Gamecca Magazine October 2011

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

Dead Island Gears of War 3 Driver: San Francisco Resistance 3 BodyCount Tropico 4 and more...

Final Fight Gears of War 3

Driving Awesome Driver: San Francisco

Dark Knight Batman returns...

Inside 6 From the Editor 8 Unstuck Seriously?

10 In the Shadows Batman is about to make a comeback 16 Previews 14 games to look out for 42 rAge-tastic!

A look at SA’s premier video game expo 50 PS Zealot A rough year 52 Xbox Beat More from the world of Xbox 54 House of Mario Achievements...

56 Reviews 18 great games to get 100 Flashtastic Robot want...

102 Mobility Samsung’s app market investigated 104 Essential Classics Making Movies

THIS MONTH’S COVER Batman is due to return in a bigger, better game...

Read our feature on page 10.

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106 Hardware Awesome additions to your arsenal of cool 116 From Space The egomaniac

gamecca contents • issue 28 • October 2011

Previews

18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 33 34 36 38 39 40

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Aliens: Colonial Marines Ninja Gaiden 3 Neverwinter Game of Thrones SSX The Sims 3: Pets Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 Top Gun Super Mario Land 3D Dance Central 2 Kinect Star Wars Deepak Chopra’s Leela Kirby’s Mass Attack

GAMECCA Vol. 3 Issue 28 October 2011 Editor: Walt Pretorius walt@gamecca.co.za Writers: Alex Scanlon Brian Murdoch Bryan Banfield Charlie Fripp Christo van Gemert Dylan Bouch James Francis Lein Baart Rob Edwards Suvesh Arumugam

Reviews

Letters: letters@gamecca.co.za

58 62 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98

Dead Island Gears of War 3 Driver: San Francisco Resistance 3 Warhammer 40 000: Space Marine FIFA 12 Toy Soldiers Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge Starfox 64 3D Madden NFL 12 Let’s Dance with Mel B Tropico 4 Pro Cycling Manager 2011 BodyCount NHL 12 The Sims Medieval: Pirates and Nobles Mystery in London Champion Jockey

Competition Entries: competitions@gamecca.co.za Newsletter Subscriptions: www.gamecca.co.za Design & Photography: 1337 Media Technical Support: Brian Murdoch Marketing Contact: Katia Taliadoros katia@gamecca.co.za

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gamecca contents • issue 28 • October 2011

Copyright © 1337 Media CC 2009 - 2011

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October Arrives!

From the Editor

by Walt Pretorius

A

h, yes, October. It’s the start of a few very exciting months for gamers each year, as publishers spill a heap of triple-A titles onto the market in anticipation of the spending spree that marks the Festive Season. And the line-up for the end of this year looks good. It will probably extend into the first few months of next year too, even if just purely for the fact that Blizzard have announced the release of the highly anticipated Diablo 3 for early 2012.

October also kicks off with South Africa’s leading (or should that be only) gaming expo, rAge. The show is always a big hit, with thousands and thousands of visitors streaming to the Coca-Cola Dome on the northern edge of Johannesburg to witness all the gaming goodness. As

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a matter of fact, as I write this I am also preparing to head off to the first day of the three day expo. There’s a feature about rAge a little further on in the mag… it hasn’t been written yet, but it will be by the time you read this.

See, rAge messes with our deadlines a bit every year, because it takes place at the same time as we publish. Rather than miss the show, we rearrange things so that we can do both… preparing the October magazine is always interesting.

The combination of rAge and the start of the big roll-out always marks a period of great excitement for South African gamers. Sure, they are grumbling about a second recession overseas and money appears to be tight, but gamers will always find cash to feed their ‘addiction’.

I remember reading a study once that said gamers will buy games before they buy food – well, some of them, anyway. And that’s a pretty interesting thing… I think it’s safe to say that the only other people who would prioritise another expense over food – the most basic of survival costs – are drug addicts. Kind of makes you think, doesn’t it.

But, then again, that’s not every gamer, even among the hard-core types. Most will just get enough of a gaming fix to keep them going until the next one comes along.

Right, enough prattle from me…

I have an expo to get to, and you have a magazine to read. We hope you enjoy this month’s issue, which contains a ton of previews and reviews. Until next month… good gaming! g

gamecca column • issue 28 • October 2011

© 2011 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Screen images are simulated.

INCREDIBLE DEPTH FOR THE ULTIMATE GAMING EXPERIENCE.

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Experience real-life depth with the new Samsung 3D LED monitor.

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* Brightness comparison based upon monitors with same brightness in 2D.

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*3D glasses are required and are included with purchase.

Line-Up! Unstuck

by Charlie Fripp

O

bviously I’m a gamer, but one thing that I don’t get about my gaming brethren is their utter stupidity. Ok, I guess I have to be clear here in stating that it’s stupid to me, and it might be completely justified by the next guy but hey, what do I know?

The final game in the Gears of War franchise released last month, and it’s by far one of the best in the series, if not the best. It had drama, action and some very tough sequences. I got the game about five days before the general population, so I managed to complete it even before its official release date.

While posting my review online, I noticed a story about how gamers are queuing outside shops and retailers just to get in line first for it. I read that some poor soul slept outside for 48 hours just to ensure that he gets the game first.

Really? You’re so desperate to get your hands on moving pixels that you would relinquish your basic necessities for two days? To be fair, the 40-year-old didn’t actually stand in line the whole time - his mom filled in for him on the odd occasion.

The game’s pretty cool, but I really don’t get why people would willingly go out of their way just to get a game first. Is there some extra content that I don’t know of if you finish it first? Is there an extra achievement I missed?

Because the way I see it, you and I are playing the exact same game - no difference in gameplay and certainly an identical experience.

I guess I’m in a bit of a privileged position, in the fact that I don’t have to worry about games, so

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standing in line or actually buying a title is a bit of a foreign concept to me. But that doesn’t make me a less logical person, and I have the ability to see why it’s just ridiculous.

I get the point that some people are just crazy for a specific game, and that they have been waiting for years to play the follow up. But if you have been waiting, let’s say, three years for a game, will waiting another 48 hours really kill you?

The next major title that will be releasing in October is Battlefield 3 and while I’m extremely excited to play it, I won’t stand in a queue. Not for the fact that I get sample copies, but just purely that they game will still be there the day after, and the experience will be also be the same.

I’ve mentioned a certain friend before, and I’m going to once again use him as an example for Battlefield 3. The game releases on a Friday, which is all fine and dandy, but he has already applied for leave the week following release - just so that he can play the game as much as possible.

Ok, with that said he does play online games a lot, but still. Every time he tells me that he’s going to take leave just to play the game, I laugh and think to myself how idiotic it is. The online component will allow players to upgrade their weapons and rank up, and obviously the quicker one can do that, the more status and stature gamers will have.

Well, guess what? I have been playing Bad Company 2 since the game came out, and only three weeks ago got the achievement for playing 48 hours collectively. And the best part of it? My Kill/Death ratio is better than my friend’s.

That just goes to show that getting the game first, just to be the one idiot who can brag about finishing it first and how much time he has spent on it, isn’t a good thing. Nobody likes ego-inflated braggers, and I can almost guarantee you that while I’m taking my time to play the game, I’ll end up with more Xbox achievements than you - purely for playing slower and doing it right. g

gamecca column • issue 28 • October 2011

Feature

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gamecca feature • issue 28 • October 2011

In the Shadows Batman is about to return...

by Walt Pretorius

I

n 1939, Bob Kane and Bill Finger created a new character in response to the popularity of Superman. National Publications made a request for more superhero titles, and so Kane and Finger went about delivering a new hero, taking a different approach. He would have no superpowers; instead, he was wealthy, and blessed with high intelligence. And he would be called Batman.

Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27, which was published in May 1939, ad since then has become a cultural icon. The character has appeared in numerous comics, graphic novels and films. The dark, brooding nature of the character, as well as the world he lived in, brought a sense of seriousness to his tales. And the string of villains he faced over the years were the kind that fans loved to hate – generally insane, mostly megalomaniacal and extremely nasty.

Batman (and his supporting cast) have appeared in thousands of comics, numerous movies, and, naturally, several video games. All the while, the character has remained as a steadfast favourite with fans the world over.

There have been numerous games that brought the Bat to video gamers. Way back in 1986, Batman was released for the ZX Spectrum, MSX and Amstrad PCW. Since then, virtually every platform has seen a release of a Batman game, often in support of a movie release. But of the roughly 20 Batman-based video game releases, none managed to capture gamers’ hearts and minds like 2009’s Batman: Arkham Asylum (developed by Rocksteady Studios).

Batman: Arkham Asylum offered gamers an experience with the iconic character unlike any they had ever had before. This game was more than just a super-hero beat-‘em-up title… rather, it delivered a keen mix of action, stealth and investigation that lead players deep into the shadowy depths of Arkham Asylum and Blackwater Prison as they attempted to thwart the Joker’s nefarious plot.

The combination of good game design, great plot and excellent production (in terms of graphics,

gamecca feature • issue 28 • October 2011

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Feature

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gamecca feature • issue 28 • October 2011

sound and game dynamics) had gamers the world over praising the game very highly. Even the often hard-to-please gaming press heaped praise on the title, with high review scores and awards being the order of the day.

Now, around two years after the release of the original, a sequel is due, and there is much excitement surrounding the imminent release of Batman: Arkham City.

Batman: Arkham City promises to deliver more of what made Batman: Arkham Asylum the awesome game that it was. But this time around, the developers are promising bigger and better things, too. This starts with the location.

Gotham’s criminals have been moved from the Arkham Island prison complex to Arkham City, a massive, walled off section of Gotham where criminals are incarcerated. The closure of Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison resulted in all inmates being transported to this new superprison, five times larger than the older facilities.

This city-prison includes several Gotham City landmarks (it is part of the city, after all) and places that players will be able to visit include the Gotham Medical Center, Courthouse and Monarch Theater, to name a few.

There will be some new faces joining Batman and the Joker in this latest title, too. In addition to characters we saw in Arkham Asylum (including the irrepressible Harley Quinn) players will get to ‘meet’ Two-Face, The Riddler, Mr Freeze, The Penguin and Catwoman, who will be a playable character in the game (which will doubtlessly play on the love-hate relationship between the Bat and the Cat.) Developers Rocksteady Studios are taking tried and tested formulas from Arkham Asylum and reintroducing them to gamers in Arkham City.

The game dynamic will be very similar, which is a great thing. Playing as Batman, gamers will be able to engage in brutal brawls, undertake stealthy missions, conduct complex investigations (complete with forensics) and, of course, face off against villain in massive boss battles. We are also being promised a deeper look into Batman’s gamecca feature • issue 28 • October 2011

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Feature

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gamecca feature • issue 28 • October 2011

psychology… not the nicest place.

But Batman won’t be the only option for players in this game. As a playable character, Catwoman will have her own story arc in this title (interwoven with Batman’s story) as well as her own moves, skills and gadgets.

Speaking of gadgets, the billionaire behind the mask has been busy, and gadgets already available in Arkham Asylum will be joined by a number of new devices for the player to use. Additionally, existing gadgets will have been enhanced for this new game. The result is that the character will have even more abilities at the player’s disposal.

And then, of course, there’s the fighting. Let’s not forget about that. The enemy AI has been ramped up for this title, meaning that Batman will face smarter enemies, who will direct co-ordinated attacks against Batman from multiple directions.

However, players will have new attacks, counters and takedowns to deal with the situation, so the action looks like it will be intense.

With a new story penned penned by five-time Emmy-Award-winner Paul Dini, Batman: Arkham City will offer the player a complex and highly enjoyable experience. How do we know for sure?

Well, we don’t really… but the truth of the matter is that Arkham Asylum was, without a doubt, one of the finest third person action adventure games to hit shelves in a long time. In fact, even in the time since its release, there have been few games that have come close to it. So, based on that experience, along with the fact that the developers aren’t fixing what wasn’t broken, and are improving on the overall game dynamic, we can be pretty certain that Batman: Arkham City will not disappoint. The fact that it is not tied in to a major movie release will, once again, almost guarantee a better title, because the development team will not have been rushing through anything – time is always a valuable commodity in game development.

On paper, there is no reason for Batman: Arkham City to be anything but fantastic. We will know for sure, of course, when it hits shelves later this month. And we can hardly wait! g gamecca feature • issue 28 • October 2011

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Previews Highlights 18 The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Direction is important 20 Neverwinter Re-invented 26 Game of Thrones Rule the Realm 37 Aliens: Colonial Marines Another bug hunt?

W

ith rAge 2011 still fresh in our memories, everyone that attended knows full-well that there is a lot of gaming greatness to be had over the next few months. We are kicking off the busiest time of the year for the video game industry this month, with tons of titles to look forward to.

And that trend looks set to continue into the first quarter of 2012 too. All we can say is, check out our previews, and you’ll be sure to agree that there are exciting times at our doorstep. g

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gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Direction Matters Zelda, More Zelda!

T

he Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is not just another instalment of a Nintendo franchise on the Wii. This version incorporates the Motion Plus and it adds a lot.

The main feature used with the new added Motion Plus is that Link’s sword’s movements mimic the player’s movements precisely.

Not only in the left to right and right to left movements, but also in the power and quantity of swings. In the most recent playable demo Link is battling a boss, who will catch hold of the character’s sword if it is swung the wrong way. The player then has to wiggle and pull the sword free before he can hit back.

With every Zelda title there is a standard set of weapons, with some exclusives for each title, and the puzzles are always very focused on the weapons that are available. Towards the end there seems to be a few options to complete the puzzles but mostly requiring a set

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by Brian Murdoch of the different weapons abilities.

In Skyward Sword the range of weapons and items just doesn’t seem to stop. Every time I check YouTube there is another mention of new weapons. This means that the game’s length will be very satisfying.

The last information give out was the demonstration on the weapon upgrade system. That’s right, not only is there a wide range of weapons and item but they can be upgraded to improve their efficiency and abilities.

The Wii has never been the console to have “candy” graphics so games have needed to work around this.

Skyward Sword is trying a new refreshing graphics style described as “bringing life to a painting”.

The Zelda fans will love the new title but no word has been said if it’s a title for those that would like to start Zelda. If you have not then maybe pick up Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess to be the appetising hook into the Zelda franchise. g

gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo Distributor: Nintendo gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

Nov 2011 Platforms

A new Zelda with Motion Plus a good range of new upgradable weapons.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS 3DS

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from the creators

wInner of more than 20 e3 awards

“PushInG fPs BoundrIes” -Games tm © 2011 id Software LLC, a ZeniMax Media company. ZeniMax, Bethesda, Bethesda Softworks and related logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of ZeniMax Media Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. RAGE, DOOM, QUAKE, id, id Software, id Tech, and related logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of id Software LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. All Rights Reserved.

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07.10.2011

速

www.raGe.com

Ninja Gaiden 3

Chop Chop Less chunky?

by Walt Pretorius

N

injas are undeniably cool, and few come close (at least as far as gamers are concerned) to Ninja Gaiden’s protagonist, Hayabusa. Well, he’s heading back our way early next year, and fans will be able to enjoy more of the over-the-top, futuristic ninja action that the Ninja Gaiden series is famous for… even though the word on the wire is that the ever-popular dismemberment will be absent from this new title.

Players will get a deeper look into the present and

past of the game’s hero as the deep story line unfolds.

Interspersed with that, of course, will be the addictive, high energy action that has marked this franchise from the word go.

In addition to the single player action, players will be able to take advantage of numerous co-operative and competitive multiplayer modes.

Quite frankly, we’re excited to see where Team Ninja are going to take the franchise in this latest iteration. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Team Ninja Publisher: Tecmo Koei Distributor: Nu Metro

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Q1 2012 Platforms

The next Ninja Gaiden game will allow us to learn more about its mysterious hero…

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

Neverwinter

Back to the Sword Coast

Kill the villain, save the princess, make plenty of gold,,,

by Lein Baart

I

f any game has ever managed to bring hardcore fantasy role-playing to the attention of the mainstream, it was Neverwinter Nights, released way back in 2002. Originally developed by Bioware, it spawned two expansions and a sequel by Obsidian Entertainment. Now Cryptic Studios, known for their MMO’s such as City of Heroes, have been given the reins, and guess what, they’re also taking it online, but with a difference apparently.

Avoiding the term MMO for Neverwinter, they are instead opting to call it a “co-operative, online RPG” that will feature a heavy focus on story and party play, rather than farming endless waves of monster spawns.

Set in the iconic, titular city of Neverwinter, once

again things have gone to the nine hells, and you will be one of many seeking to take up the mantle of a hero.

It will be interesting to see how Cryptic Studios implements a plot driven title with the characteristics of a MMO. The game will feature at least five playable classes, and as it appears to be using the 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons rule set, will likely have a few surprises for the traditional fantasy players when it comes to race selection.

Additionally, as with all Neverwinter titles, there will be a custom content creation tool called the Foundry.

Using the Cryptic Engine, the game is looking good so far, but as the release date is slated for late 2012, details and solid images are still scarce. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Cryptic Studios Publisher: Atari Distributor: Megarom

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Q4 2012 Platforms

A title that will be sure to attract a lot of attention as the release date draws nearer.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

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A Game of Thrones: Genesis

Take Your Seat.

Will you be able to rule the Seven Kingdoms?

by Dylan Bouch

T

his title is a prequel to the fantasy novels written

by George R.R. Martin.

Although this title may be a prequel, it may have a few characters and story line that appear in the books and TV series.

1000 years before the events that have been portrayed in the series the gamer will pick a family (Stark, Lannister, Arryn, and so on) and obtain alliances with towns and castles or defeat them in battle, use politics or military force to win these battles.

But be careful as your lands and castle will be filled with spies and assassins as your enemies try to defeat you within your own walls. The player will have to obtain prestige and by gaining a certain amount of it will be able to sit on the Iron Throne.

The fact that George R.R. Martin is overseeing the game’s plot fills us with great hope that this will be an excellent addition to the growing Game of Thrones franchise, based on his A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novel series. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Cyandie Studio Publisher: Focus Home Interactive Distributor: Apex Interactive

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Date 2011 Platforms

This is a tactical game where the gamer must outsmart their opponents.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

SSX

All Downhill...

Get ready for ride of your life!

W

e just come into our summer but it is going to get cold quickly when you strap up for the new SSX title. The gamer will be part of an extreme team that seeks out the most dangerous slopes in the world, in order to be the first to ride them on snowboards.

Although this is the newest title of SSX there will still be some old faces the gamer might recognize, such as Elise Riggs, Mackenzie “Mac” Fraser and Griff Simmons, just to name a few. This title will have improved graphics and shadow details which will enhance the look of the characters and snow. There will also be increased possibilities of avalanches and players will be able to spray snow.

This title will feature more of an open world approach,

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by Dylan Bouch with less barriers and invisible walls. EA used geographic data from NASA to map more than 18 mountain ranges and 300 slopes from around the world. The gamer will be able to fly by helicopter to remote areas for the freshest snow, and drop in from the helicopter, too.

Needless to say, the release of this title on HD platforms will excite fans of the previous SSX games. We haven’t seen one of these games in ages – not since the days of PlayStation 2 – so it might be a welcome return of the franchise, particularly considering the potential for technology improvements.

The real hope, though, is that it is a little more realistic than previous SSX games, which were just a little too over the top. g

gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

AT A GLANCE: Developer: EA sports Publisher: Electronic Arts Distributor: EA South Africa gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

Q1 2012 Platforms

This could be a cool title but we should hope for more realistic and less arcade style snowboarding games.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS 3DS

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The Sims 3: Pets

Tally Ho! Now with horses….

by Walt Pretorius

W

e have seen a few expansions for The Sims 3, as well as numerous expansion packs.

But the ones that hold real value are those that can be called “game changers”. These are the expansions that add new elements to the Sims 3 game dynamic… and the next one should be arriving towards the end of this month.

This isn’t the first time we have seen pets as part of the Sims franchise. We saw a pet themed expansion come out for The Sims 2, after all. But this is the first time that players will be able to provide their pets with solid personalities, making choices similar to those that

go into creating a new Sim character. Additionally, the pets won’t be bound to the Sims’ homes this time around – players will be able to take them on outings, like walks and the like.

Additionally, the pets will also be controllable by the player, with a variety of actions at their disposal.

And, for those that play the game on PC, the ability to have horses as pets for the first time will be an added treat.

The Sims 3: Pets will be available on multiple platforms, but we figure that the PC version will – as with every Sims 3 release – reign as the best of the bunch. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Sims Studio Publisher: Electronic Arts Distributor: EA South Africa

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Oct 2011 Platforms

Controllable pets with traits will be a reality for Sims 3 players very soon.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

WHO IS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME?

NBA2KDEBATE.COM 07.10.11

© 2005-2011 Take-Two Interactive Software and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. 2K Sports, the 2K Sports logo, and Take-Two Interactive Software are all trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. The NBA and individual NBA member team identifications used on or in this product are trademarks, copyrights designs and other forms of intellectual property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective NBA member teams and may not be used, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of NBA Properties, Inc. © 2011 NBA Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. “2”, “PlayStation”, “PS3” , “Ô and “À” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo.

Once more into world of a sniper.

by Lein Baart

C

ity Interactive have announced a third instalment for their Sniper series, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 (the first was Sniper: Art of Victory). With the first title a flop, and the second being only mediocre at best, the third title will hopefully be leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessors.

While details are sketchy at the moment, it has been confirmed that S:GW 2 will be using Crytek’s CryEngine 3, which ran the stunning Crysis 2. From the few screenshots trickling in, the game looks beautiful indeed, and hopefully City Interactive have learned from

their last outing that a pretty face won’t get you too far (in gaming that is).

Featuring the same mechanics as before, the player will have to factor in distance, wind speed and breathing rate in order to get the perfect shot, and as before will be rewarded with the sadistic pleasure of a slow motion kill.

Promising an “epic storyline crafted by acclaimed writers,” varied locations and team-based, stealth orientated gameplay, with a bit of run-and-gun for good measure, it remains to be seen what City Interactive will do with the promise this series holds. I for one am hopeful. g

AT A GLANCE: More “realistic” sniper action, hopefully without the bugs of its prequel.

Developer: City Interactive Publisher: City Interactive Distributor: Apex Interactive

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2012 Platforms

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2

Bullet-cam Made Pretty

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

Top Gun: Hard Lock

Join the Academy Really? After all these years?

by Dylan Bouch

B

ased on the famous movie, the gamer will be an American fighter pilot but you will not be singing to girls in the bar or playing volleyball. The gamer will be flying on the edge (living in the danger zone) as he is recruited as the newest Top Gun from the academy. Start up your F-14 Tomcat fighter jet or any of the other licensed aircrafts available and hit the sky for extreme g-force and aerial manoeuvres that could turn your stomach.

So get you missiles set for enemy MiGs as this fast pace shooter could send you to an early grave.

The question, of course, is how relevant is the Top Gun franchise still? The movie came out long before everyone thought Tom Cruise was weird, after all.

Then again, the game doesn’t seem to have too much to do with the film’s plot, which really was less about flying and more about scoring. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Headstrong Games Publisher: 505 Games Distributor: Apex Interactive gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

Q1 2012 Platforms

This title looks good but will be determined by the controls when it is released.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS 3DS

33

Super Mario 3D Land

Real 3D This Time…

How round is Mario’s 3D tail?

by Brian Murdoch

O

ur blue-pants-with-suspenders hero is often found running around and jumping in 3D environments, but now players will play in 3D without the need for any special glasses. His new environment has been made especially with 3D in mind and some areas will be very difficult without the 3D view. This new angle also gives the player aid in judging Mario’s jumps and flips onto the next platform and gets him closer to the question mark box.

3D is not the only aid give to the player and the

Nintendo 3DS’s circle pad will give full control over which direction the little plumber is going. Mario is not the only one with a tail in this version, Goombas have them too.

Mario’s tail will help him glide and attach enemies with a quick whip. The Piranha Plants even have a new spit of black ink to obscure the view of the players.

I always say that Princess Peach should have a chain around her leg keeping her in her castle. This way she can’t be taken away and Mario would not have to save her again! g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo Distributor: Core Group

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Nov 2011 Platforms

This looks to be a great addition and even a good start for those few people that have never played a Mario game.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

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Release Date 11 October

30 Million Players worldwide but there is room for more!

© 2011 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Just Dance, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. KINECT, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. “PS Family Logo”, “PlayStation” and “PS3” are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “PS3 Slim Logo” is a trademark of the same company. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Nintendo and Wii are trademarks of Nintendo.

Dance Central 2

Shake It! No room for slacking

Walt Pretorius

M

otion control systems have seen a whole bunch of dancing games hit the shelves. And these titles have met with extreme success.

But Xbox 360’s Kinect control system is the one to watch when it comes to these titles, thanks to the full body monitoring that it performs, as well as the fact that there can be no slacking (as can be done with other control systems.) Following on the successful Kinect launch title, Dance Central, Microsoft will be releasing Dance Central 2 for this year’s Festive Season rush.

The focus of Dance Central 2 will be a simultaneous multiplayer experience, allowing folks to compete and

dance together at the same time. Whether teaming up in Perform It mode, or taking each other on in Dance Battle, Dance Central 2 looks like it will be one of the party games of the year – as long as you like shakin’ what your mamma gave you.

Artists performing the music that you will be able to groove to include Rihanna, David Guetta, Usher, Daft Punk, Bruno Mars, Donna Summer, Lady Gaga, Haddaway and Bobby Brown.

With the great experience delivered by the first Dance Central title, we’re expecting a lot from this second iteration. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Harmonix Publisher: Microsoft Distributor: Microsoft

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Q4 2011 Platforms

This next iteration will put emphasis on multiple dancers.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

Aliens: Colonial Marines

Another Bug Hunt Aliens meets Gearbox…

by Walt Pretorius

T

he Aliens franchise still proves to be very popular, despite the hash-up of the Aliens vs Predator movies. And even though the films are (as far as we know) not being made anymore, there is still something cool about those acid-blooded xenomorphs and their relentless hunt of their prey.

Of course, the men and women of the US Colonial Marine Corps have the firepower, experience and guts to deal with these nasty creatures, and it is as a member of this elite military unit that the player will be taking the field in Aliens: Colonial Marines.

Don’t roll your eyes. The last few games based on this universe might not have been breath-taking, but this newest title is under development by none other than

Gearbox studios – the same developers responsible for the Brothers in Arms franchise, as well as the awesome Borderlands.

So we can expect intense action and a really decent first person shooter dynamic. And, aside from the authentic settings (including the Sulaco and LV 426) and the expected weapons (including pulse rifles and flame throwers) the developers are promising a drop-in, dropout co-op mode, as well as an extensive upgrade and improvement system.

Will this be the game to drive the terror of a xenomorph infestation home? We think it might be, considering Gearbox’s exemplary game making record. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Gearbox Publisher: Sega Distributor: Nu Metro gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

Q1 2012 Platforms

The experience of the development team might mean that this will be the finest aliens game yet…

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS 3DS

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Kinect Star Wars

The Force...

Literally in your hands!

by Dylan Bouch

T

he story begins with the player cast as a Rancor, locked away in Jabba’s basement. The gamer starts the game by escaping the Rancor’s imprisonment and destroying as much as possible… and nearly everything can be destroyed. To turn left and right you will need to pivot their torso left and right, bow forward to dash while breaking everything in your path.

However, this will not be the only mode available, there will be POD racing too. Gamers will be able to

experience the all the original planets that appear in the Star Wars movies. Fans will appreciate this title with references to the movies and while pod racing, serious crashes will be clean up by R2-D2.

And, of course, light sabre battles and force duels will be plentiful in this exciting looking game.

It seems like a good combination, Kinect and Star Wars.

If nothing else the light-sabre combat will be cool. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Lucasarts Publisher: Lucasarts Distributor: Megarom

38

Q4 2011 Platforms

This might get repetitive after a while but the pod racing seems to be the real winner here.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

Deepak Chopra’s Lella

Meditation for the Masses It’s Wii Fit for your soul

by Lein Baart

I

nternationally famous spiritual guru and practitioner of mind-body medicine, Deepak Chopra, has entered the world of video games. Yup, apparently even enlightened beings feel the need to satisfy their digital cravings.

Titled Deepak Chopra’s Leela (meaning play in Sanskrit), the title is not a game, according to publisher THQ’s website, but a tool to help enhance your life through meditation and chakra aligning. Complete with what seems to be LSD inspired pictures and colours, the game promises to try “bring focus, energy and balance to your life.”

Using motion-sensing as a means to guide you through various exercises, Leela will attempt to help find a spiritual

balance by guiding you thorough various stages, each more strenuous than the last, and each focusing on a different area of your body. It remains to be seen exactly what those movements are, but stretching and breathing techniques seem to be the order of the day. In fact, the Kinect version will have what THQ is calling “Stillness Meditation”, which will measure your breathing and offer “gentle feedback and guidance.” So it teaches you to breathe as well as save your soul.

Also featured will be the ability to create a personal mandala, which is an artwork representative of your innerself, and share it online, though no details are available as to how this will be accomplished. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: Curious Pictures Publisher: THQ Distributor: Ster Kinekor gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

Nov 2011 Platforms

An unusual offering that is bound to attract some attention, if only from the novelty of the experience.

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS 3DS

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Kirby Mass Attack

Masses of Kirbys Is one tenth enough?

by Brian Murdoch

K

irby is the fun loving Star Warrior that is unable to speak because he was forced into his job a little earlier than planned. This has not stopped his courage and ability to show what star warriors are made of.

One day an evildoer split innocent Kirby into ten pieces, thinking this would be the best way to defeat him. But even a tenth of Kirby is like a drop of potent power…

In Kirby Mass Attack the player takes control of up to ten Kirbys to fight against evil and concur in the name of

good.

Kirby is controlled in a variety of different ways; swipe to jump in the air and attack enemies or tap to bend or pull them into submission. There are obstacles that require a certain number of Kirby to be present and work as a team to overcome.

Throughout the levels and stages are ribbons and medals to collect. Collect enough and unlock other mini games to add a range of additional distinctive challenges. Cute as ever and always a fun franchise to play, looking to Kirby to save the day. g

AT A GLANCE: Developer: HAL Labs Publisher: Nintendo Distributor: Core Group

40

Oct 2011 Platforms

Mass Attack has you controlling ten Kirbys at the same time!

PC X360 PS3 Wii PSP DS 3DS

gamecca preview • issue 28 • October 2011

12 ©2011 CYNIDE S.A. and Focus Home Interactive. A Game of Thrones-Genisis is a trademark of Cynide.S.A. Focus Home Interactive used under license by Cyanide S.A. and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.

Based on the series of fantastic books “A Song of Ice and Fire” A Game of Thrones ©George R.R. Martin. Cynide S.A. and the Cynide S.A. logo are trademarks of Focus Home Interactive or its affiliates.

All other marks and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. www.apexint.co.za

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

www.apexactive.co.za

Feature

rAging

Success!

Photography by Dylan Bouch

T

his year saw the ninth Really Awesome Gaming Expo – rAge for short – take place from the 30th September until the 2nd October, at the Coca-Cola Dome in Northgate, Johannesburg. It’s great to have an expo like this in South Africa, because it affords all of us the opportunity to see exactly what to expect over the next few months of gaming.

And this year, we are not shy to admit, was probably

42

the most impressive rAge yet. With numerous distributors showing their wares, as well as retailers striking great deals and lots of international-video-game-industry-types for us press-people to hang out with, there was a hell of a lot to do and see at rAge 2011.

Not that you could move… the floor was literally crammed with visitors from all over the country, while more than 2 000 gamers from all parts of South Africa partook gamecca feature • issue 28 • October 2011

in the three-day NAG LAN (an event which has achieved legendary status.)

There’s one thing that we can say for certain, after the dust has settled… the video gaming industry in South Africa is alive and well, and growing (if the number of visitors to rAge is anything to go by.) The dedication to the event shown by all exhibitors – particularly the video game distributors – was commendable, and the interest shown gamecca feature • issue 28 • October 2011

by the public was fantastic. And the amount of fresh code on display confirms that we are being taken more seriously by internation companies here in South Africa.

And if you didn’t make it to rAge this year, you really did miss out. Then again, next year is the expo’s ten year anniversary, and we are expecting big things from it.

Turn the page to see our twelve gaming picks from the show... only a few of the great games on display!

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Feature

Diablo III

Release Date: Q1 2012 Platforms: PC What can we sat about Blizzard’s highly anticipated third instalment of Diablo?

Well, we have learned that the game will be available within the first three months of 2012, for one thing, which is getting gamers the world over all excited. With new characters, a thrilling story and new systems to enhance game play, there’s a lot to look forward to here..

Need for Speed:The Run Release Date: Nov 2011 Platforms: PC, PS3, X360, Wii, 3DS

What could make a cross country race (across the US) even more exciting?

Awesome babes, that’s what! Two Sports Illustrated models have joined the cast of this much anticipated next instalment in the Need for Speed franchise, which will hit shelves in time for this year’s Festive Season.

WWE 12

Release Date: Nov 2011 Platforms: PS3, X360, Wii Another year, another WWE game… but this year’s instalment isn’t just a reworked copy of last year’s game. Extensive overhauling of numerous systems promises the best WWE game ever, giving the player unprecedented control over their in-game character. An all-new engine provides the most intense, realistic WWE action we’ve ever seen.

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gamecca feature • issue 28 • October 2011

Tomb Raider

Release Date: TBA Platforms: PC, PS3, X360 We’re still not too sure when Lara Croft’s next adventure will hit shelves, but we are pretty certain that this will be the best Tomb Raider game ever. Under development by Crystal Dynamix, the title will investigate the origins of this super sexy adventurer, adding further to the tale of one of the world’s best loved game characters.

Grand Slam Tennis 2 Release Date: TBA Platforms: PS3, X360

Now that motion control is pretty much everywhere, EA’s Grand Slam Tennis is leaving behind its Wii roots and moving to HD consoles.

That means sharper graphics, of course, and tons of exhilarating tennis action.

A ten year career mode will allow players to expand their tennis pro is all kinds of ways.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City Release Date: TBA Platforms: PC, PS3, X360

Team based zombie games are all the rage (ahem) it seems, and the Resident Evil franchise won’t be left behind. But it won’t just be about teamwork – Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City will also offer a number of competitive multiplayer modes as well. We’re keen to see what they have planned for that, exactly… gamecca feature • issue 28 • October 2011

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Feature

Battlefield 3

Release Date: Oct 2011 Platforms: PC, PS3, X360 There’s not much we can tell you about this title, except that it’s going to be here really soon! EA went all out with Battlefield 3 at rAge, and it’s looking absolutely awesome! Intense action in both the long single player and various multiplayer modes in on the cards for this modern combat FPS game.

Hitman Absolution Release Date: 2012 Platforms: PC, PS3, X360

It’s been some time since we have seen 47 in action.

However, next year the fifth Hitman game will be released – the first since the deal between Eidos and Square Enix – and the game promises us not only more of the stealthy action we would expect, but also a plot that is more focussed on the shadowy killer himself.

Guild Wars 2 Release Date: TBA Platforms: PC

An intriguing stage presentation showed us some of what to expect from NC Soft’s massive MMORPG, which will hopefully hit shelves soon.

Deeper characters, a bigger story and tons more to do, to say the very least, await those who undertake this epic journey, which will build on the rich lore revealed in the first game.

46

gamecca feature • issue 28 • October 2011

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Release Date: Nov 2011 Platforms: PC, PS3, X360

We’re super stoked about the return of Ezio Auditore in time for the Holiday Season, and after having heard some of what the future holds for Assassin’s Creed (look for the feature in the November issue) all we can say is that fans have a hell of a lot to be excited about.

The Darkness II

Release Date: Feb 2012 Platforms: PC, PS3, X360 Quad wielding in an FPS game? You bet – that’s just one of the features that The Darkness II will offer gamers. It’s been a while since the original, but the sampling we saw at rAge looked awesome. Once again Jackie Estacado will call on the powers of Darkness to dominate his enemies.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Release Date: 2011 Platforms: PC, PS3, X360

The Weaponsmith mode of this anticipated title drew a lot of attention at rAge, in which users could freely customise the game’s fifty weapons. But the action got a lot of attention, too – smooth, third person cover based combat is the order of the day in this exciting game.

gamecca feature • issue 28 • October 2011

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13V

MARVEL, SPIDER-MAN, X-MEN and all related characters: TM & Š 2011 Marvel Entertainment, LLC. and its subs and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

www.facebook.com/HeroHQ

www.activision.com

sidiaries. Licensed by Marvel Characters B.V. www.marvel.com. Game Š 2011 Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks

Pigs with Wings PS Zealot

by Walt Pretorius

I

got a phone call the other day from our intrepid PS3 specialist, Suvesh. Apparently the poor man is intent on working himself into an early grave, and has developed a rather serious bout of pneumonia.

Well, dude, get better… remember, lots of bed rest is still possible with a PS3 controller in your hands!

It has been a rough year, and PlayStation have had a few pretty bad experiences, what with the mammoth hack that took place on their PSN servers a few months back. There’s still a whole lot of dust being kicked up around that whole debacle, but it seems that the company has renewed its determination to deliver players the best experience. There are a number of top notch PlayStation 3 exclusive titles on the way for the end of the year, so fans have a lot to look forward to.

Perhaps more importantly, though, is the massive rumour mill that has been churning out speculation about the PlayStation 4. While Kaz Hirai was quick to deny rumours earlier in the year, it seems that Sony’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, Masaru Kato, kind of, sort of, maybe confirmed that they are working on new ideas – simply by asking investors to increase R&D funding.

That, of course, is enough to get tongues wagging. Even though he has since specifically denied talking about a new console.

The industry, though, is being tight lipped, even if there is a new console coming. A major US retailer has told shareholders that they didn’t expect new consoles from either Sony or Microsoft before 2014.

50

Sony’s claims at a ten year lifespan push that back even further, to around 2016.

And, considering the fact that the console still has a lot of untapped power for developers to play around with, it might go even further back.

Even Bethesda’s Todd Howard, director of Elder Scrolls V; Skyrim, told PSM3 magazine that he doesn’t believe gamers should expect any new consoles before 2014 at the earliest.

It looks like all that speculation is just noise.

SCE UK boss Ray Maguie didn’t deny the possibility of a new console, but he did recently imply that a followup wouldn’t come along soon. “Where we go after this is an interesting one,” he said. “The online side is very interesting and is a big part of our business going forward. But in terms of what sort of technology we’ll be using, it’s far too early to say yet because we’re only half way through the lifecycle of PS3 - there are many years to come on that machine.”

At the moment, it’s pretty difficult to get a straight story, with numerous rumours flying around in both directions. But I think it’s safe to assume that there will be a new PlayStation, sometime in the future. And hopefully it will be backwards compatible this time. g gamecca column • issue 28 • October 2011

Jump In! Xbox Beat

by Bryan Banfield

I

t’s been a few month now but Xbox Live Arcade has yet to settle into that lovely warm place in our greater South African community’s heart. Still, there are a number of amazing announcements regarding the Xbox Live Arcade service. I feel that there have been a few issues leading to this slow uptake in popularity.

I’d like to explore a few of these with you this month. Time to put on my Dr. Phil cap.

Gamer Points vs Microsoft Points: I am always surprised when I have to explain to people the difference between these two. But then again. I can understand… I practically recite Xbox FAQs in my sleep. Gamer Points are the collection of all the points accumulated from winning or unclocking achievements in any given title that is played on the Xbox Platform. As a matter of fact all Xbox titles are required to have achievements. These points, as mentioned, are totalled and this score is an indication of how experienced you are in the platform. These points cannot be redeemed for cash and you cannot use these to make purchases in the store.

Microsoft Points are a virtual currency that Microsoft uses for the transactions made on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

These points are linked to the currency

52

of the given country that your Xbox profile is linked to. These points can be purchased directly from the marketplace via a credit or cheque card. Alternatively they can be purchased from www.evopoints.co.za.

Great titles: Xbox Live is home to some of the best independently developed video games on the market. Independently developed video games are the titles that are not developed by large development houses like BioWare or DICE. Search for title such at Limbo or Bastion. You will thank me over and over again.

On the ‘not for indie’ side we have great titles making their way to the service. The sacred Metal Gear franchise (the first title changed my life) will be gracing our platform.

Unfortunately due to some licensing do-do the first one will not be joining us but Metal Gear 2, 3 and Peace Walker will be hitting the Marketplace in November this year.

The next great title drops a few days after this column. EA have announced that Crytek is bringing their visually stunning 2007 hit Crysis to the marketplace. Crysis should be retailing at 1600 Microsoft Points

and if you have not played this title (PC could not handle it?) then this is a must.

Everything has a demo: All titles on Xbox Live have a demo.

This is a chance to get a small look at the title you have your eye on before you have to part with any of your hard earned cash. So fill your hard drive up with demo titles and slowly make your way through them. Your heart will settle on one or two and just like that you will be hooked.

Might I suggest Shadow Complex, an amazing side scrolling action adventure, Bastion , and award winning indie game , Limbo… no explanation will do it justice. Just play it.

Trials HD, an extreme sports motorbike game where you have to complete a dangerous course in the best possible time. Tons of fun and a great party game. Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes… this is a magical title with hours of game place and features one of the most amazing combat mechanics I have every encountered.

These are a few to get your started. So what are you waiting for?

Jump in! g

gamecca column • issue 28 • October 2011

Limiting Achievements?

House of Mario

by Brian Murdoch

I

consider myself a very good gamer, playing on all platforms and enjoying games for their challenge and fun. Competitively I have done OK, but seem to crush under the pressure of the eight ball.

The main driving force behind my gaming is the completionist in me. I love completing games and games that don’t have an “end” need to be fun to keep me playing them. The question for this column is whether trophies and achievements limit the game other than the rolling credits at the end?

The example I draw this from is the amount of Nintendo games that I enjoy simply because of their fun nature and I continue to play them endlessly, again and again. Mario Kart Wii is one of those titles that is now over 3 years old and I played it again two weeks ago! Darksiders took a good 16 hours and two playthroughs to get every… resulting in a platinum trphy award on PS3. I sold the game to someone right after that. I don’t like selling or trading in any games, but it was completed and there was nothing else I could do with the game… nothing at all!

If we take Plants vs. Zombies I have finished the DS version and the iPad version. By finish I mean every single achievement on both.

The game only has a few differences between versions. I am still opening up my 3DS and playing a few stages on the train and I have just installed the PC version to play some more and complete those achievements.

It’s Plants vs. Zombies and anyone who has given this game a try and not enjoyed it, as least a little bit, is not a gamer.

I know there are exceptions to this

54

question I put out there, but generally the awards limit the game like an earthly marriage is limited to death!

The achievements are supposed to be something to work towards and extension to the game’s basic play.

Most of the achievements make us play through the game again but it seem to stop there.

Starcraft 2 (I hear the Gamecca team saying “Here we go again, Brian”) and Blizzard have handled this very well. Their achievements are geared for the next three versions, even if they did not update and add more every now and then.

Their single player achievements are almost separate from the multiplayer ones and it takes more than two play-throughs to achieve them all.

The multiplayer achievements, as with most multiplayer achievements, will take a non-extreme player almost a year to achieve!

I had stopped playing Guild Wars

after having completed all the story lines and acquired most of the titles, weapons and amours that I wanted.

A friend has just shown me the other things that I need to acquire on my account to get extra starting items in Guild Wars 2, also giving me a complete game folder so that I don’t have to download each area. This will put me back into a game that costs hours of my life but I can’t help it.

Achievements have their place but more and more I am finishing games only to be left upset, not that I have got through the game so quickly, but that the achievements are finished.

I see no clear reason to carry on with them. g

gamecca column • issue 28 • October 2011

wii care

faq@nintendogamer.co.za ...for DS too

You won’t only find reviews, news and great community features at www.nintendogamer.co.za. You will also find extremely informative FAQs all about the Wii & DS platforms, and the games you can play on them.

At www.nintedogamer.co.za, we want to make sure that the most accurate information & support is free and easy to find.

www.nintendogamer.co.za

Reviews Highlights 58 Dead Island Sun, sand, surf and zombies 62 Gears of War 3 The final fight is here!

68 Driver: San Francisco Shifting gears, shifting cars...

70 Resistance 3 The end is nigh!

74 FIFA 12 The best one yet?

A

nd they’re off! With releases like Dead Island, Gears of War 3, FIFA 12, Resistance 3 and a whole bunch of others, the last quarter of 2011 is off to a great start.

And it’s only going to get better!

The great game releases will keep rolling for the next few months, so prepare yourself for a few chunky issues of Gamecca... right into 2012. g

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gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

SKYLANDERSGAME.COM

© 2011 Activision Publishing, Inc. Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure is a trademark and Spyro and Activision are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Main Themes by Hans Zimmer, Music composed by ’ is a trademark of the same company.

Lorne Balfe, Score produced by Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe. ‘ ’ , ‘PlayStation’, ‘PS3’ and ‘ ’ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. ‘ All Rights Reserved. Nintendo 3DS and Wii are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2011 Nintendo. KINECT, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

activision.com activision.com

Dead Island

Undead Adventure More than you might expect

Z

ombies are, and probably always will be, a popular part of modern horror fiction. There is just something about the shambling dead, devoid of conscience and emotion, preying on hapless, living victims that makes our skins crawl.

It is small wonder, then, that zombies feature prominently in video games. There have been a large number of zombie games made, all featuring those (sort of) beloved mouldering mobile corpses. But, in the end, there is only so much that you can do with the idea of zombies. It comes down to survival horror, and not much more.

Or does it? Techland decided to try something a bit different with the zombie genre. The team, who was also behind the Call of Juarez series, wanted something a bit more than just survival to form the basis of their new

58

by Walt Pretorius game, Dead Island. Sure, survival is paramount, but there is potentially more to a zombie holocaust that just being the guy who doesn’t get eaten, and this is what they have attempted to capture in the title. Their success in this matter is a bit of a mixed bag, but it is undeniable that Dead Island is fairly unique when it comes to games that involve killing zombies.

The setting, for one thing, is interesting. Dead Island takes place on the fictional tropical paradise of Banoi, a typical holiday resort island where massive resorts and hotels cluster around the coast, hiding the squalor and poor conditions of the interior. The player enters the game on what appears to be the morning after a particularly heavy party, only to discover that Banoi has become overrun by flesh-craving undead.

The player gets to pick one of four characters: Purna,

g ga amme ec c ca a r re ev vi ei eww • • i si s suue e 1278 • • NOo cv teombbeer r 22001110

an Australian ex-cop turned body guard whose mouth is pretty much as foul as her attitude; Logan, a washed out football star; Sam B, a one hit wonder rapper; or Xian Mei, a Chinese girl whose reasons for being on the island are not quite what they seem. Each character has a back-story that is pretty solid, as well as a weapon speciality that will assist the player in dispatching the already dispatched.

These specialities can add very powerful modifiers to the characters, but they also show one of the larger aspects of the game – it is really meant to be played as a four player co-op game… the skills complement each other.

Not that you cannot play Dead Island as a single player experience. In fact, the game is just as fun, although a lot more difficult if you go it alone. There are certain areas of Banoi that are almost impossible to navigate solo, and the player may get trapped in a cycle of very quick deaths

gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

trying to get out of a particularly dangerous spot. The game is not overly harsh when it comes to player deaths.

Essentially, if the player’s character goes down, they will have to wait for around seven seconds before spawning somewhere close by, with less enemies to deal with.

Frequent death cycles will be frustrating, but they will never really be impossible to get through.

As the game progresses, the player’s character will gain levels, which will allow them to add skill points to one of three skill trees. Some of the later skills really do make the character a lot more powerful, but this is really just to keep up with the enemies, which become more powerful as the character does.

In addition, the player will also be able to modify weapons to their liking, using discovered blue-prints and parts to give weapons a little more oomph. The electrified

59

machete was a particular favourite in the Gamecca offices.

Weapons will also degrade with use – at least, melee weapons will. And this is the core of the game’s action – up close and personal combat. Although firearms can be found, they aren’t the most effective weapons against the undead… and ammo is very scarce. Rather, the player will be experiencing what is a largely hand-to-hand first person perspective in the game. Weapon maintenance becomes paramount, particularly if the player has poured a lot of resources into a great zombie-bashing implement.

Weapons can be upgraded, as well as modified, and losing a great device that the player has put a lot of effort into is a pain… so keep them in good nick!

The enemies are fairly varied, too, ranging from the average shambling Walker through to fast but weak

60

Infected and even super strong, menacing Butchers.

New enemies get introduced from time to time during the game’s rather long story, and may often need new approaches. Explosive Suiciders, for example, are one enemy that firearms work well against (seeing as how their powerful explosion is best kept at a distance.)

We mentioned the long story. Aside from tons of wellstructured side quests (that will have the character revisiting previous locations in the free-roaming setting) the story quests will keep players going for a good long time. The game is less of an action title and more of a role playing experience, more akin to something like Fallout than Left 4 Dead. The story is deeper than ‘we need to survive,’ although it doesn’t tug at the heart-strings like it would like to.

In essence, what Techland have managed to do with

gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

that are not really likeable… Call of Juarez: The Cartel is another example.)

But – and it’s a great big hairy but, at that – the game is still really enjoyable. You will need to get over some of its quirks and bugs, but it does create enough immersion – through lots to do and tons of freedom – that you will be able to get past these quibbles and really enjoy the title. It could use some polish, sure, but it is a big step in the right direction for this rather unique approach to the zombiebashing genre, and it is (and this is most important, folks) still a lot of fun to play. It will get you tense. You will get nervous. And that’s a large part of what it is supposed to do, and adds greatly to the title’s appeal.

Dead Island is a diamond in the rough. There will be a lot of people who criticise it and find fault, but reasonable, level-headed players will find a lot to enjoy in this title. It is

AT A GLANCE: A diamond in the rough, Dead Island is great fun, despite lacking polish.

Developer: Techland Publisher: Deep Silver Distributor: Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

18+ gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

Dead Island is create a good start to a potential franchise.

The ideas behind the game are solid, but it lacks a little spit-shine in some areas, preventing it from attaining the greatness that was so easily within its grasp.

The controls, for example, take a bit of getting used to, and might feel a little too sluggish or imprecise when up against some of the faster zombie types. Similarly, some really basic elements within the game – simple concepts that mark good game design – seem to have been overlooked. When a pool-side zombie walks right through a lounger to get to you, it breaks the illusion a bit.

The inventory system could have been a lot better (even if it just displayed which weapons were equipped during purchasing and selling). And the player’s attachment to the character could have been a bit better (it seems that Techland have a knack for creating player characters

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

85 61

Gears of War 3

Brothers in Arms Another COG in the machine

I

t’s been one of the most recognisable and bestselling franchises, and with the release of Gears of War 3 it all comes to a rather spectacular end.

Players will once again have to steer Marcus, Cole and Dom through the hordes of nasties, but luckily they won’t take it lying down.

In terms of a bit of back story for gamers who can’t remember what happened in Gears 2, or for newcomers to the series, the game conveniently features a “Previously in Gears” option. It’s a short video and only touches on the most important aspects, but players should get a good idea of what happened before.

The setting for the final Gears of War game takes place around 18 months after the events of Gears 2, and it finds Marcus Fenix, Anya Stroud and two other

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by Charlie Fripp members of their squad aboard the Raven’s Nest, a naval vessel.

Although there is a short tutorial in the beginning, players are immediately thrust into the action as Lambent stalks start pushing up everywhere, and naturally allowing the bad guys to start shooting at will. It’s great when a game starts off with a strong focus on the action, as it sets the tone for the rest of the game.

We’re not in the business of giving away plots, but everything Marcus finds out in the first few minutes of the game will dictate the rest of the plot. There will be some surprises along the way, but gamers will be able to vaguely figure out what’s going on if they have a strong knowledge of the previous game.

In terms of gameplay, not much has changed. The control

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layout is still the same as it was when the first Gears game came out. This is naturally a good thing, as returning players won’t have to battle the Locust and the controller at the same time. It’s also very easy for first-timers to remember, and complexities have been kept to a minimum.

A couple of changes have been made in terms of the game’s mechanics. At certain scripted parts, Marcus will be required to kick down doors or break a couple of wooden crates. It’s good to see the characters progress in development, and although the events are scripted, it’s a nice break from the action and tradition.

Another first for the franchise is the introduction of the Silverback mechs, which players will get to play around with in the first Act. Firing two miniguns by default, the Silverback can bunker down to fire four missiles before

gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

it needs to reload. They do cause a lot of destruction, but are slow and reloading the missiles leaves players vulnerable.

Those are about the only major differences that developer Epic Games worked into the final chapter, but don’t let that detract from the game play. The graphics have naturally been improved to the point where even Gears 2 will look amateurish, and a lot of smaller details have been added.

They kept the familiar design style, which would make sense, since the game takes place only months after Gears 2, but there is a noticeable difference in graphics. A few texture issues did crop up, but nothing what a day-one update couldn’t fix.

With all the improvements and the familiarity, the real

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gem of Gears of War 3 lies in the team dynamic and ingame music. It is made very clear that certain members of the team have started to develop feelings for each other, and the game cleverly plays on that.

But there is definitely a feeling of camaraderie between all the members of Delta squad, and rather emotional scene in Act 3 will leave gamers grabbing for the tissues, which is also partly due to the excellent music used. It conveys a bit of a human touch - something that games these days don’t really exploit.

Players will also get to see more of Anya, who previously only had a supporting role, and learn more of the personalities of other team members like Jace, Carmine, Baird, Dizzy and everybody’s favourite Australian, Sam. Fans of Gears of War will certainly not be disappointed with the final game in the story of the COG and the

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Locust. Almost every question gets answered, but it will also open itself to more debate. It does, however, conclude the story line in a rather spectacular fashion. As with any Gears battle, the final fight is tough and challenging, put the spoils of victory are so sweet.

Although Gears 2 had a small serving of multiplayer, the third game really takes it to a new level in terms of variety.

Sure, it has more modes than you can shake a Lancer at, but there are some that just stand out.

The usual frenzy of Team Deathmatch and King of the Hill is as exciting as ever, but the true fun is in the updated Horde and Beast modes.

For Horde, or Horde 2.0 as they call it, the concept is still the same as with previous games - eliminate wave after wave of enemies - but the twist comes in the form of construction. Players start off with a certain number of

gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

they build up their defences. It’s great fun, but can be a bit confusing at times.

Multiplayer can be played online through Xbox Live or through system link. This is a great option for some players, as the campaign supports up to four player co-op campaign. With internet costs and bandwidth issue in South Africa, system link is the only option for many gamers, and through it they can also be part of the multiplayer action.

But when all is said and done, does the game live up to expectation? It certainly does and it serves as a great conclusion to the trilogy, as it has everything a fan could have hoped for.

The graphics are fantastic, the controls are easily remembered and the game’s dynamic is great. And who knows, we might just see a new story arc soon. g

AT A GLANCE: It’s a stunning conclusion to the trilogy, but not all questions will be answered.

Developer: Epic Games Publisher: Microsoft Distributor: Microsoft SA

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

18+ gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

credits, and as they kill more enemies, the more credits they accumulate.

These credits can then be spent on all sorts of wonderful battlefield armament, such as turrets, miniguns, barricades, decoys and extra ammunition. All of the playground toys can naturally be upgraded; for example a flimsy fence can be turned into razor wire and then into a true monster-stopper. But all these upgrades need to be unlocked first, and that is only done by surviving more waves.

Beast mode is sort of like Horde 2.0, but only in reverse.

Where gamers will take on the role of a COG soldier in Horde, Beast mode sees them stalking the map as a Locust or Lambent.

Instead of building fortifications, players will have to eliminate the other team, namely COG soldiers before

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

91 65

Driver: San Francisco

Grand Theft Awesome …now with more polish and variety.

I

t’s hard to recall when last I had as much fun as I’ve been having with Driver: San Francisco. Notice how I say “having”, as in “present tense”. Usually reviews are written in a past tense: that game was awesome.

That game had a great story. That game blew my mind.

Driver: SF is still awesome. It manages to balance real life physics with Hollywood physics. You know what I’m talking about. Watch a couple of car chases from blockbuster films. Cars don’t really behave like that, but it sure as hell looks awesome. Real life physics are a bit more toned down, but it’s also what brings us back to reality. We’re already familiar with how cars drive, so why take any of that away? As a result, the 140 real-world cars in Driver each behave uniquely. An Audi R8 handles like a car with all-wheel drive. The American musclecars do burnouts and can hang tail going around corners.

Slower city cars lack poke, but are made fun by using the handbrake. They’re all like their real-life counterparts, but with a more exaggerated character. It’s great – and

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by Christo van Gemert

makes you want to own each of the cars.

After finishing the single-player campaign I am still doing online races or just driving around the many hundreds of kilometres of roads, loosely based on those in San Francisco. It’s exhilarating just rushing down the highway in a Lamborghini, dodging cars and ducking under trucks.

Think “Burnout: Paradise” for open world driving and speed, but with less detachment. And when you hit a truck, it’s as simple as just getting into another car…

And that’s where Driver blows my mind. With the second Driver game the developers let you get out of the car to go find new rides. This was a badly implemented mechanic, and outdone by Grand Theft Auto 3. What they’ve done with Driver: San Francisco is give you the ability to “shift” into new cars. The simplest way of describing this by saying that it lets you possess the drivers of other cars.

Crashed yours? Simply shift out of your current body and float above the city, like a ghost. See a car you like? Zoom in and posses its driver. This is very well explained in the

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you’ll be leading a race by a few hundred meters, but the next an opponent’s car slingshots past you like you’re looking for parking. Not cool, but also only annoying enough to make the game artificially more challenging.

Besides, shifting around into other cars is already an overpowered mechanic and maybe the AI needs all the help it can get. In total you can spend more than 20 or 30 hours just cruising around town doing crazy stuff like ramping off trucks, causing pileups or finding collectibles, which unlock movie challenges. These challenges are based on actual movie chases – and if you love both film and cars, these are a real treat.

Technically, Driver: SF is also excellent. Graphics are crisp and the world is colourful. The action is as smooth as silk pyjamas. If you like cars and fun, this game will impress. If you want something different, I can heartily recommend it as a welcome break from the cookie-cutter FPS games hitting the shelves. g

AT A GLANCE: All-out automotive action and fun, with comedic dialogue to spice it up a bit.

Developer: Reflections Publisher: Ubisoft Distributor: Megarom

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

12+ gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

story – something I don’t want to spoil here, because it’s already thin on substance – but this little trick makes the game a lot more fun than it would’ve been in any other case. You can zoom around in the clouds, visit your garages and find the cars you want there, or simply take over the next car.

This comes in handy when you do some of the challenges. Can’t finish in first place? Simply shift out of your car and find a car in oncoming traffic. Use that to slam into the race leader. It’s like having a win button, but way more satisfying. You can’t obviously cheat by taking control of the winning car, so there are non-documented limitations to your ability – but anything more than they’ve given you will ruin the fun.

With the selection of cars, the awesome physics system and the shift mechanic, the game’s single-player objectives are a total riot. You have actual fun while racing around in any of the cars, and the only real annoying is the rubberbanding of the artificial intelligence. One minute

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

90 69

Resistance 3

The End?

Saving humanity one more time

T

he Resistance franchise is a PlayStation 3 stalwart; it has been there since the very beginning. And, as developers around the world managed to squeeze more and more performance out of Sony’s console, so too the team behind this series – Insomniac Games – have upped the ante in terms of Resistance with each iteration of the game. Now, with the third game in the series has arrived, and brings with it a better technical experience, without skimping on one thing that has always been important to these shooters: story.

The tale tells of Joseph Capelli (a name players of the previous game will likely recognise.) After he is dishonourably discharged from the military, he takes up residence in a small town in Oklahoma. The war against the insidious Chimera forces is all but lost, and humanity faces its final days as the alien invaders begin terraforming the planet, making it more like their frozen

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by Walt Pretorius

homeworld. But when Dr Malikov (another name you may recognise) convinces Capelli that there is still hope to save the planet, he begins a perilous journey to New York City to stop the invaders.

It’s a long way from Oklahoma to New York. Surprisingly, the game only weighs in at around ten hours of single player campaign play, but the pacing of the story and the action is tight and never lets up. It’s an intense ten hours, with the player experiencing tension and emotional changes in equal measure. See, the developers managed to counterbalance the intense action of the game with a heart-rending story of loss and desolation, and they did so very well. Story is important here, which is a refreshing change to the truckload of shooters that leave plot behind these days.

The combat in the game is extremely exhilarating. With enemies that are smarter than before, the player will be challenged on a very high level. There are times when this

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game system refinements also make for a change… things like weapons that upgrade automatically the more they are used.

As intense as the single player campaign is, the longevity of the game comes from the multiplayer aspect.

As before, it is very good. However, fans of the franchise may be saddened to see that the 60 player multiplayer modes from previous titles have been trimmed down to 16 players. However, this does make for a very different experience: the multiplayer here is more strategic and less chaotic, complementing the title beautifully.

Resistance 3 is not just another shooter. It is a great action game that shows how a good plot doesn’t ruin a shooter experience in the slightest. The controls may feel a little sluggish at times, but once you’re used to them, the dark atmosphere, emotional strength and intense combat presented in Resistance 3 will sweep you away. g

AT A GLANCE: Resistance 3 is the best of the franchise, bordering on art. It’s intense, emotional, challenging and dark… and very satisfying.

Developer: Insomniac Publisher: SCEE Distributor: Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

18+ gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PS3 Platforms

title is extremely tough – even seeming to be impossibly difficult – but perseverance has its rewards. And rewarding it is; the great selection of weapons, featuring old favourites and some new oddities, makes for a satisfying game, and the challenging enemies mean that every kill is a victory.

This game feels less like a war and more like the franchise’s title implies: it is a resistance, a freedomfighter bent on sacrificing everything to save everything.

Part of the game’s emotional charge stems from Capelli’s selfless actions, while the rest comes from the tragedy and pain of leaving his wife and young son behind. While it sounds very Hollywood, there is something very believable and moving about Capelli – even when he’s blasting the heads off of Chimera grunts.

As is expected, the level of presentation – in terms of voice acting and graphics – is very high in this game. It is a fine example of what the PS3 is capable of. A number of

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

90 71

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

Hordes of Chaos!

From the miniature wargame comes a brutal action adventure!

by Suvesh Arumugam

W

arhammer 40,000 is a long running and highly successful miniature wargame and strategy series. Players assemble and paint their own futuristic heroes, villains and vehicles purchased in kits.

Using dice and elaborate tables designed by the players, great battles and wars are waged and fought!

The series, developed by Games Workshops, has had many spin-offs; including novels, an animated movie and several video games. Following the Warhammer Universe, Space Marine follows Captain Titus, and his squad of Ultramarines. The Imperial Forge World, a weapons manufacturing colony, has been attacked by Orks, As leader of the Space Marines, and armed with futuristic weapons and armour, Titus must lead his small squadron through battling invading hordes, betrayal by other Space Marines who now serve the Chaos Gods, and revenge for the murder of one his fallen comrades.

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Although the story is complex and fairly confusing without knowing the mythology of Warhammer, the gameplay is very easy to pick up and well thought out.

Combining the “hack and slash” of Lord of the Rings, with futuristic weapons of Red Faction or Unreal, Titus always has two primary weapons available – a gun or blade, which can be wielded in combinations. Titus will eventually carry four guns at a time, which can be cycled through in game.

Weapons range from Bolt Pistols to Plasma Cannons to the very awesome Vengeance Launcher, and the blade can also be upgraded to anything from Chainsaw to Thunderhammer.

Racking up kills and points will earn you a few small trophies, especially using sniper and melee attacks; and also fills up your fury ability, which when activated will give you bullet time if aiming, or devastating single blow attacks that can hack through crowds. “Crowds” is un understatement as waves of Orks attack your unit, and

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pretty well done. There are few puzzles to work out, and they are not difficult at all. There is also not much in the way of pick-ups or secret areas to warrant multiple plays.

The online game seems to be the focus of the game, and includes limited edition guns and blades. In familiar Death Match and Domination settings, players can rank up on kills and weapons as they go head to head with up to eight online friends. Choosing different ranks will determine the weapons available, and you can choose to fight for the loyal Space Marines or the traitorous Chaos Marines.

Space Marine is enjoyable, though fans of the universe may draw more from the story than I did.

The genre is a mixture of space adventure and medieval battles, and it’s a little strange at first.

I enjoyed the hordes of enemies, and varied attacks and weapons available. It reminded me a lot of Darksiders, which I really enjoyed. I doubt that I’ll play it a second or third time, but it was fun and entertaining nonetheless. g

AT A GLANCE: Based on the table-top wargame, the story may be more appealing to those who know the setting.

Developer: Relic Entertainment Publisher: THQ Distributor: Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

18+ gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PS3 Platforms

their armour and offense becomes increasingly difficult to manage. Brutally attacking your enemies with melee combos will refill lost health, but sometimes you just need a really big gun! I recommend the Vengeance Launcher for all occasions. It fires a sticky mine, which explodes on your command, so you can take out a baddie and all his pals at the same time. It is also the only weapon which was developed especially for the game, and not out of the Warhammer Universe.

The storyline is very complex and relies a lot on previous knowledge of the series and universe.

It could possibly be why previous versions like FireWarrior were largely unsuccessful. Villains called Orks, which look rather like Shrek, are too similar to the Lord of the Rings hordes; and while some are tough to put down, they mostly don’t present much challenge other than their numbers.

The story still seems interesting, and the videos are

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Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

80 73

FIFA 12

Eye on the Ball A game so beautiful, its blinding…

T

he latest title in the FIFA stable has just been released, and while a lot has been promised for this iteration, developer EA Sports didn’t disappoint. The entire game has been given an overall, and right at the beginning players will notice that even the menu has been changed - which is the first time in several years.

One thing that really makes the title shine are the graphics. There has been a clear upgrade in the visuals, and simply put - it’s stunning. Although the graphics in FIFA 11 were good, they just seem to be a lot smoother in FIFA 12.

The faces of all the players are clear and full of features. They have really gone out of their way to make them look as realistic as possible, and that is always a good thing. There is nothing worse than playing with a character which looks nothing like his real-life counterpart.

But it’s not only the facial graphics that have been

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by Charlie Fripp

improved - the entire game has been given an overhaul.

The whole package just feels cleaner and right and it makes one wonder why they haven’t designed the previous games in the same style.

One aspect that FIFA 12 still doesn’t get right is the spectators. There seems to be a problem with EA games, as Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 and NHL 12 suffer from the same design mistakes. The crowds look like cardboard cutouts, and it really distracts from the otherwise awesome visuals. Granted, the game doesn’t focus on spectators often (or at all), but the long camera shots clearly show them moving all together like robots when the action gets a bit heated.

Speaking of action, at the heart of the game it is still a football title, and there isn’t much EA can do about that. There is no point in reinventing the wheel, and their winning formula will always be the best in the business.

A couple of tweaks were made in terms of the actual gameplay, and it also seems like the difficulty has been

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The jockeying has also been given an bit of an add-on, as players will now be able to not only jockey for the ball, but they can select an AI teammate to jockey a player, while the gamer waits for the ball to pop out.

EA also included an Impact Engine, Tactical Defending, and Precision Dribbling in the game play. The Impact Engine will ensure that no two player-collisions will ever be the same, and it also allows for players who don’t have the ball to collide. The collisions all depend on the force involved, where the players are, and where they have been hit. It works really well, but it seems as though players might get injured more frequently than before.

FIFA 12 is definitely the best football title that EA has ever developed, and although it seems as though the entire game has been given a loving overhaul, there are still a couple of minor bugs that needs to be sorted out, such as camera placement. And for some reason, the loading times are much longer than FIFA 11.

But it’s definitely a title that every FIFA fan should get.g

AT A GLANCE: It’s definitely the best FIFA game that EA has developed so far.

Developer: EA Canada Publisher: Electronic Arts Distributor: EA South Africa

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

3+ gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

upped a bit, as the AI takes more chances and use a lot of skill moves. That isn’t a bad thing, as a challenge is always good… and it hasn’t been increased to the point where it becomes ridiculous.

A disappointing aspect of the title is that players won’t be able to import their FIFA 11 character, and will be forced to create a new player for the Be A Pro mode. The game does scan for FIFA 11 achievements, and notifies the player that they have been found, but other than that, there is no cross-content. A game face from EA’s servers will also have to be downloaded and re-applied to a created player.

As mentioned, at the heart it’s still just a football game and EA’s options on how to improve the game are somewhat limited. But they did manage to improve the controls and how the players on the field can interact with one another. Gamers will now be able give opposing players a bit of a nudge or tug on their shirt in order to steal the ball - it’s a nice feature but it’s not often used.

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

88 75

Toy Soldiers

Tough Battle Even if only in miniature

various flavours, and can be upgraded as each battle commences. The strategy, of course, is placing the right kind of “tower” in the right place, as well as upgrading and repairing them with cash earned by defeating enemies.

Toy Soldiers has a twist, though. These toy-themed emplacements can be directly controlled by the player, adding more effectiveness in taking out enemies.

Additionally, the player can unlock special items, including controllable hero characters and air strikes. Lastly, there will generally be at least one controllable, powerful battle vehicle (battery operated, of course) on each map. Using all of these tools, the player needs to take out wave upon wave of enemies in a game that can get rather frantic.

With leaderboards and multiplayer modes, this unassuming title can deliver a good bout of longevity. It isn’t for everyone, but the addictive action and strategic demands of the game will please fans of this kind of thing for a good many hours. g

AT A GLANCE: A toy themed different take on tower defence ideas, Toy Soldiers can be a lot of fun.

Developer: Signal Studios Publisher: XBLA Distributor: XBLA

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

13+ 76

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

T

here’s something extremely enticing about the apparently simple, actually complex strategy that goes into tower defence style video games. The thing is, though, that without a fresh approach, most of these titles start feeling very similar. We have seen some interesting takes on the idea over the years – often as free-to-play flash games online. In fact, that’s where we encounter these titles most often… not really on major consoles.

If you head over to Xbox Live Arcade, though, you will be able to find Toy Soldiers, an irreverent title that pokes fun at the Cold War and attitudes towards that rather strange period in history. And it’s a tower defence game, too.

Toy Soldiers tasks the player with defending their toy box against waves of enemy attacks. To this end, they are provided with strategic spots to build gun emplacements. These defensive structures come in

by Walt Pretorius

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

80

gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge

Crouch! Touch!

Pause! Engage!

An easy to play rugby game for half-time!

S

ports sims are the most fun games for me (I may have said this before!). A good sports game must have a balance of career modes to engage the single player, and enough multi-player variations to entertain four to eight people at a time. Unless it’s a game like golf or snooker, where you don’t have that many players, it’s got to be party friendly! The original Jonah Lomu Rugby, developed by Codemasters in the model of their Brian Lara series, was truly a classic.

Aside from making rugby easy and understandable, the game featured all sorts of extras like Classic Matches, famously random commentary, and the Jonah Lomu All Star team, where every player was Lomu! Aside from Lomu’s likeness and endorsement, this game is no relation to the PlayStation version, and is developed

by New Zealand based Sidhe Entertainment, whose previous efforts include the NRL Rugby League series.

Rugby Challenge features fully licenced players, teams

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by Suvesh Arumugam

and stadiums from New Zealand and Australia, including the All Blacks, Wallabies, and Super 15 teams like the Brumbies and the Hurricanes. Aside from a few US and Dutch teams, the rest of the rugby playing world’s teams and stadiums are unlicensed, which may phase Bokke and Lions fans (conversely it’s rival Rugby World Cup 2011, does not features Australian & New Zealand teams). Some players who play in Australia or any of the smaller leagues are included, but that’s small consolation.

Perhaps due to Lomu’s involvement, the game follows a very similar formula to its PSOne predecessor.

Aside from the Classic Match mode (which is sorely missed), the gameplay is much the same. Rugby Challenge scores big on having a very helpful and easy to use tutorial.

The rules and moves are kept simple (or can be made realistic if you choose) and each one is explained in a series of videos, followed by a couple of mini-games.

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teams and players.

A few annoying things though – Firstly, whenever there is a kick-off, the perspective changes from the opponents first person view to yours, as the ball is in flight. So as you are about to make a tackle, you realise your player is running the wrong way! This is only in single player mode, but I would be nice to turn this feature off. Also, if you or your opponent play as the All Blacks, you are forced to sit through the Haka, which is cool at first, but makes rematches painful!

I really enjoyed the fluid gameplay, and just the fun factor of Rugby Challenge.

The controls are easy to pick up, and non-rugby fans will get into the action, especially while with the Bokke doing their thing in New Zealand.

But even though I will not be trading my AC Milan jerseys in for Blue Bulls fan gear, it irks me that I have to play as the Pretoria Cheetahs, with Bobby Havana. g

AT A GLANCE: Pick up and play, just don’t look too closely at the player names!!

Developer: Developer Publisher: Publisher Distributor: Distributor

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

3+ gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PS3 Platforms

Completing these also earns you some Rugby Cash, which can be used to purchase content in the game (like the LOMU Super team, or his favourite players).

The controls are simple, with shoulder buttons making left or right passes, and face buttons for drop goals, touch or grubber kicks. The right analogue becomes your “trick stick” as you fake, dummy or drive defenders. Defence is straightforward; run at the ball, take down the man! Rucks can be tricky, as you balance bringing more players in, with binding your players to protect or overturn the ball. From there on, you are your own Peter De Villiers as you decide how to play - for defence, possession or attack.

Rugby Challenge features a Quick Match or Career option. In career, you play both National & Club teams. The game also features an Online head-to-head mode, where up to eight people can compete online. You can customise players and teams, though the options are limited.

Dedicated fans could probably rename their favourite

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

88 79

StarFox 64 3D

Is Every Remake Good?

Do a barrel-roll!

F

or those that, like me, have never played a Star Fox game before this, Star Fox 64 3D is the remake of the game first released on the Nintendo 64 in 1997. Nintendo have done a major overhaul on the graphics of this arcade shooter. This is not your father’s Star Fox game (yep, that’s how long ago it was first released).

The new game features three different modes of play: Main Game, Battle Mode and Score Attack. The single player is almost identical as the original (I’m told) except that the one screen has been split over the two 3DS screens, using the top for action and health, then the bottom for pilot chit-chat.

The story line seem to be quite in-depth but I think one does not need to know what is going on or be able to remember names and who is fighting who too much.

During the gameplay more story is revealed but I’m

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by Brian Murdoch sure pilots, like drivers, need to concentrate on the road or (in this case) the surrounding area where other pilots are trying to kill them!

Countless times I missed saving a friend because there were too many people talking to me.

The multiplayer added a new appeal. Gunning down your three friends over local wireless brings new joy as players are able to watch their enemy’s expression while they die.

There are a range of new power-ups in the multiplayer to spice the battle up.

There is download play so even three friends that don’t have the game are able to challenge and sometimes beat you, but there is no online play.

One of the other new features added with this revamp is the ability to save progress. I can’t image, in the old version, that, after giving up, the next try has to be from the very beginning of the game.

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and again, with score attacks and chapter select. This is only really to increase top scores and simply enjoy the stages all over again.

I’m not too sure if it’s because I have not played the previous version but I don’t appreciate the 3D improvements to the old game with Star Fox as much as I enjoyed it with Zelda and the Ocarina of Time.

Nintendo have said that the success of this title will determine if Star Fox will continue into another version.

The previous iteration of the Star Fox franchise was a complete flop and was almost the end of the franchise all together.

This might have been an indication that Nintendo should not have even done this revamp.

I am not completely against this title as it does have its good moments, but it would have suited a 3DS download better. g

AT A GLANCE: The game is an arcade shooter that did not really compel me to keep it in my console.

Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo Distributor: Nintendo

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

7+ gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

3DS Platforms

Once the game is completed a stage can be selected to play again. There is no need to play through some of the boring stages to get to the good ones.

The circle pad interchanges with the joystick but the extra manoeuvres that are available from the control stick or touch screen came in very handy.

Turning on the Gyro will turn off the 3D because player will find it hard to keep the 3D sweet spot while moving the console around to fly.

The game has a great implementation of the gyro but, as with Cubic Ninja, the game is just not right in this mode.

Don’t ever use it is my personal advice.

The music is not quite what we have been hearing in the trailers as they have stuck with the original sound track.

We love you, Nintendo, but sometime original is not the best.

There are multiple ways to play through the game, again

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

64 81

Madden NFL 12

Any Given Sunday Another year, another Madden title

E

A’s Madden series, based on the sport of American (or Gridiron) Football, has been a consistent bestseller for several years now. Madden even has a TV series, where top ranked players come together and challenge each other, hoping to be the best player in the country. And even though we aren’t really big on Gridiron here in South Africa, the quality of the game, as well as the tactical aspects of the sport, may well have you joining the millions of fans that this franchise already has.

This title’s graphics have been really well put together; the players and stadium all look great. The opening scenes before each game even have the authentic mascots and cheerleaders for each team. The players themselves during the game move very well and look quite realistic too, compared to older games. The player

82

by Dylan Bouch

will recognise their favourite Quarterback straight off the bat as each player from every team has their own traits…

Quarterbacks will have their own throwing style, motion and look like the real life players (this counts for all other players on the teams, too).

The soundtrack to the new Madden title seems to be the same as any other Madden game; a good mix of music overall, but it also seems too busy. Featured artists include Lil Wayne, Rise Against, Snoop Dogg, Foo Fighters, Queen and much more.

The on-field sounds and crowd cheers do make a great audio experience, lifting your spirits when you’re down or pumping you up even more as you blaze in with a great victory.

Gus Johnson and Chris Collinsworth do the commentary again for this title, but unlike the rest of the audio, the

g ga amme ec c ca a r re ev vi ei eww • • i si s suue e 1278 • • NOo cv teombbeer r 22001110

change it (like in previous versions of Madden) but now you can throw to an alternative player even after changing the play.

There are several game modes available to choose from that will keep you busy for a while.

Modes include Exhibition, Super Bowl XLVI, Franchise, Be An NFL Super Star (same as FIFA Be A Pro), practise and a selection of mini games. Although there are so many modes available, if you are not following the NFL season on ESPN then the sense of pride falls away slightly.

It is cool just to jump into any random game and go for the big tackles, though, and sacking the Quarterback is also great fun.

However, if you do follow the league, there will be so many more doors that open regarding pre-season, prematch and being a manager or player. g

AT A GLANCE: This title is great, but if you own a Madden title already, it may be overkill.

Developer: EA Sports Publisher: Electronic Arts Distributor: EA South Africa

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

3+ gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

commentary lacks excitement, and has a lot of repetition and miss-times calls.

The control scheme has never been over-the-top or too complicated in the Madden series but this year they have introduce a flow system, allowing the player to choose either a call, run or pass. This will give the best play for that situation and field position quite easily.

Tackles have been made even more authentic, with 100 new tackle animations and a new collision system that uses momentum in tackles.

The AI has also been adjusted for more realistic mancover and defence. If you enjoyed the older Madden layout, you can choose to play with those older control schemes before each session.

The passing has also been made simpler in some ways; even if you have chosen a certain play the game can

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

79 83

Let’s Dance with Mel B

Get Your Dance On! Learn how to dance like the pro’s, or at least better than your friends

I

t’s generally accepted as sexist to consider a game to be for girls or boys, but when a game is presented in shocking pink, covered in glitter, I think that no longer applies. Let’s Dance with Mel B is a Move game, published by Italy’s Black Bean Games, who were responsible for last year’s Get Fit with Mel B, and several other titles. It features 28 songs from well known artists like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Mika, and also disco classics from Gloria Gaynor, Culture Club and Spandau Ballet, Let’s Dance definitely has the right tunes to get us tapping. With six different dance styles and various difficulties, players can start at the bottom and work their way to the hardest dance moves taught by professional dance choreographers.

84

by Suvesh Arumugam

Where is Mel B in all of this? Oddly, she is pretty much a menu in the game. Aside from greetings and words of advice (or abuse, depending on your performance) she is basically there because there is not much else for her to do! Once you’ve selected the song (or song list) you want to dance to, the Playstation Eye calibration captures your position and places your video image amongst the dancers on screen. It sounds better than it looks though, but so far so good. From that point, a dance leader dances the pre-choreographed sequence for that song, and you (and up to 8 other players) have to follow the movements as closely as possible. You (and your opponents) are placed in a tiny window in between dancers, so that you can watch yourselves and them while trying to execute some fairly radical moves.

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rest of the player’s body. Knowing this can give you a major advantage while conserving your energy, but it’s not how the game should played. A final gripe is that the video calibration needs lots of space for each dancer not to decapitate anyone else in the room. Even two people starts feeling cramped, so it’s hard to imagine how 8 people could play simultaneously unless it’s in airplane hangar with 20m screen.

But as I said in the beginning, this game is directed at a very specific market, and it seems to hit all the right buttons. I can easily imagine my 10 year old niece loving this game, and having no trouble jogging through all the dances and getting better as she goes. It’s got just the right music and dance moves to keep its intended audience playing for hours. g

AT A GLANCE:

PS3

Fun at times, but maybe a little too strenuous for the average gamer!

PC X360

Developer: Lightning Fish Publisher: Black Bean Distributor: xxx

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

12+ gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

The first big problem is the dances themselves. While some are hip hop dances that feature male dancers, most of the moves are performed by female dancers and are very feminine. Whilst a game like this relies on an embarrassment factor, this is a bit of a stretch for most guys. The next consideration is that these are professional dancers, and most of the people I know are not. But it just so happened that I tested the game with one, and really had no chance. There is a lot of dancing involved just for a single song, so anyone not prepared is going to be huffing and sweating by the end of the first song. There really won’t be much energy for an extended session, unless there is plenty of PowerAde and a Swiss masseuse on standby. A major flaw in the game is that it can only essentially read the movement of the Move, and not the

Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

74 85

Tropico 4

Another Term…

Bananas, rum, cigars and dictators

A

h, tropical beaches, lush tourist resorts and natural beauty. Ah, downtrodden people, exploitative industries and dodgy politics. Ah, Tropico 4.

Management games always strike a chord with me, and the Tropico series has been high up on my enjoyment list for pretty much as long as it existed. And the recent resurrection of the franchise in the form of Tropico 3 filled a gap left by the series’ sudden disappearance a few years back. Now, developers Haemimont have produced a sequel, releasing Tropico 4 two months short of two years after its predecessor.

A quip early on in the game notes that things take time in Tropico, and one would be excused for thinking that not much has changed between the third and fourth iterations in this series. But that’s just the surface… just like the banana republic the game presents, there is a lot more going on here than meets the eye.

86

by Walt Pretorius

First and foremost, it is important to remember that this is a management game. These things are never really fast paced to begin with, but Tropico 4 can be slower than most. That’s not bad game design – rather it is the nature of the beast, displaying a rather clever understanding of socio-political progress. The game will start slowly but, if the player makes all the right moves, it can become something of a frantic juggling session, keeping nations, factions and the general populace happy while trying to exploit them at the same time.

Those that are familiar with the previous title will notice that changes have been made in both subtle and blatant ways to this new game. For example, some twenty new buildings have been added to the player’s roster of possible constructions, which is a pretty noticeable change. But the effects that these new buildings have on the game can, at times, be subtle enough that they appear ineffective in the short-term, only to have a greater impact

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annoying Latin soundtrack, but the quips and jokes thrown around make up for it. And the graphical detail, even though it hasn’t progressed far from the previous title, is still very good. The player can zoom right in to ground level, or survey their country from fairly high up.

Being El Presidente of Tropico can be a great treat for management game fans. With twenty story driven missions, as well as sandbox play and a mission editor, Tropico 4 lends itself to dedication and a fair degree of analysis. The player can really take any approach to government that they like, and the new mini-quests within each mission add greatly to their working with factions and other nations.

In short, if you enjoy management games, you will most certainly get a kick out of this well-devised title. But it really is for management fans only, despite how much fun it is; Tropico 4 demands patience and attention to detail for the player to draw the most out of it. g

AT A GLANCE: Tropico 4 is a real treat for fans of management games.

Developer: Haemimont Publisher: Kalypso Distributor: Nu Metro

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

13+ gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PC Platforms

further down the line.

One such building, as an example, is the stock exchange.

This building will allow foreign businesses to set up operations on the player’s island, which can have varied long term effects on the economy and population.

Another blatant addition are natural disasters, ranging from tornadoes and tsunamis to volcanoes and droughts.

These, too, have varied effects, but some of them just don’t seem destructive enough.

In fact, the whole game seems a bit easier than previous Tropico editions, and the player will have an easier time of putting together a stable country, if they ‘crack the Tropico formula’. Despite this, though, the game has become more complex, and the player will have a lot more to do and consider this time around.

Graphically, not much has changed. The sound, though, is much improved – at least in terms of the lines that the voice actors deliver. The game still possesses an extremely

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

88 87

Everyone else might be a bit lost…

C

ycling is a sport that combines careful strategic thinking, incredible fitness and sophisticated equipment. It has not, however, been a sport that has achieved much mainstream attention, at least here in South Africa. Thus any title that wishes to faithfully replicate this highly competitive field has the difficult task of appeasing fans while introducing cycling to a larger crowd.

PCM 2011 fails in this. It’s an enthusiast’s treat but the uninitiated’s nightmare. Having released a new iteration of this franchise every year, Cyanide Studio has a steady fan base, but it can be almost guaranteed that those same fans also have a good understanding of cycling itself.

The game presents several modes, ranging from career to track mode. Career is the core of the game, in which you select a team from a fully licensed roster to take to the heights of professional cycling. Each team

by Lein Baart

has a list of goals set by their all-important sponsors, and weaker teams are initially not expected to compete with top teams. There are essentially two parts to the career mode, the first being the management and the second, more excitingly, the actual races. The management side presents a bevy of options and stats, in which everything from the budget to morale must be managed, but can be overwhelming.

The races themselves are where PCM 2011 both shines and disappoints. Graphically, the game is beautiful with both riders and courses presented in stunning detail.

However, you are quickly left frustrated as you struggle to grasp what a button on screen is, let alone what effect it will have. Tooltips are slow to appear, and almost no is explanation offered. Not even a rudimentary tutorial is given, and that, combined with the irritating soundtrack, will probably leave those unfamiliar with the sport disheartened and looking elsewhere. g

AT A GLANCE: A good looking game that unfortunately will likely alienate those not clued up on professional cycling.

Developer: Cyanide Studio Publisher: Focus Home Interactive Distributor: Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

3+ 88

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PC Platforms

Pro Cycling Manager Season 2011

Enthusiast Alert

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

68

gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

BodyCount

Rack ‘Em Up!

Codemasters comes out guns blazing in this shooter!

by Suvesh Arumugam

U

K based Codemasters are not known for games in the shooter or violence genres. Having made their name with the Brian Lara Cricket and the Colin McRae: Dirt franchises, they are known as simulation specialists. However, in recent years they acquired the licence for Operation Flashpoint, their first foray into the world of military strategy and shooters.

BodyCount represents a huge leap of faith by the company, to further establish themselves as powerhouse in game development. With many established gaming houses like Sierra, Acclaim and Midway falling victim to credit crunches around the world (or being absorbed by bigger companies) Codemasters seized the opportunity to snap up development teams and facilities around the world.

One of the studios acquired by them was Guildford Studios, comprising heavily of the award-winning Criterion team that produced Black on PS2 back in 2006. BodyCount was intended to have the same

90

groundbreaking idea, discarding lengthy cut-scenes and realism for arcade and movie style action and destruction.

The story of BodyCount is simple - you are an ex-military operative named Jackson, who has been drafted in to a private paramilitary team called The Network. You are sent into West and Central Africa to diffuse skirmishes between the local army and rebel forces. Unfortunately, neither side is keen on the Network’s presence, so it’s reasonable to assume that everyone wants to kill you.

However, a few missions in, our hero discovers that the fighting is not caused by either side, but a mysterious, futuristic third force with bunkers hidden all over. Our hero must get to the bottom of the conspiracy.

The concept behind BodyCount is cool - using the latest engines and game play ideas from the genre leaders like Call of Duty and Battlefield, the game features a fully destructible environment. Nowhere is safe to hide, but that goes for your enemies too! Similar to Black, the game features very realistic recoil and crouched

g ga amme ec c ca a r re ev vi ei eww • • i si s suue e 1278 • • NOo cv teombbeer r 22001110

The arcade nature of the game is refreshing and makes it fun to pick up and play. The graphics and gameplay are still good enough to make it worthwhile, though the enemy AI seems weak and the opponents are fairly easy to get through. But again, being more arcade driven, the game gives you lots of enemies, and every minute of gameplay is jam-packed with action. There is very little by way of exploring, pick-ups and that sort of thing one usually would expect.

The campaign itself is fairly short and although it’s nice not to have to sit through lengthy story cut-scenes, there is almost no story in this game, and we hardly ever see or encounter our hero. There is definitely a wow factor missing in the game that one usually gets from the scope and epic nature of cut-scenes we are used to from the likes of Killzone or Bad Company. Ultimately, this is a fun game, easy to get into, enough action to keep most people interested, but hardcore FPS fans might find it lacking in detail and story. g

AT A GLANCE: Codemasters deliver a fun, easy to play Arcade experience that hasn’t been around since Black on PS2.

Developer: Ego Publisher: Codemasters Distributor: Megarom

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

16+ gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PS3 Platforms

movements. Aiming down the barrel immediately puts you into a crouch, so movement becomes difficult. You can also sway from side to side while crouched and shooting, to compensate for not being able to take cover behind objects (which is fairly standard now in FPS games).

Strangely the game does not allow weapon pick-ups, so choose your tools wisely. Killing your opponents in weird and wonderful ways (like headshots, explosions, silent kills or melees) will earn you bigger combo points and fill your special ability meter up more quickly. There are four abilities: take a shot of Adrenalin which allows you to go on a killing spree without losing health; send out a Infra-Red pulse which locates enemies behind objects and walls; change your ammo to Incendiaries (very effective); or activate an Air Strike on a particular target. BodyCount has several modes to enjoy, including a single or co-op Campaign, Multiplayer or a survival mode called BodyCount mode. Online features the usual Team Deathmatch and Free-for-All combinations.

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

86 91

NHL 12

Look Ma! No Teeth…

Playing as a girl has never been so violent

W

e have mentioned it a number of times when we have reviewed ice hockey games, but they really aren’t that popular in South Africa. It’s maybe because we are a rugby and cricket nation, or the fact that we probably have more sunshine than any other country. It’s not because of the lack of ice, as South Africa has an official ice hockey team.

Regardless for the lack in popularity, the NHL video game franchise is a huge market oversees, and with good reason.

The latest iteration published by Electronic Arts, NHL 12, is as good as the franchise has ever been, with a lot of changes that make hitting the ice (and other players) just so much more enjoyable.

If players slapped the puck around in NHL11 and they still have the game’s data on their console, they can spare themselves a bit of trouble.

See, the game imports a character’s name, stats and the like, but unfortunately not the skill level.

92

by Charlie Fripp

Never the less, the game throws players into a match right at the beginning, after which players can elect to go through an optional tutorial.

If not, the game assumes that players know what they are doing, and will never bother them again with silly message on how to deke or do a wrist shot. But there is one gripe though. At the character screen, players are for some odd reason given the default look of a 12 year old girl, literally.

Apparently a girl from the US complained that there was no option to play as a woman, and developer EA Canada took it to heart. The default character was modelled on her likeness, and players will have to manually change it into a male skater. It’s not a huge issue, but if the game saved the jersey number and name, why couldn’t it same the appearance from NHL 11?

In terms of controls, it’s great to see that studios tend to stick to the same layout for a series of games, as there is nothing worse than picking up your favourite title,

g ga amme ec c ca a r re ev vi ei eww • • i si s suue e 1278 • • NOo cv teombbeer r 22001110

are actually in the action, a lot on tweaks were made, including a bunch of new functions.

Players will still be able to play as the goalie in Be a Pro Mode, but one of the aspects that changed is that skaters can now interact (read ‘fight’) with the goalie, and the goalie will now be able to smack passing skaters upside the head if they trespass in his box.

The Be a Pro Mode is without a doubt the best way to experience NHL 12, and it has been given a bit of a more authentic tweak. Apart from the usual features, EA added the ability to start in the CHL, play through 18 career levels, be drafted in the NHL Entry Draft, and break historic records.

With all the changes and the graphical updates, NHL 12 is without a doubt the best NHL game released so far.

The title might not be for everyone and a couple of small niggles did creep in, but that is to be expected.

It’s worth a buy, as the bone-crunching action will keep players busy for hours. g

AT A GLANCE: With all the updated goodness, it’s the best NHL game so far.

Developer: EA Canada Publisher: Electronic Arts Distributor: EA South Africa

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

10+ gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

especially sports games, just to find that the controller layout has changed. A number of control options are available though, such as the Default Layout, Classic Layout and NHL 98 Layout. It all depends on the player, but in general the controls function properly and do what they are supposed to do.

For the graphics, the title has naturally seen an increase in graphics potential, and the faces of the skaters are more life-like. It’s actually difficult to pin down the graphics in a sports title, as the action happens so quickly, but paying attention to the details will reveal the great effort EA went to. It’s probably the NHL game with the best graphics so far, and with a game that changed over 300 parts, if should be.

The physics have also been updated, and it will really look like the players are being hammered when they hit the glass or each other.

But, aside from the controls that work properly and graphics that are enough to make gamers feel as if they

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

82 93

More of the lacklustre same

T

he Sims: Medieval was, ultimately, a little disappointing. Sure, the idea was fresh, but it stripped away a lot of the control that players of other Sims titles would expect, and then presented them with a game that was very repetitive. Still, it obviously sold well, because the first expansion has arrived.

Good Sims expansions always deliver something of a game changing nature when they are installed. If that yardstick needs to be applied to The Sims: Medieval, then Pirates and Nobles is not a great expansion.

But the natures of The Sims and The Sims: Medieval are quite different, when all is said and done, so that comparison is not really fair. What we have here, then, is a decent expansion pack for a disappointing game.

Pirates and Nobles will help to break the monotony

by Walt Pretorius of the main game, thanks to new quests that have been introduced. Sure, you’ll have to replay these new quests eventually, but in the meantime they introduce a breath of fresh air to this new Sims property.

In addition to new quests, there are new items and concepts. Pet birds can be used in quests, and new discoverable items dot the limited landscape. There are some new items as well, like the interrogation chair In the end, though, it doesn’t do much to change the nature of the original title, only really adding more of the same.

Perhaps a future expansion will provide players with more much-needed freedom… but for now, even with this expansion, the whole Medieval franchise still feels like a rushed-out cash-in on the popularity of the Sims brand. g

AT A GLANCE: It gives you more to do, but it is more of the same, which is disappointing.

Developer: Sims Studio Publisher: Electronic Arts Distributor: EA South Africa

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

13+ 94

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PC Platforms

The Sims: Medieval – Pirates and Nobles

Landlubbers…

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

75

gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

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Mystery in London

Seek and You Shall Find London’s litter problem…

imagine.

The game doesn’t bring anything revolutionary to the genre, but instead everything is done with a high level of quality. All locations are presented as 360-degree panoramic views, meaning you can look in all directions, similar to street view in Google Maps. There’s a nice variety in the way you are tasked to hunt objects, such as being given silhouettes of the objects you need to find, and each chapter, of which there are plenty, ends with you solving a puzzle.

All of this is done to a time limit, adding to what can be a suspenseful experience. The plot, while interesting, does tend to drag due to the length between revelations, but this is something inherent to the style of play, and it does a good job of driving things forward. The game also gives interesting facts on every location you visit, making it educational, as well entertaining. g

AT A GLANCE: A superbly crafted title, informative and enjoyable, and a good entry point for those new to gaming.

Developer: Big Fish Games Publisher: Big Fish Games Distributor: Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

7+ 96

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PC Platforms

B

ig Fish Games have built a reputation on delivering high quality, easily accessible and enjoyable puzzle games, particularly hiddenobject games. These games, while aimed predominantly at the casual market, still have an inexplicable appeal, and can draw you in for hours at a time. Once again they’ve set you to find that sneaky damn cockroach amidst the myriad of arbitrary items that litter every location, all so you can enjoy pulling your hair out while muttering under your breath.

Mystery in London has you play as a collector of oddities and ancient items. While visiting London to do more hunting of all things old, you stumble on a note that appears to lead to the identity of the infamous Jack the Ripper and a family cover-up. During this adventure you will visit several famous locations around London as you search for clues in the oddest piles of litter you can

by Lein Baart

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

75

gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

logolink Essential surfing made easy

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Champion Jockey: G1 Jockey & Gallop Racer

On the Turf A horse racing sim? You bet.

B

eing a niche product can really hurt a video game.

And that is the biggest problem that Champion Jockey faces. It’s a sport game, pretty much, but the sport of horse racing is not exactly the most massive one, and certainly not when it comes to video gaming. This is an arena dominated by other sports, and we’re not sure if fans of those other games will make the move to a horse racing simulation. On the other hand, it may not really appeal to the general horse-riding set, either. For one thing, they spend most of their time with their horses, not video games. And it seems that a large percentage of them do not approve of horse racing.

So where does Championship Jockey find itself then, in terms of marketing? The answer is complicated, because

98

by Walt Pretorius this game will appeal to people for different reasons. But it is unlikely that the market for it is large. Which, really, is a bit of a pity, because it can be quite an interesting title to experience.

The game casts the player as an aspiring jockey, entering the world of horse racing. As such, it will task the player with two things, mainly. The first is to race horses, which is the real meat and bones of the game. The second is to manage a career, selecting races to take place in and horses to ride.

As the player undertakes more races on particular horses, their skill with the mounts increases. This is tied to specific horses, mind you, simulating a relationship between horse and rider. Relationships with various

g ga amme ec c ca a r re ev vi ei eww • • i si s suue e 1278 • • NOo cv teombbeer r 22001110

shoulder buttons and not the analogue sticks or D Pad. The overall presentation of the game leaves a lot to be desired. The graphics look dated, and the user interface is that typical, annoying Japanese RPG style affair. Lots of written dialogue. Lots of bland menus. Lots of static images.

While this kind of game is probably never going to hit best-seller lists, it does have potential to be a great idea.

The problem with Championship Jockey, in its current guise, is that it needs to be more than what it is. Seeing as how it already appeals to a smaller market, it needs to have a bit more polish to take advantage of its limited appeal. Perhaps the next one will be closer to what it needs to be. g

AT A GLANCE: Although it has potential to be fun, this game is just too limited in its appeal.

Developer: TBC Publisher: Tecmo Koei Distributor: Nu Metro

Parental Advisory Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

A gamecca review • issue 28 • October 2011

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

stables and other jockeys also develop during the player’s career.

Racing can be fairly complicated. The player needs to pay attention to a whole bunch of things – the horse’s condition and stamina, other racers, positioning, lead leg and so forth. It’s not just a matter of making the horse run as fast as possible… this will result in the animal being burned out long before the finish of the race. Rather, the player needs to plan a strategy for each race, according to the horse being ridden. It’s not mind-bendingly difficult, but it does have more to it than just making a horse run.

The controls take a bit of getting used to. One might assume that the controls are obvious, but they are far from it. Steering the horse, for example, is handled by the

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii PSP DS 3DS

Score

68 99

Flashtastic

Robot Wants...

As close as Flash gets to franchise...

By James Francis

A

little lateral thinking can go a long way. Take the platformer genre as an example. A traditional game of this ilk would have multiple levels, each traversed to reach the next. But sometimes a game does

away with these multiple areas and focuses on just a single big one. There are a few titles that pull this off, but none compare to the epic Robot Wants series of games. g

Robot Wants Kitty http://armorgames.com/play/5516/robot-wants-kitty Robot wants Kitty and it will do everything in its powers to do so. In one massive level you have to navigate the robot, making him jump around to find his powers.

It starts with the ability to shoot a laser, then double jump and so on. With each power, a little bit more of the level becomes accessible, until you eventually find your way to the kitten! Being the first in the series it is also the least elaborate, sticking to basic platforming.

Occasionally a key is needed, but things hardly get complicated.

Robot Wants Puppy http://www.kongregate.com/games/Hamumu/robotwants-puppy Having a kitty was not enough, for now Robot needs a Puppy. Once again strange creatures from space or somewhere equally uninviting have hidden the pet away somewhere in an elaborate, large level, where getting skills makes more areas accessible. Here one starts seeing that every game changes a few fundamental things. You are still hopping platforms, but your attack (and several of your later moves) are attributed to the kitten riding on your head. Numbered door keys also change the entire feel of the exploration.

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Robot Wants Fishy http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/546416 Cat. Check. Dog. Check. So, how about a fish? Unlike the previous game, you don’t get any backup from your pet acquisitions. On top of that there now appear to be four distinct environments, accessed through the teleporter in the middle. One is mostly made out of water, which means you get a whole new array of cool powers. This iteration of the series pushes the exploration idea furthest and keeping your head while cleaning out all the bad guys to reach the gold fish is probably at its most challenging.

Robot Wants Ice Cream http://onemorelevel.com/game/robot_wants_ice_cream Yup, Robot has to stuff his gob with ice cream, which is all located - well, that’s part of fun to figure out. Once again you explore a single large level, acquiring powers to finally reach, you guessed it, ice cream. Apart from a surprise ending, you also battle more bosses than before (all of them different and fun) and Puppy joins in the action as a deployable turret. A jetpack gives it even more oomph and there is even a secret banana weapon that will absolutely positively kill every monster in the room. A fitting (possible) finale to a great series. Honestly, they should all be packaged and sold.

Robot Wants Mini Game http://jayisgames.com/archives/2010/11/robot_ wants_jig_banner_game_by_hamumu.

Apart from the main series there is a Robot Wants... mini game, made exclusively for the Flash-review site Jay Is Games. The top mast of the site is the literal game - click on it to load up the Flash portion. Then you must guide the robot to find all the letters for the site’s logo. The big twist here is that you can switch blocks on and off, opening up new areas. It’s not as vast as the other games, but certainly challenging and best left for after playing a few of the bigger adventures.

gamecca regular • issue 28 • October 2011

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Mobility

Run a Tab Games for the Galaxy II and more...

by Charlie Fripp

W

ith so many titles available for iOS and Android, we decided to take a look at some of the latest mobile games available on Samsung’s App market. With the Samsung Galaxy S II being one of the world’s best-selling phones, it only seems

right that we explore this little-known corner of the gaming universe.

There aren’t nearly as many titles available as with the other markets, but currently sitting at 170 mobile games, there is sure to be something for everyone. g

Lonestar Texas Hold’em Poker Everybody loves a good card game no and again, and with Lonestar Texas Hold’em Poker players will have put on their best poker face. The graphics aren’t the best, and there could be better games out there, but the gameplay is fun and there is nothing more satisfying than beating a loud-mouth cowboy.

Medal of Honour: Airborne The Medal of Honour franchise has proved to be very popular for publisher Electronic Arts, with the original PC version selling like hot cakes. The mobile version, however, is nothing like its PC cousin, as players will fight through the levels in an almost top-down way.

The graphics aren’t fantastic, but it’s enough fun to overlook. Using the face buttons of the phone, controls might be a bit iffy, and will take some getting used to.

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Cooking Mama The mobile version of the hugely-popular Nintendo title is sure to put a smile on any gamer’s face. Playing against the clock, players will have to try to create mouth-watering meals that will definitely make players hungry. But it’s not as easy as it seems, as a whole bunch of factors will come into play. Being a port from the Wii, the graphics are pretty much on par.

The Sims Bowling Tapping into Electronic Arts’ massive title The Sims, the bowling version of The Sims is an exclusive title to mobile phones. Players will be able to customise their character, just as in the PC version, and go bowling against other Sims. The controls are incredibly simple, and the graphics don’t differ greatly from the PC version - it’s also a lot of fun.

Einstein’s Brain GameChronicles For something completely different, Einstein’s Brain Game will keep players entertained for hours. Similar to Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training, players will have to complete a wide variety of brain-teasing challenges, which have been grouped into Math, Memory, Visual and Logic workouts. The title also features an assessment chart, so gamers will be able to track their progress.

gamecca regular • issue 28 • October 2011

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Essential Classics

The Movies Management at its finest!

by Walt Pretorius

M

anagement games used to be fairly common, but they seem to be somewhat out of vogue these days. It’s a great pity, really, watching all these carbon-copy action games hit the shelves while mindbending management titles become more and more rare.

This may be happening for a number of reasons. One of these would be that games featuring poorly balanced management models didn’t do the genre any justice. But there were some true gems among management titles, including 2005’s The Movies.

This game, developed by Peter Molyneux’s nearlegendary Lionhead Studios (who also did Black & White and Fable) charged the player with running a movie studio.

Starting out during the initial Hollywood boom, the player

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had to construct various sets and facilities, as well as manage a stable of actors… all while meeting challenges provided to the player by the game. And, of course, they had to make movies, which would earn their movie studio money.

The game took a big poke at Hollywood, with the actors themselves probably giving the player the most headaches.

Actors had needs, of course, and meeting these needs would help them become bigger stars. But they could also develop weight and substance abuse problems, and aging was always a negative factor – so rehab, gym and plastic surgery was required as well.

In addition to this, the player had to manage scriptgamecca regular • issue 28 • October 2011

writers, production staff, personal assistant and a whole bunch of other virtual workers to ensure that the studio performed well. Staff numbers were limited, so careful balancing was required. This counted for the movie lot, too – limited space meant that not every structure could be built, and keeping things appealing for increasingly difficult stars meant that their trailers needed to take up more and more space as the game progressed.

One of the best features of the game was the ability to create movies. We don’t just mean in-game films – rather, the player could string together a series of preset scenes, with varied backdrops, costumes and actors, to create an actual film, much in the way that machinima artists use games to create movies. gamecca regular • issue 28 • October 2011

The results were often hilarious, but there were a number of users who made films that were considered important using this game.

As far as management games go, The Movies was one of the finest titles ever created. The careful balancing of numerous complex ideas made it a challenging title. The humour injected into it made it extremely entertaining. And the ability to create files that could actually be viewed as movies added an element of creativity and longevity to the title that was priceless.

The Movies is a game that is still as good as the day it was released, thanks to excellent game design and unique ideas. If you can find a copy of it, give it a go.

You won’t be disappointed. g

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Samsung Smart TV D5500 40” LED TV

Looking Good Great picture quality and features

by Walt Pretorius

W

hen it comes to TVs, we are really getting spoiled these days. Never before have we had access to the kind of vibrant picture quality that we can find on the market today. And, even better, they are sleek, elegantly designed units that can be fitted into virtually any space, thanks to ideas like flat panels and wall mounting. It is a new Golden Age. Samsung are defining themselves as one of the better TV manufacturers out there, with their Smart TV range delivering not only superb performance, but also excellent versatility. See, a TV isn’t just a box to show pictures anymore, and Samsung know this. Rather, it is an important part of a fully integrated entertainment experience and, because of this, Samsung have created a TV that not only displays pretty pictures – and they are very pretty – but also provides a host of connectivity options.

The Samsung Smart TV UA40D5500RR (or D5500 for short) is a beautifully constructed, very thin 40 inch LED

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TV that delivers awesome clarity and contrast, along with bright colours. It supports a host of added extras, including wireless LAN support and the ability to play media via its USB ports.

One complaint that we can level at this otherwise wonderful TV are the inputs. It features four HDMI inputs, 2 USB ports, a LAN port, headphone jack, antenna input, and a number of audio in and out options. That’s a good list (particularly the HDMI ports.) But the still necessary component cable ports are conspicuously absent. The solution is to supply a specialised interface cable… but although this comes with the unit, it cuts down component cable use to one item. Now, realistically, anyone in their right mind should be using HDMI for… well, everything, but there are still older devices that use component cables only. And we found the performance of the D5500’s component cable converter to be disappointing.

But that’s about it. Everything else, with regards to this TV, was great. OK, it’s not a 3D model, but we’re still g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 2 8 • O c t o b e r 2 0 1 1

a little unconvinced about home 3D viewing (or any 3D viewing, for that matter.) Sure, if you’re after a 3D TV, you’ll probably look elsewhere, but undecided users who don’t think that 3D is a ‘must have it or die’ aspect to a TV need look no further.

The extremely user-friendly device is really top notch. It would be difficult to choose another TV over it, except for almost purely cosmetic reasons (like the fact that it has a very shiny screen that reflects light easily and really is a pain to keep clean) or based on its inputs. Price might be an issue too… it’s not the cheapest TV around, but good quality LED TVs cost more than poorer models.

In short, it is a beautifully constructed TV that has a good, solid base, great remote functions and performs excellently. The decision to buy it or not may only come down to a silly reason like brand loyalty, but there are worse brands to support than Samsung. And if you’re still on the fence, a quick demonstration of its excellent picture quality alone will probably make your decision for you. g g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 2 8 • O c t o b e r 2 0 1 1

AT A GLANCE: PROS:

• Excellent picture • Extra functionality • 4 HDMI ports

CONS:

• Shiny • Expensive • Component ports lacking

Manufacturer: Samsung Distributor: Samsung Online: www.samsung.co.za RRP: R10 999

TECH SPECS: • • • • •

40“ screen 4 HMDI inputs 2 USB ports LAN port Wireless LAN support

Score

A great TV, particularly if you’re not after a 3D option

90 107

MSI N550GTX-Ti Graphics Card

Solid Performer At an excellent price

by Rob Edwards

A

video card is not just a video card, as any enthusiast will tell you. There is a hell of a lot that goes into the design and manufacture of these devices, beyond just the chipset that is used.

But, for the average joe, there may seem to be little difference between brands and models… other than things like price.

What MSI have done with the N550GTX-Ti M2D1GD5 is produce a video card that is quick, capable and generally friendly on the pocket. In fact, sticking two or more of these cards in your machine in SLi configuration would not break the bank… nor would it disappoint in terms of performance.

Even when a single one of these cards is used, its performance is good. It performs a bit better than expected from a standard N550GTX chipset, thanks to a bit of tweaking done to the card by MSI. The chipset is fairly fast, and the 1GB of GDDR5 RAM on-board does a lot to help the card deliver a smooth performance.

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It has also got a number of bells and whistles to help the user along. First off is the Afterburner software, that MSI ships with all of their VGA cards. This overclocking software makes tweaking the card easy and pretty safe, too. Of course, squeezing more power out of any computer component can have undesirable effects, but the Afterburner package is well put together, and allows for the best options to be easily accessed. It also allows for customisable performance for 2D and 3D modes, meaning that the user can keep temperatures down and even use less power when possible. An advanced fan speed controller will further help to keep the card cool.

Speaking of keeping cool, this card has a rather striking housing built over its large heat sink and single fan configuration. Moving away from the boxy look, the red and black housing, with a few nice curves, looks a bit more mature than the run-of-the-mill graphics card. It is also thankfully devoid of images on luscious maidens in chainmail bikinis, or the like. g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 2 8 • O c t o b e r 2 0 1 1

The card handles overclocking beautifully too, without heavy spikes in noise or temperature. You can squeeze a lot more out of this card if you tweak it just right, and sunning an SLi configuration will deliver excellent results.

As with most PC equipment these days, this VGA card makes use of high grade components – Military Grade is the favoured catch-phrase – including solid capacitors and solid state chokes. These deliver less noise, less heat and a better lifespan. They also won’t explode which, as we have pointed out before, is always a boon inside a PC case.

And all of this comes at a really good price tag. In fact, some buyers may be dissuaded by the price, thinking that it is too low for a high quality product.

But, quite honestly, this is one of the best deals we have seen when it comes to graphics cards, and heartily recommend it. It might not deliver true top end performance but, for the most part, you will not be disappointed with what it does. g g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 2 8 • O c t o b e r 2 0 1 1

AT A GLANCE: PROS:

• A good performer • Easy overclocking

CONS:

• Not the most powerful card around

Manufacturer: MSI Distributor: Pinnacle Africa Online: www.pinnacle.co.za RRP: R1799

TECH SPECS: • Nvidia N550 Chipset • 1GB GDDR5 RAM • Solid CAP • Solid state choke • Afterburner bundle

Score

A good card at a great price.

81 109

Apacer AC430 External Hard Drive

Travel Space Lots of portable storage here

by Alex Scanlon

A

few years back, buying an external hard drive meant buying an overpriced, clunky housing, and then having to spring for a hard drive separately. It was, essentially, a pain. Even carrying it around was an annoyance, to some degree.

These days, things have changed. Now the purchase of an external hard drive is a simple affair. Pick the one you want, with the capacity you want, and take it to the check-out point. This is probably largely due to the popularity of external hard drives these days. Shifting data around is always needed, whether it be important work documents or a bunch of illicit video files nicked off of the Internet. And, with long download times via email (aside from email size restrictions) and the generally smaller storage capacity of other data transfer devices, the external hard drive makes a lot of sense.

And among those sensible devices are some that make even more sense, for various reason. Apacer’s AC430 external hard drive is one of those.

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First of all, it makes use of a 2.5” drive. That means that it’s small. It’s not quite what one could consider pocketsized, but it comes close. That means easy transportation, facilitated by a stylish protective slip-case included in the box.

Further portability is implied by the unit’s sturdy design.

The casing is mostly finished in brushed metal, with sturdy plastic caps covering the ends. An internal anti-shock system will help protect against accidental bumps and bruises, although heavy blows may still have an effect on the device’s performance. So don’t throw it at people who annoy you.

The 2.5” drive in the model we tested offers a fairly generous 500GB of storage space, which can be transferred to and from the device via a USB cable. Power is also supplied to the unit via the same cable, so the need for lugging an extra power adapter around is removed. On the downside, though, it uses a very specific USB cable… the plug on the unit itself is an odd one, so you’ll want to g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 2 8 • O c t o b e r 2 0 1 1

treat the included cable like gold. The carry-case has an elasticised strap to hold it in place, but you may want to consider a slightly sturdier option than that.

Best of all: it’s USB 3.0. We haven’t seen too many devices using this new speed standard yet, so the very fast data transfer rates that the AC430 offers are something of a treat. Naturally this can be used with all other iterations of USB technology, but that speed is sublime.

The device also has a smart power management system, so leaving it plugged into your PC or laptop for extended periods of time will not put too much strain on the system.

The drive’s power status is indicated by an LED light housed behind one of the plastic end-caps.

OK, maybe the USB 3.0 isn’t the best aspect here… we really like the price. Considering the reliability and performance of the unit, as well as its sleek, sturdy design, the recommended retail price is really rather sweet. All in all, a winner. g g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 2 8 • O c t o b e r 2 0 1 1

AT A GLANCE: PROS:

• Good value • Fast • Well-built

CONS:

• Proprietary USB plug

Manufacturer: Apacer Distributor: Pinnacle Africa Online: www.pinnacle.co.za RRP: R645

TECH SPECS: • • • •

500GB USB 3.0 Anti-shock system Smart Power management • Self-powered

Score

Sturdy, stylish and fast… it’s like an external HDD version of a sports car.

90 111

Western Digital GreenPower 1TB Hard Drive

Greener

Environmentally conscious computing…

by Alex Scanlon

T

rather important consideration. It’s not just a catch phrase or a lofty ideal anymore.

Thankfully, many companies are coming to the party, allowing people to be more eco-friendly, particularly in terms of power consumption. But this is not something that people really think about when it comes to using computers, it seems… most certainly not where hard drives are concerned.

But hard drives can consume quite a bit of power, it seems. Western Digital has the answer in the form of the GreenPower series of hard drives. According to WD, this hard drive is structured in such a way that it consumes less power.

Short of taking their word for it, we have to accept those claims. We really have no reason to doubt them.

And the drive works very well, when all is said and done, so considering one of these 1TB babies for inclusion in your PC system may not be a bad idea. After all, we all have to look after the planet. g

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AT A GLANCE: PROS:

• Eco-friendly • Good performance

CONS:

• We sort of have to take the manufacturer’s word on this

TECH SPECS: • 1TB • SATA • Energy efficient

Manufacturer: Western Digital Distributor: Pinnacle Africa Online: ww.pinnacle.co.za RRP: R799

Score

They claim that it uses less power, and we have no reason to doubt that.

78

g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 2 8 • O c t o b e r 2 0 1 1

A flash drive with a generous storage capacity

by Alex Scanlon

T

he real problem with USB flash drives is their storage capacity. They are extremely handy and, for the most part, offer enough space for documents and data that needs transporting. But there are times when they just don’t have the capacity needed for larger files.

Apacer have an answer to that problem, in the form of the Handy Steno AH552 USB3.0 Flash Drive. That’s quite a big name for such a small device, but bigger still is the 32GB storage that it offers. When it comes to USB flash drives, 32GB of storage is nothing to snort at. See, it all comes down to size, because that storage ‘space’ has a physical element. Yet the metal-cased, elegant AH552 is not much larger than any other flash drive. And while it’s not the biggest capacity flash drive around (Kingston offer a 256GB drive, priced at over US$1000) 32GB is certainly not run-of-the-mill.

In addition to a fairly generous storage capacity, the AH552 makes use of USB 3.0 technology, so it’s pretty quick when it comes to data transfer.

If you’re looking for a larger capacity USB flash drive, this one is a good bet. The price is a little steep, but convenience costs, doesn’t it? g g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 2 8 • O c t o b e r 2 0 1 1

AT A GLANCE: PROS:

• Nice size • Sturdy construction • Quick

CONS:

• Costly

TECH SPECS: • 32GB • USB 3.0

Manufacturer: Apacer Distributor: Pinnacle Africa Online: www.pinnacle.co.za RRP: R899

Score

Small in size, big in offering, this flash drive holds 32GB of data.

84 113

Apacer Handy Steno AH552 32GB USB Flash Drive

Small, but Big

AR Drone

Too Cool!

We want one. Now!

by Walt Pretorius

R

emember when you were a kid and there was something that was just so cool that you absolutely had to have it? Even going so far as risking the ire of your parents as a result of your nagging, sulking and crying? Well, we’ve found something that would probably get the same reaction from grown men. It’s possibly the coolest thing we have ever had the privilege to review here at Gladget, and when we had to send it back we cried long and hard…

It’s called the AR Drone, and it is (in our opinion) the best toy ever invented. It’s noisy, possibly dangerous and does the coolest things. Actually, it only does one thing… it flies.

The AR Drone is a fairly large device, with a tough Styrofoam body (covered by a hard outer shell) that is carried aloft by four powerful rotors. It kicks up a hell of a racket doing so, but the noise is just part of the fun. The four rotor system sets it apart from remote controlled helicopters because the user doesn’t have to

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worry about trim. Thanks to the four rotors and a builtin altitude sensing system, the Drone flies steadily and beautifully.

Here’s the real treat though; it’s controlled by a smart phone. Using either an iPhone or an Android device with downloaded software, the user can pilot the Drone by tilting their handset in desired directions. Also, the Drone has a front mounted camera that transmits images back to the handset’s screen. You’re not going to be able to effectively navigate that way, no matter what the makers claim, but it adds a fun dogfighting game element to the device, when two are close together. And it’s cool.

The Drone does not come without its problems, though.

It uses a WiFi connection (we’re mystified as to why the makers didn’t go with Bluetooth, which would have been much better) which can drop in areas of interference. If the signal drops, the Drone goes into a sort of safety holding pattern, hovering above the ground. Re-establishing connection may give difficulties, in which case you pretty g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 2 8 • O c t o b e r 2 0 1 1

much have to wait for the rechargeable battery to run out, forcing the Drone to perform an emergency landing procedure.

Another issue is wind. Even seemingly slight winds can carry the Drone off, prompting the user to perform a quick landing to avoid it leaving the 50 meter range of the WiFi signal. Once again, once it is out of range, the same holding pattern behaviour occurs… but a breeze will carry it away.

The Drone can also be flown indoors, as it has a special protective housing included in the box, which shields the rotors on their sides.

When all is said and done, the AR Drone is a rather expensive toy. It has no function beyond fun. Yet, despite its cost and niggles, it is just about the most fun you can have without breaking numerous laws. We loved playing with the AR Drone, and anyone remotely (aha, a pun) interested in remote control flying should give it serious consideration. It’s a reason to buy a compatible phone! g g a m e c c a h a r d wa r e • i s s u e 2 8 • O c t o b e r 2 0 1 1

AT A GLANCE: PROS:

• Awesome fun • Easy to fly • Did we mention fun?

CONS:

• WiFi connection • Pricey • Wind issues

Manufacturer: Parrot Distributor: Parrot Online: www.parrot.com RRP: R2999

TECH SPECS: • WiFi connection • Android compatible • iPhone compatible • Front mounted camera • Rechargeable battery

Score

The most fun you can have without breaking a ton of laws.

92 115

Ego...

From Space

by Christo van Gemert

E

gomaniac. Jerk. Douchebag.

These are not normally terms I would use to describe myself.

Even those who truly deserve my ire are rarely blessed with more than half of these; I’m usually also more vitriolic when it comes to people who’ve pissed me off. I digress.

As I sit and write this, it’s the eve of Gears 3’s arrival. Gears 3 being “Gears of War 3”, Cliff Bleszinski’s supposed final instalment in his post-apocalyptic steroid survival tale. I was there for E-day – Emergence Day – on the 17th of September in 2006. I played the multiplayer for 18 months and made new friends all over the world. Had I owned a t-shirt, I would’ve gladly attended the sequel’s midnight launch, perhaps even socialising (ewww) with fellow fans and cracking wise as we stood in line.

Except I’m not that guy anymore.

I’m a jerk, because as I write this, thinking of what time I’ll go collect my limited edition pre-order, I dread the thought of showing up to a crowd of kids wearing Gears paraphernalia and making jokes about online matches.

I’m a douchebag for so quickly deriding the same lifestyle I once aspired to. I’m an egomaniac because even though I know it’s wrong to be so judgmental of those mouth-breathing nerds, I still choose to call them names. I’m a terrible person, but at least I’m not them, right?

Wrong. Because I’ll go fetch my game at midnight, and party up with some friends. We’ll play the campaign and gush over how awesome it is (it is, having just

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finished the campaign on my review copy). We’ll play the multiplayer and be awesome. We’ll be cool. Because our team owns bones.

And when I next go to a braai or join my friends for drinks, I’ll encounter a real jerk, who’ll talk trash about the fact that I play games and don’t pick up hot chicks. Except he’ll go home and cry into his cereal

because he sucks at games. And that’s the real tragedy here: that there are people who still judge and stereotype gamers as basementdwelling nerds with a prescription for acne and appetite for Cheetos.

I promise, I’ll try to be a better person. But don’t you dare think you’re better than I am at videogames. g

gamecca column • issue 28 • October 2011