Alpha Magazine (October 2020) by Heart of Alpha Ent.

The Top 10 War Films You Must Watch!

Top 10 VR Games In 2020

By watching these film you will be able to understand a little more about what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like being in a war, without ever stepping foot on the battleground

Join us as we take a look at the 10 of the biggest and most immersive virtual reality games in 2020 that will keep you busy for hours.

October 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ VOL. 5

ALPHA E

31 How To Become A Superstar! Advice and tips on how you can build a career as an independent artist and become successful in the music industry

CONTENT 3 Editorial 6 Understand in Order to Overstand 8 Funny Pages 12 Project Power (2020) Movie Review 14 The Top 10 War Films You Must Watch! 20 Top 10 VR Games in 2020 24 Rise of the Tomb Raider Review 28 Artists You Should Listen To This Month 30 The Music Effect 31 How To Become A Superstar! 33 Poetry 34 Sponsored Posts

This Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Writers: Nigel Wurayayi / Emmanuel Naicker / Musandiwa Khumalo / Lehlohonolo Makgele / Brian Tallerico / Micaela Mutasa / Nomfundo Hlatshwayo / Megan Geldart / Keabetswe Molekwa

2 | Alpha Magazine

EDITORIAL O

ctober. Today (depending on when you read this message) marks the beginning of a new month and acts as a reminder that we have less than three months left until we are forced to say goodbye to 2020. Many seem to believe that the horribe events of this year will come to an end once the year does, but there is no guarantee to that, so why waste time wondering and waiting for the new year to come so you can do that thing you wanted to do this year?

There is still time, all thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left is for you to take that necessary step. Every day you put it off is a day wasted. Rather than wasting precious and limited time, use it to your advantage. Learn, improve, practice, pray. Do whatever you have to do in order to achieve the goals you set for yourself. Remember, not everything will come to you when you want it to, practice patience and consistency. The blessings will follow.

October 2020 | 3

4 | Alpha Magazine

October 2020 | 5

Understand in Order to Overstand By: Lehlohonolo Makgele

How to understand life’s difficulties and tackle them with ease. Some things can be perceived as hard if not well understood, one of those things being life. Although it is generally difficult to understand life as a whole because we learn about it daily, there is a way you could program your mind to take things easier by understanding certain concepts and not trying to bisect or magnify everything. Not everything needs overthinking and restlessness, in fact, it could hinder you from enjoying the simple joys of life itself.

to something better”, from “I am so dumb” to “I am still learning” and from “I never get anything right” to “I haven’t figured it out yet”. The most common and anchoring would be “why is this happening to me?”, and it will not only bring you peace but allow you to be more open-minded if instead, you approach the predicament you are facing by asking yourself “what is it meant to teach me?”, for the best learning takes place in uncomfortable states.

Do not be in such a rush to figure everything out, take it one day at a time. Your mistakes are meant to guide you, not define you. Sometimes you are going to be the villain in someone else’s story, it’s going to be okay, just take it as a lesson and move forward. The wound was not your fault but the healing is your responsibility. Do not chase people if they do not want to be in your life, the right people in your life do not need to be chased. If someone threatens your peace of mind and makes you feel bad about yourself, it is time to walk away, no matter how hard it is. Lastly, solve the problem, or leave the problem, do not live with it.

The most effective method of understanding life and molding better responses and/or reactions to its events is having and practicing maturity. Although it can be further broadened, listed here are characteristics of a person with a sense of maturity (for a reality check): -your happiness is dependent on your inner-self instead of others -you can respect differences -you prefer to be silent than to engage in a nonsense fight -when someone hurts you, you will try to understand their situation instead of trying to hurt them back -you can appreciate yourself and be open-minded. It is important to value peace more than your ego and understand that we all have different sensitivities and grow at different paces. You cannot expect everyone to be as genuine as yourself.

At times people are mentally restricted, hence most of their decisions are compromised and based on validity. What they do not realize is that at a certain degree it is unhealthy to not prioritize your happiness and what is best for you, but worry not if you are one of them because there are ways to worry less about what people say and they are: -Keep things in perspective as others have plenty to occupy them, including their own insecurities. -Question negative thoughts rather than allowing impressions to run away with you. -Get to know yourself better... what do you really want? Are you making major choices to please someone else? -Decide what matters to you, trust yourself and go for it. It is also crucial to have a good relationship with yourself, which requires healthy self-talk. In order to achieve that, you need to know the difference between destructive and constructive ways so that you realize what needs change and what needs more practice. Here is an exemplary guideline: instead of saying that you do not have enough time, ask yourself what you what to make time for. Let it evolve from “why do I keep getting rejected” to “I am being redirected 6 | Alpha Magazine

We all learn daily but unfortunately, there are some lessons and concepts in life that people learn too late. Understanding these concepts sooner could save you from a lot of trouble, detours, and depressive emotions. Firstly, important people come and go and that is okay, the process hurts but if accepted, it serves to improve the quality and suitability of the people of your life. Your diet isn’t just what you eat, it is what you watch and read, who you follow and spend your time with. So if your goal is to have a healthier mind, you have to start removing all the junk from your diet. Sometimes you have to let people down to be happy. You and your mental health are more important than your career, your money, other people’s opinions, that event you said you would attend, your partner’s mood, and your family’s wishes. If taking care of yourself means letting someone down, then do so. Your self-love must always be stronger than your desire to be loved by everyone. Never let rejection lead to self-rejection. A person that fears rejection tends

to push or run away before they can be rejected. In their subconscious mind, they have avoided rejection but in reality, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been rejected again, this time by themselves. Own your responsibilities, own your future. Again, you are not responsible for your own trauma, but you are responsible for breaking the cycle and not hurting more people because of what happened to you. You will never control your future if you let your present be controlled by your past. Quality over quantity! Life is about quality, not quantity. One quality friend gives you more than 100 acquaintances, one quality relationship gives you more than 100 FLINGS and one quality experience gives you more than 100 drunken nights. Fairytales will make you unhappy. Obsessing over things that society said you are supposed to do will kill your happiness, do not listen to the fake fairytales of how your life is supposed to be going. You do not have to go to university at the age of 18 or get a job at 21, get married at 30, or have kids at 35. Everyone is different and your path to happiness will be too. Lastly, fun is yours. If you want to enjoy your life, do not subscribe to other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definition of fun. Fun does not have to mean drinking, partying, or socializing. Fun can be a night alone, getting lost in a book, a deep conversation, creating art, playing music, or doing work that you love. Your fun belongs to you, make sure you define it. The reality is that most of what happens in life is out of your control, the only thing you can do sometimes is react. If you want to conquer whatever comes your way and live better another day, understand that giving up on yourself only kills progress. If you quit now, you will end up right back where you first began and when you were where you first began, you were desperate to be where you are today right now so KEEP GOING.

October 2020 | 7

funny pages 68 | Alpha Magazine

Speeding Ticket A driver is pulled over by a policeman. The police man approaches the driver’s door. “Is there a problem Officer?” The policeman says, “Sir, you were speeding. Can I see your licence please?”

Natural Death In a court, a murder case was brought to a judge... JUDGE: “Did you kill this man?”

The driver responds, “I’d give it to you but I don’t have one.”

ME: “No, a bullet killed him. Bullets are made of lead, which comes from the ground. The ground is part of nature. He died of natural causes.”

“You don’t have one?”

JUDGE: “Case closed.”

The man responds, “I lost it four times for drunk driving.”

Submitted by Casey T.

The policeman is shocked. “I see. Can I see your vehicle registration papers please?” “I’m sorry, I can’t do that.” The policeman says, “Why not?” “I stole this car.” The officer says, “Stole it?” The man says, “Yes, and I killed the owner.” At this point the officer is getting irate. “You what!?” “She’s in the boot if you want to see.” The Officer looks at the man and slowly backs away to his car and calls for back up. Within minutes, five police cars show up, surrounding the car. A senior officer slowly approaches the car, clasping his half drawn gun. The senior officer says “Sir, could you step out of your vehicle please!”

The Ten Dumb Men There were eleven people (ten men and one woman) hanging onto a rope that came down from a helicopter. They all decided that one person should get off, because if they didnt, the rope would break and everyone would die. No one could decide who should go, so finally, the woman gave a really touching speech saying how she would give up her life to save the others, because women were used to giving up things for their husbands and children, giving in to men, and not receiving anything in return. When she finished speaking, all the men started clapping. Submitted by Sihle K.

The man steps out of his vehicle. “Is there a problem sir?” “One of my officers told me that you have stolen this car and murdered the owner.” “Murdered the owner?” The officer responds, “Yes, could you please open the boot of your car please?” The man opens the boot, revealing nothing but an empty boot. The officer says, “Is this your car sir?” The man says “Yes,” and hands over the registration papers. The officer, understandably, is quite stunned. “One of my officers claims that you do not have a driving licence.” The man digs in his pocket revealing a wallet and hands it to the officer. The officer opens the wallet and examines the licence. He looks quite puzzled. “Thank you sir, one of my officers told me you didn’t have a licence, stole this car, and murdered the owner.” The man replies, “I bet you the liar told you that I was speeding, too!” Submitted by Matthew V.

What is a Man? A kid asks his dad, “What’s a man?” The dad says, “A man is someone who is responsible and cares for their family.” The kid says, “I hope one day I can be a man just like mom!” Submitted by Dan H.

The Circle A cockroach is afraid of a rat, a rat is afraid of a cat, a cat is afraid of a dog, a dog is afraid of a man, a man is afraid of his girlfriend, a girlfriend is afraid of a cockroach. And the circle begins all over again. Submitted be Christian E. Submit your jokes to heartofalpha@gmail.com and stand a chance to be featured in the next issue

October 2020 | 9

FILM 10 | Alpha Magazine

CONTENTS 12. Project power (2020) movie review 14. Top 10 Must-Watch war Movies

October 2020 | 11

12 | Alpha Magazine

Project Power (2020) Movie Review By: Brian Tallerico There’s something so disheartening about a wasted premise. To see a film or series take a great idea and almost willfully turn it into something as generic as Netflix’s “Project Power” somehow hurts more than just seeing a thin concept revealed to not have enough to carry a feature film. In terms of both actual storytelling and subtext, there’s so much that the creators of “Project Power” could have done, but they chose the path of least resistance, turning a story of reclaimed control and buried human strength into a dull action movie that only gets by on the charisma of its stars and speediness of its filmmaking. It’s almost like they were afraid to unleash the power within their own project. Imagine if there was a drug that could make you a superhero for five minutes. You don’t know what power will be unleashed until you take it the first time. You might burst into flames that don’t hurt you but light everything around you on fire. You might become invincible. You might just explode. Would you try it? What would the power structure of society do with this ability to form instant superheroes (and supervillains), and, more interestingly, what would it do to communities of people who have had power stripped from them over generations? One place in which power structures were clearly clarified by tragedy is New Orleans, the setting for “Project Power.” Someone is releasing this drug into poor communities still cleaning up from Hurricane Katrina, and it’s leading to total chaos. Take for example the criminal who discovers that taking the drug makes him a high-powered chameleon, someone who can blend into any environment and basically become an invisible bank robber. In arguably the film’s best action scene, an NOPD officer named Frank (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) chases this modern invisible man through the crowded streets as his target blends into everything around him (it’s one of the few times one can see the reported $85 million-dollar budget here). He’s a cop on the edge, not only willing to try the product that’s tearing apart his community but to ignore orders from his superior to get to the top of the supply line. And his Saints jersey shows how much he loves his city. (Gleason, of course.) As Frank works his way down the drug chain, he crosses paths with Art (Jamie Foxx), someone with a clear personal attachment to the nefarious industry. After the explosive death of a dealer, Art ends up essentially partnering with a girl named Robin

(Dominique Fishback) while a villainous figure named Biggie (Rodrigo Santoro) lurks in the background. You see, the drug has been being refined by the Powers That Be in poor communities across the country—a fascinating idea given this nation’s history with health care and experimentation, but writer Mattson Tomlin does just about nothing with it beyond the superficial, turning the villains in “Project Power”—a woefully miscast Amy Landecker shows up to glare in the final act—into classic action archetypes. Every time that “Project Power” threatens to become something more engaging and interesting, it pulls back from that edge. There’s something driven in Foxx’s performance that belongs in a better movie—he does a lot here with very little—and there’s an energy to Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman’s direction that teeters back and forth between propulsive and desperate. It’s a movie that could have worked if it went off the edge like a “Crank” sequel and there are times when it feels like it’s just about to do that, such as in a ridiculous action sequence shot from an unexpected POV, but then it stops itself. Oh yeah, we have a lot of Netflix money at work here, we better not take any actual risks. And this lack of risk-taking extends to the themes and characters. A cop who has to take a drug to feel safe; a Black man whose family has been ripped apart after he served his country—this is rich thematic ground ... in which nothing has been planted. It’s like someone poured out a bag of great ideas on the table in the writers’ room and the team then actively tried to shape that into the most generic action movie possible. Give me a twist. Give me something unexpected narratively. Give me a bad guy. Give me something thematically dense. Anything! In a normal summer, “Project Power” might feel like an interesting alternative to big-budget movies playing at multiplexes across the country. As it is, we didn’t get major action blockbusters this year, and so it will likely be more of an oasis than it would have been otherwise. Who doesn’t need some whiz-bang escapism in August 2020? However, as the power of this project dissipates, ask yourself what you could have done with the concept, cast, and budget. After all, true power is in how you use it. Overall Rating: 2/5

October 2020 | 13

The Top 10 War Films You Must Watch! By: Emmanuel Naicker

War is Hell. Without question, none of us would ever want to find ourselves in the middle of a battlefield. However, what we can do is experience what these people went through, through the stories told in films, as well as enjoy new original stories and adaptations set during those dark times in human history. In this list I will only look at films set in War Time following characters who are Soldiers or Soldiers in Training, and stories of soldiers suffering from PTSD after they returned home will also not be counted, so unfortunately films such as Schindler’s List, Da 5 Bloods and Taxi Driver won’t be included here.

1. Inglourious Basterds (2009). Directed by Quentin Tarantino. Starring Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz. In this purely fictional story, we follow a rag-tag group of Jewish-American Soldiers called The Basterds on a mission to end The Second World War by killing the entire Nazi High Command at a Film Premiere.

2. Saving Private Ryan (1998). Directed by Steven Spielberg. Starring Tom Hanks and Matt Damon. A group of American Soldiers are sent on a mission to rescue Private Ryan and return him home safely after the tragic news of the passing of his 3 brothers in combat.

3. 1917 (2019). Directed by Sam Mendes. Starring George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman. Set during the First World War, 2 British Soldiers are assigned a mission to deliver a message to a battalion informing them of the enemy’s battle tactics among them is the brother of one of the soldiers. With stunning cinematography from Roger Deakins, this epic is filmed and edited to look like 1 continuous unbroken shot. 14 | Alpha Magazine

4. Apocalypse Now (1979). Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Starring Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando. During the Vietnam War, an American Soldier is sent on a top-secret mission to assassinate a former Military Colonel who went insane and became the leader of a tribal cult deep in the jungle, in this loose adaptation of the novel Heart of Darkness.

5. Jojo Rabbit (2019). Directed by Taika Waititi. Starring Roman Griffin Davis and Scarlett Johansson. By far the most wholesome entry on this list. The PG13 film is a tale of a young boy and soldier in training as he spends time in the Hitler Youth and he eventually learns what he is being taught is wrong and he learns to think for himself during the final days of World War 2.

6. Gallipoli (1981). Directed by Peter Weir. Starring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee. A story of two young Australian Sprinters who leave home to join the ANZACs during World War 1. They are sent to fight the Gallipoli Campaign where they encounter the resolute Turkish Army.

October 2020 | 15

7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Directed by David Lean. Starring Peter Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Toole and Alec Guinness. A slightly fictionalised biopic of exploits of British Officer T.E. Lawrence during his mission in the Bedouin inhabited Deserts during the First World War.

8. Fury (2014). Directed by David Ayer. Starring Brad Pitt and Shia Labeouf. In April 1945, 5 veteran crewmembers of an American Tank nicknamed Fury make their way through an unforgiving war ravaged Germany and together the crew face extraordinary odds in a fight for survival.

9. The Hurt Locker (2008). Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Starring Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie. During the Iraq War, a Sergeant who is recently assigned to an army Bomb Squad is put at odds with his team due to his maverick way of doing his job.

16 | Alpha Magazine

10. Dunkirk (2017). Directed by Christopher Nolan. Starring Fionn Whitehead and Tom Hardy. This movie depicts the dramatic and true story of the Dunkirk evacuations from a war torn beach and harbor in France, following the seemingly doomed plight of allied soldiers in World War II. As the enemy forces close in, it seems the troops have nowhere to go, but help is at hand and a fierce battle ensues.

The people in these stories experienced trials and tribulations that we as civilians cannot imagine, one of the beauties of film is that these sequences and stories can be told and make us feel as if we are there, fill us with dread and also fill us with Hope. Give these films a watch when you have the time.

October 2020 | 17

Gaming

CONTENTS 20. Top 10 VR Games in 2020 23. Rise of the Tomb Raider Review

October 2020 | 19

Top 10 VR Games in 2020 By: Musandiwa Khumalo

VR has been making the rounds in the gaming market more and more as the technology develops and improves and the games reflect this improvement with great visuals, immersive stories, environments and characters. Yet there are those golden gems that stand out in the pack, and in this article, we will be looking at the top 10 of those great virtual reality that you should check out in 2020.

Beat Saber

Released: 01/05/2018 Developer: Beat Games Beat Saber is an immersive music exercise virtual reality video game where the player is tasked with slicing at direction marked floating blocks with light sabers to the beat of the music playing. The game takes place in a colourful neon environment where the player stands on a platform and joyfully waves their controllers to slice the blocks in a fun dance-like rhythmic motion. Designed by Vladimir Hrincar the game got awarded The best VR game awards and best Indie game by the Game awards. Making its way into becoming a very iconic game in the VR gaming world.

Superhot

Released: 05/12/2016 Developer: SUPERHOT team Imagine being a John Wick lever fighter tasked with taking out enemies using only the objects and weapons found around you. Well that would be the very definition of the VR game, SUPERHOT, designed by Cezary Skorupka . This incredibly immersive action game where a player is required to defeat the enemies before being defeated themselves has made its way to the ranks due to its matrix level slow motion action and wowing physics. It’s not much of a show stopper in terms of graphics but makes up for it in it’s incredibly immersive game play. Adding an air of breaking the 4th wall when in game the character takes off the VR headset to reveal that they are playing a Virtual reality game as well.

Half-Life: Alyx

Released: 23/03/2020 Developer: Valve Corporation Following the events of the HALF LIFE series, the main character, Alyx Vance, has to go seize a superweapon belonging to an alien combine. The HALF LIFE gaming series alone has been legendary, with its iconic action adventure game play that would more often than not immerse the player into a thrilling world of battles, puzzles and awesome weapon upgrades, and the VR game further pushes this narrative. With spectacular graphics, real-world physics, and immersive story line, HALF LIFE ALYX has brought about a major storm in the VR gaming industry and community with its next generation VR ground-breaking adaptation. With it’s tricky enemies and adaptable environment, the game creates a new era for VR gaming ideas. 20 | Alpha Magazine

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Released: 17/11/2017 Developer: Bethesda Game Studio If you’re into fantasy role playing games that involve fighting dragons, wielding magic spells and interacting with the most interesting fantasy world characters then SKYRIM ELDER SCROLLS is the game for you. With its incredible open world interactions and memorable fights, SKYRIM has in itself made a name for itself in the fantasy gaming community with its series. The VR experience amplifies the SKYRIM experience by further immersing the player in its weird wonderful and dynamic open world, where the player can wield weapons of mass destruction such as enchanted swords and axes as well as armor or magical powers such as telekinesis, healing and even enemy paralysis spells. Adding to the amazing world of SKYRIM.

Trover Saves the Universe Release: 31/05/2019 Developer: Squanch Games

If you’re a fan of Rick and Morty, then you’ll be a big fan of the Virtual Reality game. TROVER is a comedic video game filled with a beautiful and colourful environment where the alien TROVER has to save the universe and save the missing prups, a people of an alien civilization. The game follows the same comedic styles of the Rick and Morty series with its ridiculous character interactions, hilarious character scripts, and ridiculously fun over-the-top missions all to save the universe from impending doom. The game is a beautiful hodge podge of iconic and incredibly fun adventures closely akin to the series.

Vader Immortal

Released: 25/08/2019 Developer: ILMxLAB Far far away on a distant planet lies a jedi of unprecedented power. Will he fight for the future of the jedi or give in to the ways of the Sith? The Star Wars VR adaptation revolves around the origin story for the iconic character, Darth Vader, with classic thrilling light saber fights, amazing story line and the incredibly popular joy of using the force as you play as the character himself in the game. VADER IMMORTAL is an incredible immersive experience and further amplifies the childhood joy of the Star Wars series. Produced by Disney Interactive Studios, it aimed to create a fun, thrilling and adventurous experience for the fans of the franchise and did spectacularly in terms of gameplay, visuals and overall playthrough.

Astrobot Rescue Mission Released: 02/10/2018 Developer: SIE Japan Studio

Produced by Sony Interactive Studios and awarded the best video game by Gaming Awards, the game ASTROBOT RESCUE MISSION has become an iconic game in terms of the Oculus VR experience. In this beautiful game, the player joins up with captain Astro to rescue his lost crew mates scattered around multiple worlds. The characters for the game were actually adapted from the default characters for the playstations dualshock profile characters. In a fun kid style gameplay, the player is able to jump, hover, punch and headbutt objects. The environment in its immersive interactions is gaining major popularity with kids and teenagers.

October 2020 | 21

Budget Cuts

Released: 14/06/2018 Developer: Neat Corporation The action, adventure, stealth game BUDGET CUTS is a story where the player has to escape an office building whilst dodging enemies in the process, using an interactive portal gun and an assortment of additional weapons. BUDGET CUTS is an independent game created by the swedish company NEAT CORPORATIONS and features an array of amazing puzzle environments, humorous character scripts, and thrilling enemy interactions in its well designed and colourful office environments. The player gets to enjoy the mind tackling task of maneuvering in a stealthy manner through an office environment without setting off alarms to the enemy robot drones including finding clues to moving onto the next portion of the environment to further your means of making your way to freedom.

Job Simulator

Released: 05/04/2016 Developer: Owlchemy Lab Have you ever wanted to work a remedial job in a robot-ruled dystopian future? Well, now you can in this entertaining and humorous JOB SIMULATOR game. Where the player has to execute tasks at a work a day average job such as: desk clerk, mechanic, and gas station attendant where you interact with fun quirky robot customers and co-workers for pay. It is a hilarious and fun experience with weird and wonderful interactable objects and environment features for a fun holistic experience for the gamer. The game has also been streamed live by famous youtubers such as PEWDIEPIE and JACKSEPTICEYE who provide hilarious commentary to the quirky weird game that turns remedial work into a comedic and fun experience.

Lone Echo

Released: 20/07/2017 Developer: Ready at Dawn In the space adventure game set in the year of 2126, the player works on a space station as an AI assistant robot who works with a human station manager as they man an outpost near Saturn when suddenly a mysterious ship pops out of nowhere, not only putting the outpost in jeopardy, but opening a mysterious black whole that puts their well-being in danger due to the rapid rate in which the threat grows. This game is an incredibly designed visual and interactive experience where the player is able to interact with basically any surface and has to help their human partner, Captain Olivia Rodes, in not only surviving this mysterious threat but also understanding it. Being the only one that can traverse the harsh environments of space and conditions of the mysterious spacecraft, you explore the environment and help Olivia get the Kronos ( their space station outpost ) to functional conditions.

22 | Alpha Magazine

October 2020 | 23

Rise of the Tomb Raider Review By: Emmanuel Naicker Rise of the Tomb Raider, which came out in 2015, is the sequel to the Tomb Raider reboot that dropped in 2013 and is the second instalment in the new rebooted trilogy followed by Shadow of the Tomb Raider. I would like to say that this is in no way sponsored content from developers, Crystal Dynamics, or Publishers, Square Enix, just a review of a game I enjoyed and a friendly recommendation from one avid gamer to another. This review will cover the base game as well as all of the additional Downloadable Content released Post-Launch.

Story

After the events of the first game where Lara discovers that the existence of the supernatural is real, she grows obsessive in finding definitive proof of the afterlife and the eternal human soul. This title follows Lara Croft in her expedition to find the hidden Lost City of Kitezh in the harsh hostile wilderness of snowy Siberia, in an attempt to find a mythic Prophet who has learned the secret to everlasting life, all while trying to find it before Trinity, an ancient organization and private militia bent on world domination in the name of a Holy Crusade. The game opens with a set piece of Lara and her friend Jonah, a fellow survivor from the first game, as they try to traverse the icy mountains and cliffs of Siberia, this section acts as your tutorial for the movement and environmental traversal system. A cutscene triggers where we see an avalanche and this transitions to a flashback of Lara and Anna, the former lover of Lara’s deceased father, as they talk about his life’s work, Lara investigates and finds clues leading her to believe the next piece of the puzzle is in Syria, we then play through a somewhat linear mission exploring Syrian ruins where we are introduced to traps, puzzle solving mechanics and a combat tutorial. Lara finds another clue which leads her to Siberia and there we flash forward to where we left off. The rest of the game entails Lara’s survival in the wilderness while exploring tombs and finding artefacts, as well as audio recordings that give the player more insight into the world. Lara encounters a group of people in a settlement who are descendants of the Prophets followers and they unite to face Trinity and defend the Lost City.

Gameplay

As any good sequel should do, Rise of The Tomb Raider takes the gameplay formula from the previous entry and expands upon it. The gunplay feels smoother than the last game, which makes the shooting more satisfying. In the previous game you only had a choice of 4 weapons, a Rifle, a Handgun, a Shotgun and a Bow & Arrow, those 24 | Alpha Magazine

4 categories are still present but now with more weapon variation to choose from, such as Sniper Rifles, Assault Rifles and SMGs or Pistols and Revolvers, or a Pump Action Shotgun or a Semi Auto Shotgun. The crafting system has improved and is given more of a purpose in this game, you must scavenge the world to find parts which will allow you to craft new weapons, healing items, upgrades, ammunition like exploding rounds or poison arrows and any additional equipment. The difficulty settings in this game offer more variety than in previous entries, which offered your standard Easy, Medium, Hard setting. Rise of the Tomb Raider offers you 5 difficulty settings for the enjoyment of us Veteran Gamers: Adventurer - Combat has aim assistance enabled. - Enemies have lower health and damage less damage. Tomb Raider -Combat has aim assistance disabled. -Enemies have normal health and damage output. Seasoned Raider - Aim assistance disabled. - Health Regenerates only outside of combat. - Enemies have increased health and deal more damage. - Enemies have increased perception. Survivor - Aim assistance disabled. - Health Regeneration is completely disabled. - Enemies have increased health and deal more damage. - Enemies have increased perception. - More difficult enemy types will be present. - There are fewer resources and upgrades are more expensive. - Campsites use resources at the first time. Extreme Survivor - Survivor Difficulty but the game only saves your progress at campsites.

Tombs

The numbers of optional challenge tombs in both the 2013 and 2015 entries are lacklustre to put it politely. In 2013 we had only 7 Tombs while in 2015 we only get 9. However the 2015 Tombs are more challenging and complex, they also grant you with unique skills upon completion. Some Tombs you find when you naturally progress through the story won’t automatically be available to you however because you might be missing a certain piece of equipment, the game tells you what equipment you are missing so you won’t get confused

and frustrated.

Downloadable Content

Rise of the Tomb Raider may have a beefy main story, but this title does not disappoint with its DLC offering. The first piece of DLC is the Baba Yaga Expansion which adds around 5 hours of new content in the form of a Side Quest, where Lara is on a mission to rescue the grandfather of one of the Siberian people from the settlement. There she encounters a figure from Russian Folk Lore, The Witch, Baba Yaga. This expansion adds a new explorable area to the map, new puzzles, weapons, new ammo types and a New Hunter themed Skin as well as providing cinematic combat sequences while battling The Witch and her minions in a unique trippy visual style. The second piece of additional content, and my personal favourite, is the Croft Manor DLC. This DLC is completely devoid of combat and is entirely based around detective work and puzzle solving. In a nice change of pace from all the shooting, Lara explores her childhood home in a search for important documents, in a story that explores the relationship between Lara’s and her Mother. Though you don’t face off against any of the enemies in this expansion, the sense of dread and fear is ever present because of the atmosphere this expansion creates, as you make your way through this dark gloomy old mansion with the night-time rain pouring and the occasional lightning bolt giving you a good jump scare. Cold Darkness, this is basically a Zombie Survival Horror Mode, where Lara infiltrates an old abandoned Soviet base at night, infested with people turned into Zombies via an airborne biohazard. In this mode, stealth is key as you move from area to area, avoiding and fighting zombies in an attempt to shut the reactor cores of the facility down to prevent the biohazard from spreading. If you take too long to move to your objectives, a wave of zombies will close in on you and attack, essentially forcing you into a fight or flight situation. When attempting to shut down the cores, if you make a mistake when trying to deactivate it, an alarm is triggered, summoning a wave of zombies to your position. On higher difficulty it is truly terrifying as well as rewarding. Endurance Mode, this mode basically is the way it sounds. You try to survive multiple days in the cold harsh wilderness while trying to collect artefacts and defeat enemies. You can escape anytime you want by calling in a helicopter, the more days you survive, the higher your final score will be.

Replay Value

This title offers great replay value compared to the first, since there was none in the first game. This game provides the Expeditions mode, whereby you can replay story mission, tombs and all of the DLC missions. You can customize the difficulty, and add special modifiers to make the experience easier or more challenging. However this mode comes with one massive flaw that I will address in the next section.

Disadvantages

There are a few issues with the game, not gamebreaking by any means but they are very annoying at the least: • The Environmental Traversal of this game has the Assassins Creed Problem. When Lara is scaling a structure and she jumps in a different direction than what you intended, this will force you to climb all the way up again if you didn’t fall from a great height, because the Fall Damage will kill you. • The restrictive semi-open world. This game is not a fully explorable open world in the same way as Red Dead Redemption 2 for example, the environmental design is more open than the previous entry but it shows you a clear destination in where you are suppose to go. You are given a few different branching routes to get to where you want to go but the journey from your first area in the game world to the final one you unlock is very much on a single main track. • The Lack of New Game Plus. Over the years, game devs have included an option to play New Game Plus, which is unlocked upon completion of the main story. This gives you the opportunity to replay the campaign from the start with all your acquired skills and gear, to add a new layer of replay value to the title. That feature is completely missing from this game, and the only reason I can think of as to why is because it probably does not fit the theme of being a Survivor in the Siberian Wilderness, but the lack of this mode is annoying none the less. • Disappointing Final Boss Fight. The final boss is suppose to feel epic and grand because it’s what you as the player have been working towards the entire time, and when the fight is disappointing, its one of the most bitter feelings a gamer can have. It is difficult to make a final boss in a shooter game that is not a simple bullet sponge. The final encounter with the leader of Trinity is lacklustre, all you have to do is throw objects into the environment to distract him, creep up behind him and attack, do this 3 times and a cutscene triggers and you’ve finished the game. Besides the atmosphere of the oranges and red in the burning room, this sequence is highly forgettable. • Expedition Mode Modifiers. As stated in Expedition mode, you can use special modifiers that gives you an easier or harder experience to pure cosmetic changes as well, but the downside is that these modifiers are only available when your console is connected to the internet, since the majority of these modifiers are one-time use consumables that you earn through getting points and can buy in an in game store, although you do have access to modifiers that you permanently own. I simply do not agree with or condone the fact that you need to pay any additional monthly fee to get the most out of a game you payed more than R800 for especially if it is produced and marketed as a single player experience. Rise of The Tomb Raider is a fun experience and an excellent adventure game, with a few faults that keep it from a truly great score and reputation. If you are a fan of the Tomb Raider franchise this is a game you should own, my final verdict for Rise of The Tomb Raider is a solid 8.6/10 October 2020 | 25

MUSIC

26 | Alpha Magazine

CONTENTS 28. Artists You Should Listen To This month 30. The Music Effect 31. HOW TO BECOME A SUPERSTAR!

October 2020 | 27

Artists You Should Listen To This Month By: Micaela Mutasa With the pandemic, I am sure most of us have created enough playlists with our favourite songs. However, this year will definitely be remembered as the year various breakout stars, and internet-bred icons rose to fame. With that being said, here are some artists you should definitely listen to while you are chilling at home in your room or even working on that assignment due at 23:59.

Samaria

Rising R&B singer Samaria stands for self-love and helping young women become more aware of themselves and their self-value. After releasing “The Story of Right Now” she managed to gain a lot of recognition from fans and other artists such as Kehlani, eventually creating “Love Me Crazy” in 2016 and most recently, “Trippin”. You will instantly fall in love with her voice, emotion, and instrumental value. In most of her songs she reminds young girls that its ok to be yourself and whatever you may be going through, it is only temporary.

LoveLeo

Singer and TikTok creator, Leo Reilly, otherwise known as LoveLeo is known for his popular songs “BOYFREN” and “ROSIE.” That earned him over 950,000 fans on his TikTok account in 2019. With his most recent album being “LOOK AT THE MESS I’VE MADE”. According to LoveLeo himself, “The goal with this project was to not take anything too seriously. Put your headphones on, drink some water, and have a beautiful day.”

Khamari Personally searching for new, fresh, and upcoming artists has slowly turned into a hobby of mine. With just three tracks out, “The Heat”, “Jealous” and most recently, “That Girl”. Khamari is one of the most exciting new upcoming artists in pop and R&B making music that is relatable, intimate, as well as catchy. Khamari hands down is definitely someone I strongly suggest you go listen to, now.

28 | Alpha Magazine

Yaeji Known for her well-known hit “rain girl”, Yaeji, a New York-based producer and visual artist, mixes various house-influenced beats with quiet, reverb-drenched pop hooks. Switching between singing in English and Korean, she definitely gives off a cool and chill vibe in her music. She released her album “What We Drew” in April 2020. Her music is perfect to listen to as you vibe alone in your room or with some friends – social distancing of course.

Channel Tres

A fan of house and rap music? Channel Tres creates music that is perfect to listen to while driving late at night with all the windows rolled down. Working with the same label that helped Yaeji, Channel Tres managed to release his first EP in July 2018 and has most recently worked with Disclosure on a track called “LAVANDER” in August, as well as SG Lewis and Robyn with the song “Impact”. Channel Tres is certainly the next emerging underground dance music star.

October 2020 | 29

The Music Effect By: Nomfundo Hlatshwayo

In a cartoon called Regular Show, Mordecai once said “You can’t touch music dude, but music can touch you.” Music has an impact on people’s lives, it has a deep connection with each of us. Ever wondered why most movies, if not all, have soundtracks or why there are jingles on the adverts? It is because they help us establish a certain mood, how we should feel when we see a certain character or product and basically create an atmosphere of relativity. This is the effect of music. Music has such a powerful effect on us, it can influence your way of dressing, your lifestyle, and believe it or not, relieve stress and heal. How many times have you heard someone say “This song reminds of the time I…” it even evokes memory, personally the most interesting of all artforms in my eyes. To some people it is honestly deeper than just the music. So, I put this to test and here’s what I found. I decided that I will stay a whole week without music, yep! 7 days. I then realized that it was impossible. The hours were long, I couldn’t watch television because when I did even solely for news purposes, there was some kind of music attached to it, I tried streaming some silent movies, even they had music, and the one that was the most obvious is, even with my attempt to avoid music, I could still hear some of my favourite songs in my head, stuck! Repeatedly playing! Making me the instrument of the music because I was singing them out loud. I became very moody and for the first time, I couldn’t just turn on a feel-good song and forget about it. Out of all my experiments, this became the most difficult, my seven-day experiment suddenly turned into a 3-day experiment. I came to the conclusion that music is everywhere, you can’t avoid it, and most importantly, I discovered that music was my escape and I can’t live without it. If it has proven to be such an influence on one person (me) then why not use it to our advantage? Many people are doing this already. Let us use music to teach, to feel, and in some instances, as therapy. Often times people believe that music is only beneficial to those who make it, sure they have the fame, money, and followers, but if used wisely, the people who consume it might benefit even more. Think about your playlist; What does it say about you? Do you listen to music for a certain purpose? Can you choose 3 songs from your playlist that are potentially soundtracks to your life, what do these songs mean to you? What mood

30 | Alpha Magazine

do they put you in? Those simple questions could potentially change your view on music and its effect. So, I ask you… What Effect has music had in your life’s journey thus far?

How To Become A Superstar! By: Keabetswe Molekwa Music is a universal language, it’s a language of love and unity. It’s growing and evolving with time, and recently, the population of musicians has increased. More musicians and more diversity is being added into the mainstream. However, many musicians dream of becoming the next superstar, or better yet, selling their music to make a decent living. This hunger for success can be harmful as it often leads them into a state of being stagnant. If you’re a musician, you can probably relate. Questions like, “I have been making music, but why do I feel like there’s no progress?”. Well here’s a little intel that may help you broaden your market and hopefully catapult you into the platform that you have always wanted. What does it really mean to be Independent? Yes, being indie has been a buzz around the world. Artists are often advised NOT to sign with a record company so that they may have more freedom. But is that all? Does staying away from record companies make you independent? The answer is no, being independent is not all about “unsigned and liberated”. Being independent means that you recognize yourself as a standalone entity, meaning that your brand is your business. This means you have a say in everything you do and how you want things to be operated. However, like any other business, you will need a dedicated team to help you achieve tasks in various fields of the industry. And no, it’s highly unlikely that you would be able to operate everything on your own. “Team work makes the dream work”, stay away from the greedy thoughts of securing as much cash as possible on your own and rather approach the industry with a business mind. Every artist you see on the mainstream, whether signed or independent, they all have a team that gets a lot of things done on their behalf. Record companies also offer collaborations with independent musicians, yes, you may get a marketing & distribution deal without signing off all your exclusive rights.

The truth is, with as many musicians as we have today. People’s preference of music becomes volatile, what they enjoy today is not necessarily something they may like the next day. So, unless you are an established brand, listener’s consistency is uncontrollable and definitely not guaranteed. So, familiarize yourself with getting the right channels to submit your music for radio. Get to know ways to license your music for TV and video productions. And network service providers are also dipping into the music field by offering artists to have their songs listed as part of the caller welcome tones, Vodacom & MTN are leading providers in such offers. Remember that SAMRO and Distrokid alone is never enough to get you growth. Always do research and find out other fields that may need music. Remember, sometimes, you don’t need to make music strictly for people, corporate businesses and advertising agencies are constantly in need for music that’s tailored for their businesses as well. Real wealth comes from multiple income streams. And real success comes from a broader networking experience.

What’s the right way to distribute? Well fortunately, there is no wrong to distribute your music. It will all depend on your preferences. It is important to always register your music with mechanical rights organizations such as SAMRO to ensure that your music is copyrighted and cannot be exploited against you. However, the bad thing about artists is they limit themselves to SAMRO and Distrokid and relying on marketing to get returns.

October 2020 | 31

poetry

32 | Alpha Magazine

To Be A Poet By: Megan Geldart

When writing, it can be difficult because you are often too concerned about what others would think, will it relate to people? will they understand? will they be able to see the message? Through my years of writing I always seemed to write for others, other than myself, and I’d get so involved in people’s lives, love stories, and sadness. I grew my inspiration from watching people, how they interact with others, the things they say, and sometime even being able to write an entire poem based on someone’s facial expression. I filled notepads, my phones notepad and even random pieces of paper the minute I felt inspired, how cliché. I ended up becoming a voice for people’s unheard stories, a voice I chose to be, the voice that people needed. The words often seemed warming and so touching and for me, but it was the fulfilment that people could actually relate to what I’m writing. I have some of my very controversial poems become something for people that thought they were not recognized, it was giving them that little bit of acknowledgement through my writing. That was my biggest achievement so far. It can hard, writers block always comes and it can be frustrating, and you can be so desperate to want write something that absolutely nothing comes from trying. It is not easy being poet with expectations of constantly being that voice, getting stuck in your head happens. For me it’s being able to have an impact on just one person life regardless of the hate, just knowing that this person saved my poem, liked my poem, and feels a part of my poem. It is not about being a perfect poet for me, or being the poet that just spews meaningless lines and words, it is about being the poet that sees the unseen.

Hope For The Future By: Joseph T. Renaldi

Today we face the trying times Of heartache and pain. Many hopes and dreams are shattered, And prayers seem to be in vain. With the hope of peace diminishing, The heart has no definitive song. We’ve waited for an end to hostilities, But the struggle seems so long. Yet - there is hope for the future, Liberty and freedom are still in command, But God will make the ultimate decisions. He will evaluate our worldly demands, And he holds the future in his grasp. Why should we despair? He mourns and counts every tear, And he hears and reviews every prayer.

Hope Is The Thing With Feathers

By: Emily Dickinson

I’m writing you this poem, For you being you, I’m writing you this poem, Because I wanted to. I’m writing you this poem, Cause I thought of you, I’m writing you this poem, For the wonderful things you do. You have taught me right from wrong, You taught me how to love and praise, You taught me how to be hopeful, And now to be amazed. Now it’s my turn, to be like you, To follow God, and look up to. October 2020 | 33