday-job pennies and walked out happier than a plundering politician. In my grubby paws I had a game with an exotic name, and screenshots on the rear cover art depicting near-lifelike graphics. Its tagline? The Real Driving Simulator. In those three agonising hours it took to get home – the joys of being a teen who relied on their parents for transport – I perused the game’s tome-like manual. Not only did it have information about Gran Turismo the game, but also in-depth information on the technical aspects of driving and tuning a car. A bible for drivers. It was the gold standard for car games, back in the day. Millions of car fans and gamers cut their teeth on Gran
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and substandard design choices casting a dark cloud of the series’ first official excursion on the PS3. In GT6 many of the foibles were fixed, but the focus turning Gran Turismo into an interactive car museum left it in the dust of the now-very-accomplished Forza, which had better graphics, sound, physics and actual fun. Meanwhile, in the wings, waited slowly-baked racing simulators like Project CARS and Assetto Corsa. Gran Turismo needed to change. And change it has. For all intents and purposes – even through the admission of Yamauchi-san himself – this is Gran Turismo 7. The Sport moniker is there for a very good reason. See, one of the good things GT got right was turning a generation of gamers into actual racers. The fruits of this can be seen in the GT Academy programme, where Gran Turismo
racers were courted, in partnership with Nissan, to be transformed into real-life race car drivers. It’s been successful, too, with graduates of the programme going on to win at prestigious motorsport events. Driven by this, Yamauchi’s actual motorsport career, and its reputation as the de facto racing game, Sony and Polyphony have partnered with the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA; the world governing body of motorsports) to have Gran Turismo be the official motorsport game of the world. The result? You can play GT Sport and earn a real-life, noteven-joking FIA race license. To achieve that, Polyphony had to make some sacrifices. Gone are the thousands of cars from GT games past. Sport has a mere 150 or so automobiles, all of them modern and most of them race cars. This allows the game
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manhandled, but will bite if not respected. Purposed built GT3 (Gr3 in the game) race cars have incredible limits that you’ll need to explore, and become comfortable with, to win. After fifty laps around Suzuka, chasing lap times, I have no doubt that the driving experience in GT Sport is as realistic as driving a real car. More importantly, it’s engaging, immersive and fun. Helping that along is a – hold your breath – completely revised audio subsystem. Using expertise from Sony recording studios, the developers have accurately captured everything from the strained revving of a fourcylinder engine to the cacophonous, 9000rpm wail of a Porsche GT3 race car. Race gearboxes whine under acceleration and chitter under braking. Run off the track, and you hear the plinking of stones hitting the wheel arches. Pile into a corner too fast, and varying degrees of
GAMING
to offer a selection of cars that are competitive with one another across a range of performance tiers. Oh, and it also has Porsche. Finally. Fret not, though, because a commitment has been made that GT Sport will get downloadable content to flesh out this selection and go some way to restoring its position as the king of cars. The developers are acutely aware of the series’ roots and fans, so more content, they say, is coming “because this is Gran Turismo!”. More importantly, the game’s physics engine has been overhauled. Properly. There is now a sense of weight and momentum to every one of the game’s cars that has not been present in previous editions. The dainty Mazda MX5 dances through corners and requires precise, deliberate inputs to stay on the boil. More-focussed performance cars can be taken by the scruff and
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tyre squeal let you know what you’re in for. While the sound is a revelation, the graphics are just mindboggling. GT has always been a torchbearer for visual fidelity in racing games, but Sport takes it a step further. The engine supports High Dynamic Range (wide colour; on supported TVs) and the lighting engine is some sort of voodoo. In the ridiculously addictive photo mode, where you can position your in-game cars in real-life photo scenes, the realism of the lighting sometimes defies belief. The little that GT Sport has in the way of content is superb, but the developers have focussed on the core basics – driving and racing – to perfect the experience. Ah, the experience. There’s not a massive career mode here, so brace yourself. Single-player options include one-off races, a license school (yep), and some modes to help you hone your skills on the game’s tracks. This is all
to prepare you for Sport mode: the raison d’être, an online mode where there are daily races and FIA-endorsed race seasons. That means an internet connection is mandatory, along with a PS+ subscription, and fans of collect-‘em-all Gran Turismo might be disappointed. It also means that the developers will spend some time fine-tuning the cars and online system. Already, in the weeks following release, gamers have resorted to cheater cars – those models that will always win a race, regardless of competition. Balance tuning will inevitably level the playing field. And that’s what gives me hope. Developers actively working on the game, along with promises of future content? It gets me just as excited as I was, 19 years ago, reading the racing bible bundled with The Real Driving Simulator. g
AT A GLANCE Racing
REVIEWED ON
The king returns in good form, with promises of constant tweaks and improvements down the line.
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Polyphony Digital SCE Ster Kinekor
PARENTAL ADVISORY
3+ gamecca101
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
PS4 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
82 61
E M W A IE G EV R
Wolfenstein II: Th Colossus GAMING
The new American Revoltuion…
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Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
by Walt Pretorius
he New
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that blitzes its way through the main events of the previous game, Wolfenstein: The New Order. And that story ends with the series’ long-time protagonist and all around tough-guy, BJ Blazkowicz, preparing to die as his compatriots rain nuclear fire down on the headquarters of the bad guys. But Blazkowics is saved in a last-minute effort, and is returned to a massive U-Boat that serves as the HQ for him and his band of merry-men. Things aren’t that great for the hero, though – his body is a wreck, and he is close to death. This is a theme – the frailty that Blazkowics now endures – that pervades the game. To his friends, he acts as if he is still the man they know and respect, but his thoughts, to which the player is privy, betray that false bravado. He is convinced that he is about to die, that his body will fail him. It is a sombre tone that is mirrored in many other areas of the game, and is
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t is more than a little worrying that the enemies we have faced so many times before in video games – based on real enemies that once held the world at the brink of terror – are now so accepted in our modern society. I am talking, of course, about the noise that was made about Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and the fact that it targeted Nazi forces occupying the USA. Some people really didn’t understand why Nazis were the bad guys. How that attitude developed I do not know – perhaps it is time for a little history tuition and empathy training. But I am not here to talk socio-political ideas or any of that kind of stuff. Let’s rather take a good look at the game that sparked the debate… Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. The game starts off with a “previously on” section
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contrasted in others. And this kind of variance, this rich tapestry of story-telling that Machine Games have woven as the backdrop for the player’s Nazi-hunting spree, is just one clue as to how carefully and wonderfully The New Colossus is constructed. In fact, while many games seem to treat characters (particularly those that aren’t central) as little more than window dressing and petty annoyances, The New Colossus revels in delving into them… particularly Blazkowics. Players will see scenes of his past, suffering at the hands of an abusive and utterly racist father. Players will learn his inner-most feelings as he contrasts his belief in his imminent death with the hope for the new life that he has helped create. There are, quite honestly, many contrasts in the game, which takes the player to Nazi occupied America in 1961.
The bombed wasteland stands in stark contrast to the bright colours and almost gleeful frivolity that surrounds a Nazi parade in the town of Roswell, New Mexico. Even the information that the player can glean from the world, in the form of copious diaries, newspapers and other discoverable items liberally scattered about, will create contrasts between the faceless Nazi machine and the fact that there are very real people making up the cogs of its hate-filled inner workings. The game will contrast sombre tones with humorous interludes, and will present the player with a wide array of characters to interact with, who themselves contrast with each other. In this way, and in many others, The New Colossus creates a reality which is believable and engrossing, despite its ‘60s sci-fi overtones and often well over-the-top premise. It is a very fitting, rich and
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to try and thin the herd a little before the bullets start flying. It does make things easier – going in guns blazing is always the tougher approach in The New Colossus – but this game is one that has a stealth component tacked on, rather than it being a key feature. Therefore your stealth attempts will always, at some point, result in all-out combat. The mechanics are simply not designed for a fullon stealth approach. Thankfully, Blazkowics has access to a number of very cool guns, each of which have three options for upgrades. The upgrade kits are rare, though, so careful planning of upgrades is a must. Additionally, there is a dual wielding option which allows the player to pair almost any of the guns in the game, provided they aren’t massive, twohanded death-bringers. The dual-wielding is great for a number of reasons, not
GAMING
wonderfully deep backdrop for the game that traces a direct route to the grand-daddy of all first-person shooters. Speaking of which, the action comes thick and fast in The New Colossus, as one would hope. There are tons of Nazis to get through, and every kill is as satisfying as it should be. The animations are beautifully put together, and each enemy reacts specifically to the player attacks, as they should. But don’t think that they will come easy. Even at relatively low difficulty levels, The New Colossus can pose quite a challenge. AI enemies are smart, and will attempt to flank and outmanoeuvre the player, while staying conscious of their own self-preservation. It can get pretty intense, particularly if the player has missed an officer and reinforcements are called in. To this end, the player can, of course, employ stealth
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least of which is the ability to have two very different weapons right there, for varied situations. The player will sacrifice the accuracy granted them by the iron-sights, though, and the clunky equipment wheel system means that switching guns quickly when dual-wielding is not an option. Whether dual-wielding or following a more traditional one-gun approach, the action in The New Colossus is fast and furious, and extremely gratifying. This, combined with the rich backdrop that Machine Games have created for the game, means that The New Colossus adds up to being quite the experience, complete with excellent graphics and superb audio. Thankfully the need to constantly hit the “pick up” button, which plagued The New Order, has been eliminated this time around. Players will still have to hit the button from
time to time, but for the most part they will automatically pick up whatever ammo or armour is close by. This was one of the quibbles from the previous game that Machine Games addressed in this outing. It isn’t without its problems, though; the missions feel a little linear, even though there is some room to move within the levels, and every now and then movement can be a little glitchy (with the very occasional hook-up on geometry). But even with these slight issues, The New Colossus stands out as one of the finer first-person shooters (and finer games overall) to be released this year. It manages to combine great story telling, a rich backdrop and well thought out pacing throughout, and will prove a great challenge, not only to those who played and enjoyed The New Order, but to all who can appreciate a fine first-person shooter in action. g
AT A GLANCE GENRE
First-person Shooter
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Machine Games Bethesda Ster Kinekor
PARENTAL ADVISORY
18+ gamecca101
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
PS4 PLATFORMS
A massive nazi-busting romp that combines excellent action with great presentation.
REVIEWED ON
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
91 67
E M W A IE G EV R
Middle-Earth: Sh GAMING
Further into the tale, further from
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Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
by Walt Pretorius
hadow of War
m the source…
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have been changed, and the overall timeline has been altered… and not by a little, either. So purists will likely fume and rage and turn all sorts of interesting colours as they rally against Shadow of War. Because that’s how Tolkien purists are. However, what is presented in the form of Shadow of War is actually a very fine game set in Tolkien’s universe, and it provides the player with a lot of challenge, heaps of stuff to do and, of course, tons of enjoyment. If you enjoyed Shadow of Mordor, playing Shadow of War is an absolute no-brainer. There is enough familiarity here to keep the experience rolling, as well as enough new concepts and ideas to keep things fresh. Shadow of War resurrects (ahem) the character of Talion and reintroduces us to his love-hate bromance with the shade of the long dead elven lord Celebrimbor. The
GAMING
hen Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor first launched a few years ago, Tolkien purists really had a field-day with the inconsistencies of the story, and the liberties taken by the writers. Shadow of Mordor did very little by way of sticking to the fantasy realms that were created by Tolkien, other than using a few concepts and names that were familiar to those that saw the movies or, even worse, read the books. Perhaps that was why “Lord of the Rings” was never used in the title – but still, even using the name Middle-Earth didn’t indemnify the game from the ire of those who believe that Tolkien’s creation shouldn’t be messed with. Middle-Earth: Shadow of War will be, without a doubt, no different. In fact, the license taken with this title by the writers is even broader than before. Important facts
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interplay between these two is always interesting; Talion is an empathic type with ultimate loyalty to Gondor, while Celebrimbor wants nothing more than to see the job done, no matter the cost. While one can almost predict a fracture in their relationship of earth-shattering proportions, it never really materialised, though. They spend more time focussed on the new ring of power which was crafted by Celebrimbor and lost by Talion just a few minutes into the game. The thief? A foxy human version of the giant spider queen Shelob, who plays a fairly large role in the narrative. While the plot takes immense liberties with the source material, it isn’t too bad overall. The story is well told, with decent voice acting, great presentation and a cast of generally memorable characters. Most memorable, perhaps, are the uruk captains that the player
encounters‌ which leads us to the overall dynamics of the game. Shadow of War is pretty much an open-world game in which the player runs around and kills lots of uruks. Individual uruks are easy to take down (or drain as a source of health regeneration). A group of uruks is a bit tougher to take on, although careful timing and situational awareness keep things going. Add a captain in, though, and things can get really tough. Captains, like in the previous title, have a lot of personality, and are possessed of strengths and weaknesses for the player to avoid or exploit. As before, lower ranked uruks can be interrogated for information on what makes a captain tick. But even then, higher level captains can pose a tough challenge from time to time, and when the player is killed by a captain (or an uruk)
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microtransactions. Players will be able to discover some great gear, with rarer items having a ‘mini-quest’ condition that unlocks even more power of the player completes it. In addition, players will be able to make use of a simple gem slotting system to further customise weapons and other gear. Shadow of War offers a wide variety of toys, too, with a massive range of powers and effects for the player to enjoy, making customisation of the overall experience fun and easy to accomplish. Additionally, Talion has a rather extensive skill tree to develop, with many skills have unlockable and modifiers to tweak the way they work. Towards the end of things, Talion feels almost like a super-hero with the vast array of powers that become available to him. While the main game offers a ton of things to do across
GAMING
they become more powerful. That’s right, the Nemesis system from the previous game is back, and we’re glad it is. When the player is killed by a particular uruk captain, that captain becomes the player’s nemesis, allowing sweet revenge to be exacted, should the player choose. This has been extended to a Vendetta system as well, allowing the player to hunt down uruks who killed other players. Avoiding uruk captains is a big no-no. Taking them out is vital to the war effort. And besides that, uruk captains will happily amble into nearby conflicts, or even take the player by surprise in an ambush. But the best reason to slaughter these varied and entertaining enemies lies in the fact that they drop sweet loot. So much so, in fact, that killing uruk captains is a great way to avoid Shadow of War’s controversial
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five varied (if only visually), massive areas, the addition of a siege-based fortress game, which can be played as asymmetric multiplayer as well. During the course of the game, the player will be able to take over the minds of uruks and build an army to take on fortresses, and in the multiplayer version it’s a case of attacker against defender. It’s a fun way to play, but there is little by way of strategy here, leaving the player feeling more like a detached observer than a true participant. Upgrades to fortresses are preset in positioning, for example, and sending your armies in to battle is less like planning a strategic assault and more like letting them loose. Still, it adds a new dimension to the game and, while it might not be a strategy gamer’s delight, it can still be a fun variation to the overall game. Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is, when you get down to
it, a great game. Sure, it takes narrative liberties and some of the systems employed could have been deeper, but there is nothing here that really makes the game intolerable. In fact, the variety of options, entertaining characters and beautiful settings do quite the opposite; getting lost for a few hours in Shadow of War is easy to do, and the gradual yet palpable development of Talion is exciting to experience. Seeing him astride a drake, laying waste to enemies with fiery breath, feels like a life-goal completed, and taking on some of the game’s tougher bosses leaves one feeling truly accomplished, or vanquished. And if you’re really bothered about the liberties taken with the world, try to ignore the source material and just enjoy Shadow of War as a fantastic open-world fantasy adventure. It’s easier to do than you might think. g
AT A GLANCE Adventure
REVIEWED ON
A great sequel to Shadow of Mordor, Shadow of War manages to remain familiar and feel fresh all at the same time.
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Monoloith Warner Bros Ster Kinekor
PARENTAL ADVISORY
18+ gamecca101
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
x0 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
89 73
E M W A IE G EV R
The Evil Within 2 GAMING
Prepare for the scare…
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The Evil Within 2
by Rob Edwards
2
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in the previous game. The events of the original have left him a broken, booze-ridden mess, but he is soon thrust back into the thick of thing. Castellanos is sent, somewhat grudgingly, into a global neural network called the STEM (kind of like The Evil Within 2’s version of the Matrix) where he must uncover the truth behind the fate of his daughter, among other things. The world of the STEM is a thoroughly bizarre and unpredictable one, which helps ramp up the whole survival horror aspect of the game. Even though the pace and tone of the game does an almost about-turn around half-way through, the environment, complete with its thoroughly weird concepts and utterly creepy monsters, is pretty much pitch-perfect. The player will simply never know what to expect next. Seemingly innocuous locations that seem like good
GAMING
urvival Horror will always be a genre that grabs a great many gamers. If the horror and survival aspects of the game are handled correctly, even often important things like plot and characterisation can be treated with less finesse, thanks to the idea that people like being frightened. And that’s exactly what happens with The Evil Within 2; survival horror is king here, and all other aspects are servants of it. The problem is that it takes a little while for the survival horror aspect of the game to kick in, treating players to some of the game’s weaker aspects before the real juicy stuff kicks in. Front and foremost of the offenders is the game’s main character. Tango Gameworks have brought Sebastian Castellanos back for The Evil Within 2, but this time around he is even more flat and boring, and less likeable, than he was
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exploration options can launch whole new tangents or crazed battles, and the overall “sense” that our own world makes is best left at the door. In fact, the world of The Evil Within 2 is so nonsensical that it borders on being ridiculous. But it is also massively unpredictable and disturbing, which is great survival horror fare. Trying to predict what an enemy is going to do is almost impossible, adding masses of tension to the overall experience. It may do some things in weird or even ineffective ways, but The Evil Within 2 does tension extremely well. So well, in fact, that you may even forget that there is little way in which you can like, or even connect, to the utterly bland cast of characters that you will meet within the game. You may almost not notice that the plot and premise are pretty weak at best. You’ll be too busy
scrounging for ammo or green goo that helps you upgrade your character and equipment. You’ll be too occupied with trying to sneak past a monster that could turn and attack at any time. You’ll be too involved in trying to survive the experience. And that is exactly what fans of the genre need in a game. Tango Gameworks have taken a number of big steps forward in The Evil Within 2, but they have also taken a few backwards. Still, if you can look past the hammed-up voice acting and often laughable ideas that drive the plot forward, and fix your concentration of the beautifully conceptualised monsters, the haunting and atmospheric setting and the calculated risks needed to survive in the STEM, you’ll likely be enjoying the time you spend with The Evil Within 2. It’s certainly not perfect in all aspects, but it does get your heart racing and your palms sweating. g
AT A GLANCE Survival Horror
Despite numerous weaker points, the Evil Within 2 manages to get the core of its identity – survival horror – right.
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Tango Gameworks Bethesda Ster Kinekor
PARENTAL ADVISORY
18+ gamecca101
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
REVIEWED ON
x0 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
80 77
E M W A IE G EV R
South Park: The Fractured B GAMING
Killing Kenny… again…
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South Park: The Fractured But Whole
by Walt Pretorius
But Whole
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S
that fans of the series have come to know, love and demand from anything bearing the South Park title. Like The Stick of Truth, The Fractured But Whole is set in the town of South Park, and the player takes on the role of New Kid. And, like the previous game, The Fractured But Whole is framed by a game that almost all of the kids in town are playing. But where Stick of Truth was a fantasy game, with the kids pretending to be all manner of knights, elves and so on, The Fractured But Whole changes things up because… well, because Cartman is bored of playing fantasy stuff, and wants to create a super hero franchise around his character, The Coon (as in raccoon, but the uncomfortable slurs and insults run pretty thick and fast here). To do so, he needs to rescue a cat for a $100 reward, to get things kick started. And to do that, he needs the help of the other
GAMING
outh Park has been around for many, many years, and there are very few people who don’t know who the characters are, or that they are likely going to do or say something that treads a very fine line between hilarious and offensive. The property has been handled with a devil-may-care attitude that has helped form its very unique identity, and the creators seem to have never taken anything too seriously – which is likely why a TV show so potentially upsetting to so many people has managed to stay on the air for around two decades. The same approach was taken with South Part: The Fractured But Whole, which is the second South Park game to be released by Ubisoft. Every part of the game, from the story to even the name (the fractured butthole, anyone?) smacks of the delightful irreverence
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kids. And so the game changes, and now everyone is pretending to be super heroes. The line between reality and the fantasy of the kids’ game blurs almost immediately. What is real and what isn’t is never really clear in The Fractured But Whole, but that’s the point. This is a game about kids (even if they are a bunch of disgusting little bastards) and about their reality and imagination. However, there comes a point when things get so over the top, one cannot help but wonder if what seemed to be imagination before was just always a reality of living in South Park. And the game never tries to explain it away, either, which is great. Most of the game is made up of a very deep and strategically sound turn-based combat system, which is interspersed with exploring and tons of off-colour
situations. And all of this hinges on the clever RPG system that The Fractured But Whole employs, in which the player, rather than choosing skills, can equip artefacts to gain abilities, and switch them out pretty much at any time. New Kid is capable of a hell of a lot as a result, and the player can constantly keep things fresh by switching out buffs and even abilities a little later on in the game. This is a game that certainly won’t appeal to everyone, but fans of South Park, and particularly fans of The Stick of Truth, will find a great degree of familiarity here. The Fractured But Whole is an improvement over the previous game, however, and it even tweaks at the heart strings from time to time (hidden among all the fart jokes). If you like South Park, you simply have to play this game. g
AT A GLANCE Adventure
REVIEWED ON
Off-colour humour and jabs at society are aplenty here, as the South Park characters undertake another grand adventure.
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Ubisoft Ubisoft Megarom
PARENTAL ADVISORY
18+ gamecca101
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
x0 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
82 81
E M W A IE G EV R
Rugby 18 Ruck, Rinse, Repeat
R
well, and to be fair Rugby 18 has addressed some of these complaints. The game features a variety of possible modes, including both online and local matches, as well as a career mode where you are free to select from a vast roster of players. While only Northern hemisphere tournaments are available, all of the major international teams are licenced, and to the game’s credit the player list is mostly up to date, meaning that its fully possible for South Africans to play as the Cheetahs or Southern Kings in the Pro 14. This is however where the praise mostly ends. Rugby 18’s gameplay is awkward at best, infuriating at worst, and mostly just boring and repetitive, with the fluid intricacies of the modern game lost in transition. Rucking is the order of the day here, and you’ll spend the vast majority of your time grinding up the field as you
GAMING
ugby is not a sport easily translated in to digital form. While there have been a few attempts over gaming’s history to capture its glory, by and large they have fallen somewhat flat, with only a select number of titles managing to even rise above mediocrity. Rugby 15 and Rugby World Cup 2015, developed by HB Studios and published by Bigben Interactive, cannot count themselves amongst this group, both being dismal failures that were panned by critics and players alike. However despite the shift of developmental duties to the French-based Eko Software, for many Rugby 18 will not be the redemption the series desperately needs. Those that did bother to try Rugby 15 and its cashin follow up will remember that the games not only seriously lacked in implementation but in content as
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metres, and with absolutely no support to be found (as your teammates are apparently content to only trot around the park), yet again it’s back to another round of rucks. It all builds towards an experience that is mired in repetition, and if this wasn’t enough the game has a ton of noticeable, if minor, bugs, such as props taking penalty kicks and a running commentary that is so often wrong its laughable. The Rugby franchise has never exactly lit the world on fire. Constantly trailing its bigger, better funded brethren such as FIFA and Madden, never has the disparity in quality been more apparent than now. There were hopes that Rugby 18 would right the wrongs of its predecessors, but unfortunately this is not the case, and while it can be said that the game is an improvement on past attempts, that’s not a particularly sterling recommendation. g
AT A GLANCE Sport
REVIEWED ON
There is little to recommend about Rugby 18, and even serious fans of the sport are likely to find this game tedious
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Eko Software Maximum Games Apex Interactive
PARENTAL ADVISORY
3+ gamecca101
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
x360 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
42 83
by Lein Baart
endlessly repeat the same mini-game. While the game’s underlying set-piece mechanics are mostly functional, the pace of any match is brought to a crawl as you tediously call in players to secure your ball, and nothing as simple as a pop pass off the ground or a pick-up-and-go is on hand to keep the tempo up. When you do finally manage to get the ball out you’ll find your players standing so flat that there is virtually no opportunity to get past the first receiver, and once again you’re back to mindlessly hammering your controller. The tedium could be alleviated somewhat if the backline play was up to scratch, but this is hampered by a monumentally stupid AI that insists on gormlessly crowding around each ruck. On the rare occasion that you do actually break the line you’ll find your players stamina completely drained before even managing to sprint 50
E M W A IE G EV R
WWE 2K18 GAMING
The road to glory is paved with suplex
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WWE 2K18
GENRE
It’s the heat, it’s the fire, it’s
by Nthato Morakabi
the legacy that continues to inspire generation after generation. It’s the
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV NS
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
16+ AWARDS Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
Score
75
AT A GLANCE
PARENTAL ADVISORY
REVIEWED ON
PLATFORMS
WWE boy!
Yuke 2K Prima Interactibe
gamecca101
Sport
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
option of qualifying for upcoming PPV Events by earning stars. These stars also help rank up your player up or open Loot Cases every week. It’s great! Gameplay wise, it’s the WWE come to life. I probably use that phrase too often when it comes to sport simulation games, but I don’t say it lightly. I’ve spoken about the legacy of the WWE, and the hype of the matches. Once you’re in there in your match, you feel that energy. When you play, you have to get those moves right or you get punished bad. Reversals? Ha! There is an actual strategy to playing, and as the commentators tend to say, “Sometimes you gotta take the punishment.” And really you sometimes have to, to gain the upper hand. Once you get used to it, man can you kill. One thing I’m thankful for is the very fast loading times. Much better than NBA 2K18 I must say, which improved the experience. Superstars have been well recreated, including their personalities. Even now, I still harbour a great love-hate for Randy Orton and feel his cockiness when I played as him. The game is still a bit sluggish at times, and the fights can be ridiculous because the move being executed has been programmed to work but like… no. You can’t dive from there Neville. You can’t. My overall experience of the game was more positive than negative. Even when playing MyPlayer and the characters just yap away with no sound and just dialogue text. They should have adopted the prescripted voice overs that NBA 2K18 had (I know, I know I’m comparing these a lot but its 2K okay). So much replayability, I’ll be playing for a long while.g
XO
xes.
I
don’t know what 2K has been doing recently but I just want to tell them to keep it up. There’s this sense of depth, personality, and energy that they continue to add to their games that do that thing I mentioned before: hype. The right kind of hype. The kind that makes you lift your hands in the air with each victory. The kind that has you head banging to the music. The kind that gives you a sense of accomplishment, and that is what WWE 2K18 does. A definite step up from WWE 2K17. First of all let’s just appreciate the legacy of the WWE. Decades of wrestling that many of us grew up watching. We remember the hype we experienced when our favourites won, and the heartache when they lost. I’m not going to say this game did exactly that, but there were moments when it was pretty close. Pretty. Close. Diving right in, there’s a lot of game modes. I’m starting to think that’s a 2K Sports speciality. Play gives you the usual matchups from one-on-one, Royal Rumble, Triple-Threat and others. WWE Universe plays you through the Raw and Smackdown franchises where you play as the actual Superstars in the “TV Show”. You experience the rivalries, takedown current champions, and lead the WWE Universe as you see fit by playing or simulating matches. The “Main Event” however, is the MyPlayer mode. Yep, you guessed it. You create your own Superstar and thrust them into the world of wrestling as a rookie to a superstar. My Career is the offline mode of exactly that. Road to Glory pits you against other MyPlayers in an online competition that offers different matches each day. It even has the
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ELEX The agony and the ecstacy
T
world isn’t the prettiest one we’ve seen in this kind of game, it certainly is a serviceable one. On top of that, ELEX offers a massive amount of RPG activities that actually feel like the player is taking an active role in not only their character development, but in the game’s story as a whole. That’s a great thing, because it seems that, quite often these days, the idea of role-playing within a video game comes down to deciding which skills to choose, rather than helping craft the tale. That is an aspect of the game that may well make die-hard RPG fans work through ELEX’s many issues. But they’re really going to want to experience that aspect of RPG gaming badly to do so. Part of the frustration that ELEX will deliver is the character build. It takes ages for character to develop into something that feels like it could survive this harsh world,
GAMING
he world of Magalan has been met with disaster. It has undergone an apocalypse of sorts, with the survivors scratching out a scant existence in the aftermath. But the catastrophe brought something else with it, a substance that the people of Magalan have called ELEX. And this mysterious stuff has many incredible powers, which the world’s three main factions all want to harness in different ways. That’s the premise behind ELEX, an extremely ambitious open-world RPG from German developers Piranha Bytes. The thing is, though, that Piranha Bytes have a track record that can be called spotty at best, and a game as ambitious as ELEX is has proven to be a bigger bite than this studio could effectively chew. On the surface, ELEX offers the player a truly massive world with tons to do and see, and while the
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and decidedly average (at best) in terms of voice acting. ELEX had, on paper, a lot going for it, and the unique new world is a great setting. But with mechanics that feel almost broken and a presentation that is a bit dated, it falls short on becoming one of the RPGs that get onto this year’s must play list. It will service those that want to play it well enough, but they’re going to have to undertake the experience with the patience of Job from the get-go. And slogging through the sometimes-bland early hours of the game to develop a character that starts feeling significant may be too much grinding for some to bear. ELEX has all the signs of a developer with great ideas and a solid approach to settings and RPG ideals. But the polish simply isn’t there. It feels like they created a game that they considered “good enough”, which in today’s market simply isn’t good enough at all. g
AT A GLANCE CRPG
REVIEWED ON
Despite a really great RPG engagement, ELEX makes far too many missteps to really shine. A pity, because there was a lot of potential here. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Piranha Bytes THQ Nordic Apex Interactive
PARENTAL ADVISORY
16+ gamecca101
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
AWARDS
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Casual Ed’s Choice
x0 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X0 PS4 Wii U X360 PS3 PSV 3DS
Score
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by Alex Scanlon
but you’ll have to start planning your track and saving up development points early on, which requires a lot of bookkeeping. The initial skills and additions simply don’t feel powerful enough. The same goes for equipment – getting a great weapon is a rare find in ELEX, and most of the things you can equip, particularly early in the game, just don’t have enough punch. And then there’s the combat. At best, melee combat is clunky, while ranged combat is extremely twitchy, thanks to sometimes weird enemy movement. It all adds up to making ELEX a lot more frustrating than many will think it is worth, and playing the game to experience the RPG side of things will feel like a chore. Speaking of the story, ELEX enjoys long expositions and eulogies, all of which are pretty bland in terms of writing
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elEyes! In the Heart of an Alien
Game development can be a tricky and unforgiving scene. We talk tackling fear and anxiety with Angel Polanco and how The Void Rains Upon Her Heart has played a part in overcoming them. gamecca101
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GM: I found out about Veyeral
program! I started by making games in
Games when I read up about the
Flash. I had a lot of fun with it even though I
uniqueness of your upcoming title?
never finished any of those games.
But before that, who is Veyeral Games? VG: Veyeral Games is currently just
GM: Crash Bandicoot Warped. Now that brings back memories, and
me, Angel Polanco, making games on my
making games in Flash! Which makes
own. The name “Veyeral” is actually a pun
me wonder what software you use
of the word “Viral” with the “i” replaced
now and why?
with “eye.” It also amuses me to hear it
VG: Somewhere around the age of
pronounced incorrectly all the time. I’ve
12, I discovered a little program called
heard it pronounced in so many ways it’s
GameMaker. It was super easy to learn
almost like I have a hundred different names.
and I was amazed at how much my games were improving by using it. GameMaker
GM: Wait what!? Guess I’ve been
was far less powerful back then but I stuck
pronouncing it wrong too. But now
with it and it basically grew up with me. It
I’m curious about the why…
always seemed to get an upgrade just when
VG: I was a very strange kid who liked to
I needed it. I love it because it is great for
draw eyeballs all the time. Ever since I was
making 2D games and I don’t really have any
just eight years old, I’ve wanted to make
interest in making a 3D game right now.
games. My ideas would always involve eyeballs in some way, and those ideas have
GM: Fair enough, and also as a one
never left me. I wanted the name to have the
man team 3D might be more difficult.
word “eye” mixed in with my sense of humor.
With your interest in gaming, what
Thus Veyeral Games was born.
did you study and did you study it specifically to go into gaming?
GM: That is quite…unique.. And speaking of always wanting to make
Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science.
games, was there a game you played
I’ve always been good at learning things on
that made you want to develop games
my own, so I didn’t think a school on game
in the first place? How did you start
design would help me very much. I decided
developing games?
to go to school to improve my programming
GAMING
VG: Back when I was eight years old, I had
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VG: I just recently graduated with a
skills instead. It turns out that the class that
a friend show me the first game I would ever
helped me out the most was an elective,
play. It was Crash Bandicoot Warped on the
Music 101. The only thing that was really
PS1. Not long after that, I started coming up
holding back the quality of my games was
with ideas for my own games. It was actually
my mediocre musical skill. After taking that
within that year that I started learning to
class, I was able to analyze my favorite
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songs and learn from them. My game music
not hear back from most of the people you
has improved drastically since then!
contact. I know it isn’t personal, but it still hurts anyways. If all that social interaction
GM: Game music! Never actually
sounds awful to you, then I strongly suggest
considered that much. So, since
you try to find a publisher that will help you
you’re developing, are there any
with all of that.
other Indie Developers you look up to? VG: I love all of the developers that
With all of that said, making games is still a hugely rewarding experience and I just can’t see myself ever doing something
I follow on Twitter and Tumblr, but two
else. My whole life has been devoted to
in particular stand out for me. Rebecca
developing games and I hope this game is
Cordingley of Ooblets and The Meatly,
just successful enough to let me develop
creator of Bendy and the Ink Machine. I
another.
found them both when their following was relatively small and I watched them both
GM: I hope so too, and with that
explode into popularity. It has been such
history behind you, what does being a
an inspiration to watch that happen twice
Game Developer mean to you both as
already, I wonder who will be next?
a gamer and as a developer?
I also have to give it to Toby Fox for
VG: As a gamer, it means that all of the
creating such a heartfelt game. Undertale
magic tricks of game design have been
is one of the biggest inspirations to my own
revealed. I know that a lot of things are
game.
faked to deliver a certain experience to the player. I know that around every unreachable
GM: Oh yes, I’ve heard of Under Tale but will have to look up the
makes it seem like there is more to be found.
Ooblets and Bendy and the Ink
Luckily, this has only enhanced my gaming
Machine. Which brings me to the
experience. I love finding ways to break a
next question, about the industry.
game and reveal the secrets of how it was
How difficult is it being an indie
put together. I analyze game systems and
developer?
figure out how I can use them in my own
VG: As a person with an immense amount
GAMING
of social anxiety, this industry is super tough
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corner there is nothing but a mirage that
games. As a developer, I’ve been using
to get into. I would love to just make a game
GameMaker for so long that I basically know
and release it, but that is simply not possible
how to make anything happen. It has been a
for an indie. You really need to do a lot of
very long time since I gave up on a feature
hard work to try to spread the word and it
just because I could not figure out how to
really drains my energy. You also need to get
program it. It’s no longer a question of “Can
good at handling rejection because you will
I even make this?” It’s now “How long will it
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take me to make this?”
VG: Just before I began working on this game, I was diagnosed with an anxiety
GM: That is such an amazing spin
disorder. I have also noticed that many other
on things, looking at it from a “it’s
indie game developers that I follow have
possible, but how long.” Viewpoint.
some kind of anxiety disorder and I wanted
Right, let’s talk dev. The game you
to make a game that talks about it. I realized
are currently working on, what is it?
bullet-hell games are a great metaphor for
VG: I am currently developing a bullet-hell
anxiety. A huge wall of bullets that seems
game called The Void Rains Upon Her Heart.
like an unavoidable threat, but if you calm
It is my first game developed as Veyeral
down and focus then you can get passed it
Games and also my first commercial game.
unharmed. Every boss is a personification of some
GM: Every time I hear bullet hell I
kind of fear or anxiety and most of the
think Xevious and Gradius. What can
items are coping mechanisms for dealing
you tell say about The Void Rains
with those “monsters.” And of course,
Upon Her Heart? What is the key
most of the bosses have a strange eyeball
feature that makes your game?
somewhere on them.
VG: In the game, you control the heart
Other games that have inspired this game
of an alien girl and battle random bosses
are the Kirby series, the Touhou series,
with love bullets! After you defeat a boss
Undertale, and The Binding of Isaac. I
they give you random gifts that power you
always loved how Kirby games start out as a
up or heal you for the next fight. The goal
cute adventure and then by the end you are
is to make it to the final boss at the end
always fighting some otherworldly eyeball
without being heartbroken. If you do get
monster. Oh yeah, Kirby was a huge part of
heartbroken, then you have to start over.
my childhood as well. I still look forward to
The game is designed to be accessible
new Kirby games!
to people with little to no experience with bullet-hell games, but it still offers a nice
GM: Kirby! You played good
challenge to those that go looking for
classics. What platform are you
it. There will be tons of unlockables and
looking to release it on and is there a
multiple endings to discover. There is also
release date?
a quickplay mode where you can fight any boss with any items that you have unlocked.
VG: There is no release date set just yet, but there is a demo for PC available right now at www.veyeralgames.com The full
GAMING
GM: That concept just… it should
game will be available on PC/Mac/Linux. I
be an anime or something, begging
would love to get it on Xbox One and PS4 in
the question, what was your
the future. g
inspiration behind it?
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Cooler Master MasterAir MA610P CPU Cooler MSI Z370 Godlike Gaming Motherboard Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 600 Xbox Headset Cooler Master Devastator 3 Gaming Combo
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Cooler Master has been present in the South African market for ages, always with the promise of high quality products on offer. And as the market changes, grows and evolves, the manufacturer will continue to promote PC using – and particularly gaming. Part of that will be a renewed focus on PC chassis products, with three new cases getting the lion’s share of attention next year. We recently spoke the Shane Alborough, the Marketing Manager for Africa and Israel, about these products, as well as how Cooler Master perceives the local market and what they are doing to help it grow.
GAMING
1 GM: The focus will be shifting onto three new cases for the South African market – The MasterBox Lite 5 RGB, the MasterCase H500P and the Cosmos C700P. Why these specific cases? SA: The reason behind it is that these are the flagship cases in each segment. They are the brand new, top of the line cases for each segment, which is why we are focussing on them. The changes to the case line-up has been in process for around a year, to reach the point where these three cases have been launched in each category. 2 GM: Can you give us a breakdown of the three
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categories? SA: Basically, the MasterBox range focussed more on the entry-level to mainstream market, targeting a good price point. These cases give you the best value and spec for your budget. The end users get everything they require for their build. The MasterBox range also has 30% modularity, meaning that 30% of the chassis itself, specifically focussed on the internal layout, can be configured to the user’s liking. The MasterCase range provides the user with 70% modularity. You can not only adjust the internal configuration but also the exterior of your chassis. You can change the way it looks on the outside by adding addition components. These cases are targeting with a little more budget and are looking for a more custom experience and want to tweak and fiddle and get their hands on the chassis itself. They’re also for guys who want to mod their cases – basically for the hobbyists, the guys who are very serious about their PC build. The Cosmos range has always been our iconic, flagship range, dedicated to the enthusiast. It is very high-end, with top grade materials, like full aluminium handles in the C700P. It is for the guys who want to showcase and show off their PC, as well as those that want a very hands-on experience. The C700P is actually our most modular chassis, offering complete internal configuration adjustment. It is aimed that those who want to constantly upgrade and keep up with trends.
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3 GM: The local focus for the last while has been on the MasterCase range… how was that received in South Africa, and what sparked the new direction? SA: Globally, the range was received very well. In the African region, which is very price sensitive, it wasn’t received as well as it could have been, but the overall response from those interested in the MasterCase range (those not just wanting to buy any old chassis) was good. We had good feedback from the community and managed to reach our goal, which was to infiltrate the community and learn what they want from a chassis, and how the MasterCase range could provide that. The movement to the new H500P was to bring back the gaming audience. The MasterCase range targeted a more niche audience. People like graphic designers, 3D animators and architects; people that neede a PC to power their passion, but that weren’t necessarily part of the industry itself. We wanted to target the gamers that we previously reached with our CMStorm series. The H500P is a more gaming orientated build, as well a step towards our previous High Air Flow (HAF) series. The H series of MasterCases will fill the void that we haven’t been fulfilling.
4 GM: With Africa being a price sensitive region, is there still a viable market fo these chassis? Is the market more component orientated
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and less chassis focussed? SA: We have seen that people will spend their money on components first, and whatever they have left will go to their chassis. It’s very rare that we see people choosing a chassis first. But there are still guys that do that – after the launch of the H500P we have heard a lot of guys saying that they will reconfigure their builds just to purchase the H500P, simply for the look. There definitely is a market for these more high-end chassis, which is pretty evident after the release of tempered glass chassis. End users started to respond to the high-end aspects well, and the tempered glass movement showed that there was a lot of focus on cases. The RGB movement also showed that people are still concerned with the overall look of their PC and will spend money on a highend chassis. 5 GM: On the technical side of things… large parts of Africa are hot, to put it mildly. How does tempered glass affect case temperatures, particularly in a market where air-cooled is still more prominent? SA: It depends completely on the actual set up of the PC itself. Simply removing a fan from the side of the chassis will not affect the cooling as much as you think, particularly with the components being situated as they are. Most new cases now have acrylic or tempered glass side panels. You’re going to get better performance from tempered glass, because the acrylic is
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thinner and allows for more heat transfer. You’ll get less with tempered glass, which is better. But it all does come down to configuration. 6 GM: Speaking of configurations… Africa is not only price sensitive, but it tends to be bandwidth sensitive too. We’re seeing more and more chassis released that don’t allow for the installation of an optical drive. How is that received in a market where a lot of software is still disc-based? SA: The C700P has space for an optical drive, and the H500P has an optional optical bracket. Just the MasterBox Lite 5 RGB doesn’t have space for an optical. But optical is a complex scenario. We have found that if we include an optical drive bay, the South African market say they don’t need it. If we don’t include one, they say that they do. We have found that there are still end users that prefer an optical bay, but most of the gamer market don’t particular want one – they have already made the move to non-optical systems. 7 GM: Cooler Master has been present in South Africa for ages… how does the company see the market? SA: We see it as a growing and expanding market. Even though globally the gaming trend has been shifting away from PC, we have seen a good growth in the local PC gaming market. A
gamecca101
lot of that can be attributed to large organisations putting more funding into the gaming market. So we have seen good growth… a lot of people are moving in that direction. But we do find a problem that cheap component manufacturers are bringing poor quality products to the market at very cheap price points. Because the general market here is undereducated, we see a lot of growth in sub-grade brands, which we need to contend with. From our perspective, we only produce top quality products, but a number of these brands are giving general product categories a bad name. 8 GM: What is Cooler Master doing to create awareness and education around PC gaming in South Africa? SA: We are trying to grow the local community as much as we possibly can. We have partnered with a Johannesburg retailer and we are working with them on outreach programs, targeting school learners. We will be hosting workshops to grow and educate the community. How to build a PC, how to configure it, how to enter the gaming scene and approach sponsors, how to manage a clan and associated market… the focus is definitely around the gaming community, and we want to bring people into the scene at a young age, show them how to penetrate the industry and give them an understanding of how the industry works. We want to see the gaming market grow in a healthy way in South Africa. g
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H C EW E T VI E R Cooler
Master
MasterAir MA610 Big, big and big!
B
TECHNOLOGY
ig PC rigs need big cooling. It’s just a matter of science, really, and particularly if you’re pushing your PC to high limits. Keeping things cool inside the PC case is vital, but not everyone wants to go the water cooling route. It is possible, of course, to effectively air-cool your PC rig, as long as the cooling components you use are up to the task. And this is doubly so for the CPU cooler. Enter the Cooler Master MasterAir MA610P… It’s good to note, early on in this review, that this is a big cooler. Really. At a height of just under 167mm, it stands proud and tall. And it may cause issues with space in your PC case, so make sure you can handle it before you rush out to buy one. Which, quite frankly, you may well want to do – the MasterAir MA610P is a fantastic option for those that want to stick to air cooling, but want it to pack a punch. The MasterAir MA610P uses six heat pipes to carry air away from the base plate, which sits in direct contact with the CPU. The heat is carried to the main body of the cooler, which is a massive array of heat sinks. On either side of the heat sinks sits a 120mm MasterFan RGB, set up in a push-pull configuration to keep air blasting over the heat sinks at a constant, high rate. And, being RGB fans, they can be
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Cooler Master MasterAir MA610P CPU Cooler
0P
CPU Cooler
by Rob Edwards
customised for colour… but more about that later. The MasterAir MA610P drags heat away from the CPU very effectively indeed, making it a reliable and effective air cooling system. The fans run really quietly, too, which is always a bonus in these kinds of cases. And now for the looks – the MasterAir MA610P is impressive in terms of size alone, but a carefyl aesthetic approach means that it looks good, too. Along with the RGB fans, an RGB enabled top plate has been included in the design. These are controlled via the motherboard, making the MasterAir MA610P capable of all the lighting colours and effects that are available via the motherboard’s software. It might seem like a small think, but to those that take pride in their case interior, an RGB enabled CPU cooler is a pretty big thing. So yes, the MasterAir MA610P is big all around – big on performance, big on looks and just plain old big to go with it. IF air cooling is your particular bag, you could do far worse than this great device, which ensures wonderfully cool CPU temperatures, even under heavy strain. And that, folks, is exactly what we want from a CPU cooler – the great looks are a bonus. g
AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY
TECH SPECS • • • • • • •
It’s big all around – on performance, on looks and on size. This is a great air cooling option for your CPU.
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RGB enabled Twin 120mm fans 6 heat pipes Direct contact RGB top plate
Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
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H C EW E T VI E R MSI
Z370 Godlike G W
TECHNOLOGY
What’s in a name?
hen a product is called “godlike” it evokes all kinds of mental images – not least of which being a marketing department overstepping their bounds. But when it comes to MSI’s Z370 Godlike Gaming Motherboard, the name doesn’t stretch credulity too much at all; this is, quite simply, a fantastic motherboard. It’s also a very expensive motherboard, priced high enough to put it out of the reach of a great many who would love to see it in action. However, if you’re willing to save up the cash and take the punch to the wallet that buying the Z370 Godlike represents, you will likely never regret your decision. With that in mind, to fully enjoy the potential of a motherboard like this, you will need to ensure that your other equipment and components allow it to show off. The Z370 Godlike forms the start of what could turn out to be a very expensive system indeed. But if, once again, you’re willing and able to set up this kind of system, there will be little by way of complaint. With support for 8th Generation Intel CPUs and a Z370 chipset at its core, the Z370 Godlike is a powerful and fast motherboard. And, as to be expected, it makes use of a number of bell and whistles that, these days, are synonymous with the MSI brand. And it features some great new ideas, too.
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Take, for example, Killer xTend. With an integrated Wi-Fi adapter, Killer xTend technology allow the Z370 Godlike to become a Wi-Fi extender, allowing wireless and wired devices to connect to the network with the motherboard as a hub. The Z370 Godlike also supports various options for printable parts, the base designs of which are available online. Users can create and customise parts ranging from M.2 fan stands through to VGA support brackets, all of which can be tweaked for excellent customisation. Not to mention, of course, the massive array of lighting options that the Z370 Godlike has on offer. This is a motherboard with enthusiasts in mind, and it offers numerous ways to release the tinkering bug. It is a massively stable overclocking option, complete with an 18 phase power design, and numerous protections to ensure that tweaking (or other nasty occurrences) don’t leave your investment as a smoking pile of copper and plastic. That includes ideas like armoured ports and over-voltage protections, of course. Add to all of this the fact that this board looks simply fantastic, with a matt black and shiny gunmetal aesthetic throughout, and you realise that the Z370 Godlike is a board that you can show off, both when your PC is powered down or when you’re blazing effortlessly through tough tasks. g
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NAME MSI Z370 OF THE Godlike PRODUCT Gaming Motherboard
Motherboard
SUMMARY The top of MSI’s motherboard pile, the Z370 Godlike Gaming lives up to its name in performance and reliability. TECH SPECS • • • • • • •
Integrated Wi-Fi Z370 chipset DDR4 Boost USB 3.1 Gen2 Nahimic 2 audio Steel Armor
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Platinum Gold Silver Bronze Ed’s Choice
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by Walt Pretorius
AT A GLANCE:
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Gaming
H C EW E T VI E R Turtle
Beach
Ear Force Stealth
TECHNOLOGY
For Microsoft gamers…
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Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 600 Xbox Headset
Xbox Headset
by Alex Scanlon
ersonally, I am a fan of personal audio devices – that’s fancy way of saying headsets – that offer as much versatility as possible. Then again, I am the kind of person that uses headsets with my pc, three game consoles, two smart devices and whatever else accepts them. And that’s a weakness for me in Turtle Beach’s Ear Force Stealth 600 Xbox Wireless headset – it works with only two devices, really, in the form of Microsoft’s Xbox, and a PC. But not everyone works the way I do, and for those that own an Xbox One and a Windows based PC, the Stealth 600 is a great bet. Keep in mind that to use this wireless headset with a PC you will need to purchase an Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows separately, but once you have done so, it works a charm. And, as is to be expected from Turtle Beach, the audio is great. Oh, and you need no special adapters to connect it to the Xbox One. But there is more to the Stealth 600 than just great sound – Turtle Beach have added a few great features to this device. Like, for example, the glasses-friendly padding on the over-ear cups. This makes a big difference to comfort levels, particularly after protracted play periods. Or how about the use of two audio enhancing ideas that make things so much more immersive. The first is Windows Sonic Surround Sound, which provides a virtual surround sound for movies, music and games. The second is Superhuman Hearing, which boosts quiet sounds, like reloading and footsteps, for a richer and more effective audio toolset. The Stealth 600 even includes several preset modes, including a bass boost mode, to ensure the richest possible audio experience. The unit recharges by way of a USB cable, and the batteries provide around 15 hours of life before needing to be recharged. Controls are handled on the bottom edge of the left ear cup, which also houses the small looking (but very effective) fold-away boom mic. The controls include power, mode, and independent audio and chat volume levels. While the Stealth 600 is heavier than it looks, the generous padding on the ear cups and headband make it a fairly comfortable headset to use. Chat monitoring is also handy for the comfort of those listening to you – you’ll be able to hear your own voice and won’t be yelling into the mic unnecessarily. As stated before, a little more versatility would be great here, but for those who are dedicated Microsoft gamers, the Stealth 600 is a fantastic bet. It delivers great audio without the hassle of wires, and has all the right kind of features to make it stand out favourably from the crowd. g
AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY
TECH SPECS • • • • • • •
A great wireless headset for fans of Xbox and Windows gaming.
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PC compatible Xbox compatible Wireless 15 hour battery life Superhuman Hearing technology Virtual surround sound
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Devastator 3
Gaming C
A good place to start…
TECHNOLOGY
M
aking use of a combo set for mouse and keyboard is something that beginners and cash-strapped gamers often need to do. The idea behind combos is to provide both peripherals for a price that is often lower than that of just one of these items. But, loosely translating a saying from my mother tongue, buying cheap can be expensive. Because combo sets are generally much cheaper, it follows that the items making them up are of a lower quality level. So, inevitably, you’re going to have to find a replacement, and potentially sooner than if you went with more expensive peripherals in the first place. That isn’t always the case, though. Cooler Master, for example, realise the importance of giving people a reliable place to start, and so products like their Devastator combos actually perform much better than
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expected. And they revisit them; the newly reworked Devastator combo comes in the form of the Devastator 3, which includes a more than serviceable mouse and keyboard. Both devices now feature a wider lighting customisation set, with seven colours that can be selected. In addition, the keyboard offers laser etched keys, which mean illuminated characters on the keys, as well as no fading of letters or numbers. The keyboard also makes use of Cooler Master’s memchanical system, providing a mechanical feel to what is essentially a membrane keyboard. The keyboard is pretty standard fare, though – it has no real special features to identify it as a gaming keyboard. It performs well, but is devoid of the pizazz that one would expect from a gaming device. The mouse, though, is more of the star of the show. While
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Cooler Master Devastator 3 Gaming Combo
Combo
by Alex Scanlon
AT A GLANCE: SUMMARY
TECH SPECS • • • • • • •
As combo kits go, the Devastator 3 offers a very decent mouse and keyboard for newbies.
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7 colour backlighting Memchanical keyboard 2400 dpi mouse On-the-fly sensitivity Five button mouse
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it isn’t massively endowed in terms of dpi sensitivity – it tops out at 2400 dpi – the optical sensor is sensitive and accurate. It comes with four preset dpi settings, starting at 600 dpi and iterating in 600 dpi steps up to 2400 dpi. While there are devices out there that are much more sensitive, 2400 is not a bad place to start, quite honestly. Even better is the great shaping of the mouse. It would have been an ambidextrous mouse if it wasn’t for the two easy-to-reach side buttons, and the main buttons and wheel are generously sized. Additionally, rubberised side grips add comfort and dependability to the mouse. As a whole, the Devastator 3 combo is a decent bet. No, it isn’t the flashiest of equipment, but it is comprised of two solid performers that get the job done. And at the price, it is a good deal. These are not your usual “beginner” devices, even if they are not top of the line, and they should serve anyone getting to gaming well enough. g
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Can we stem the illegal data flow?
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by Suvesh Arumugam
The Big Leaks
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outh Africa has been a pretty absolute maximum. interesting place to be in the These days military and political last couple of years. If we’ve intelligence is much harder to keep learned anything, we’ve learned that under wraps. With organisations getting your objectives onto the public like WikiLeaks ready to publish agenda is all do-able if you can attach any information, regardless of yourself to a _MustFall hashtag. While confidentiality, keeping state secrets there is no shortage of controversy (or divulging them) is rarely punishable around some of the topics, its clear that by death. In fact, it’s more likely to _MustFall is the most dynamic hashtag bring you a degree of fame. Just movement since #BlackLivesMatter. ask Edward Snowden, who is now a It used to be that the term “leak” was household name thanks to blowing something you only heard about in spy the whistle on the NSA’s digital movies, and it was generally attributed surveillance. to a double agent or mole inside Secrets are probably not worth intelligence agencies. The likes of Julius as much as they once were. But and Ethel Rosenberg come to mind. For private information certainly is. With those not too familiar with spy history, private records being sought after by Julius, an businesses far and “...the last few weeks have seen some of army engineer, wide; a database the biggest data leaks of all time, bothof ID numbers, spied for locally and abroad...” the Soviet address and contact Union on his information (not to US employers, providing details of mention additional demographic and nuclear weapons, radar technologies psychographic data) could be worth and propulsions systems in the 1950s. millions (maybe even billions) of dollars At a time when the US and Russia to marketers, as well as hackers were practically allies in the wake of seeking to plant ransomware and other the second World War, the US were nasty trojans. It also represents billions emerging as a super power as the first in security software and consultants country to possess nuclear weapons whose job it is to prevent data leaks. developed in the Manhattan Project. However, the last few weeks have However, Russia’s ability to match the seen some of the biggest data leaks of US’s weapons technology (thanks to all time, both locally and abroad. the efforts of the Rosenbergs) gave Starting at home, over 60 million rise to the Cold War. Julius, and his records of private individual’s personal wife Ethel (who helped co-opt her data were leaked online. This included brother and others to leak information ID numbers, addresses, email to Russia), were sent to the electric addresses and other details which chair for their crimes, while the others severely compromised those whose involved spent many years in jail. details were included. An insecure It seemed pretty obvious in those website allowed anyone to log into the days, when the world was in between root directory and obtain the complete wars, that leaking data and information database. The leak was exposed online was a pretty serious. In a time when the by Australian web security expert Troy right information could influence the Hunt, on his website “Have I been course of history, governments were pwned?”, which encourages people to prepared to punish offenders to the enter their email address to see
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if their private information has been exposed online. Digital journals like Mybroadband and ITWeb soon got wind of the leak, and traced the source to Jigsaw Holdings, a holding company for several real estate franchises. Also named was Dracore Data Services, who have since denied any involvement. It’s not entirely clear what the source of the information was, though the going theory is that the database was made up of multiple sources including Deeds Office listings, credit bureau listings and other sources. Given the privacy concerns entrenched in the Consumer Protection Act and other consumer legislation, it’s not entirely clear whether the data was legally obtained
Has familiarity bred tolerance?
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or compliant. While it’s hardly the chair, the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI) stipulates fines per record in breach up to R10 million in total, as well as prison terms for up to 10 years for the negligent security officials involved. Just one small problem, the Act hasn’t actually been fully implemented yet, so the fines aren’t really available to courts to punish offenders. Current indications are that this will not be taken further by authorities, and there’s no reason to believe that any private citizens plan to lay civil claims against Jigsaw Holdings. One country we all associate with trigger-happy lawsuits is the United States. When Equifax, a consumer credit rating and reporting agency, leaked the personal data of over 143 million customers (mostly in the US), it seemed certain that there would be strong repercussions. Seeing that Yahoo, who were guilty of possibly the worst hack of all time with 500 million
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email accounts compromised, are facing several lawsuits as well as congressional investigations, it seemed logical that Equifax could face severe repercussions. However, instead of contrition, the company seemed fairly upbeat. While the CEO did step down, in what seemed more like coincidence and less like remorse, he also stated that the breach was due to a single negligent employee and downplayed the company’s responsibility. Tech journals also reported that the US senate recently voted to strike a Federal law that would allow affected citizens to sue individually or collectively for damages. Despite the statements of the CEO, and the fact that it took Equifax over 5 months to report the hack, the Vice President was the tiebreaker to keep the financial company out of the courts. Where leaking data was once punishable by death, it seems like familiarity has bred tolerance. In the last 12 months we’ve seen major data breaches across the world affecting millions of customers at Yahoo, Verizon, US voters (through Deep Root Analytics) and even the US Securities and Exchange Commission. It seems highly unlikely at this stage that anyone involved with these leaks will see jailtime, or any punishment stronger than a slap on the wrist. However, the victims of these leaks have no recourse whatsoever to recover their data or to protect themselves from the consequences of having their personal information in the public domain. It kinda makes you want to delete all your email addresses and social media accounts and go back to the postal service. If that seems a little extreme (OK, I’ll admit, it kinda is), it will definitely make you feel better to change all your passwords. g
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The Big Leaks
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Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows Vol 1 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 11 Vol. 01 God Country Your Pal Archie #1
BOOKS Beneath the Sugar Sky All Systems Red
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Justice League brings together DC’s greatest superheroes on the big screen for the first time. gamecca
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his month, DC Comics and Warner Bros give the world their answer to DisneyMarvel’s Avengers. With the fifth movie in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) – following Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman – the long-anticipated team-up of comic book icons is here. Directed by Zack Snyder, with assistance by Joss Whedon, Justice League picks up where Batman v Superman left off. Inspired by the sacrifice Superman (Henry Cavill) made for humanity, Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) recruit a team of powerful metahumans in preparation to defend Earth from catastrophe. They find the Flash (Ezra Miller), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and a resistant Aquaman (Jason Momoa). Meanwhile, the world-ending threat arrives in the form of alien general Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) and his army of Parademons. They’ve been sent by overlord Darkseid to find three Mother Boxes – incredibly powerful, portable supercomputers – hidden on our planet. Reportedly, Wonder Woman’s people, the Amazons have one; Aquaman’s Atlanteans another; and Cyborg draws his powers from the third.
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Although inspired by events in DC comics, the plot doesn’t sound dissimilar to the overarching story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – where galactic warlord Thanos is on a mission to collect the Infinity Stones. The DC-Warner heroes are different in personality and tone though, and the film studio has inverted the Marvel formula of solo films leading to a team-up. In the DCEU, characters are typically introduced in ensemble projects before getting their own movies.
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A LONG TIME COMING This isn’t the first attempt to make a Justice League film. Back in 2007, Warner Bros. tried to rush Justice League: Mortal into production before the Writers’ Strike of that year. George (Mad Max) Miller was lined up to direct, and many of the parts had been filled by young, relative unknowns. For example, Armie Hammer was set to play Batman. Unfortunately, the production was derailed by the Writers’ Strike, followed by other setbacks, such as the failure of Green Lantern, and loss of permission to film in Australia. The project was only revived – in an all-new form – when Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot released in 2013.
TRAGETY & A TOUCH OF AVENGER’S ASSISTANCE Still, Justice League hasn’t had an easy development. While filming went smoothly last year, Snyder withdrew from the project during post-production after his daughter committed suicide. Avengers director Joss Whedon stepped in to help, and oversaw two months of reshoots costing a mammoth $25 million (normal reshoots are $6-10 million). That kind of extensive reworking isn’t normally a good sign, but likely stemmed from a desire to replicate the success of Wonder Woman, by introducing more humour and heart. One of the major complaints about Snyder’s Batman v Superman was that the film was too gloomy and cynical.
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We’ll find out soon enough if the “repair job” worked. Justice League releases on 17 November in 2D, 3D and IMAX format.
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WHO’S WHO IN THE LEAGUE Batman Played by Ben Affleck, Batman – AKA billionaire industrialist Bruce Wayne – is the only member of the League without superpowers. The masked crime-fighter is based in Gotham City. After the events of Batman v Superman, Bruce has lost his suspicion of metahumans, and is assembling a team to protect Earth. Affleck’s Batman also appeared in Suicide Squad, and will star in his own solo movie.
Wonder Woman Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) is the ageless demigod daughter of Zeus and queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta. Living quietly as an art restorer in Paris, Diana had refused to interfere in the affairs of Man since World War I. That changed in Batman v Superman, when she stepped forward to fight Doomsday. Wonder Woman’s smash hit solo movie came out this year. A sequel is due in 2019.
Aquaman
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Glimpsed in Batman v Superman, Arthur Curry, AKA the Aquaman, is the rightful ruler of Atlantis, and a half-humanhalf-Atlantean. Played by Jason Momoa, Aquaman has superhuman powers and wields a trident. A moody, reclusive figure, he has little interest in joining the Justice League. He hangs around fishing village Amnesty Bay. The solo Aquaman movie releases in December next year.
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The Flash Ezra Miller plays fast-talking Barry Allen, a young Central City forensic investigator who develops superhuman speed after a lab accident. Still at the start of his crimefighting career, Barry eagerly accepts his invitation to join the Justice League, and is in awe of the veteran heroes around him. His solo film is titled Flashpoint, and will adapt the character’s famous “altered timeline” comic arc.
Cyborg Like other League members, Cyborg got a few seconds of screen time in Batman v Superman. Acting newcomer Ray Fisher plays Victor Stone, a college football star. After an accident, he is saved by his scientist father using alien Mother Box technology. A young hero like the Flash, Cyborg must come to terms with his mechanical body and technology-controlling powers. There are plans for a solo Cyborg movie beyond 2020.
Superman Spoiler: Henry Cavill’s Superman (AKA reporter Clark Kent) sacrificed himself to kill Doomsday at the end of Batman v Superman. But any comic fan can tell you that death is never the end for the Man of Steel. Plus, the character appears in marketing material for Justice League so you know the Kryptonian – the mightiest being on Earth – will return to battle Darkseid’s forces, and appear in more DCEU movies.
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The Justice League wouldn’t exist without the first-ever superhero team in comic history: the Justice Society of America. Debuting back in 1940-1941 in All-Star Comics, the Justice Society included members like Golden Age Flash, Golden Age Green Lantern, the Spectre, Doctor Fate, the Atom and Hawkman. Superman and Batman were honorary members of the Society, while Wonder Woman was the group’s secretary for a time. The actual Justice League (of America) came into existence in 1960, beating the Avengers by three years. The initial Justice League roster consisted of Aquaman, the Silver Age Flash, Martian Manhunter, Silver Age Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman. As before, the latter two heroes rarely took centre stage in the stories because of their own solo comics.
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JUSTICE LEAGUE Over the years, the Justice League assumed many different forms. There were even offshoot branches like Justice League Europe and Justice League Dark. The hero line-up came to include the likes of Green Arrow, Hawkgirl, Black Canary and Zatanna. Despite so many headache-inducing iterations, the Justice League film seems to be drawing its inspiration most heavily from the Justice League comics of DC’s New 52 reboot period. During the first arc of New 52 Justice League, the different heroes (Superman, Batman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg) must overcome their differences, and work together to defeat alien overlord Darkseid and his invading army of Parademons. This comic arc has already been adapted for the screen as animated movie Justice League: War.
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Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows Vol 1 Gerry Conway Ryan Stegman & Nathan Stockman Marvel Teen
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by Clive Burmeister
In Renew your Vows, Peter Parker has married MJ, and she is aware of his secret identity as SpiderMan. More than that, using Regent’s super-power-tapping tech, Peter has made a suit for MJ that allows her to join him fighting crime as it emulates his powers. And they have a daughter, who has inherited Peter’s abilities. Now the family are equipped to fight villains together, allowing Spider-Man not only the peace of mind of not having to lie about where he is and what he’s doing to those closest to him all the time, but also the opportunity to get some back up. But on the other hand it does mean putting those closest to him in very real danger, which throws this traditionally loner hero a little off his game, a fact they discover when The Mole Man surfaces and threatens the life of Peter’s daughter.
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 11 Vol. 01 Christos Gage Rebekah Isaacs Dark Horse Teen +
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by Clive Burmeister
It has been fourteen years since Season 7 of the TV series, but the Buffy franchise is still going strong, with Joss Whedon still involved as Executive Producer, and the creative team staying true to the TV show. In the latest season, Buffy must face a more cunning foe than she has dealt with before, the enemy that is human paranoia. When a massive scale supernatural attack levels half of San Francisco, America’s citizens get whipped into a rage of anti non-human and magic fanaticism. Now, not only do all beings of supernatural leaning have to make themselves known to the government, but they also need to turn themselves in to the authorities and be taken to a “Safe Zone” until the crisis has passed. But as Buffy finds out, there is more to the “Safe Zone” than meets the eye.
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GET GRAPHIC Image Mature
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by Clive Burmeister
God Country is a magnificent story that can be read on multiple levels, making it both thoroughly entertaining while also being emotional and thought provoking. At a glance it tells the story of an old man dying from Alzheimer’s, who finds a magic sword which gives him a renewed focus on life, while he battles undead and even gods. And that in itself is a pretty exciting and compelling tale. But the book also addresses those dark questions which anyone who has dealt with Alzheimer’s, directly or indirectly, are forced to face. Questions like: how soul destroying it is to lose one’s own identity, and what a person might do for just one more lucid day; and the burden and struggle for the family who cares for this person who doesn’t even recognise them. One could feel that battling Alzheimer’s for their ability to remember who they are is like fighting an uncaring god.
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GET GRAPHIC Your Pal Archie #1 Ty Templeton Dan Parent Archie Comics All Ages
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by Clive Burmeister
It’s time for Summer Vacation in Riverdale, and Archie finds out that his plans for a relaxing fun filled break may not pan out the way he had hoped. With everyone leaving town for the school break, Archie’s best pal, Jughead, has decided that he needs to learn to drive so that he can still get to Pop’s Burgers every day, as he won’t be able to sponge a lift from anyone. The problem is that Jughead has a major aversion to applying himself to any task, and a tendency to be unfocused, undisciplined, and care-free. Not great qualities when taking on the responsibility of learning to drive, as all the driver’s schools in the area soon discover the hard way. Now Archie must fill his role as best friend, and try to teach his pal how to drive.
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Beneath the Sugar Sky The wayward ones…
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Beneath the Sugar Sky Seanan McGuire Tor Books Fantasy
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his is the third book in the Wayward Children series. The premise of the series revolves around children who disappear through doorways into fantastical and magical worlds. However, some of them do return and wait expectantly, sometimes patiently, for that door to reappear and take
them back “home”. Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children is a magical boarding school for these children suddenly reintroduced to the “real” world to feel accepted and belong. Beneath the Sugar Sky follows a few of the Wayward Children when they are thrown into an adventure by a mysterious girl. Rini, the prophesied daughter of Sumi, who died years before Rini could be born. And yet Rini was born and hopes to bring back her mother at any cost. The novella is marked by distinct characters, some appearing from previous books, each one with a hope that defines who they are. Seanan McGuire’s writing style flows well from chapter to chapter, combining ridiculous worlds made of candy, with hallowed sanctuaries where people are willing, happy statues. It’s a giddy yet sombre read, full of earnest dialogue, whimsical world building, and most importantly, hope. “There is kindness in the world, if we know how to
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by Nthato Morakabi
look for it. If we never start denying it the door.” g
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All Systems Red More than a machine
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All Systems Red Martha Wells Tor Books Sci-FI
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he future dances under the fingertips of the Company, as corporate dominated planetary missions must first receive approval and supplies from the Company. Each exploratory team must be accompanied by a supplied security android, dispatched
for their safety. On a distant planet, a team of scientists explore the environment while conducting surface tests. With them is the supplied android, only it has hacked its governor module and has become a self-aware SecUnit. However, when an unknown entity strikes, and a neighbouring mission goes dark, the SecUnit proves to be more than just a machine, and the scientists show there is more to humanity. All Systems Red is more of a book focussed on the relationship between the SecUnit, who refers to itself as Murderbot, and the scientists who have been forced to remain with it. Occasionally mundane in the descriptions, some of the humour bland, unnecessary additions of some action to break the intended drama, and a rather anti-climatic end makes this book dreary. Despite this, the characters are well written and there’s a sense of empathy you gain for both trust each other and work together. But even that is not enough. g
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by Nthato Morakabi
Murderbot and the scientists who must now
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Last word
ith the Xbox One X launch coming up in South Africa next month (and if you were smart enough to order it on preorder, you probably got a really good deal) there is a lot of excitement. Even October and November are exciting, with all those great new games, and early 2018 is looking pretty peachy too. Of course, all of these things cost money and, thanks to our exchange rate fluctuating like crazy these days, a lot of it. Being a gamer is not cheap anywhere, but here in South Africa it is becoming more and more expensive. We’re not going to go into politics and finger-pointing; it is what it is. Except that, thanks to our market being small (in the bigger scheme of things) we have to go through what we do. Being a gamer in South Africa can be immensely frustrating. Poor connectivity infrastructure (thankfully a potential thing of the past due to the ongoing roll-out of highspeed fibre connections) means that gamers locally
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are always hoping for local servers, but many publishers don’t see our market as big enough for the associated expenditure to make sense. There are some that do, sure, but one should never hold their breath for a local server of the latest hot game. It simply does not make financial sense. And then we have high prices, late hardware rollouts and a bunch of other stuff that make our beloved hobby that little bit more challenging. But let’s get back to bandwidth, because this is a potential hidden cost that has massive impact. See, these days, you cannot really (not really) be a gamer without an internet connection. Sure, you can play offline, and if you’re using a PS4 you can likely get away with it. Xbox One X owners won’t be so lucky, because the console will require regular internet connection to function, and a slow line won’t cut it either. But being a disconnected gamer means that your gaming will suffer. True, if
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By wALT Pretorius
The Woes...
you’re playing single player games you don’t need to be connected, but there is hardly a game these days that doesn’t come out with a day one patch to fix all the things that weren’t right as they rushed for release. You simply cannot game properly without them, which means an internet connection is almost mandatory. And keep in mind that you’ll need tons of data, too – patches are getting bigger and bigger by the minute. What can we, as South African gamers, do about it? Well, to be brutally honest and a little cynical, nothing. Because we are but a small drop in a very big bucket. And while the rest of the world complains about connectivity and patches too, the truth is that a larger part of the globe is in a better situation than we are. So, realistically, fibre is potentially a saviour, because it will – at very least – provide us with faster, more reliable internet connectivity, which will mitigate a little of the problem. Just make sure that your data is uncapped. g