Gamecca Magazine December 2012

I S S U E 4 2 / Vo l . 4 December 2012

w w w. g a m e c c a m ag . c o m

Far Cry 3 Halo 4 Hitman: Absolution Need for Speed: Most Wanted Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Skylanders: Giants Dance Central 3 and more...

Future-Fight

Call of Duty looks to the future

Silver-Baller

In the Jungle

Hitman seeks Absolution

Lose yourself in Far Cry 3

The End? Zombies attack on the Wii U...

Free Online Mag

Inside 6 From the Editor 8 IDoubleDQD A misspent youth...

10 10 on 10 Some New Year’s Resolution ideas 12 At the World’s End ZombiU takes the zombie apocalypse to London...

18 Previews 8 games in the New Year 30 Soap Box Is it all that, then?

32 Console General Some myth-busting (sort of...)

34 Reviews 14 awesome games reviewed 78 A Year in Games 1998 rocked!

82 After the Invasion Alienware: Three years on...

86 Hardware Some cool gear to get your mitts on!

104 From Space The epiphany...

THIS MONTH’S COVER Turning the Wii U hardcore with ZombiU. See our interview on page 12...

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Competitions 35 Skylanders: Giants 77 Need for Speed: Most Wanted

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Previews Reviews

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Gears of War: Judgment

22

DmC: Devil May Cry

24

Dark

25

Injustice: Gods Among Us

26

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

27

Company of Heroes 2

28

Impire

29

March of the Eagles

36

Far Cry 3

40

Halo 4

44

Hitman: Absolution

48

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

50

007 Legends

52

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

54

Men of War: Ultimate Collection

56

Skylanders: Giants

58

Doom 3 BFG Edition

60

MUD: FIM Motocross World Championship

62

Pokémon Black 2

64

Dance Central 3

66

Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation

68

WWE 13

70

Painkiller: Hell and Damnation

72

Smart As…

74

Dragon Ball Z : Budokai HD Collection

GAMECCA Vol. 3 Issue 42 December 2012

Editor: Walt Pretorius walt@1337-media.com Writers: Charlie Fripp Christo van Gemert Iwan Pienaar James Francis Lein Baart Nthato Morakabi Pippa Tshabalala Sarah Snyman Suvesh Arumugam Walt Pretorius Letters: letters@gameccamag.com Competition Entries: competitions@gameccamag.com Newsletter Subscriptions: www.gameccamag.com Design & Photography: 1337 Media cc Marketing Contact: Katia Taliadoros katia@1337-media.com

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 1337 MEDIA

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Copyright © 1337 Media CC 2009 - 2012

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In Need...

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From the Editor

hat’s that thing they say about the best laid plans? Seriously, I cannot remember. It’s been a long year up until now, and my mind has all but switched off in preparation for some much needed rest and relaxation (obviously punctuated with a lot of gaming.)

But I am getting off of the point. The idea – the plan – was to have a nice big Wii U splash in this issue. With the unit having been on shelf for only a few days at the time of publishing, that would have been awesome. But, due to a few logistic problems, we were unable to deliver that idea. Sad, but true… and unavoidable. So the Wii U will have to wait for our January 2013 issue. That’s actually a great thing. It’s nice to start the New Year with something really new.

In all honesty, I am not really sure I would have survived this issue if the Wii U had arrived as we

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had hoped. Far Cry 3 was already on the cards for a last minute review, and adding in a ton of Wii U stuff would have complicated matter immensely. Like I said, I need a holiday.

In other news, we are on the brink of finding out whether the Mayans were right, or if they merely ran out of space on that calendar of theirs.

I, personally, am sceptical about the whole ‘end of the world’ thing. I have lives through many supposed apocalypse days, so I tend to take these things with a grain of salt. 2000 was a non-event. 06-06-06 delivered nothing much more than another day. And so on and so forth. I have even come across a calculation relating a Nostradamus prediction to Psy’s Gangnam Style video of YouTube (something about how the world will end when it reached a billion views.) Do people have nothing better to do? Should someone point out that the currently accepted

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by Walt Pretorius

number for a billion is actually a thousand million, while a billion is actually a million million. Ah, whatever. All I can say is that I am pretty sure that this is yet another crack-pot theory that will be forgotten in a few years.

And that’s a great thing, because 2013 is looking hot for games! It would be a tragedy if this old world of ours went the way of the dodo before we could play the likes of Tomb Raider, the new Gears of War, Bioshock: Infinite and a how bunch of other games headed our way early next year. Just saying.

If I seem to have rambled my way through this Ed’s Note, it probably has something to do with a lack of sleep. Thanks, Far Cry 3. So, before I wander off in search of a pillow and duvet, allow me to extend – from myself and the whole Gamecca Crew – best wished for you and yours over the Festive Season. I hope that you get some rest and relaxation. g

A Misspent Youth IDoubleDQD

by Sarah Snyman

M

y parents brought me up on a strict diet of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Janis Joplin and Black Sabbath. My father made it clear that if we ever enjoyed Niel Diamond or Abba, he would have failed as a parent. My brother, being a slightly more balanced individual, was a creative kid with great taste in music and a strong affinity towards blues and Fender Stratocasters.

I took a slightly more bizarre turn and instead of embracing the lighter side of the music I was brought up with, I turned my attention to the harder, darker side of rock. I walked around with black hair, a leather trench coat and 14up docs, and an unreasonable amount of piercings. My friends and

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I were feared and avoided at school, a group of 7 intelligent, quirky, out spoken Anglican school girls with foul mouths, good grammar and a box of Camel Filters in our blazer pockets. After a few years, we all grew up, we watched the goth clubs close and we outgrew our PVC shorts.

But being in that group in society did more for my gaming and computer obsession than anything else. The people who fell into the scene were more often than not extremely intelligent. The kind of intelligence that usually surpasses their teachers and peers, leaving them alone with their minds and a tad anti-social. It is only natural that these kids fall in love with computers, programming, gaming and

advanced maths. I have fond memories of a bunch of us sitting in a dark room, listening to Cradle of Filth, wearing leather, drinking Jack and working out how to overclock our machines and crack the latest Bethesda release. We partied hard and gamed harder, with a constant blaring soundtrack of death metal and a cloud of nicotine smoke. I fell in love with the mass of cables, people sitting wherever they could find a spot, friends trying to finish their varsity coding in-between the chaos, the smell of overheating hardware and the always-open towers scattered across the floor.

I discovered some of my all-time favourite games with them, they introduced me to staying up until the sun rose, they taught

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me how to transform the spare parts from 6 towers into a perfectly functional machine, they taught me how to become as obsessed with computers as I was with music.

We all got older, most of us ended up running the security, web services and networks keeping the country afloat. But no matter how far into the real world I get, I still work best while listening to EBM, I still have a Cradle of Filth disc in my car and I still wear my Doc Martens in winter.

And although it hardly ever happens anymore, when we game together, someone always puts on Combichrist, opens a bottle of Jack and greets the sunrise with me while lose all semblance of a tan in our teen-angst chamber. g

10Things that would make Great

New Year’s Resolutions for Gamers

1

I will go outside

Sunlight… what’s that? In the new year, I will find out what this strange reality called ‘outside’ is, and will learn about things like “grass”, “clouds” and “fresh air.” I have been told that there is life outside of playing games, and I would like to learn more about it. I might even try some legendary activities like “going for walks” and “visiting people”. I have heard of these things, and I want to check that the developers did a good job with them.

Ten on 10

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I will throw my controller less

This will be very difficult, but I will try to exercise a little more control when I get frustrated. I won’t throw my controller, kick the dog, scream at my mother or punch inanimate objects as a result of my own lack of skill. I will, when I feel that the game has done me wrong (largely because my own skills are nowhere near as good as I tell people that they are) I will count to ten… maybe a hundred… and try again.

That’s probably why games have loading screens. I will act my age, rather than behave like a kid who just soiled itself… whether in private or around others.

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2

I will eat less junk food

I will try to avoid the delivery menu, and will attempt to eat foods that might actually be good for me. Things that haven’t been fried in grease or cremated in a pizza oven. I will attempt to eat meals at reasonable times, away from my games, and without stuffing my face. I will even try to have fruits and vegetables as part of my diet, and will drink things like water instead of coffee or hypercaffeinated fizzy sweet

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I will have fun

I will try to remember that games are meant to be fun. I will realise that being owned in a game won’t ruin my life or bring forth an apocalypse of biblical proportions. It won’t even really ruin my day. I will try to dial down the competitive streak that takes over as soon as the game starts up, and will try to play games to relax, rather than to be the best… because it really isn’t all that important. I will admit that my game playing won’t solve any real-world problems, and let the hobby be just that: a hobby. Gaming is not a lifestyle… it is just something I do.

And I do it for fun. I will always try to remember that, before I give myself a stress-induced aneurysm.

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We thought we would help our readers prepare for 2013 (assuming the Mayans were wrong) by providing them with a few New Year’s Resolutions to help them along. So we enlisted everybody’s favourite ranter, Ramjet, to compile the list for us. That might have been a mistake. Here goes nothing…

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I will try new stuff

I will try out some new games, rather than sticking to sequels of games that I have played over and over again. I might even try out some different gaming platforms, just in case all those assumptions I have made about them – based on nothing more than a few haters’ opinions – are wrong. I will not assume that the way I game is the best way, and will admit that there is a lot more to gaming than repeating the same experience over and over again. I know that being well-rounded means getting different experiences. If gaming is going to be all that I do, let me at least spice it up with some variety.

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I will endeavour to play a game completely. I won’t just jump straight into multiplayer and never try out the single player game.

And when I do play the campaign, I won’t skip cut scenes. I will savour every moment of the plot, the visuals and the experience, just like the game developers hope I will. And if I don’t, I won’t complain about the game being too short and a rip-off.

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I won’t insult strangers

I will resist the temptation to insult people that I have never met in online gaming matches.

I won’t use racial slurs, sexual discrimination or refer to their parents in any way other than being nice. I will realise that I am not the centre of the universe, that I am not the best gamer ever, and that someone should not be judged based on their skill level, whether it is better or worse than mine. I realise that being a bully online is pretty much the most pathetic thing ever, and that treating others this way puts me on a level slightly lower than snake excrement.

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6

I will try new topics of coversation

I will respect the fact that even though I love games, not everyone does. I will try to speak about other things every now and then, because I realise that if games are all I talk about, people around me – particularly non-gamers – will think that I am a sad case.

I will try to talk about important topics, which does not include a painstaking account of how many headshots I can get with a virtual sniper rifle in fifteen minutes. I might actually brush up on current events to find things to talk about that actually make a difference to the world at large.

I will experience games to their fullest

I will moderate my time

I won’t spend every waking moment playing games. I will try to get a bit of balance in my life.

Maybe read a book – at least that will help my spelling and grammar if I fail at resolution number 7. I will try to spend at least an hour a day not gaming or sleeping. Resolution 1 sounds like a nice idea, actually. Or maybe a movie, not ripped off from the internet and viewed on my computer, but in a real cinema, where I have paid money and can see that there are other people in

10

I will be judgemental!

less

I will stop judging games and other players so harshly. I will try to actually be a decent human being, and will acknowledge the efforts made by other gamers and by game developers and publishers. I will stop being a self-entitled, spoiled brat that thinks the world owes me something. I will try to apply a pleasant attitude to the people I meet and the games I play, and will attempt to look for what’s good in them, before automatically assuming that they suck. And I won’t jump on any band-wagons either… I will formulate my own opinions.

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11

Interview

at the wo

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‘ orlds end Would you survive the apocalypse?

What would you do if you woke up in the middle of a zombie outbreak? That was the question that the Ubisoft Montpellier asked themselves when they started work on ZombiU an exciting launch title for Nintendo’s WiiU console. We had the opportunity to speak to Associate Producer Nicolas Robin and Senior Game Designer & Lead Content Designer Mounir Radi about realism, settings and what it means to die in a zombie apocalypse.

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Interview

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What was it like developing a launch title for the Wii U? MR: It was a real challenge. We started with a sports game, but the game pad did not fit with that.

NR: So we switched to ZombiU. We tried a few ideas with the game pad and we thought that a zombie game would work well with it.

MR: We found right from the start that it was really cool to have this new immersive element to the game. With this game pad we can break the fourth wall, like in theatre. The game comes into the room.

With the unique multiplayer ideas built into ZombiU, would you say this is the most important aspect of the game?

NR: No, the biggest part of the game is the solo campaign.

We did a lot of tests with the new controller, which changes thing. It’s different having one screen in front of you and another screen in your hands. It was a

big challenge for us, so we reiterated a lot and found a formula that worked for the solo campaign. After that we worked on the multiplayer mode.

The idea was one of the first that we had with how we can work with the controls.

The whole idea of asymmetric game play. One guy has one experience, and the other guy has another experience.

As a side bar, do you think asymmetric gaming is the future?

MR: It depends on what gamers want to do. We can develop games as players want them, but it depends if they want to have different experiences.

NR: It will be a trend in the industry because we can see many more ideas for asymmetric games and they’re really cool. What I believe, having tested the idea, is that asymmetric gaming works really well when people can trade controllers. We did an experiment with ZombiU. We had all

the developers trying it, and at the end of each game they were switching controllers, even though we didn’t tell them to do so. That’s one of the coolest parts of it. We may even see asymmetric games online, where the two players are playing essentially different games. But while that’s interesting, I think something goes missing with that. It seems to work best with people in the same room.

MR: Also, with asymmetric games, things work best in short sessions. In my opinion, playing long sessions doesn’t work as well.

Back to ZombiU. What lead to the choice of London as the setting for the game?

NR: Two major things. We love the city. It was a very natural choice for the zombie setting because it is ancient and has lots of interesting history.

London suffered from the Black Plague, and there is that atmosphere that everyone knows with

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things like Jack the Ripper. It has a great horror atmosphere so, from a creative side, it made sense to use the city.

MR: there have also been a number of zombie movies set in London that we loved.

What media did you draw your inspiration from?

NR: basically, I remember that when we decided that we were doing a zombie game, the creative directors and development team spent a while thinking about it. When we got together, things were already aligned.

We wanted to do a realistic zombie game.

We asked: imagine that you wake up one day and there is noone else around. You see some zombies and, having seen lots of zombie movies, you realise what they are… what will you do? We got a lot of different responses… check the TV, try to contact family, and so on. That was a big inspiration. So while we did watch some zombie movies, it was the reactions of the team that truly

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inspired the ideas for the game. What would we do in a zombie outbreak?

Will there be an element of customisation and skill development built in to the characters?

MR: On the one hand we have a system that allows you to improve with the more zombies you kill. You can also upgrade your weapons. On the other hand, if you die, all your improvements are lost. Not with weapons… just with the character.

NR: We think it’s a good system. It’s a survival thing, and a very realistic approach. We want to bring that in – if a survivor dies, he dies. A new survivor will need to learn skills all over again.

Sometimes it will be frustrating, but it is the most realistic approach.

Will the player be able to choose their survivor and profession?

NR: No, it will be assigned to you. It will be random. But the story progression won’t be reset.

In terms of the single player experience, how long is ZombiU? MR: Fifteen to twenty hours for the main story. But there will be other modes like survival mode, which make the game longer; it’s around ten hours. There is also the multiplayer mode.

NR: In the normal mode, each time you die, we respawn some resources in London, because it is another experience with another person.

Things have changed in London, even though the world is persistent. If you find ammunition in one area and go back later, it won’t be there. Unless you die.

But you only have one life in Survivor mode, so you need to be careful with the resources.

How big is the play area?

Interview

As a result of that, have you built in a lot of freedom for the player, or will the experience be more linear?

NR: There will be the main story, which will be linear. But there is a lot of other stuff to discover, with some surprises for the player. The story will drive the game, but the player will be able and will need to revisit environments, which will be repopulated with zombies. You will never know where the threat comes from, you will always be surprised. Adding to that is that each survivor character will be unique, and when your survivor dies, he’s permanently gone from the game.

You will then become a new survivor.

That means that if the previous guy had some great equipment- like a nice shotgun – your new survivor will need to recover it. If you die a lot, we have created a system that will

show you available weapons on the map and remind you where to find things.

That will get you to revisit areas, but the population of zombies will not be the same.

It’s cool and always surprising for the player.

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NR: We selected some landmarks that suit the game play. We have the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, the underground, Buckingham Palace, a large part of the Brick Lane area, St Paul’s church… it’s not the whole city, but we have many famous landmarks.

What are your personal favourite aspects of the game?

NR: I like the reverse mechanic, and the fact that you are a new survivor all the time. But what I really like is that it allows the player to explore what they would do if they were in a zombie outbreak – the realism of the game.

MR: I love the mechanics and background. You are not a hero – you’re a normal person.

You’re a normal guy in a zombie outbreak.

And when you have to do certain things, like check your inventory, the game doesn’t stop. You have to always be aware of what you are doing and of your surroundings. g

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Previews Highlights 20 Gears of War: Judgment What happened before 22 DmC: Devil May Cry A new take on things...

25 Injustice: Gods Among Us Smashing supers!

28 Impire Anoher clone?

R

ight, we will officially never be taking about a 2012 release again. Not even in this issue... That’s because this is the last issue of the year, and everything new will be coming in 2013. And what a year that is shaping up to be!

While we wait in anticipation for all those awesome Q1 releases, here are a few games to consider saving up for... g

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Distributed Exclusively by Apex Interactive - Tel: (011) 796 5040 www.apexinteractive.co.za Email: sales@apexint.co.za All rights and trademarks and logos are copyright of the respective owners.

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Gears of War: Judgment

No Fenix

Explore the past of the GoW franchise

by Charlie Fripp

T

be in control of Marcus Fenix.

Instead of playing as Fenix, gamers will take control of Damon Baird and Augustus Cole (regulars from the previous games), and will flesh out their stories prior to meeting up with Fenix.

According to Gearspedia, the plot of Judgement will focus on the events from the action at Halvo Bay during the Locus War. “Early in the Locust War, Kilo Squad is accused of treason by Col.Ezra Loomis after Lt.Damon Baird leads Pvt.Augustus Cole, Sofia Hendrik, and Garron Paduk in a battle against the Locust in Halvo Bay, during which they steal experimental Coalition of Ordered Governments technology,” they explained.

While not an awful lot is known about the title (the

Preview

he Gears of War franchise has been entertaining gamers since 2006, and players have had to mow down hundreds of Locus warriors through three separate games. The series has also been expanded into a number of books, graphic novels and there was even talk of a film about the franchise.

So with that, gamers rejoiced when publisher Microsoft announced Gears of War: Judgment at E3 this year; the fourth game in the franchise. But while gamers correctly predicted that a new Gears Of War will be announced even before Microsoft did, they didn’t expect it to be a prequel. The publisher revealed that the events in Judgment will take place before the action of the other three games, and the gamers won’t

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g a m e c c a r ev i ew • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

game only releases in March next year), a number of character details have been revealed. Baird will function as the leader of Kilo Squad with several technical and mechanical skills; Hendrik is a journalist, but joined the army after Emergence Day; and Paduk joined the COG naval forces after Gorasnaya was devastated by the Locust.

The title also features, as usual, a rather extensive multiplayer mode, where gamers will be able to choose from two new modes - OverRun and Free-for-All. These will also include the maps Gondola, Island and Library.

A new mode was also leaked onto the internet awhile back, called Extraction, which gamers can look forward to – the leaked mode has since been confirmed by Epic

Games.

While Judgment should feature the same high-quality of graphics, action and sound from the previous games, it will be interesting to see what developers Epic Games and People Can Fly come up with, since Creative Director Cliff Bleszinski left the studio earlier this year.

He was instrumental in the design and development of the games, and it can only make gamers wonder if it will still have that unique GoW feel and game dynamic. But, lovers of the franchise shouldn’t give this one a skip, as it is sure to reveal a number of elements that will explain the plot and direction of the older titles.

This one is not to be missed, as it will fill in a lot of blanks. g

AT A GLANCE: Third-Person Shooter

The fourth game should bring the awesome franchise to a neat close Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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People Can Fly, Epic Games Microsoft Studios Microsoft

Mar 2013

Platforms

Genre:

ETA

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

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DmC: Devil May Cry

DMC Reboot A new era begins.

By Nthato Morakabi

I

he proves to be more than just a formidable foe.

Following an attack by a demon, Dante meets Kat, a young woman who is part of an organization known as The Order. The Order is run by a masked man intent on eradicating Limbo City of all demons. Kat brings Dante to the leader of The Order and the man reveals himself to be Vergil, Dante’s twin brother.

Vergil then proceeds to set Dante on a mission, which plunges Dante into the depths of demon territory with the help of Kat, but when Kat is captured, Dante is determined to save her regardless of the consequences.

DmC: Devil May Cry is set to retell the story of Dante from a new perspective, taking the characters

Preview

n an alternate reality, Dante the demon hunter has a new face. No longer is he the playful, blonde playboy so familiar to all Devil May Cry fans; he is now a young, dark haired bad boy, with a wicked attitude to boot. He finds himself in Limbo City, a dark, demon infested town hiding behind a facade of self-righteousness. In the midst of demon activity, the town transforms from its burlesque appearance, revealing the gluttony behind the cuisine, the sloth behind the luxury and the darkness behind the light.

Seen as a terrorist and a threat, demons in Limbo City take every opportunity they can find to kill Dante, however, as he is part demon himself,

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g a m e c c a r ev i ew • i s s u e 1 7 • N ove m b e r 2 0 1 0

from the previous games and recreating them to fit the new theme. Dante and Vergil are not the only characters that are revamped, we see the return of Mundus who is constantly opposing Dante. Mundus, is a character from the original Devil May Cry game, known to be the king of the demon world and the arch nemesis of Dante and Vergil’s father, Sparda. It seems fitting that he reappears, taunting Dante as he did in the first game`.

The combat system has been improved to fit the new Dante. The famous sword Rebellion and the twin pistols Ebony and Ivory, will remain as the core means by which players can pull off amazing combos and chain attacks, against the horde of demonic beings.

Players can expect a continuation of the Style combo rating system, assessing their use of combos and weapons in chain attacks.

The Devil trigger from the previous games has been redesigned to feature a host of new abilities new to the DmC series. Players can look forward to a slight twist in the game regarding Dante’s supernatural abilities and the form he takes on when triggered.

Still true to the game is the collecting of souls that Dante will harvest in order to recover health, purchase items, upgrade his movesets etc.

DmC looks to be a fun, action packed game, however, will this reboot succeed as well as its predecessors? Only time will tell. g

AT A GLANCE: Action Adventure

Dante finds himself in between a battle against demons and an organization known as The Order that seeks to eradicate all the demons.

What unfolds is dramatically life altering.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Ninja Theory Capcom Ster Kinekor

Jan 2013

Platforms

Genre:

ETA

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

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Dark

Vampires Again…

But at least they don’t sparkle

by Pippa Tshabalala

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Stealth Action RPG

Vampire dude has no memories, must get them back, be all sneaky while doing it.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Realmforge Studios Kalypso Media Silverscreen

ETA

Q1 2013

Platforms

Preview

D

ark is slated as a “stealth action game with RPG elements”. You play as Eric Bane, a vampire who wakes up with no memories, but with powerful abilities as you stalk your enemies from the shadows and then silently attack and dispatch them. As you progress you must uncover the secrets of the city and unlock hidden memories within your mind.

Described as “a world of blood and darkness in which the hunter can become the hunted at any time”, it sounds interesting although without having seen more than a somewhat generic looking trailer (that reminded me very much of F.E.A.R.) I can’t attest to whether or not it will deliver.

Stealth, however, is the core gameplay mechanic here, so no matter how hard you try, you cannot go in guns blazing. In fact you can’t even pick up a gun, so this really is not even an option. You gain XP from completing missions and killing enemies, and will have to drink blood in order to use skill points. There is also an XRay vision of sorts, where you can see the blood circulation of living creatures but not, understandably, other vampires.

Some of the features of Dark include powerful vampire abilities such as the ability to vanish in a puff of smoke, and hard-hitting melee attacks to defeat your enemies, as well as intelligent AI, 3D cel-shaded graphics as well as an apparently compelling story and RPG skills tree.

It’s set in a futuristic environment where you can create your own playing style, enhancing your chosen vampire abilities as you go.

The game is scheduled to arrive on both PC and Xbox early in 2013. g

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

24

Injustice: Gods Among Us

DC Heroes Attack!

I love the smell of an arcade fighter in the morning

by Sarah Snyman

T

AT A GLANCE: Arcade Fighter

DC comics characters come to life in the much-loved fighter style, brought to us by the creators of Mortal Kombat. Don’t mind if I do!

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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NetherRealm Warner Bros Ster Kinekor

Apr 2013

Platforms

Genre:

ETA

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

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Preview

he Mortal Kombat DC Universe release is one of those games that my brother and I played endlessly, running controllers flat and screaming at each other for hours on end. The ability to play the joker against our all-time favourite Mortal Kombat characters was the best thing that had happened since wireless controllers.

We went so far as to stage a round-robin tournament with about eight gaming friends in their late twenties. Needless to say, it ended in arguments, insults and button bashing blisters. When I got light of the upcoming release, Injustice: Gods Among Us, I felt that flame of obsession and late night enjoyment re-ignite. The creators of Mortal Kombat have come together and this time they’ve given centre stage to the DC characters. Although the story line of the title is still very much a mystery, the premise is that the lines between good and evil have been blurred and now our “greatest heroes” have become the greatest threat. The playable character list is enticing as is the released gameplay demos. Gamers will be able to play as Batman, Catwoman, The Joker, Flash and many others. From what we’ve seen so far, the style is as sleek and interesting as we’ve come to expect from the Mortal Kombat team, and the level choices, including the batcave, are impressive. This may prove to be a release that shows the DC heroes in an entirely new light and is already generating huge talk and anticipation.

I’m holding out for mind-blowing addictive gameplay and I think that might be exactly we’re going to get from Injustice : Gods Among Us. g

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

Self Explanatory But a whole lot of new content

by Pippa Tshabalala

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Action RPG

Fans seem pretty excited about this one, but it might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Capcom Capcom Ster Kinekor Entertainment

ETA

Mar 2013

Platforms

Preview

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onster Hunter 3 Ultimate was released as Monster Hunter Tri G in Japan and while it has already been available on the Wii platform, the upcoming WiiU as well as the 3DS are set to have their very own versions.

The upcoming version will feature a host of new content in what is otherwise not an entirely new game, including more missions, additional weapons, and an AI partner. Additional touchscreen controls will also be a feature, taking advantage of the way players interact with the WiiU and 3DS. Quite obviously the premise of this game is to hunt monsters, and there is a huge variety available who should satisfy your bloodlust.

Camera control is an integral part of the control system, which is unusual enough to warrant a fair amount of interest, but Ultimate simplifies the previous somewhat problematic camera control by introducing a lock on feature.

The WiiU Gamepad and 3DS screen can be customised to your needs, showing maps, vital stats, inventory and the like.

If co-op is your thing, never fear… Capcom have thought of this too – you can team up to take down monsters with your friend, which interestingly will work (albeit only over WiFi) between the 3DS and WiiU. Early press on the game suggests that it’s one that requires patience and time, but which is ultimately rewarding. I get the sense that it’s a game that you might battle through in frustration, but which if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, will be one you’ll return to repeatedly.

By all accounts this seems like a promising expansion on the Monster Hunter Tri G game. g

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Company of Heroes 2

Come, Comrades We’re going to kill Nazis again

by Lein Baart

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AT A GLANCE: Real-time strategy

From what scant information is available, CoH 2 should be an amazing addition to the genre; a game any RTS fan should be slavering for.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Relic Entertainment THQ Ster Kinekor

Q1 2013

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Genre:

ETA

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

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Preview

n 2006 Relic Entertainment shook the gaming world to its core, releasing what still stands today as the highest rated realtime strategy game ever released, Company of Heroes. It is a title that even today stands tall, a game so polished you need polarized glasses to play, and now after 6 years its sequel is finally around the corner.

Sequels are always a tough act, especially for a game as highly acclaimed as CoH. Yet Relic Entertainment, developers of the Homeworld and Dawn of War franchises, has plenty of experience in producing amazing follow-ups.

Shifting the focus from the western front of World War 2, Company of Heroes 2 will follow the progress of the Soviet campaign and the brutal, horrific conflict that claimed more than 20 million Soviet lives alone.

The setting though will have more than just an aesthetic impact. Rather than overhaul the system, CoH 2 looks to refine what made the original great, and environmental effects have certainly been given a great deal of attention.

What this translates to is that the feared Russian winter will have a significant bearing on your tactical choices, such as slowing down the speed of units and leaving tracks for would-be ambushers. Relic is also touting its Essence 3.0 engine, which they promise will deliver a host of advancements, chief among them being the new line-of-sight technology, TrueSight.

Relic is playing its card close it chest, and a lot of exciting sounding terms like the new Dynamic Battle Tactics system are being left agonizingly unexplained. What is clear though is that CoH 2 looks set to deliver same compelling tactical strategy experience as its predecessor, and should be one of 2013’s biggest releases. g

Impire

The Creative Clone Or maybe something more

by Lein Baart

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AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Strategy

It doesn’t look like you can slap around your imps this time, but nonetheless Impire is a game to look forward to with cautious optimism.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Cyanide Studios Paradox Interactive Apex Interactive

ETA

Q1 2013

Platforms

Preview

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he great works of gaming have always inspired developers to attempt to recapture their essence in one manner or another. Too often though this leads to a bankruptcy of original thought, and what was meant to be a tribute becomes nothing more than a nostalgic money-trap. It’s a razor thin line, though as titles such as Super Meat Boy have shown, one that is not impossible to tread.

This is the line that Cyanide Studios is so precariously tiptoeing with its upcoming release, Impire. Simply put, Impire will see you carve out a subterranean lair through the use of imps, building all sorts of rooms to gather a force that will unleash hell (literally) on the world above. Even with the most cursory glance, Impire practically screams Dungeon Keeper, albeit with a facelift and an imp commander instead of a disembodied slaphappy hand. Cyanide Studios makes no bones about where they have drawn their inspiration and for those hankering for Dungeon Keeper 3, Impire seems to a likely bet.

And yet, while it’s tempting to write Impire off as nothing more than a Dungeon Keeper clone and relegate it to the trash-heap of the uninspired, the more you look into the game, the more Impire genuinely intrigues. The combat, which uses a squad based system, will be “a bit like Dawn of War II”, you will be able to go topside, taking the fight to the saintly, and your main character will have three possible upgrade paths as he seeks to recapture his former demonic glory. Impire then might just be a game that has more to offer than you would expect, and certainly more than just a mere replica. g

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

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March of the Eagles

War Has a New Face

He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.

by Nthato Morakabi

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AT A GLANCE: Real-Time Strategy

Take control of any European country and establish lasting military power in this real-time strategy game.

Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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Paradox Paradox Apex Interactive

Q1 2013

Platforms

Genre:

ETA

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

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Preview

ar! The cry of platoons rushing the battlefield in a surge of adrenalin, as war drums thump in the background. A sporadic barrage of gunfire reverberates across the plane.

Regiment banners ripple in the wind, spurring troops onward in battle! This is March of the Eagles!

March of the Eagles is a strategy war game, based on the ten dramatic years between 1805 and1815; a historic era in which the Napoleonic wars raged across Europe. Players have the option to select any European country, in order to rage against their foes in an epic geopolitical feud. Managing vast armies in order to protect the native land or navigating the seas, establishing a mighty naval force. Players will need to explore a historic topographical map, using various tactics in order to grow the strength of their nation.

Players can debilitate enemies through use of negotiation and diplomacy, building alliances in order to strengthen their nation. On the other hand, players can wage an all out war in hostile takeover, rendering enemies powerless.

Mastering platoon management is essential; setting up tactical strategies and making sure supply lines are secure. Generals under the player’s command have unique skills available in order to insure victory against rival armies.

Players can make use of the idea system, reforming their nation through new technology, military tactics and economical organization, propelling a rising nation further up or pulling a falling nation out from the depths of defeat.

The game boasts a focused 32 player multiplayer.

This multiplayer battle can be customized in detail to create the ultimate battlefield.

March of the Eagles is all about tactics, strategy and the joy of watching nations succumb under your military power. g

Wii U or Me...

The Soapbox

by Suvesh Arumugam

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t’s pretty interesting that there was more hype about the Wii U at last year’s E3 and Gamescom than there has been at this year’s major gaming trade expos.

There was even a Wii U on display at rAge this year, but it wasn’t the sensation I expected. For the first of the next gen consoles to hit the market, it’s surprising to say the least. It begs the question about whether the new Wii is next gen at all, or just combining the best of what’s currently around.

Before we answer, we also need to understand the context of Wii’s release in a heated race for domination of the console gaming market.

When the Wii first hit the market, it was a revolution in gaming.

The first to use wireless

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infrared technology, it also introduced us to accelerometers, now standard issue for tablets and smartphones. It redefined social gaming and brought “exergaming” to the mainstream (if it didn’t invent it outright).

Wii clearly outperformed its contemporaries sales-wise, and Xbox and Playstation were quick to get their dev teams working to get them back into the market. By the time the Move and the Kinect were launched, Wii’s technology was already starting to look limited.

With new projects like Disney’s motion responsive robot being rumoured to interact with Kinect, as well as motion driven Smart TV’s like Samsung’s new range, the pressure is on to deliver the next best thing.

Don’t get me wrong -

the Wii U’s concept of a tablet-like control pad is awesome. But is it revolutionary? By late last year, the PS3 had already announced remote control features with PS Vita’s touch screen interface.

Xbox’s SmartGlass app for Windows Mobile, iOS and Android (launched two months ago) brings integration to a new level. With access to additional features and viewing capabilities, it delivers most of what the Wii U is promising. So it’s understandable that while the Wii U is a huge improvement over its precursor, it doesn’t have a clear edge on the market.

Perhaps it’s clever marketing to launch now.

Sony has only released partial developer’s kits for the PS4 (codenamed

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Orbis) and rumours are that the final kit will only come out sometime next year. Sony will be hard pressed to release without sufficient games in time for Christmas 2013, which is when gaming insiders predict Microsoft are planning to release the Xbox 720 or Infinity (whichever the final product is called). A good year’s head start may help with sales, though early sales predictions are that stock shortages at Nintendo will most likely boost PS3 and Xbox sales this Christmas. While my Zombie U Console Bundle is already on pre-order, I’m starting to wonder whether the Wii U will indeed gives us our first taste of gaming’s bright future. g

What’s the Story?

Console General

by Montgommery Paton

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he Wii U has finally arrived here in South Africa, amid talk from the USA (who got it a couple of weeks before us) that units have almost sold out. In fact, it would appear that the Wii U release has sparked renewed energy in the console market, with sales of all consoles (including the Wii) being up before Christmas.

That’s awesome news, but the truth is that America doesn’t have enough Wii U units to go around. And neither do we.

It comes from a reliable source; if you are planning on getting a Wii U, don’t procrastinate, because you may well be disappointed.

That, of course, is assuming that some of the rumours surrounding the console haven’t dissuaded you.

See, the word is that

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before you can use your Wii U, you need to do a 5GB download from the internet. That’s a pretty big download. And, further rumours say that if the download fails, your console will be bricked. Not a great sales pitch.

I had a word with my Nintendo contact about it, and was told that yes, there is a day one update.

It’s apparently around 1GB. Still sizeable, sure, but still. Also, failed downloads will not brick the console.

And, most importantly, the update is pretty much only for online functionality.

There’s the important bit.

If you are not going to take your Wii U online – and I very seriously doubt that the majority of Wii owners even know that they can go online with their existing console, or the Wii U for that matter – you won’t be

hampered by the download.

The console will play games perfectly, right out of the box. Of course it will – we’ve seen Wii Us in action all over the place, long before word of any updates started circulating.

So there you have it. You won’t need to spend even more cash on an update.

And that’s a good thing, because the Wii U isn’t the cheapest bit of indulgence around. Prices range from R3999 to R4999, depending on what you want to pick up. With other console manufacturers dropping prices like crazy, the Wii U will have some stiff competition this Festive Season. But, then again, it is new hardware, as opposed to offerings from Microsoft and Sony, which are starting to get old.

What’s surprising is

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that Nintendo have been relatively quiet about the update. Satoro Iwata, the man himself, has issued an apology. There have been some notes about what the update will do. But other than that, details like size and so o have been scarce.

Still be sure to check out the Nintendo website for guidance on connecting your Wii U to the internet, and how to handle the download before you do it.

That is, of course, if you’re taking your console online.

And if you’re still on the fence… well, we can only deliver a review in January.

Sorry about that. But with what we’ve seen, as well as a decent launch lineup already available, the Wii U looks like a pretty solid bet. Be sure to check out our full reviews of hardware and software next month. g

Reviews Highlights 36 Far Cry 3 A crazy vacation...

40 Halo 4 Better than ever?

44 Hitman: Absolution 47 makes his return...

52 Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 The future of war 56 Skylanders: Giants More to collect!

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nd so, just as quickly as it started, the crazy period of 2012 has more or less come to an end. In the following pages we take a look at a number of the biggest game releases of the year... and thanks to the way these things work, there will be some 2012 stragglers in the next issue, too. And then... well, 2013 is looking great, isn’t it? g

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com p eti t io n • c o mp eti ti on • c om pe tit ion • com pe t ition • com pe t it ion

Go Big!

WIN

A Limited Edition Skylanders: Giants Courtesy of Megarom TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us who publishes this game Insert Giants in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page Competition closes 31 December 2012. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only.

Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC and Megarom. The judges’ decision is final.

Far Cry 3

Best.

Vacation. Ever.

Take a trip to the Rook Islands today!

by Walt Pretorius

W

who is still discovering his place in the world. And, through the course of the game, the effects of the situation on Jason’s psyche are explored. He is forced to kill. He is forced out of his well-established comfort zone, and to fight fire with fire. This is the basis of Far Cry 3’s plot, and the result is a powerful and compelling tale that drives the experience to great heights.

This is supported by excellent presentation. The voice acting and performances for the non-player characters are top notch, from the seductive Citra through to the thoroughly insane Vaas. In addition, great sound effects and music help draw the player in, with a character animation set that makes the experience extremely immersive. You can easily get lost in the beauty and savagery of Far Cry 3. The world is visually compelling and wonderfully believable. In short, the game looks, sounds and feels excellent.

Review

hat would it be like to actually pull a trigger when there is another human being on the receiving end of the bullet? As gamers we ‘shoot people’ all the time, albeit with virtual guns shooting virtual bullets at virtual foes. It doesn’t equate to the actual idea of taking a human life. And this is something that very few games ever address –players are generally thrust into the roles of super-soldiers and simply, blithely blowing away bad guys. The consequences of these actions are never really taken into account. The effects of taking another person’s life are ignored.

Far Cry 3 takes a different approach. This question is central to much of the game. When a group of young Americans is kidnapped by a group of savage pirates, it is up to one of them – Jason Brody – to rescue his friends and family. But Jason is not a warrior; he’s a young man

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The setting for the game is a fictional archipelago in the South Pacific, called the Rook Islands. The single player campaign takes place on the largest two islands, while multiplayer games – like an extensive four player co-op experience – is set on other islands, and follows other storylines.

The Rook Islands offer a wealth of activities for the player.

Aside from the long single player campaign, activities like side missions, hunting quests, delivery missions, assassination missions and side quests abound. In addition, there are a large number of collectables to be found, so the player can spend ages simply exploring and treasure hunting. And the player is allowed a large degree of freedom and self-sufficiency.

Part of looking after oneself in Far Cry 3 is the crafting system. The player can hunt animals and harvest plants to

create a variety of things: medical syringes, larger holsters, bigger backpacks, special arrows and more are all available, provided the player has the right ingredients and has progressed sufficiently in the game to unlock the crafting formulas. But, within that, the player is afforded a massive amount of control, too. Some formulas are unlocked by crafting a previous version of an item – I had made the best holster, allowing the carrying of four weapons, before the end of the first chapter.

Speaking of weapons, there are several kinds to choose from. There are more than 40 weapons available in Far Cry 3, including specialised Signature Weapons that become available later in the game. Once again, the majority of the weapons are available from the start, providing the player can afford them, and upgrades can be applied to almost all of the weapons on sale. This is once again made possible

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bases to secure areas and get advantages? That sound a little like Assassin’s Creed, doesn’t it? The truth is that Far Cry does borrow ideas from other games, but instead of just cloning concepts, this remarkable game makes them its own. There is never a time when this kind of borrowing leaves a sour taste in the player’s mouth, simply because the ideas implemented in Far Cry 3 never feel tacked on.

From doing an assassination through to playing a game of poker, everything feels like it belongs in this vibrant, lively and deadly world.

The amount of freedom the player is afforded is almost intimidating. There are obviously a variety of difficulty levels, and the player can take on any mission as either a stealthy assassin or a gun-crazy tank. There are skills that can be purchased, as well, in one of three trees. This is one of Far Cry 3’s very few weaker points. The skills are unlocked as

Review

through a simple, effective purchasing system.

Weapons and other advantages can also be found while exploring the island. Say, for example, that you loot an SVD sniper rifle from a fallen enemy. Picking it up means that you own it. You will no longer have to buy it, and can unequip and re-equip it at will, provided you are at a store.

Exploration is mainly done by discovering coms towers and disabling the blocking devices pirates have placed on them. Doing so will reveal new map areas and give the player access to certain weapons for free. Each tower has weapons associated with it, so the patient player may never have to pay for a gun.

Once areas are revealed, they can be secured by liberating pirate strongholds – a simple case of taking over an enemy base. It… wait a minute, this all sounds familiar.

Climbing towers to reveal the map? Capturing enemy

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the story progresses, and the player may, at one point or another, feel that they are being forced into taking skills that they would normally not have considered. But that’s a really small thing, and chances are that even those last-choice skills will prove extremely useful in turning Jason into a warrior.

Another weakness is that the multiplayer, while fun, has not received the same attention as the single player campaign. It is good, but it doesn’t live up to the greatness of the rest of the title. Still, the excellent map editor is back, so players can keep amusing themselves in multiplayer games even after their inevitable multiple single player playthroughs.

There are some non-invasive bugs that creep in, too, from time to time – the result of this game’s massive ambition.

But none of them are ruinous, and they are extremely rare

and don’t necessarily effect the experience adversely.

Far Cry 3 has been receiving rave reviews, and with good reason; a game that is this beautifully presented, this engaging and this entertaining is an extremely rare thing.

The absolute freedom and compelling story line, not to mention the dangerous environment (complete with animals that will attack and enemies bent on your destruction), is awesome. It is a game that the player can get lost in, exploring, discovering, crafting and fighting their way through some excellent environments and fantastic script writing.

We are loathe to describe any game as a ‘must-play’ or ‘unmissable’. But both of these concepts are perfectly applied to Far Cry 3. It really is a gamer’s paradise, and any FPS fan – actually, any gamer – should experience it, no question. g

AT A GLANCE: First-person shooter

Absolute freedom, awesome presentation and a brilliant plot. Far Cry 3 has all of these, and more. It’s a ‘must-play’ for sure.

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Far Cry 2, Fallout Local

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Online 14

Ubisoft Ubisoft Megarom

Parental Advisory

18+ gamecca42

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Reviewed on:

X360 Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

98 39

Halo 4

The Chief is back, baby!

by Christo van Gemert

by Walt Pretorius

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want. Star Wars sequels have things that George Lucas wants.

That brings us onto the subject of this review, Halo 4.

After the original trilogy, developed by the much-loved Bungie, we were left with Master Chief floating off into space on the wreckage of a ship called Forward Unto Dawn. Since that was, at the time, the last official sequel in the series, it was a poignant ending. Something that did what few other games manage to do: evoke emotions.

Here we were, three games into an epic space opera, and the 8-foot-tall protagonist was given the “forgotten hero” treatment, after saving the day.

After Halo 3 we were given the mediocre Halo Wars, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo Reach. Wars was a mediocre real-time strategy game, not developed by Bungie, but a supplement to the existing Halo story. ODST let us play

Review

ood things happen in threes. The Back to the Future trilogy. The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The first three Alien movies. The first three Indiana Jones movies. The original Star Wars trilogy.

Actually, those last two introduce an interesting caveat that, for the most part, seems to hold true: the original three are usually the best three. Anything after Aliens 3 sucked. Ditto for the newest Indy movie, and let’s not get started on Star Wars Episodes 1 – 3.

When it comes to gaming, though, things usually only get better. The game creators are usually the ones in charge of creating the story, so there’s no disconnect between storyteller, screenwriter, director, and producers, which the film industry suffers from. There’s also the fact that a vocal audience – you, the game – is heard. Game sequels usually have things that people

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as regular human soldiers during the events of 3, and Reach was a prequel. Both of the latter were developed by Bungie, but aren’t really part of the original Trilogy.

Bungie did not develop Halo 4. It’s the product of 343 Industries, a new studio inside Microsoft, with some members from the original Bungie team. We propose, then, that this is the start of a new Halo trilogy, because while it is inherently Halo, it is different, and very, very good.

It starts with Master Chief, now in cryogenic stasis, on the Forward Unto Dawn. It’s been floating through space for four years. Cortana, Chief’s AI sidekick, has been awake, and notices that the ship is being scanned. She wakes our hero to let him know that things are gonna go down - after all, this might be their ride home.

Except, it’s not. It’s a Covenant ship. Those pesky aliens

from the previous Halo games haven’t had enough Spartan ass-kickings given to them, so they’re back for more.

Unfortunately timing is not on anybody’s side: the Covies have stumbled upon Chief and the Dawn right as they’re about to get sucked into a gravity well from a nearby planet – Requiem. And it’s at this mysterious Forerunner planet where the game really starts.

While in space – a short segment that lasts only about half an hour – things seem like good old Halo, but the action is too thick and fast to pick up on subtle changes.

Only after you, uh, “touch down” on Requiem will new Halo rear its gorgeous head. 343 Industries has pulled off something marvellous, graphically. For a game to look this good – while being as expansive as it is – on 7-year-old hardware, is amazing. Halo’s always been a game with huge vistas and progressively lush environments,

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audio that make this better. In playing, it just feels better.

Things feel more solid. The tweaked AI make you work for a kill, and you really have to use strategy when you enter a fire fight. This is made easier with new armour abilities, too. There is a sprint button (Halo purists will cry) that makes all the difference. Then there are optional armour abilities that can be swapped out during the game.

These include a light shield, jetpack, and invisibility cloak – to name a few. There are new weapons, too – but their origin is a plot spoiler we’re not willing to divulge. Most importantly, you get to control a robot mech at a later stage in the game, and it’s as awesome as it sounds.

These new additions all make it to multiplayer, now called Infinity. This makes sense, since the possibilities and number of matches you can play in multiplayer are now effectively communicated in the name. The new

Review

but 4 knocks it out of the park. The colours have been adjusted to give the game a more serious tone, making it feel less cartoonish. The lighting has been tweaked.

Things are no longer as shiny, again giving it more wartime grit.

At the same time, the sound has also been overhauled.

Play this game on a home theatre with proper speakers (and a subwoofer), and the standard assault rifle will sound like a proper machine of death. The visceral thumping as rounds go off is far removed from the pewpew peashooter gun audio of previous Halo games. The vehicles sound superb, with the UNSC Warthog actually resembling something that has a snarling V8 under the hood. Even the gattling gun on the back of it sounds truly, honestly scary.

But it’s not just a slick veneer of new graphics and

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maps feature some remakes of old ones, and we’ll get newer ones as downloadable content. There’s a weapon unlock system, a class system, and a perks system – more scoffing from Halo die-hards, but effectively integrated, and a natural extension of the series’ ability to let you customise your armour.

And finally, there’s Spartan Ops, a co-op multiplayer campaign that has episodic content. Basically, a new branch of the Halo story that you can continue playing for as long as they produce episodes. It’s free - and could very well be a big deal. No game before this has had regular, weekly episodes to play.

With a new developer at the helm Halo 4 has taken some brave steps, in the right direction. It feels more complete. It feels different. But most importantly it still feels like Halo. g

Forward, unto YouTube!

Leading up to Halo 4’s release, Microsoft gave the fans something more: a short, 5-part web series set in the Haloverse. Forward Unto Dawn, parts 1 – 5, were published on YouTube, in collaboration with Machinima (www.youtube.com/machinima). The series centres around cadets at a UNSC training facility, and gives us a glimpse of life before the Covenant invasion, and before the Spartan program was official. It’s a superb way to spend 90 minutes and we can highly recommend it. Those who purchase a collector’s edition of Halo 4 will have the entire series as a single 90-minute movie on a separate DVD.

AT A GLANCE: First Person Shooter

A worthy new developer has taken the series to a new high.

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Halo: Reach, Halo 3, Halo: Anniversary Local

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343 Industries Microsoft Microsoft

Parental Advisory

16+ gamecca42

Online 16

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Reviewed on:

X360 Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

95 43

Hitman: Absolution

The Return of an Icon One target, so many ways to die

by Lein Baart

S

lost none of his touch, indeed he has gained a few new abilities, but the core gameplay central to the appeal of the franchise has remained largely untouched. To start with though, and maybe to the dismay of the purists, 47 is a lot more capable in combat than he was in previous titles. There’s a new cover system, somewhat resembling the system used in Gears of War, and 47 is more durable than he was before, meaning that for those possessed of an incurable bloodlust, or who found the previous titles too slow, gunning your way through each level is a definite possibility. In addition 47 now has an instinct ability, enabling him to enter “point shooting mode”, a Max Payne styled slow motion that allows you to annihilate a room full of bullet fodder. Close combat has also seen a change, employing a QTE system reminiscent of Witcher 2 that lets 47 quickly incapacitate anyone who is foolish enough to

Review

tealth gaming, as a genre, has been relatively quiet these past few years (Assassin’s Creed doesn’t count as stealth.) Many games have incorporated stealth elements, but up until recently there has been a dearth of legitimate, honest-to goodness stealth games.

The development of Hitman: Absolution didn’t exactly inspire hope that the genre was making a comeback. The trailers released showed an altogether more aggressive, gung-ho 47 than what fans remembered, and speculation ran rampant that one of the godfathers of stealth had lost his touch and was now more a mercenary than an assassin. Put your fears to rest though, as Agent 47 is back and as deathly silent as a garrotte around the neck.

Long standing fans of the series will feel instantly at home with the gameplay in Absolution. Agent 47 has

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challenge out shiny domed anti-hero.

Yet despite all of the new enhancements to 47’s combat prowess, Hitman remains very much a stealth game.

Nowhere is this more evident in the rating system, which will ply ample rewards on the player who uses caution, patience and innovation. In fact the system actively discourages any attempt at overt action. Being spotted in a crowd, knocking out a guard or killing anybody who is not a target will cause your score to drop, and anyone of these actions will put the Silent Assassin rating out of reach. As the game puts it, the master assassin “leaves the world around him untouched”. 47 is not without his tricks however. The aforementioned cover system has been put to good use here, allowing 47 to flit between cover, and he has access to standard tactics like throwing objects to create distractions. Disguises, as always, are integral,

though not fool proof, as anyone who is part of the group you are trying to impersonate, say for instance a guard or a police officer, will quickly see through the disguise. This is actually one of Absolution’s weaker mechanics, because at times the A.I. will see through your disguise in a flash, even at relatively far distances. Instinct can be used to mitigate this, but seeing that this is a finite resource and all 47 does is obscure his face, it seems somewhat illogical, especially when you walk right past a commanding officer with your cap pulled below your jaw line.

Another welcome return is the level specific assassinations, especially the “accidents” introduced in Contracts. There’s always a certain grim satisfaction watching a bullet rip through your targets head, or pulling off a perfect strangulation with your garrotte, but by far the most gratifying kills are those that use the environment

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and around missions, there’s a near tangible sense of cinema and flair that makes the story both a pleasure to traverse and emotionally engaging. This is backed up by flawless voice acting performances that bring both 47 and the characters around him to life, even if some scenes border on the ridiculous. The biggest flaw in the plot is the characters that drive it forward. From the main antagonist, a poisonous greedy wretch called Blake Dexter, to his psychotic hitman to the corrupt Agency official, all the personalities that one would expect to find in a B grade Bourne rip-off make an appearance, though they’re more caricatures than actual characters.

The world that 47 find himself in, and the various maps that make up the game, practically breathe with life.

It’s almost spell-binding to stand in a crowd, listening as people chat amongst themselves or on cell phones,

Review

to create what appear to be “freak accidents”. In the early levels these assassinations get somewhat generic, but as the game goes on it opens up to allow all sorts of “acts of god”, from gas stove explosions to poisoned fast food. Pulling off these hits can be really challenging to get right, but are definitely worth the price paid in patience and exploration.

Absolution wastes little time throwing you in to the thick of things, with the first mission being one of the most talked about twists of the franchise: the assassination of Diana Burnwood, your sultry voiced handler since the start of the series. With her dying breath she begs you to protect Victoria, the girl that she left the Agency to save. It’s not terribly original, but what the plot lacks in punch, it more than makes up for in drama and impact. Driven by cut scenes in

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completely oblivious to your presence. There’s never a generic line repeated, nor do casual encounters ever feel scripted or forced, culminating in a world that almost seems to exist independent of you and your actions. In a game where the whole idea is to remain anonymous, it’s a fantastic feeling that adds to the whole concept of Hitman.

Technically, Absolution is a game that shines, and the flaws that do exist tend to go mostly unnoticed. The levels are brilliantly designed, allowing multiple paths and choices, and the visuals are stunning no matter what level you’re playing, from the packed streets of Chinatown to the small town of Hope, South Dakota.

The much touted musical scoring of the game deserves the praise that it has received, adapting to fit whatever situation 47 finds himself in, creating an atmosphere of almost palpable tension. The A.I. is unfortunately

prone to making daft decisions, but these are generally few and far between, and 47 could be more mobile, for instance able to hang off ledges, but these are small complaints really. Perhaps the most controversial of the design decisions is the use of instinct to navigate levels, as it instantly highlights nearby enemies, targets and objects of interest, though those wishing for a more authentic experience can choose a harder difficulty, which either restricts its usage or eliminates it altogether.

Absolution is a game that will likely have many fans of the series divided. No doubt the game has evolved since the franchise’s last outing, and probably not to everyone’s tastes, but what made the series great still remains, and the undeniable truth is this: you wouldn’t want to mess with 47 on your best of days. g

AT A GLANCE: Third Person Stealth Action

Reviewed on:

Personally, I found Absolution to be a true testament to the series, and welcome return to the days of silenced silver-ballers and garrottes Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

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86 47

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Mayhem!

Freedom… over and over again.

by Walt Pretorius

W

arcade-style approach to Need for Speed. Whatever the case may be, that is where Most Wanted finds itself; it’s not serious, it’s not deep, and petrol-head racing game fans will find a number of reasons to denigrate the title. But it’s not about that, not in spirit. It’s about speed, mayhem and fun.

The player is placed at the wheel of a number of really awesome cars and charged with becoming the most wanted street racer of a large, free-roaming city. The free-roaming is important in the single player game because that’s how the player finds new cars. There are no car dealerships here – rather, the player drives around until they find a fancy set of wheels parked at the side of the road, and jacks it.

The new car will then be added to the playable cars at the user’s disposal.

Each car has a series of races that unlock broad upgrades

Review

hen Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit came out a while back, everyone gave the thumbs up to Criterion for revitalising the series to a large degree. Then The Run came out, which wasn’t developed

by Criterion, and people complained about it. The good news is that Criterion are back again, this time with Need for Speed: Most Wanted. While this is a definite reboot, though, many of the elements that made the original Most Wanted such a popular NFS title are missing here.

Rather, this is a game that feels more and more like the franchise that made Criterion famous… Burnout.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does take the NFS franchise even further away from any aspirations towards ultimate driving realism. Maybe the publishers have realised that competing with heavy hitters like Forza is not the best idea, and have embraced a more casual,

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for the vehicle. These can be further upgraded by earning speed points. To do so players need to do well in races, perform stunts, evade cops and act like a general hooligan.

In an attempt at a story, speed points also allow the player to compete with a ladder of most wanted racers.

The truth is, though, that the player can get through the ladder without ever taking on a single one of these challenges. The special cars they unlock are nice, though.

Most Wanted is all about competition, and has leader boards for virtually everything. It is surprising, then, that the multiplayer aspect of the game seems a little underdeveloped. Players gather to compete in a series of events, which include stunts, races and other challenges.

These earn speed points, which are the only way to get vehicles and upgrades in multiplayer. But it gets a little old

rather quickly.

Most Wanted is fun to play, but it isn’t free of problems.

Chief among these is navigation, whether free-roaming or in races. Route indicators are extremely rare. The player has to keep an eye on the mini-map to follow the route.

This becomes quite a challenge when driving fast, avoiding cops and slamming into other racers. Frustration is pretty much guaranteed.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted is a fun game, but it doesn’t really come close to Hot Pursuit. Restricted multiplayer modes, odd design decisions and general quality just aren’t where they should be as a successor to a really great game. Still, it’s fun to play, but is probably best in relatively short bursts. Most people will likely enjoy the freedom and craziness of the game, but that might not be enough to make it compelling. g

AT A GLANCE: Arcade Racing

Reviewed on:

Lots of cars and lots to do... but Most Wanted may not be serious enough for some, and feels more like a Burnout sequel than a NFS title.

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75 49

007 Legends

Legends Come Together It might be pretty, but they are there none the less

by Charlie Fripp

J

each actor and weaves it into one plot. The films covered (in order) in the game are Goldfinger (Sean Connery), On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (George Lazenby), Moonraker (Roger Moore), Licence to Kill (Timothy Dalton) and Die Another Day (Pierce Brosnan).Daniel Craig’s Skyfall will be released as separate downloadable content.

The format of the game follows the same formula as the previous Bond game GoldenEye 007: Reloaded, where players have to complete a mission by usually eliminating the enemies in the area and then solve a number of puzzles in order to progress.

But that is the main problem with Legends – it’s not challenging enough, even for a beginner to the shooter genre. The title makes use of a snap-to mechanic for enemies, so it’s virtually impossible to miss a shot. All that players have to do is move in and out of aiming, and

Review

ames Bond needs no introduction.

He is the quintessential British spy, and his name will forever be synonymous with the classic stealth and spy genre of films and books. Making his first movie appearance in 1962 with the film Dr. No, he set alight the imagination of many film-lovers and secured actor Sean Connery’s role as arguably the most well-known Bond character.

With all the merchandise and spin-offs, it’s natural that the massive franchise will spawn a number of video games, and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dr. No, Activision released 007 Legends – which co-incidentally launched a couple of weeks before the latest Bond film, Skyfall.

The premise of Legends is simple: throughout the Bond series, the films had six different actors that portrayed the role of the enigmatic spy. The game takes one film from

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the game will place an enemy neatly in the crosshairs. It’s quite possible to walk into an area and rapid fire at enemies without every taking damage or going into cover.

While the game is highly entertaining for a Sunday afternoon, it does become a bit repetitive after a while, especially if the player doesn’t feel challenged. Another problem with the title is the way in which the films have been stitched together.

Most of the films’ plots don’t relate with one-another, but developer Eurocom tried their best to make the level transitions as fluid as possible – which doesn’t really work.

Most of the time no context is given for a change in scenery or location and it feels a bit tacked on, without explanation.

Even with its flaws, which some gamers might see as deal-breakers, it provides for a welcome distraction after a hard days’ work or on a lazy Sunday afternoon, but it’s by

no means a serious title that accompanies the entire film franchise.

Some gaming media referred to the title as an insult to the Bond franchise, and while it’s not that bad, it could have been a lot better if Eurocom focused more on improving the graphics and changing the game dynamic from a fairly linear shooter to something a bit more complex and through-provoking.

For multiplayer fans, the game features a number of forgettable modes that serve more as filler content on the disc than actually adding real value to the title. It features the usual modes such as Team Death match, death match and a mode where players have to take over and hold a number of nodes.

It has the functionality for players to upgrade through the accumulation of XP, and most of the villains available as playable characters – each with their own special weapons, but it does little to entice players to continue with the modes. g

AT A GLANCE: First-person shooter

It’s not a great effort, but good enough to pass the time.

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75 51

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

Junior…

Two heroes for the price of one… sort of.

by Walt Pretorius

T

to numerous hotspots of the 1980s, including Angola and Afghanistan, while his kid… well, that’s where the biggest change in the game comes in. Playing as Mason Junior, the player gets to experience near-future warfare.

Set in the year 2025, these missions introduce new technologies and gadgets that modernise the battlefield.

Thankfully we’re not talking laser rifles and that kind of stuff. The future-tech is all viable stuff, much of which is supposedly already in development. In other words, the sci-fi is low grade. That keeps the experience believable and engaging. The player doesn’t have to go through any form of unreasonable paradigm shift, which could have seriously jeopardised the experience.

The question still remains, though, as to whether the whole affair is just a copy-and-paste shooter. To a degree it is, but the decent story-line, as well as references to

Review

he Call of Duty franchise has become a little… well, repetitive. Rising from its World War II shooter roots, it really hit its stride with the release of Modern Warfare. After a few of those, Black Ops arrived, bringing with it a much needed breath of fresh air. Now, with the release of Black Ops 2, that freshness continues. It serves well to consider these titles as a sub-branch of the Call of Duty franchise, because they really do stand out. At the time of its release, I thought the original Black Ops was great, thanks to a solid story line, controversial subject matter and awesome, varied action. That trend continues with the sequel.

Black Ops 2 continues the tale from the original, with the player bouncing between Mason and his son as main characters. The Mason missions take the player

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real world people and events, gives the game an edge over other Call of Duty titles. It retains the great graphics, awesome sound and host of weapons, too, and also gives the player variation in combat styles. These aren’t often huge, but firing a rocket launcher from horseback or piloting a ultra-modern VTOL fighter do add some spice to the mix.

Another variation comes in the form of tactical missions, which task the player with not only taking on the bad guys, but also ordering a squad of soldiers and mechanised units around. It’s a nice addition, but there are simply too few of these missions for them to make much of an impact.

Multiplayer is pretty much what one expects from a Call of Duty title, with various game modes affording players the opportunity to take on other humans around the

globe. It’s fun, but there is nothing truly revolutionary on offer here.

And then, of course, there are the zombies. Zombie modes have a few changes to them, making them more enjoyable, for the most part. They’re tough levels, and this mode adds a lot – not only to the multiplayer experience, but also for the solo operator brave enough to take it on.

In the end, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 does amount to being another Call of Duty game. But it brings a bit of freshness in the form of the future tech missions, and – in all honesty – the Call of Duty formula works. It provides first-person shooter fans with what they want, which is why it likely won’t change much in the near future. And that’s OK, because the game is good fun, challenging and engaging. Which is what a game should be, in all honesty. g

AT A GLANCE: First Person Shooter

It sticks to the Call of Duty formula, but Black Ops 2 introduces enough freshness to still be entertaining, challenging and engaging.

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87 53

Men of War: Ultimate Collection

War is Hell For the masochist in you

by Lein Baart

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tough right from the start. You are never in a superior position, you are never better supplied or have more units at your disposal than your enemy. It’s a game dynamic that is both a blessing and a curse, as the games can prove simply too frustrating to get through, yet the true feeling of accomplishment at completing a level, any level, is a rare treat in modern times.

The difficulty isn’t helped by the series’ emphasis on combined arms tactics, meaning that generic RTS tactics such as tank-rushes are almost always doomed to failure.

Likewise, being a tactical strategy franchise, you never build a single building, meaning that every soldier is a limited and precious commodity. Lose a squad in one illconsidered offensive and you’re in serious trouble. Lose two or more and a reload is practically mandatory. All this adds up to a series that demands a careful, intelligent

Review

ame collections are a tricky beast. The trouble lies in the fact that fans of the series will likely have most or all of the games that are being offered, meaning that it’s marketed to a crowd who either don’t care much for it, or don’t know much about the franchise. It’s not an easy hurdle to overcome, and for a series like Men of War, which is known for its brutal difficulty, there’s an added complication because it’s a franchise targeted at the hard-core strategy niche.

For fans of the genre though, and particular real time tactical games, this is a series that’s definitely worth looking at twice.

Men of War, as a series, has a couple of common themes that run throughout all of the games, the first and foremost being that this is a masochist’s dream.

Every game in the series is incredibly, almost stupidly

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approach, and is far more cerebral than you would expect.

Another aspect that stands out starkly is micromanagement. There’s an almost obsessive level of detail in all the games, and at times the realism that is a hallmark of the series becomes a deterrent rather than a boon. Each soldier has an inventory, with limited ammunition, medpacks and grenades, while each vehicle has its own fuel supply, meaning that it’s quite possible for your column of Panzer tanks to run dry in the middle of a fire fight. Supplies can be scrounged from the bodies of the fallen, but it’s a painful process that is more tedious than immersive.

The pack itself contains four iterations of the series, namely Men of War, Assault Squad, Vietnam and Condemned Heroes. What this essentially boils down to however is four flavours of the same ice-cream, as the

games are virtually identical in terms of playstyle and mechanics.

The majority of the series takes place during World War 2 (I’m sure you can spot the exception), with a heavy emphasis on the Eastern Front. There are some interesting stories told throughout, and a lot more silly ones, and the huge scope and scale of the games means that each level practically feels like a campaign unto itself.

So what does the Ultimate Collection offer then?

Besides a large amount of rage induced hair loss, the Men of War franchise is an exacting, intricate developed series of games. It’s for those that love their strategy slow-paced, and considered, and have the patience to plan their campaigns accordingly. It’s tough as hell, but if you look past the flaws, there is an incredible amount of engaging gameplay to be had. g

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

Real-time strategy

Reviewed on:

PC

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Never has the phrase ...not for everyone... been more appropriate, but if you loved Company of Heroes, MoW will be right up your alley

PC X360 Kinect

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68 55

Skylanders: Giants

Big Boys The family fun platformer is back

by Walt Pretorius

T

These are series two figures, and have an orange base.

The older series one figures have a green one. They can be used with Giants, but the new figures cannot be used with the original Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure.

So, in a nutshell, more figurines to stress the wallet, and more ways to play with the older figurines (including a level cap increase from 10 to 15.)

Part of the new figurine range (which feature glowing elements) are eight giant characters. These larger figurines are used in exactly the same way – by placing them on the portal. Just as various elemental characters can access specific areas, Giants also have areas that only they can get to, and tasks that only they can perform.

There are a host of other new characters to collect as well.

In terms of the game itself, it really is more of the same. But, as far as Skylanders goes, that isn’t a bad

Review

he battle for the Skylands continues. Not that Activision have had a battle with this particular product. In teaming up with Toys for Bob and unleashing the Skylanders idea on the world around a year ago, Activision happened upon a formula that is doing really well for them. Hence the new expansion, in the form of Skylanders: Giants.

The same idea applies: the player gets the game, and then gets collectable figurines to use with the game’s Portal of Power. Placing a figurine on the portal ‘transports’ it into the game, and allows the player to use the character, level them up and customise them.

The character’s details are saved by the figurine itself, and it can be used on any platform, making multiplayer a breeze.

With Giants comes a whole new range of figures.

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thing. It’s simple platforming and light puzzle fun that the whole family can enjoy. The story isn’t exactly deep, and the plot doesn’t twist and turn, but it is very enjoyable and engrossing. The control that the player has over the characters in the game, as well as the fact that the characters upgrade and can be transported to other consoles adds to the fun immensely.

The game is far from challenging which, when considering that the target market is generally younger players, makes a lot of sense. But there is a charm to Skylanders: Giants that will appeal to all ages, and the idea of the whole family enjoying this addictive title is not unthinkable. The simple game dynamics mean that virtually anyone can enjoy this title, while the need for different characters at different points helps youngsters think a little more laterally than just straight forward gaming.

Getting started with Skylanders – no matter what the age – is extremely addictive. The bright, colourful figurines are highly collectable, and completionist attitudes will be well rewarded, what with hidden areas and challenges that can only be accessed by specific characters.

The original game was extremely well received, and the fact that older characters can still be used in this new title means that the ‘investment’ made in the Skylanders collection will still deliver the goods. That’s great news for parents, as is the prospect that a whole new range of characters extends the gift and bribery potential of the series. And parents can be safe in the knowledge that Skylander: Giants, just like the original title, is perfectly safe for kids… no bad language, no adult these, no extreme violence. A truly safe bet for the Christmas stocking! g

AT A GLANCE: Platform

Reviewed on:

With a new range of collectible toys and a new adventure, Skylanders: Giants keeps the craze rolling on...

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80 57

Doom 3 BFG Edition

Nostalgia Central Nostalgia Central

by Sarah Snyman

A

PlayStation Doom release) and bounced around like a kid before Christmas as the menu loaded. BFG edition is not only a re-release and re-mastering of Doom 1, 2 and, it also holds all new levels within Doom 3.

Being a bit of a purist, I immediately selected Doom 1 when I was presented with that glorious menu screen. Other than the fact that I hadn’t opened the game in DOS after installing it of an obscene number of stiffy disks, I felt like a kid again the second that blocky pixelated interface appeared. Doom 1 has been kept much the same as I remember it, I’m not sure if I was just used to less as a child or if I’ve killed a lot of brain cells, but this game is not a walkthrough, even with my experience since its release.

I ended up mission around for a while before I worked out the levels. I grew slightly bored of the

Review

s my column title and all of my gaming identities dictate, I am a die-hard Doom fan. My name, IDoubleDQD, is a combination of the iconic god mode cheat, IDDQD and the double D shift referencing my sometimes surprising gender. It is a name very few people immediately pick up, but when they do, it dictates not only your gaming history but also a love of cult gaming that is sometime lost in today’s industry.

I have had the task of writing E3 previews, prerelease notes and full previews for this release. All of this has done nothing but leave me even more racked with anticipation than before to get this game in my hands.

This month, that day finally came. I slid the disc into my PlayStation (a first as this is the virginal

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nostalgia and moved up to Doom 2, my least favourite of the series.

Although you are now able to use the flashlight for practical purposes, it’s still Doom 2. I gave each release a solid chance to impress the fan in me and progressively moved up to Doom 3.

For those of you who never indulged in the game, you’re on Mars, stuff got hectic, hell broke loose (quite literally) and you now have to go in and fix that disaster, one disembodied flaming horned skull demon at a time.

The graphics were slightly better than I remember but not to the degree of some of the HD Re-releases I’ve seen this year. The new gameplay in Doom 3 is exciting and exhilarating, but this could be my nostalgic passion taking over.

I have had hours and hours of enjoyment out of this collection but something in the back of my mind tells me that despite this being on console, I would have had as much enjoyment if I still had the original releases to play.

For any fan that no longer has the entire trilogy and a machine compatible enough to play it, this is a goldmine for feel good FPS indulgence.

For those who are too young to have experienced the originals, this would be like a knowledgeable elder playing you Led Zeppelin to show you what music should be like.

Doom is one of the foundation games of our generation and this release is deserving of praise purely because of the chance it’ll give us to re-expose ourselves to gaming gold. Buy it, love it and indulge. g

AT A GLANCE: First-person shooter

Reviewed on:

The entire Doom collection on one concise disc.

An item for any FPS fan or gaming devotee. A walk down memory lane.

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PS3 Move

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76 59

MUD: FIM Motocross World Championship

Muddy

A bit of a middle ground here…

by Walt Pretorius

T

And the Vita is perfectly suited for it. No, I am not saying that the Vita is only good for more casual titles – heaven forbid. It’s just that the combination of the two works really well.

The core of the game is the MUD World Tour mode, which the packaging claims to have RPG elements.

OK, that’s a bit of a stretch. You cannot create your own rider, and there are only four skills that can be increased. But the player does have some control over their team of four riders, so there is a modicum of customisation there. Events are comprised of races, elimination races, trick showcases, checkpoint races and head-to-head battles. They have different themes, but only the trick events are truly different; they’re the only ones that don’t require riding fast and turning sharply.

Review

here has been a dearth of PS Vita titles for some time now, but this end of year sees a few new games surfacing for Sony’s apparently beleaguered hand held console. One of these was released a while ago overseas, but only recently made its way to South Africa. It is the PS Vita version of MUD: FIM Motocross World Championship.

The title didn’t get a very warm reception on other consoles, but on the Vita is seems to have found its true home. That is because the game is more lighthearted than the title suggests, and far less serious than the box art hints. MUD is about riding a dirt bike really fast, with physics and dynamics something of an afterthought. It might be an official title, but it doesn’t feel like one. It turns away from realism and looks towards a more fun, arcade style experience.

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There are 30 tricks that can be unlocked for these events but, for the most part, the action takes place on one of the game’s numerous tracks.

Speaking of tracks, MUD features some really great metal and rock songs to ride along to. The rest of the sound effects and graphics aren’t bad, although they are hardly revolutionary. What seems to be lacking in the title, though, is broad implementation of the Vita’s different functionalities.

While trying to cram every control option into a game is a little much, MUD uses only the most basic of controls. Aside from using the right analog stick to rotate the view, the control scheme would have worked just as well on a PSP. It doesn’t even attempt to be anything but the simplest kind of game in terms of control. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but one

cannot help but feel that the potential of the Vita is a little wasted in this case.

In the end, MUD does nothing revolutionary, and it doesn’t fall into the realms of a must play game.

What it does do, however, is present the player with a game that is addictive and fun, albeit best played in short bursts to avoid repetitiveness.

It won’t blow your hair back, but it won’t bore you to tears either. It’s sort of middle of the road in that regard. In essence, if you expect a game that is casual, sometimes flippant and generally pretty laid back, that’s what you’ll get. If you’re looking for in-depth tuning and customisation, you will be disappointed.

That’s not what this game is about. At very least a more or less decent transition onto the Vita platform makes it worth a try. g

AT A GLANCE: Racing

Reviewed on:

PSV

It’s not mind blowing, but neither is it awful; MUD is a fun distraction, with bikes and dirt.

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6

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

75 61

Pokémon Black 2

Gotta Catch ‘em All! A new story unfolds in Unova.

by Nthato Morakabi

A

an adventure as a Pokémon trainer with the prospect of receiving your first Pokémon from the famous Professor Juniper. Professor Juniper has sent her assistant Bianca, a familiar face to those who have played the previous game,to deliver your Pokémon. Immediately after this exciting news and the prospect of your very first Pokémon, you run expectedly into your rival, who seems to be as usual, arrogantly a step ahead. Exploring the city with your rival you make your way to Bianca and it is here that you select your first Pokémon. You are given the choice of either Tepig, a Fire Pig, Snivy a Grass Snake or Oshawott a Sea Otter.

Pokémon Black 2 continues the story of the Unova region in the eyes of a new hero. With your trusty companions, you seek to travel to each city, collecting Gym Badges, capturing Pokémon, exploring the vast continent and thwarting the insidious plans of Team Plasma, an organization that exploits

Review

dventure! Drama! Intrigue! Action! Pokémon Black 2 promises to deliver it all in this exciting, new instalment of the long running Pokémon series. This is the first direct sequel in the main Pokémon games that does not involve a completely new area, character, storyline and colour scheme (Pokémon Pun). Since the first Pokémon games were released (Pokémon Red/Green), the Pokémon franchise has grown exponentially, resulting in sequels, spin-offs and its own trading card game. The Pokémon roster has quadrupled in size; no longer are there a measly 150 Pokémon, but over 640 unique Pokémon to capture.

The story unfolds in Aspertia City, a new remote town on the south-west corner of the Unova region, two years after the events of Pokémon Black/White. You assume the role of a young individual who is thrust into

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Pokémon for gain.

Pokémon Battles are one of the core systems of the game.

The turn based battle system allows for a fair engagement, however, Pokémon level, experience, type strength and weakness, ability and the myriad of attacks a Pokémon can learn, calls for strategy and tactical battling. You can test out your squad in Pokémon battles against Pokémon in the wild or take on the range of pokémon trainers that are sure to challenge you. Pokémon Gyms are the best way to test your skills as they offer better trained Pokémon and are type specific, allowing for a variety with each Gym badge you seek to own. The ultimate battle is the Elite Four; you must defeat them in order to be known as the Pokémon Champion.

The continent of Unova ranges from modernized cities and quaint towns to forests, rivers and caves. With puzzles to

solve, citizens and pokémon to help, as well as an extensive Pokédex to complete, there is no shortage of activities to participate in.

Pokémon Black 2 boasts a variety of Multiplayer features.

The C-Gear is a device that allows you to connect, battle, trade and interact with players via infra-red. The online Dream World, available on the Pokémon website, expands your adventure on the PC. The Entra-link allows you to visit your registered friends’ game files as well as receive Pokémon and items you have collected from the Dream World.

The 2D graphics are stunning on the Nintendo DS both during battle and in exploring the Pokémon world, the gameplay is extensive, the storyline intriguing and completion of the Pokédex is an adventure on its own.

Pokémon Black 2 is a must have for all Pokémon fans. g

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

First Person Shooter

Reviewed on:

DS

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Pokemon White 2, Pokemon Black & Pokemon White.

Local

1

Network

Online

4

Nintendo Nintendo Core Group

Parental Advisory

3+ gamecca42

5

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Embark on a new journey in this sequel to Pokemon Black, exploring new areas, meeting new and familiar characters and taking down Team Plasma!

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

85 63

Dance Central 3

The World is Your Dance Floor Own the dance floor with the no.1 selling Kinect franchise

by Suvesh Arumugam

I

Central Intelligence) and you must take on the robotic dance forces of a megalomaniacal doctor, who plans to destroy dance throughout the world. To do this, you not only have to keep time, but travel back in time to rescue other DCI agents trapped in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. What follows is a fun trip down memory lane going through the hits (and dances) of those eras, while collecting points and specific dance moves that will help you in your quest.

DC3 also has a variety of different modes to suit different occasions. Dance mode has a variety of solo and multiplayer modes. Perform is the regular one or two player mode, where you dance for the best score. One of the cool features is being able to make playlists, similar to Guitar Hero, which not many dance titles feature. You can also practice and perfect your moves in Rehearse mode.

Battle gives you the option of trading moves (also similar

Review

was really excited to review my first Kinect game, especially having reviewed a few dance titles on PS3. Dance Central proudly markets itself as Xbox’s leading Kinect franchise. I’ll admit I hadn’t tried any of its predecessor’s so I had pretty high expectations. The franchise is developed by Harmonix - you don’t really get much better credentials for social gaming.

The first part of DC3 that I really loved was its story mode. A lot of the other titles I’ve reviewed are marketed at pre-teenage kids (mostly female) and assume that you dance for the fun of it. While they have points systems, it rarely gets more complex than that.

Building on previous titles, the story may not be Oscar winning material, but it’s enough to motivate a selfconscious non-dancer to do some competitive boogieing.

It’s pretty simple, you are an agent of DCI (Dance

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to Guitar Hero). The really cool modes are Party Time and Crew Throwdown. In Party mode, a variety of mini games are available like Make a Move, where you can invent your own dance moves for your opponent to copy. Keep the Beat allows you to dance freestyle (without flashcards) and as long as you’re in time with the music, you still make score. Crew Throwdown accommodates multiple players in two teams, where teams combine their skills to outscore each other. The game also features Challenge mode, where online and downloaded challenges can unlock extra points. Fitness mode unlocks a calorie counter to tell you how much of a workout you’re getting while you’re cutting the rug.

Another important feature of dance titles is the songs available. DC3 scores with different songs from various eras as part of the storyline, so it pretty much has

something for everyone. With songs from J-Lo, 50 cent, Gloria Gaynor, Maroon 5, Heavy D and the Boyz and many more, there’s guaranteed to be something that someone in your family will dance to. You can also unlock and download a host of additional songs.

DC3 is one of the few games that is already SmartGlass enabled, meaning you can view and access features directly from your Surface, iOS or Android Tablet. You can also view challenges available. Quite nifty for those periods when your body needs a rest!

Aside from the slightly tricky menus, DC3 is a very accessible game. It has good range of easy beginner dances to complex body twisting strictly for experienced leg shakers. Games like this are generally designed for the whole family, and this hits the mark square in the middle. g

AT A GLANCE: Dancing

Reviewed on:

Go back in time and save the world by dancing the night away! You can’t go wrong with this fun title!

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Just Dance Local

4

Network

Online

0

Harmonix Microsoft Microsoft

Parental Advisory

12+ gamecca42

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

82 65

Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation

Small Screen Killer Ambition can sometimes be a bad thing…

by Walt Pretorius

M

Aveline has become a master assassin bent on ending the slave trade. That, right there, marks one of Liberations short-comings. The jump literally is a jump, and leaves a lot of questions. How did she go from being a scared little girl to being an accomplished assassin? Who trained her?

How does she keep it hidden from her foster family? This plot hole is significant, and is never truly addressed by the game. In a franchise well known for great stories, it is an odd oversight.

Taking on missions on the Vita is fun, with the player being able to do virtually anything that Altair, Ezio and Connor could do, except on a smaller screen. The graphics are good, but the ambitiousness of this title shows through every now and then with minor frame rate drops and the like.

While the game presents that player with a large world

Review

any people have been saying that the PS Vita needs a ‘killer game’ to improve its sales performance. It probably wouldn’t hurt is we saw a price drop, too, but that’s not for here. When Ubisoft announced that the highly anticipated Assassin’s Creed III would be accompanied by a Vita exclusive title, many thought that this was it… the game that would turn things around for the Vita. But Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, while great fun, does not quite rise to the levels of excellence that would be required for that to be the case.

Liberation takes place at roughly the same time as Connor’s adventures in AC3, but it brings the player a different hero and a different setting. Aveline is the daughter of a freed slave who loses her mother one day in busy New Orleans. Skip forward a decade or so, and

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to explore, individual missions feel less free than they should. Aveline is a master of disguise, and can make use of three different guises to get around. Each of these confers strengths, weaknesses and varying abilities on the character, but often the player will be forced to use one or the other, rather than being tasked with finding the best approach themselves. It takes away from the freedom that a player expects from a newer Assassin’s Creed title somewhat.

The controls are generally great, although the player may need to get used to the response time a little. In addition, the developers seemed bent on using almost every aspect of the Vita’s control systems, which gets a bit much. The game really does not need gyroscope puzzles and the like.

While it sounds rather negative, highlighting these short-comings is important. The user needs to know what

they are in for. And the sum total of the experience is an enjoyable game, despite these problems. Aveline is a very interesting character, and the setting is exciting and lively. Aside from some frustration and being forced into particular directions from time to time, the game does provide the player with a great level of enjoyment.

It just feels, at times, that the developers got a little too ambitious, even a little too excited at what they could do with the platform. And so, while Liberation is enjoyable, it does strain under its own weight a little.

Still, it’s a great start for the franchise on Vita, and with a few tweaks and reworked ideas, the next Assassin’s Creed game on the Sony hand held will certainly be something to look out for. Fans of the franchise should not miss Liberation, though, if purely for added story and universe information. g

AT A GLANCE: Action adventure

Reviewed on:

PSV

Although a fun experience, Liberation often strains under the weight of its own ambition.

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Assassin’s Creed III Local

1

Network

Online

0

Ubisoft Ubisoft Megarom

Parental Advisory

18+ gamecca42

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

77 67

WWE 13

Welcome to the Revolution!

Relive WWE’s attitude era

by Suvesh Arumugam

S

those. Attitude Era is a pretty nifty look back at the best moments in WWE over the years, particularly the Monday Night Wars when the WWE Raw was in direct competition with WCW for viewers on US TV. You get to relive some of the great matchups during the time as the superstars who defined the era like Stone Cold Steve Austin, Degeneration X (Triple H and Shawn Michaels), The Rock, and of course the Phenom, The Undertaker. With unique storylines and lots of original video cut scenes and footage from both shows, it’s an interesting piece of history for new and old fans.

Completing the mode progressively unlocks new superstars and alternative kits.

The other mode is Universe mode, which is the standard Season mode as it appeared in previous versions. Start your career out with your superstar, and work your way up to the top as either a Raw or Smackdown competitor. With the ability

Review

ince it’s days as WWF, video games have always been a big feature of the world’s biggest professional wrestling franchise. I remember playing the arcade version as a young kid in our local corner store, battling away as my then favourite superstar, The Ultimate Warrior, all the way up to the Legion of Doom, the legendary combination of Hawk and Animal that was all the rage at the time. Since then wrestling has become a billion dollar industry with multiple TV shows, movies and of course video games.

Since Yukes and THQ have developed the WWE series for years now, it was not surprising that the format has not changed much. While the game has faithfully recreated the likeness and signature moves of all the current WWE superstars, the games modes are still mostly the same except for a few notable exceptions – let’s start with

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to create superstars, finishing moves, arenas and even your own pay per view events, this mode is more expansive than it’s ever been. Create alliances, feuds, with multiple storylines and outcomes, with a range of options like interfering with other matches and joining tag teams.

In Exhibition mode, you can choose from all the usual variations of once off matches from one on one, two man or three man tag, as well as cage, ladder and no disqualification matches. You can also choose special events like Hell in A Cell, Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank and King of the Ring.

A whole range of DLC packs have already been announced to add more superstars to your rosters. You can also access alternative costumes from some of the bigger superstars earlier incarnations as well as additional finishing moves and submission holds to make your character unbeatable.

While the game is being hyped as having the most realistic

animation and sound ever, I can’t say that I really saw a huge difference from demos I’ve seen of WWE 12. I was also disappointed that the wrestler’s arsenal of moves seems limited. You generally start with a single finishing move, where you used to be able to perform a variety of finishing moves by which direction button you held down while performing the move. I did like the timing required to perform reversals and kick outs, while breaking submission and grappling require the usual button jamming. Perhaps a little tricky for younger players, but easy to catch onto after a while.

WWE 13 delivers true arcade style fun, with all the WWE branded raucousness and spectacle that fans of the TV shows will look for. It’s fun for single or multiple players, and it’s a great pick up and play title for the holiday season. While the WWE series may be formulaic, it’s a formula that works! g

AT A GLANCE: Fighting

Reviewed on:

PS3

The latest instalment takes you a trip back in time through the WWE Universe from the mid ‘90s.

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Any WWE title Local

4

Network

Online

4

Yukes THQ Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory

16+ gamecca42

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

80 69

Painkiller: Hell and Damnation

Escaping Purgatory Love can spur a man to the gates of hell.

by Nthato Morakabi

D

heaven, he realizes that the task can never be completed.

The game begins with Daniel in a cemetery, visited by Death himself. Death promises Daniel a way to Catherine if Daniel can collect seven legions of souls. Although wary of the request Daniel nonetheless agrees to it and thus begins his journey into hell.

Painkiller: Hell and Damnation is dark, gory and seethes with an aura of evil. A strong parental (and even religious if necessary) guidance should be taken before playing this game. It is rife with symbols, music and artwork that captures the dark theme of the game completely and this is not even in the gameplay yet.

As a classic first-person shooter, you can expect a lot of running around, guns blazing action against hordes of creatures that spawn continuously each level; no prompted reloading, just fire until they are dead. The

Review

aniel Garner is a man whose life is marked by death and darkness. His life took a turn for the better when he met Catherine; she brought light and love to his tortured soul. One dark tempestuous night, while driving in the heavy rain at high speed with Catherine at his side, Daniel sees a figure in the dark – an infernal winged creature poised in the middle of the road. Swerving away from the figure, Daniel loses control of the car, resulting in a horrendous accident that kills both Daniel and Catherine instantly. Catherine is then sent off to heaven but Daniel is trapped in Purgatory, the space between heaven and hell.

After what feels like an eternity of battling hordes of demonic creatures, hoping he can earn his way out of the hellish limbo and into the arms of Catherine in

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levels are designed for exploration with walls that rise and drop to open and hide different areas of each level.

Every new level is designed with its own theme and you can expect to traverse an assortment of areas.

Key items such as gold coins, are scattered throughout the levels, and can be used to unlock various rewards.

The coins are hidden inside breakable objects and it will take some wasted bullets (or clever use of secondary fire) to break open and find these coins. They can then be used to buy Tarot cards which give you some useful abilities in game, such as powering up your weapons.

An extensive list of weapons is available for use, from a saw-blade shooting shotgun, to a gun with rotating blades at its ends for some up close and personal monster slaughter. Classic weapons from the original Painkiller game will also be available for use such as the

stakethrower, shotgun and the electrodriver. Each gun comes with a secondary fire option, which adds some variety to an otherwise repetitive shooting experience.

Monsters! They liven up the game considerably in their variation; each one you face brings a new challenge.

Playing higher difficulties will multiply this experience, as hordes of them attack you at once and rapidly firing a shotgun at them just won’t do.

As a collector’s edition, you can find an entertaining Making of DVD, a Soundtrack and an Art book that displays colourful renditions of the creatures, weapons and areas you can find and experience in game. The game in overall is fun, at times repetitive, at other times it feels like you’re collecting coins more than you are killing creatures but the storyline pulls you in one level at a time. g

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

First Person Shooter

Reviewed on:

PC

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Serious Sam Local

2

Network

Online

8

The Farm 51 Nordic Games Silver Screen

Parental Advisory

18+ gamecca42

8

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Players take on the role of Daniel Garner who is trapped in Purgatory, trying to find a way out of the eternal hell.

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

70 71

Smart As...

Teaser

A puzzle a day keeps the moron away!

by Walt Pretorius

J

more or less randomly selected on a daily basis when the player decides to do their cerebral work-out.

The daily tests do not take long to complete at all; a few minutes each, at most. That’s where the second side of Smart As comes in to play… practice. Practice sessions are once again split into the four categories, and have a number of unlockable puzzles available. As the player progresses through the daily challenges, new puzzles will become available, according to performance.

In addition, higher difficulty levels of these puzzles will also be unlocked as the player performs better and better. Practice sessions are not tracked, however… they’re more like studying for the exams posed by the daily challenges.

In addition to that, Smart As makes use of the Vita’s Near functionality to challenge the player with new

Review

ust when you thought the whole brain-training thing was over…Smart As is a new collection of brain-stimulating – and teasing- exercises just for Vita owners. The great thing about this game (if you want to consider it a game, that is) is that it gives the player a quick-fix excuse to make use of their Sony hand held each and every day. And that is an awesome thing. As a big plus, it also gives the user’s grey matter a reason to start sparking, thanks to puzzles that cover Logic, Language, Arithmetic and Observation.

There are two major sections to the game. The first is a set of four daily puzzles, one for each category. These can only be done once a day, and the player’s progress is tracked in the four areas (which are also combined to find an overall ‘brain-power’ total). There are around five different puzzles in each category, and these are

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puzzles every day. All of these added together mean that the player can spend quite some time with Smart As each day, if they choose to.

The various games use numerous input ideas, although the chief control systems are the front and rear touch screens, as well as the Vita’s tilt control capabilities.

Some challenges will, for example, require the player to draw letters and numbers on the touch screen, using software that recognises their handwriting very effectively. Another will have them tilt the Vita to navigate a maze, and so on.

The presentation of the game is simple and effective.

The graphics are not complex, but they are clear and very well handled. In addition, narration by Monty Python veteran John Cleese adds levity to the game, and fits perfectly with the jovial graphic appearance of Smart As.

Smart As is not something that everyone will take to, largely because there is not a single shot fired in anger in the entire thing. What it does do, though, is get the player thinking, and provides a degree of progression tracking that provides the player with self-imposed goals.

How scientifically accurate these measurements are is questionable, and an off-day may well see a decline in the player’s rating. But it does add fun to the title overall.

If you enjoy puzzles that are simple, fun and stimulating, Smart As is a great bet. It’s also awesome to fill those moments between other stuff, when a quick Vita session would come in handy. It’s light, cheery presentation is also highly enjoyable.

Smart As might not actually make you smarter, but it does a good job in killing time and stimulating the brain.

And that’s enough, really… g

AT A GLANCE: Puzzle

Reviewed on:

PSV

It might not make you actually smarter, but Smart As provides a great daily dose of puzzling fun.

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training Local

1

Network

Online

0

Climax Enterainment SCEE Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory

7+ gamecca42

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

80 73

Dragon Ball Z : Budokai HD Collection

Big Hair

Do we really need to see this in Hi-Def?

by Sarah Snyman

T

ratings in the franchise and Budokai 3 still holds top spot on a few sites as a favourite. The decision made

by Namco Bandai to leave out Budokai 2, however, has been hugely disputed.

The global brand manager was cited as saying that although the fans love these games, 1 and 3 seem to stick out more than 2, hence the abandonment.

DBZ is synonymous with big crazy hair, bizarre power ups causing somewhat bizarre transformations and a score that is pure 90s anime from start to finish.

I can see why the releases are addictive. The TV series was hugely successful in South Africa and the Budokai series was the first chance, outside of Japan, where fans could indulge and play as their favourite characters.

I played the original Budokai series on PS2 and it

Review

his franchise is one that, although I have played a lot of the releases, I don’t feel like anyone but a hard-core fan should crit.

The Dragon Ball Z explosion seemed to miss my generation and group of friends in school. PokĂŠmon was everywhere but by the time Dragon Ball hit south African television, we were either too old to get very excited or too into anime to avoid it.

The franchise moved into video games back in the 80s and has moved forward with tech and maintained a solid following since then. Although I am a fan of the arcade fighter genre, I lean more towards Mortal Kombat and Soul Calibre.

This release seems to be keeping in line with the theme of the year, HD re-release. The Budokai series was known for having some of the highest user

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did usher in a passion for anime fighters that I don’t remember seeing before. This was the height of the Pokémon days and kids and adults alike where in their element as they shot across the screen and increased the size of their hair to a do that would make an ‘80s girl green with envy.

The gameplay is simple to a casual gamer and it can be enjoyed by almost any fan.

For those who are more serious about the most playful child-like looking game on earth, there is a great deal more intricacy to be found beyond the button bashing.

The general opinion of the friends I played this with who are fans is that it is a bit of nostalgia that looks slightly better than they recall.

As is the case with a lot of the re-mastered releases,

purchasing something like this makes sense if you are a huge fan or if you’re 11.

But if you are a slightly more discerning gamer who never got bitten by the Dragon Ball Z bug, I don’t see this being worth the price.

The trophies have been integrated so for gamers out there who would rank themselves as achievement junkies, this is a worthy release for your library.

There has not been any addition made of once off gimmicks or revised gameplay to make this seem fresher and I think that is the best approach to take.

This is pure nostalgia, a renowned release made available for memories and a new fan-base. I personally found this monotonous and uninspiring, but like I said, this is one for the fan boys and their 11 year old sons. g

AT A GLANCE: First Person Shooter

Reviewed on:

This is yet another HD re-release that seems to be lacking. A definite purchase for fans of the series if you do not mind the abandonment of Budokai 2.

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Tekken, Marvel Vs, Capcom Local

2

Network

Online

2

Pyramid Namco Bandai Megarom Games

Parental Advisory

12+ gamecca42

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSV DS 3DS

Score

68 75

Priorities, Bud...

by Ramjet

Ramjet’s Rantality

The views expressed in this column are not necessarilt those of 1337 Media or Gamecca Magazine... or of a sane, rational human.

I

was at a game launch.

Yes, there are still people unwise enough to invite me to events. I do try my best to be well behaved at these things, but you never know when the old bile will rise high enough to spew forth a bunch of bitterness. It happens that much more easily as I grow older and realise that, despite my love for games, the majority of gamers out there really annoy me.

Call me grumpy. Call me antagonistic. Call me idealistic. Whatever. I have realised that I am on a crusade, a personally sacred mission to try and re-educate the unwashed masses about what gaming is supposed to be. Your opinion of me is immaterial – my quest is set.

Anyway, so there I am, playing a networked game with a bunch of game journo colleagues and

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(shudder) members of the public. I am having fun.

At least, until this snotnosed little brat comes and stands next to me. He watches my every move in the game, as my firstperson action-hero makes his way through a brutally designed level in search of people whose heads need popping. I see one, and take a snap shot. I miss. It happens.

“I would have made that shot,” the kid says.

“Really?” I grunt in response. He is distracting me. A few seconds later, I switch weapons, favouring a shorter range weapon for a tight area in the map.

“Don’t use that gun, it sucks,” the kid chirps. I marvel at the fact that a twelve year old is an expert in ballistics, cyclic rate and urban warfare.

“Uh-huh.”

“You missed that guy.

Go back. Get him! How

else are you going to win?” comes from the kid a few nanoseconds later.

“I don’t want to win. I want to have fun.”

The kid looks at me as if I just crawled out of a toxic waste barrel, complete with an extra set of eyes and modified extremities.

“Why don’t you take it seriously?” he asks, all innocence and sweetness.

“Because it’s a game, nitwit. It’s meant to be fun.”

There’s the crux of it.

Fun. Remember that? It was what we used to have before the world became so stupidly competitive. I mean, seriously? People compete in everything… cars, phones, houses, whatever. Yes, games are competitive, I get that. But they’re not so extremely important that playing them should be about achievement, rather than enjoyment.

gamecca42

It took another five or so of comments for me to simply hand the controller over to the kid. It was probably a better option than a swift back-hand, which was coming up fast. Five minutes later he proudly bellows “look, I got five awards with just one shot.”

“Oh, awesome,” I responded, “That just solved world hunger.”

I don’t think he heard me. Even if he did, he was too competitive (and likely stupid) to understand. So, let me be plain – in case you don’t get it either. Play games. Have fun. Nothing wrong there… but get your priorities in line. Games aren’t the most important thing in the world. They’re meant to be entertainment, and being really good at them is utterly unimportant in the greater scheme of things. No, don’t try to argue. You are wrong. g

com p eti t io n • c o mp eti ti on • c om pe tit ion • com pe t ition • com pe t it ion

Feed the Need!

WIN

A Copy of Need for Speed: Most Wanted Courtesy of Electronic Arts TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us who developed this game Insert NFSMW in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page Competition closes 31 December 2012. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only.

Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC and Electron Arts. The judges’ decision is final.

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The New Wav

by James Francis

A Year in Games

T

he early Nineties was a glorious time where you didn’t yet need a 3D accelerator and game developers really knew what to do with pixel graphics. 1992 is probably the best example of this new wave of video games, creating both monster franchises and genres...

Ever played F117-A Stealth Fighter? Probably not.

They really don’t make games like that anymore. But back in 1992 it was the successor to F16 and still arguably the best stealth fighter simulator made. It’s also probably the only one - and this was before your fancy 3D graphics...

Witness the birth of survival horrors! Alone In The Dark showed how having little health and thinking on your feet in a haunted house was the only way to play with your heart in your throat.

Both Dune and Dune II were released in this year.

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While Dune was a confusing strategy/adventure hybrid, Dune II pretty much created the real-time strategy genre. And it was made by Westwood - eat that, Blizzard fanboys.

Amazon: Guardians Of Eden, one of the most under-rated games in the adventure genre, was released. But it and all its peers were quickly overshadowed by the unofficial fourth Indiana Jones movie: Indiana Jones And The Fate Of Atlantis. Yes, it was a game, but as awesome as your favourite Indy film.

‘Twas the year of Super Mario Kart. Since then there have been many pretenders, but no takers of the kart game throne. Nintendo is still counting the money... This was also the year of the first Kirby game - technically not a Pokemon, the pink ball would eventually play a role in that franchise.

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ave of Gaming...

Only serious adventure fans will remember Darkseed, a game inspired by the horrific art of H.R. Giger, who also designed the infamous xenomorph from the Aliens films. It’s still worth tracking down.

Claims that games will destroy us with sex and violence are not new. 1992 hosted one of the first massive controversies: many people did not approve of the horror game Night Trap, despite the fact that it featured remarkably little violence or any nudity.

Remember Ultima? Gosh, you are old... Well, this year featured two Ultima releases: Ultima VII: The Black Gate, considered by fans as perhaps the best in the series, and the first Ultima Underworld - also the first 3D RPG. Wolfenstein 3D! Does more need to be said?

Apparently the original design included hiding bodies and such cool stuff. id Software dropped all of that,

but they did include Hitler in a mech suit.

The world was finally introduced to Ecco The Dolphin. Most of us still don’t know how you are supposed to play it.

Begone ye cartoon characters! Mortal Kombat hits the fighting scene after Midway failed to develop a Jean-Claude Van Damme title. Digitized characters, streams of bloods, spinal cords... if you weren’t there you will never understand how awesome this game was.

It is the most important game that time forgot. It deserves an HD remake. It still blows the socks off most of today’s movies. It was Flashback and there has never been a side-scrolling adventure game like it before or since.

Honorable mentions: Art Of Fighting, Prince Of Persia 2, Star Control 2. g

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The latest cybercrime trend will cost you

Is social media dehumanising business?

Held to Ransom

Faceless

Three years after the Alienware invasion

Aftermath‌

R e vie w s inc luding R aidm ax, AVerM edia, O lympus , Raz er, L ogit ech and m ore ...

Free

Bright Future

Make your move to LED

I S S U E 2 6 / Vo l . 3 December 2012

www.gladgetmag.com

Online Mag

www.gladgetmag.com Simplicity in information!

After the

Interview

Invas

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Three years later...

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sion Three years ago, arguably the most prominent range of gaming PCs landed in South Africa. The Alienware brand, with its distinctive looks and carefully trimmed performance, is managed in the country by Dell.

We recently caught up with Gavin Slevin, Dell’s South Africa and developing countries retail manager, and chatted to him about Alienware, Dell, support, strategies and why everyone should have an Alienware PC.

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Interview

Alienware has been in South Africa since 2010. How is the brand doing?

GS: We have increased our awareness a lot.

We have managed to sell a number of units as well, we’ve done well from that perspective.

We currently have one retailer carrying the products: Incredible Connection. One of the problems with retail is shelf space, so to that end we only have three products on display at IC. What we’ve done to try and showcase more of the technology and increase awareness of the products is create

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a local transactional site. This has all of the currently available configs for South Africa.

You can order them from there and, most importantly, see what’s available. That launched in October. It’s got all the top hardware and peripherals available here. And we offer a 72 hour turn-around time anywhere in the country.

That means that we’re only able to offer fixed configs, but there is a lot of choice.

How are South African reacting to the idea of a pre-built, branded desktop PC, as

opposed to the more traditional home built system?

GS: There are mixed responses, so it’s hard to say. But we do try to keep the systems reasonably priced, and the options are very upgradable. There’s a lot of customisation that can be done – it’s not like the configs are locked down and people don’t have options. They can change and reconfigure the machines.

And what about support?rt?

GS: All systems ship with a three year onsite warranty, which is managed by Dell. We

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take customers through a fault finding exercise on the phone, analyse what is wrong, and then dispatch a technician to fix the machine on-site.

Doesn’t matter where it is.

Does South Africa feature strongly in Dell’s overall strategy?

GS: Absolutely. It’s one of our top three emerging territories. It’s up there with territories like Russia, Nigeria and Kenya.

Is Dell’s position strong in Africa overall?

GS: We have a presence, but as far as

we’re concerned, it’s not strong enough. We are doing everything we can – we have around fifteen countries on the list for setting up technical centres, which will be our stepping stone into those countries. Once we have a technical infrastructure in place we can go and transact competently in those countries. Being able to support the product that you’re selling is a very important part of doing business in Africa, and it’s a challenge that all vendors have. We have identified this as a mustwin, something that you have to get right to be

successful in a country.

We do it well in South Africa and we want to expand that into the rest of Africa.

So who is the market for Alienware specifically?

GS: Gamers are an important part, obviously.

But the products are not only built for gamers.

The reality is that many of the customers who buy Alienware products are professionals doing design, content creation and the like. And they often game as well.

We do rAge, and also sponsor the Telkom Do Gaming League, to help access those markets.

What can we expect in the future from Alienware in South Africa?

GS: We are looking to expand the range of peripherals, including a 23 inch high performance monitor. Monitors are a very big part of Dell’s business.

Why should anyone wanting to buy a high performance PC consider Alienware?

GS: There are a couple of reasons. First off, performance: the products are designed for gaming, so they deliver an exceptional level of performance.

Secondly, they are

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cleverly designed. Not only do the products look good, but they are designed to do things like run cooler, which helps with performance as well.

Third, Alienware is an aspirational brand. It’s like the Ferrari of the gaming set. It provides a lot of bragging rights. And the fourth point is support. If you have problems we will come sort them out at your home, your office… wherever you may be. There are several good reasons for customers to spend a little more for an Alienware machine. g

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Every Ta Review

MSI FM2-A85XA-G65 Motherboard

A board for every season

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ask

W

by Walt Pretorius

W

e see many motherboards that are focussed on high end performance. These, quite often, have a distinct gaming flavour. However, there are a great many motherboards out there that perform just as well, without that particular slant. They are more versatile all-rounders. But, with that said, they aren’t slouches in the gaming sphere either.

It’s one of the features of the AMD based FM2A85XA-G65 from MSI, in fact. The on-board graphics processor works in conjunction with any installed graphics card to boost performance. That’s a nice feature, particularly when you consider that the FM2 is a more general-purpose motherboard. The board also allows for overclocking, which is another power-user concept. Using OC Genie II software, the board can easily and safely be squeezed for that extra bit of power. In fact, quite a substantial increase in performance was found during testing.

As its name implies, this board is intended for Socket FM2 AMD processors. It supports A4, A6, A8 and A10 chips, so it’s pretty versatile in that regard.

Aside from good performance, the FM2 also offers great stability and longevity, thanks largely to the components that MSI have used in creating the board. As with almost all of their current products, this board sports Military Class III components. These include highly-conductive polymerised capacitors, super ferrite chokes and solid capacitors.

The built in I/O options include four USB 2.0 ports, and two USB 3.0 ports, with further front side extensions also available. The number of USB 3.0 ports could have been a little higher, but two is better than many boards have on offer. Additionally, outputs for VGA, DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort are also available, for those connecting a monitor directly to the motherboard. Surround sound outputs are supported by on-board THX TruStudioPro technology, while an optical S/PDIF output is also available for those so inclined.

The I/O ports are a further nod to the fact that this board is less focussed and more general in nature. That, though, doesn’t seem to make much of a difference, even under the heavier loads of video games; the FM2 performs admirably. In fact, apart from hectic overclocking and supertweaked performance boards, you probably won’t notice any difference in this device. It’s at a nicer price, though, which is a very noticeable difference. And it’s perfectly capable of being overclocked, delivering a good degree of stability under those circumstances, too.

Unless you’re an ultimate gamer who pedantically adjusts and measures every aspect of motherboard performance, the FM2-A85XA-G65 is a superb option as far as motherboards go. It has a lot of bells and whistles in terms of software and facilities, too. It might not have some of the higher end, gaming focussed features, but you won’t miss them unless you really need them. In the end, a great option. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

MSI have another great product in this motherboard, which supports a range of Socket FMS AMD processors.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

• • • • • •

M SI Corex www.c orex.c o.za R1695

Pros • • • • •

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Well rounded Reliable Good performance

AMD Socket FM2 4 x USB 2.0 ports 2 x USB 3.0 ports Military Class III components HDMI output DisplayPort output

Cons • • • • •

May lack some tweaks power users want

Score

88 87

88

Review

You can set everything just so‌

Razer Megalodon 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset

Fr

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reak!

T

by Rob Edwards

T

he Razer Megalodon Headset is one of those devices that manages to turn the ‘bigger drivers are better’ argument on its head. Even though it uses slightly smaller drivers than competing brands (40mm as opposed to 50mm) the Megalodon manages to produce audio that is superb. But it’s not just the drivers that influence the good sound quality; Razer know a thing or two about what gamers need, and so they have created a system that fills those requirements quite nicely.

If you use this headset, people will know. Not because of the headset design, mind you – the build of the headset is a bit anachronistic. It looks a little odd, with its exposed extension tracks and generally sparse design. When all is said and done, the Megalodon is certainly not the prettiest headset around. Rather, people will notice the comparatively massive in-line control that the unit sports.

This unit shows Razer’s understanding of what gamers require. But before we get to that, it is important to note that I keep making reference to gamers because, quite frankly, this headset is extremely focussed on them, rather than being a more versatile device. It requires a USB interface, too, which means that PC gamers, specifically, are the people that will be using the Megalodon.

Back to the inline control unit. It’s big – so big, in fact, that it sits on the desk top, rather than being suspended from the headset’s cord. It allows for the expected volume and mic controls, but also allows for a number of other things. For example, the player can turn Razer’s audio enhancing Maelstrom software on and off with the press of a button. It also allows the player to set the level of noise cancellation that the boom mic performs. And, very impressively, it allows the user to adjust volume levels for the device’s different audio fields. Just being a 7.1 surround sound device is not enough for Razer, apparently; this feature allows the user to focus their audio signals to exactly what they want it to be. Even bass levels can be adjusted. That, by itself, makes the Megalodon a headset that is well worth investigating.

The comfortable Megalodon features generous ear cups and a padded headband, in addition to all the other really rather nice features it has on offer. In fact, the only weakness here is its extremely focussed nature. Then again, gamers really are the only people who would want to buy this headset… using it for anything other than fine-tuned, high quality audio in games is simply a waste of money and effort. That weakness is also the unit’s greatest strength, ironically, because the focussed nature of the device means that it does what it was intended for superbly. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

A headset that is extremely versatile despite its focussed nature, the Megalodon is a gamer’s dream for excellent audio.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Very adjustable Great degree of control Good sound

40mm drivers 7.1 surround sound Individual channel volume control Adjustable noise cancellation

Ra zer Corex www.c orex.c o.za R1499

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Looks a little flimsy Very focussed on gaming

Score

90 89

Review

It’s all flash and sharp edges…

Raidmax Raptor PC Case

Eye

90

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by Walt Pretorius

A A

computer case is a form of expression, to a large degree. The type of case that a user chooses to put their rig in says something about them, because they went out to choose that box. The days of heavy case-modding have died out a little, but box makers have taken it upon themselves to create cases that are more varied in design, allowing a greater degree of expression right off of the shelf.

What exactly the Raidmax Raptor says I am not sure. It is as overstated as a case can get, without having actual moving parts strapped to the outside.

Large areas of this case are accentuated with bold additions which serve no purpose other than to add to the box’s appearance. These include large fins running down either side of the front of the case, complete with a shiny black plastic finish and dramatic bright red trim. The easily removable optical drive bay covers also feature red trim, as do the plates covering expansion slot access at the back og the box. Even the interior has red accents and sections.

The top of the case is finished with “airfoil” panels to hide the extraction fan ports. The sides of the case are contoured, with the left side sporting a large grill behind which a fan can be fitted.

In terms of looks, it is decidedly over-the-top, and many people may shy away from the case because of that. This is a pity, because the box really is a good one. It allows for six fans, of which four are provided. It also has removable, screwless HDD bays that allow for easy fitting of drives, as well as a specialised SSD bracket and 25mm of cable control space behind the right side panel.

Front inputs, which are mounted at the top front of the case, include audio jacks, 2 USB 2.0 ports and a USB 3.0 port, as well as a fan controller that will adjust the speeds of up to three fans, and an LED dimmer (if those case lights get too much for you.)

The massive case is easy to use, offers watercooling support and will handle a motherboard of up to 12 inches by 10 inches – a full ATX board, in other words. The removable HDD cages also help improve air-flow and add room, if you need it.

Overall, this is a really good case. It’s just… well, not to put too fine a point on it… ugly. It really is overstated on the outside, which is a big downfall here. Sure, it will look impressive to some, but most will find it garish. Still, a good case… perhaps this one can be modded in a different direction? g

Summary

Tech Specs:

A great case, even though it is on the wrong side of garish in terms of looks.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Very roomy Easy to work with Great air flow

2 USB 2.0 ports 1 USB 3.0 port 5 HDD bays 2 SSD bays 3 Optical drive bays 6 fan slots

Ra idma x Pinna c le A fric a www.pinna c le.c o.za R990

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

A bit hard on the eyes

Score

82 91

With dwindling resources and soaring energy costs, making the move to more efficient solution is not only smart, but also essential. At Brightlux, we understand this. That’s why we offer you lighting solutions that consume as much as 90% less power while delivering improved performance all round. And our bulbs will last much longer than conventional incandescent and CFL products, and do not make use of mercury and other products that are harmful to the environment.

Saving the planet one globe at a time.

The Mast SteelSeries Sensei Pro Grade Laser Mouse

…of simplicity and performance.

O Review

O

n the packaging of the SteelSeries Sensei Pro Grade Laser Mouse they make the claim that it is the world’s most customisable mouse. That’s quite a statement to make but, as numerous pro gamer types can attest, it’s pretty accurate. When combines with downloadable SteelSeries software, the Sensei becomes exactly the mouse you need it to be.

That claim, though, does bring to mind a mouse crammed with buttons and special knobs and doodads.

That’s something that the Sensei is not. While it does offer more buttons than the average SteelSeries mouse, it still holds with the companies ideas of simplicity. To that end, it features a sum total of eight buttons; the left and right buttons, scroll wheel, sensitivity switcher and two support buttons on either side. The perfectly symmetrical design means that it is an ambidextrous mouse, which is always a welcome sight. It does mean,

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though, that two of the buttons need to be accessed with the little finger, no matter which hand you are using. The buttons are designed in such a way that this is possible, but it does take some getting used to. In all honesty, more serious gamers will probably just disable the offside buttons, leaving them with a still-sufficient number of inputs.

The Sensei also allows for a wide variety of DPI settings, although the player will only be switching between two.

Using the software, the player can squeeze as much as 11 400 CPI out of this mouse, which makes it extremely sensitive. This is done using a system called Double Counts per Inch… that also means that the standard sensitivity of the mouse is 5 700, which is still an excellent number. Five programmable profiles can be stored as well, which makes switching games a snap. The active profile is displayed via an LCD screen (which supports custom bitmap graphics)

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by Alex Scanlon

ter

on the base of the mouse.

Even the LCD display of the logo (on the rear of the mouse) and the illumination around the scroll wheel and sensitivity display LED can be changed to suit the user’s desires.

In short, yes, it is an extremely customisable mouse. It’s comfortable design also make it a versatile option, and great for left handed folks, who often battle to get the right mouse at all, never mind a high performance gaming option.

The package is rounded off with a generous 2 meter cable and a rather stylish, flashy finish. While it might look simpler than many of the other options out there, performance is what matters, and the Sensei has that in spades. It might not be a highly specialised mouse, but as a great gaming all-rounder, it certainly is up there among the better devices. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

Although it looks simpler than some, the Sensei is a superb all-purpose mouse, with great gaming performance,

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Ambidextrous Very sensitive Looks great

Up to 11 400 DCPI 2M cable 8 buttons 5 profiles Programmable colours Ambidextrous

SteelSeries M eg a rom www.meg a rom.c o.za R899

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Long term savings No fax capabilities

Score

90 95

On The Fly Get gaming faster

rds

Edwa

Razer Black Widow Ultimate Keyboard

ob

by R

T Review

T

he mechanical keyboard has proven time and again to be a very pleasant and effective way to input data or, in this particular case, play games.

The enhanced tactile feel of a mechanical system means that you are always certain of your key-strokes. On the downside, a mechanical keyboard also has a longer distance for the keys to travel, and they tend to make a lot of noise when used. Neither of those tend to be big issues, though, particularly not when the device in question is made by a company that really understands what is required from a keyboard aimed at gaming.

The Razer Black Widow Ultimate is that kind of keyboard. Keeping with Razer’s trend to name their devices after nasty creatures, the Black Widow is an extremely effective keyboard to use for playing games… which, by extension, means that it is great for anything you would need a keyboard for.

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What’s important here are the added extras that the keyboard presents the player with, because those are what is really important in these cases. Aside from being mechanical, which delivers a faster response time (we tried) the keyboard also features minimal ghosting, thanks to an optimised key matrix. It also features audio jacks to help keep cables under control, and allows easy access to multimedia keys, too. A USB pass-through is also provided, which turns the Black Widow into something of a “cable control hub”… never a bad thing.

More importantly, it features ten customisable profiles with on-the-fly switching, making the task of switching games that much easier. As part of these profiles, the Black Widow has five specific gaming keys, which can store macros that can be recorded on-the-fly. We would have liked to see a few more of these dedicated gaming keys, in all honesty, but five is better than nothing.

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The keys are individually back-lit too, for easy identification. This backlighting has five brightness levels, too, which can be set by the user as required. And they have a reduced travel distance of only 2mm, which is great for a mechanical keyboard.

In keeping with Razer’s carefully crafted image, the Black Widow’s keys feature a font that is not standard.

This takes a bit of getting used to, because some of the letters are a little hard to recognise initially. In a time when most people are familiar with keyboard layouts this isn’t too big a problem, but if you do need to visually identify a key, you need to know what to look for.

The very few issues that this keyboard has are far outweighed by its performance.

It is reliable and sturdy, and will allow the player to enjoy many hours of customised gaming, thanks to good ideas and solid design.g

Summary

Tech Specs:

A reliable gaming keyboard, with sensible ideas to enhance the overall experience.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Good performance Solidly built Responsive

Full keyboard 5 programmable game keys Audio jacks USB line-through Mechanical Backlit

Ra zer Corex www.c orex.c o.za R1399

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Noisy Odd font ?

Score

84 97

Review

Still a bit flashy‌

Raidmax Super Viper PC Case

The Midd

98

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dle Box R

by Walt Pretorius

R

aidmax certainly are taking on the PC gamer market with their range of cases.

This means that the external look of the cases ranges from garish to cool, depending largely on individual tastes. In general terms, the Raidmax Super Viper falls somewhere between the two extremes. It is less overstated than some of their cases, but still manages to employ some design ideas that might not appeal to more conservative tastes.

The first impression that the case creates is a fairly aggressive one, with sharp angles mixed with curved lines, accentuated in orange on the front of the box. Generous venting accentuates this feel further, while allowing for a high degree of air flow. A large Perspex panel accents one side of the matt black box.

The front panel can be opened to reveal optical drive bays (of which it has four) as well as front side ports. The usual audio ports are complemented by a single USB 3.0 port and one USB 2.0 port. That’s not a lot of front-side USB options, as things go, but they are protected by the front panel, at very least, and the inclusion of a USB 3.0 port is a nice touch.

The panel itself is made of plastic and, while it closes securely, it feels a little on the flimsy side.

In fact, with so many cases using aluminium fronts as part of their heat dissipation ideas, it is unusual to see plastic making up the front of a box these days. It does keep costs down, however.

Inside, the case is fairly roomy and makes use of a screwless system for fitting the four HDDs that it has space for. Six fan vents are provided to allow for good cooling – two in the front, two in the top, one in the rear and one at the side. In addition, the bottom mounted PSU bracket also has a vent, to allow the very hot air generated by the power supply to be vented right away.

This case falls into a middle segment of the market; it is neither feature-rich, nor is it cheapand-nasty. In terms of the interior, it provides a solid and fairly roomy space to house PC components with a good degree of air flow to ensure that they stay cool. In other words, you could do worse than getting the Super Viper.

The only thing that may put people off here is the look of the box, which may just be a little too much for some, as said before. But in terms of performance, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It might not suit a power user, but a more “everyday” PC user will certainly have no complaints. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

A decent, well priced case option – roomy enough, and with good air flow.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Good air flow Protected front side port

1 USB 3.0 port 1 USB 2.0 port 4 Optical bays 4 HDD bays Screwless 6 fan slots

Ra idma x Pinna c le A fric a www.pinna c le.c o.za R499

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

A little overstated for some tastes

Score

79 99

100

AVerMedia Live Gamer HD Review

by Walt Pretorius

E E

veryone loves earning bragging rights, but simply telling people how great you are doesn’t cut it in this digital age. People expect proof, what with the proliferation of media these days. And gamers are most likely the worst of the lot. It’s one thing to be told about an impressive gaming session, but it is something totally different to be shown evidence of it. Bragging right need, after all, to be properly earned.

The best way to show off your video gaming prowess is, quite simply, with video. But historically, recording video of games in full flight has had problems, not least of which is the lag created by video capture software. While PC gaming hasn’t had this issue for a while, the growing number of console gamers have struggled with solutions. Sure, there are capture cards out there that allow a line out to a different visual source and while this mitigates the problem, it isn’t always the best solution.

There are, however, video capture devices out there that are practical and eliminate the nasty lag often encountered while recording video from console games… and the AVerMedia Live Gamer HD is one of them. Through a combination of good hardware and intuitive software, the system allows gamers to capture video without lag. They can even stream it live to the internet.

That’s pretty awesome.

What makes the system great is that it doesn’t have to be lined out. Connecting a console to the capture card with an HDMI cable will allow the gamer to effectively game using the view provided by the recording software itself. Aside from a slight degradation in graphic quality, everything runs beautifully. Those that want to avoid the degradation (which, by the way, does not show up in captured video) can use a second HDMI cable to connect a secondary viewing device, which performs perfectly.

Audio can also be captured live while recording video, which is something of a bonus if you want a by-the-second commentary of what’s going on.

If you’re recording from the PC, you will also need to use HDMI cables – the secret here is that the card operates separately from the graphics processor. That does mean that you will need to make the right connections, though, with cables.

One of the more fun features is the big red record button that comes with the device.

It allows the user to quickly start and stop recording. Sure, keyboard shortcuts will do the same, but this system is just easier.

In terms of software, the whole thing is rather user friendly. Combined with a good video editing suite, this device and the associated software makes recording video game footage and absolute breeze. Go on… fame awaits! g

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For

Now you have proof!

the Record

Summary

Tech Specs:

A simple, yet extremely effective way to capture footage... with no lag!

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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No lag Easy to use Big Red Button

Full HD Live streaming Simultaneous audio capture Screenshot capabilities Low CPU consumption Dedicated record button

A VerM edia Corex www.c orex.c o.za R3395

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

PC capture still requires cables

Score

96 101

SSD tech is speeding ahead

Plextor M5 Pro 256GB SSD

Even More

S Review

S

by Alex Scanlon

olid state drives are, without any doubt, part of the future of computing. It’s an undeniable fact. So it is little surprise that a great many companies- both traditional hard drive manufacturers and memory experts – are producing SSDs at an almost alarming rate. The technology is moving fast, which means that bigger drives for lower prices will be a reality very soon.

Plextor has also joined the race. The M5 Pro is comes in a variety of sizes (we tested the 256GB flavour) and uses SATA 6GB/s technology to ensure fast and reliable performance. The metal-encased SSD uses several other ideas and techs to keep things running smoothly and, above all, quickly.

This certainly is one of the better SSDs we have seen, and with sizes up to 512GB, it offers a great solution to those wanting to make the leap to this new storage technology. g

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Summary

Tech Specs:

An excellent SSD option, with speed enhancing technologies built right in.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Slim Fast Power-saver

Up to 512GB SATA 6GB/s 7mm high True Speed technology Shock resistant

Plextor Rec tron www.rec tron.c o.za R3699

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Expansive

Score

86

The Little Guy With a big name

by Walt Pretorius

Raidmax Super Hurricane PC Case

T T

Summary

Tech Specs:

HP’s good intentions at producing a more cost effective printer seem to be realised in the 5525.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Small Good air-flow Cool blue side panel window

1 USB 3.0 port 1 USB 2.0 port 4 optical drive bays 4 HDD bays 6 fan slots

Ra idma x Pinna c le A fric a www.pinna c le.c o.za R469

Pros • • •

• • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Needs screws More USB ports would have been nice

Score

78 103

Review

he Super Hurricane enters the market as one of Raidmax’s lower end cases, making it less feature rich, but also more affordable.

But when one compares it to the Super Viper, the differences really only come down to two things: the Super Hurricane has no front panel that opens and closes, and it requires the use of screws inside. Other than that, the spec for this case is virtually identical to the Super Viper.

If you don’t mind using screws to build your PC, the Super Hurricane is a great option.

Although it has an ‘aggressive’ front panel design, it is not a particularly overstated case at all. We would have liked to see more front side USB support, but other than that, there really is nothing to keep someone on a tighter budget from getting great use out of the Super Hurricane.g

The Epiphany From Space

by Christo van Gemert

P

laying Halo 4, for this month’s issue, I realised something.

Balanced, well-engineered games are fun. Games that have been designed by science and software and statistics – they’re great.

Around the time Halo 3 hit the market there were loads of interesting things about how Microsoft spent billions in research and development to make sure that, scientifically, Halo 3 would be a good game.

They researched play psychologies. They playtested levels. If people got stuck where they shouldn’t have, the game would get tweaked and retested.

The result was a technically sound game. It was scientifically flawless.

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Ok, there were some bugs and tweaks after the fact, but the bulk of the hard work was done in QA labs and research panels, beforehand.

The reason I’m writing about this is because it’s strange. While I love Halo 4 and its approach to balanced perfection, not everything else I like is the same.

I don’t measure out a gram scale and scalpel whenever I want to cook something. A recipe calls for 5 grams of salt? I just chuck in “some salt”. 500 grams of mince? I could only buy a 542g pack. It’s not really scientific, and my food tastes great. Well, most of the time.

Perhaps a more apt

example would be an automotive one. You can bet that car manufacturers spend billions on making sure the thing they release to market is backed by lots of market research, buyer profiles, development, and so forth. Despite all this, there are still some very, very flawed cars that go on sale. Most of them are utter rubbish, with a few even crashing and burning (metaphorical market speak). Yet, now and then we’ll come across a car that is just so perfect despite its obvious, irrefutable flaws. The Fiat Multipla is the ultimate practical family fan, despite having the facial expression of a flattened dolphin. The Alfa Romeo GTV6, which

gamecca42

was worth living with for its sound and looks, but hardly much else. The older Subaru Impreza STI, which had enough turbo lag that you could whip out a sundial, but remained a lot of fun to drive.

Their flaws almost make them human, and we know that nobody is perfect. Cars designed by committees are bland and inert. And while some people find Halo to be the same, that hasn’t stopped it from being a huge success with enormous online popularity and longevity.

How do you like your games? Flawed, unbalanced, and bugridden? Or plain and predictable? g