Underrail - Life Is Strange - That Dragon, Cancer - Oxenfree Author: Bogdan Diklić Review

GAME OF THE MONTH:

REVIEWS: Dragon’s Dogma - XCOM 2 - Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak - Resident evil 0 HD - Darkest Dungeon Assassin’s Creed Chronicles India - Underrail - Life is strange - That Dragon, Cancer - Oxenfree Author: Bogdan Diklić Review

lready after 10 minutes of the first mission it becomes very clear why XCOM 2 wasn’t developed on console systems. The game is simply too difficult. Not to mention the advanced Amechanics and planning which aren’t standard for console games. This may be viewed as a negative side of the game, but in XCOM’s environment it works and adds to the overall, positive feel.

The mankind has lost the war in XCOM Unknown from 2012, no matter how well you played that game. Which means that in the sequel you’re not clearing up leftover enemies, instead you are the leftovers who are trying to free the Earth from aliens as freedom fighters, and also a group that supports aliens, called ADVENT.

The environment in which you are conquered and in which the enemies are all around you supports Firaxis’ decision to respond to some of the players’ demands regarding the gameplay system. First of all, the fact that you are subjugated but still have the relative freedom of movement means that the aliens and their lackeys won’t view you as an enemy until you come up close enough or fire in their direction. This way you can prepare for the mission and think through your next moves. If you’ve played Enemy Unknown, but are wondering “How can I even tell if I got close enough when there are no indicators?”, you’re not alone. The main criticism of a large number of XCOM (1) players was that it was impossible to tell on which locations of the map you’ll be exposed

The first war is lost, and the battle forsurvival begins 2 | Reviews Play! #92 | February 2016 | www.play-zine.com | 3 would you want it to unfold. Speaking of teams, they too have undergone some minor, albeit significant changes. One of them is not as important for gameplay - the possibility to detail the appearance of every solider you send out on the battlefield. Successfully completed missions unlock more cosmetic options, so at some point you’ll be able to create a solider that looks like anyone that comes to your mind. There’s only the issue that in XCOM 2 soldiers will drop like flies, so you’ll feel very to the enemy and which locations sorry about them at first, and after a while you’ll would provide cover and to what probably stop spending as much time on their extent. “makeovers”. The second major change is the class system. Although it shares some similarities with Now, all of that the one from the first game, classes were redefined has changed. Red from scratch - mostly by having a wider range of markings determine actions to choose from beside their main specialty the current field of view and aren’t so narrowly focused. of every enemy, while an empty, half empty and full shield We have mentioned that determine the extent of protection the soldiers die easily, and it a cover provides. You might think would seem that that is as it this would make the game easier, should be. A reality you will but you would be wrong. This way, face from the first mission Firaxis somewhat removed the element of “unknown” from (and even in the tutorial). the game, and brought in a new one – “unpredictable”. You can try your best to That may be a fine line, but it’s there . The inability to know save your comrades, and something that is definitely there and is happening caused sometimes you will succeed, a lot of frustration among the players. Unpredictable events but in the end, you just have on which you can’t have any kind of influence are a different to get over the fact that the matter entirely. game expects you to make sacrifices. Certain missions And the first of these unpredictable events is the are nearly impossible to procedural generation of maps. Although there complete unless you sacrifice are some similarities between the generated one or more soldiers to maps, it’s still refreshing to see different elements create a diversion or leave and different behaviour of enemies when you one sniper behind to restart a mission. The behaviour changes even eliminate aliens trying to intercept your retreating team when you load a previously saved game, so there from a distance. is no possibility to completely copy someone else’s strategy. Global strategies are, of course, a And while in XCOM Enemy Unknown you could have different matter, so it’s desirable and necessary progressed over time to a point where the final missions are to work out all the details about the team a piece of cake, that definitely won’t be the case in XCOM 2. you will take on a mission and how Again, the game is highly unpredictable and you will reach for the ‘load game’ button often. In most cases you can only slow down the current chain of events, but can’t take them out of the equation permanently. “Dark Events” are the events in which the ADVENT “You can create your own missions and share them with others on the Steam Workshop” 4 | Reviews Play! #92 | February 2016 | www.play-zine.com | 5 early, you’ll stand no chance in that fight. Perhaps even more than in Enemy Unknown, the story in XCOM 2 is a very important segment and adds to the overall atmosphere, which is why beside the details we shared, we really shouldn’t spoil anything else.

And finally, good news for everyone who loves this series is the support for mods and a complete Steam workshop. This way everyone who wants to create additional missions and share them with the player community will be able to do so, and Firaxis as the game’s creator already signed contracts with some of the greatest modders about creating new missions. A co-op mode had already been announced as well as many others, along with the standard multiplayer that was in the game from the beginning.

How can you tell the game has succeeded? If it’s hard, gets on your nerves, forces you to load saved games much more often than you’d like to, but you still keep coming back for more and you’re thinking about the mission you’re stuck on while you’re not playing. This is the case with XCOM 2.

“Dark Events faction tries to complete important missions, bring a modicum of advance globally, research new weapons or creatures. These events are chosen non-linearity to randomly and there’s always an option to choose one of the two possible events to focus the campaign” your attention to. So it’s up to you to decide which the greater evil is for you and try to stop it. The second project will then certainly be completed, so in a way, its up to you to decide what kind of enemies you’ll get to face in your next mission. RECOMMENDED PC CONFIGURATION: OS: Windows 7 64-bit CPU: Intel/AMD Quadcore 3GHz GPU: GeForce GTX 770 or Radeon HD 7970 RAM: 8 GB HDD: 45 GB

GAME PROVIDED BY: CD Media

PLATFORM: DEVELOPED BY: PC Firaxis

PUBLISHED BY: TESTED ON: 2K PC Simultaneously, ADVENT is working on a big project PRICE: 50€ called Avatar, whose completion can’t be stopped, only postponed - but even that will be of extreme importance, because if they complete the project RATING 8.5 Hard and challenging

Good atmosphere, story and mechanics “Procedurally generated maps are a Hardware requirements refreshing change.” Bugs

6 | Reviews Play! #92 | February 2016 | www.play-zine.com | 7 Author: Milan Živković Review “If it ever gets a sequel this well polished, no rating Dragon’s Dogma: would be too high” remastered game, but a console port. A fine, pure-blooded port. Considering this is a game from the last generation of consoles, which didn’t have state of the art graphics even when it came out, Dark Arisen it won’t amaze you with it now either. However, since this is the version in which Or “How not to hunt a many graphical options are now unlocked, the frame rate is at about 60 frames per second even on average machines and the resolution doesn’t have an upper limit, you dragon at night” HD won’t help but smile to the fact that a game worthy of such technical support finally got it.

Watching the game run will now be a true pleasure for anyone who had the opportunity to try it out on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. The textures, as well as the models aren’t noticeably better, but getting to see everything in a sharp, fluid display of, still impressive, play of light and shadow, is truly more than satisfying. Though, to stop admiring the technical polishing of this jewel for a moment... what exactly is Dragon’s Dogma?

Dragon’s Dogma is an open world action RPG which might not impress you with it’s story, but it’s atmosphere and spirit surely will. The game starts with choosing one of the three possible classes for your character, which can later be changed, or rather, upgraded. And just as a heads-up, if you want one of the wackiest experiences, choose the Strider class without hesitation! The instant Lord of the Rings association on’t you just love it when during Capcom made a colossal effort to create the game, hoping for some new, better isn’t for naught, because after you choose the holiday season your auntie a game that would almost obviously draw polished sequel or at least it and complete the tutorial you will realise Mary cooks the Sunday lunch? And inspiration from some of the action-RPG a remake. Then the that you’re not playing just any game - she even calls you to watch her genre’s strongest titles - and they were sequel came in the you’re playing a Legolas simulator. Without Dcook. She says: “Here, pass me some of that successful. Dragon’s Dogma was created form of a few DLCs, exaggeration, you will frantically kill Dark Souls from the freezer, and two jars of as a mix of great elements from all of all packed up hordes of goblins with your last year’s Elder Scrolls I’ve been keeping these games, and neatly assembled into together in a arrows, climb over giant in the pantry.” Leave all of that to slowly one epic world. Everyone who’s looking package that opponents, and stab them cook on a mild fire, while stirring regularly, for something different will fall in love was Dark Arisen. with your (elven) daggers then add a bit of Shadow of Colossus, and momentarily. But, as it is with every The game was and sabres. No matter finally pour the whole pot over long-stewed infatuation, you begin to notice the flaws vastly expanded, what anyone says, the Monster Hunter. When all is done, serve it after a while. but the technical Strider (later Ranger) with a glass of fine, matured Devil May Cry. problems still remained. class is a simulator And after all of this you are left with only While when it comes to gameplay the And now, several years of Legolas’ and one reaction - Auntie, this is all wonderful, game was flawlessly fun and original, it later, a new remastered, Aragorn’s unborn but... I’m so overwhelmed. Well that’s had technical difficulties. Frame rate was wonder-game, free from twin brother. exactly how players around the world felt constantly dipping and was generally technical difficulties, comes to our when they, nearly four years ago, got served unstable, which resulted in long loading computers to remind us what was that fresh Dragon’s Dogma on last generation’s screens and frustrating battles. In the brilliance we saw in it all that time consoles. But to clarify... end, only the most faithful remained with ago. In reality, this isn’t an actual

8 | Reviews Play! #92 | February 2016 | www.play-zine.com | 9 Author: Bojan Jovanović Review return bring you valuable gifts from his adventures. You can also hire other people’s pawns to help you on your own journey in the same manner. Just don’t forget to turn up your speaker’s volume and hear what the pawn has to say. You’ll feel like you just took a bunch of mentally challenged delinquents on a field trip. Their comments and reactions are mostly hilarious. The “Pawn” system, although flawed, surely makes the game unique and is an endlessly fun element.

If you’ve already played the game, you know what to expect. If not, let this be a strong recommendation to give it a shot. You may have missed it’s momentum once it was originally released. Maybe you didn’t have a chance to venture into this different world at the time. So now, as a fair compensation, get the PC version with no “You’ll compensate for special foreknowledge and let it engulf you. You won’t find the same juicy atmosphere anywhere else. Nowhere else will nightfall lack of horse riding by be as exciting as it is in Dragon’s Dogma. This is a unique opportunity which no RPG riding a wild boar. One lover should pass up. Not now, when we can finally get to play the polished version of this game that we longed for so long. that does not approve” Because everything’s there - epic music and chaotic adventure the likes of which is hard not to love. Best of all, it’s masterfully cooked, but served cold. A true delicacy!

RECOMMENDED PC CONFIGURATION: OS: Windows 7 CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K GPU: GeForce GTX 760 RAM: 8GB Resident Evil 0 HDD: 20GB

GAME PROVIDED HD Remaster BY:Capcom

PLATFORM: DEVELOPED BY: PC Capcom The evil before the first evil PUBLISHED BY: TESTED ON: Capcom PC requel, introduction, Chapter 0, After you finally run out into the open every corner and biting off more than you PRICE: 30€ the game before the game. game world with your Argolas (A.N. can chew will mean a smack to your teeth. No matter how we call them, That’s just too much!) and like an overly Nobody will stop you from running to the publishers simply love making excited child head towards the nearest end of the world, but it’s only your own Pthem to broaden the story of their dark forest to attack a pack of wolves, end that awaits you there. Only by carefully RATING virtual universes and, of course, take a remember - this game is a death sentence strengthening your character and choosing 8.5 few more green bills from us. Capcom for such adventurers! In Dragon’s Dogma: your opponents wisely, will you over time A well transfered wasn’t immune to that either, when they port Dark Arisen, success awaits only a patient, become strong enough to face harder decided to publish their Chapter 0 over cunning player. Danger is lurking behind opponents who guard the real prizes. Excellent atmosphere a decade ago, the game that serves accompanied by great music as an introduction and explanation to There’s a great system with using the Still fun “hybrid” action everything that happened before the first “Pawn” characters. As the name obviously Resident Evil game. Originally, it was a suggests, those are AI-controlled characters Story is still mediocre Nintendo Gamecube exclusive, but now who will help you on your journey. You we’ve got the chance to play it on all can create one and “share” it with players As is the voice acting other platforms. from all over the world, and he will in

and needlessly ruin the overall good impression of the Remaster.

The quality of RE0HD is not much better than the last year’s reissue of the original Resident Evil, not really because of the lack of anything new, instead because of the fact that the original “Zero” was one of the weakest games in the series. Capcom managed to create an excellent remaster, but had also missed an opportunity to the rooms were left in – a former mask for controls to classic scheme, the so-called improve upon the game that the loading screens. “tank manoeuvring”, and play using your even back in 2002 lagged behind D-pad instead of the analog stick. Content- the rest of the industry. Therefore, RE0 Luckily, the atmosphere is still that good old wise, the game is identical to it’s original remains the game that’s going to be mix of claustrophobia and tension where Gamecube release, which means that there played only by the series’ biggest fans. you have no idea what’s waiting around are no new modes or bonus segments. the corner. The foreboding is permeating The only major improvement is the visual RECOMMENDED PC CONFIGURATION:

every room of the train, as well as the element, which is a giant leap even OS: Windows 7

enormous villa in which you’ll spend the compared to the Nintendo Wii re-release. CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.7GHz second half of the game. The zombies The scenes feature further enhanced GPU: GeForce GTX 560 So, we return to the very beginning of and who uses way too much ammo. Leading just to clear up enough space for a key themselves aren’t as scary as they used lighting, detailed textures and other details RAM: 4GB Resident Evil – the moment before all the two characters also means juggling the item that you need to open a passageway, to be back when the series started, but at that weren’t supported by the old hardware. HDD: 13GB zombies and meddling by the Umbrella items between two very limited inventories or a weapon that you’ll only use once on a least there’s the fantastic surround sound However, it’s uncertain why the cinematics Corporation. And that moment are – with only nine slots each. RE always had particularly difficult enemy. The constant effects and camera angles which were didn’t undergo the same treatment, leeches. Or alternatively furious slugs. that silly logic when it comes to inventory walking to and fro just to pick up ammo and always the series’ trademarks. If you really because the transitions from sharp graphics GAME PROVIDED Already in the opening animation we can management where you could carry a healing items you had to leave previously is want a retro experience, you can switch the to blurry cut-scenes are painfully obvious BY: Capcom see them being the product of a person hundred bullets or two cans of gasoline in an artificial way of extending the game and in a white cloak that’s trying to take one slot, but every leaf of grass took a slot will get on your nerves pretty fast, especially revenge upon the Umbrella Corporation each. You’ll be seeding items everywhere because the transitional animations between PLATFORMS: DEVELOPED BY: by attacking a train. Yeah, a grandiose evil PC, PS4, PS3, XONE, Capcom X360 plan indeed. That’s where STARS forces TESTED ON: enter the stage led by Rebecca, one of the PUBLISHED BY: PS4 game’s lead protagonists. Without further Capcom delving into spoiler territory, we can only PRICE: say that what follows is a classic RE story. 20€ We have mentioned Rebecca as one of our RATING protagonists. Throughout the horrors her 7 compatriot will be Billy Coen, an ex-marine Huge visual en route to his execution for mass murder improvement who, through a strange series of events, escapes the police vehicle and ends up in a Classic Resident Evil no less deadly scenario. From the moment atmosphere they join forces, you will lead the two characters simultaneously and be able to Inventory juggling switch direct control from one to the other at any time. There’s also the possibility to issue AI of your comrade simple commands, but most of the time the “It’s a game that will be played only Brings nothing new besides other character will be controlled by the improved graphics computer, whose AI’s not the best out there by the biggest fans of the series”

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak Kharak, dune, desert planet

n the last few years a wave of MOBAs games in an effort to (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) F2P rekindle the glory days factory into a devastating weapon of the need to wait a few minutes to get all units An important element in every RTS game games had flooded the gaming scene of RTS’ and reward Coalition. Standing in the Coalition’s way in position. You can press the spacebar is it’s skirmish mode in which you can and became the focus of professionals their faithful fans are Gaalsien, religious nomads who will at any time to activate the sensor and practice tactics against the computer to Iand amateurs alike. If we consider the who yearn for a new do anything to prevent the Coalition from check the map and positions of your own improve your multiplayer game. Skirmish roots of this genre, they’d lead us all the strategy game with delving deeper into Kharak’s deserts. It’s and enemy units on the field. This great mode offers measly five maps that are all way to fabled DOTA, which was in fact a piece of nostalgia. going to be vital to carefully maneuvre function will help you coordinate groups of very similar to each other and will get old a mod made for a Real Time Strategy. Homeworld had set Kapisi in every mission to fully utilize it’s units, anticipate enemy movements and set pretty fast. The AI is completely hopeless This genre was popular in the nineties the standard for space firepower. The artefacts are a big addition, up ambushes. Technically, the whole game on lower difficulty settings, while it simply and early 2000s, but is now slowly RTS games, as well as and they can be activated on Kapisi to can be played using the sensor alone. outright cheats and nothing else on higher fading into oblivion, swallowed up by the unit control and overall provide special passive bonuses to your MOBAs dominating the market. The only atmosphere of space army or Kapisi itself. It’s only possible remaining and still popular survivor of warfare. Can Deserts to activate one artefact, but they can be the genre remaining is Starcraft, boasting of Kharak compete switched on the fly which provides an both a single player and multiplayer with that and call itself a worthy heir of The game is set many years before the advantage to the players who manage to audience, and remaining the most well the Homeworld franchise? This question is events of the original Homeworld game, obtain all of them and use them efficiently. known RTS representative. somewhat difficult to answer, so we’ll have on a desert planet not named Arakis, but to break it down: is it a good Homeworld Kharak. We follow the 13-mission story Unit production is not as accentuated as is Last year, Gearbox released excellent game, is it worth the asking price, and is it through the perspective of a scientist their micromanagement. All units function remasters of first and second Homewrold a good strategy game. named Rachel S’Jet, who’s trying to find a on the “rock, paper, scissors” principle, hidden artefact in the dunes of Kharak that meaning that one unit is stronger than could save her civilization from extinction the other, but susceptible to another, and (spoiler: see Homeworld). Accompanying so on. The game features unit covers and “All units function her in this undertaking is a land carrier, an interesting, although ‘seen-before’, Kapisi. This carrier emulates the Mothership mechanic of positioning on elevations for on the ‘Rock, Paper, from the original Homeworld, but is bonus precision and damage. Most of the much more useful and powerful. Kapisi is units are slow, which is in keeping with equipped with weapons, shields and other the Homeworld spirit, although it can get Scissors’ principle” useful utensils which turn a simple unit tedious on larger maps where you might

14 | Reviews Play! #92 | February 2016 | www.play-zine.com | 15 ones. However, no difficulty will present it has that same atmosphere and feeling that Gearbox will churn out a million DLCs, an obstacle to better players. This is a big to a player who played the original, even but that still doesn’t justify such a scarce drawback, because the same could be said though it doesn’t take place in space. start. Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak about the multiplayer which also offers The plot is solid and the cinematics should find it’s place in your Steam library only a handful of maps. An interesting are gorgeously visualized through because it’s an excellent strategy game, situation often arises in multiplayer in a combination of live action and oil but only after a Steam sale. which you’ll constantly be playing “hide painting. Is Deserts of Kharak a good & seek” among the dunes and outcrops strategy game? It is, because it provides against your opponent. At first you might everything an RTS game should: good think it’s just a cheap tactic because the units, good macro and micro management, goal is to destroy the enemy carrier, but interesting tactical situations, etc. Is it RECOMMENDED PC CONFIGURATION: soon you’ll find yourself in that same worth the asking price? No, not even OS: Windows 7 (64-bit) situation by necessity. remotely. Multiplayer and Skirmish modes CPU: Intel Core i7-950 (3.0 GHz) are completely bare and preclude any GPU: GeForce GTX 770 / Radeon HD 7770 So, to summarize. Is Deserts of Kharak longevity to this game. Current price is too RAM: 8 GB a good Homeworld game? It is, because high compared to it’s content. We are sure HDD: 12 GB

GAME CODE PROVIDED BY: Gearbox

PLATFORM: DEVELOPED BY: PC Blackbird Interactive

PUBLISHED BY: TESTED ON: Gearbox Software PC

PRICE: 46€ RATING 7.5 Great nostalgic strategy game “Multiplayer and Skirmish Atmosphere modes are bare of Desert aicraft carrier ST. 2011 E content and hinder the Terrible AI

Small choice of multiplayer maps F O B U longevity of this game” OT L BALL C

modern cut-scenes which are popular these days and can be seen in the latest Witcher for example. The crown of this “Initial excitement soon whole amazing atmosphere is the epic voice of the game’s main narrator (Wayne turns into a monotonous Darkest Dungeon June) which, combined with the gloomy and unassertive background music, makes grind and a battle against for one well rounded experience.

It’s a trap! The story of the game, if we can even random elements” call it that, is fairly basic and it’s only xactly one year ago, in February to test their purpose is to provide the player with a 2015 this promising rogue-like RPG limits. Darkest basic premise and a semblance of a plot. appeared on Steam Early Access Dungeon was You take on a role of an heir of an estate as another offspring from the small indeed very whose previous occult-obsessed owner Edeveloper’s Mecca of Kickstarter. Back promising; we managed to release all sorts of evils and then you could read the first impressions have all drooled then committed suicide. You travel to said of Darkest Dungeon on the pages of our over the first estate and with the help of mercenaries try magazine, and now we get to see what a trailers for the to rid it of those unholy powers and reclaim year of stewing in the Early Access phase game, that your inherited property. It’s a shame that a has brought to this game. dark, mystic game with such a rich ambient didn’t have atmosphere and seemingly complex around, fire a gun into the air to get the more narrative elements. But, people don’t Darkest Dungeon is a game “sold” to mechanics. The game was preceded by a needed attention and shout out “People, play rogue-like games for their narrative the audience as an old-school, hardcore, huge hype in the gaming world; everyone the king is naked!” anyway; instead they do it for their rogue-like, skill-intensive, Lovecraftian, played it, praised it, but also showed a gameplay mechanics. Except that’s exactly blah blah blah.....you got the point. So, degree of concern. It’s been a year, enough But, let’s focus on the good thing first. where this game failed to provide. the target audience for this game is a time to make the necessary changes and The game has a truly amazing visual specific group of people, older (and some improvements, so in our opinion, the style and a fantastic, dark, comic book- On paper, Darkest Dungeon indeed brings younger) gamers who consider themselves time has come for someone to finally like graphics, all of which gives it a very many innovations and revolutionary hardcore and are looking for a challenge break through the hype, take a good look specific atmosphere. In accordance with mechanics. Your goal is to enlist the comic book style, the animations are mercenaries to help you clear out four village in it, and where you can develop there’s a recruitment center of sorts, where also very simple, short and crisp, and dungeons of their “unwanted tenants”, various buildings, such as a blacksmith, new adventurers thirsty for challenges “DARK, COMIC BOOK that perfectly fits the atmosphere the and then to finally get to the fifth dungeon tavern, church etc... All of these play an and rewards can be found all the time. You game wanted to create. All characters in which bears the game’s titular name - important role to your heroes and can may hire as many as you like, but only four the game, your fighters, as well as your Darkest Dungeon, which is the endgame be useful depending on the needs of can be sent to action at a time, so it’s of GRAPHICS enemies, are done carefully and with a lot content that shipped with the game’s your team. The game boasts 14 different the utmost importance that you have the of care, and they represent another eye official release. You must pay and maintain classes of adventurers, some of which are right composition once you venture off to CREATE A candy we can enjoy. The color scheme your mercenaries, so therefore the first standard classes that we see in everything, an adventure. is dark and saturated, and overall segment of the game is basically a micro- while some are really original. As in every VERY SPECIFIC the graphic style mostly resembles economy game in which you’ll have to rogue-like title, perma-death is featured Your heroes will die - make sure to develop the estate, or more precisely the here as well. For this reason, in your village remember that. No matter how ideal ATMOSPHERE” 18 | Reviews Play! #92 | February 2016 | www.play-zine.com | 19 and abilities, when damage is more or less the most important one.

If you can get over all of this and are not bothered by the huge amount of random elements which you can’t influence, then we believe that you can enjoy some twenty hours of good fun with this game, and we would recommend it on those terms. However, if you’re a fan of a true challenge, sadly, all you will find here is a nerve-grinding machine. There’s a speck of light though, because the developers have also provided us with modding tools, so you think your team is, don’t be fooled, there’s a hope that someone might be able because sooner or later you’ll lose some to harness all potential of this title, which of it’s members. Something unpredictable is currently akin to some of our football will happen and you will be left without starlets who’ve went abroad at the age of your most reliable characters. Even if the 17 and were never heard of again. most experienced heroes do manage to survive, during the game they will accumulate ‘stress’ which will make them RECOMMENDED PC CONFIGURATION: OS: less and less reliable as the time goes Windows 7+ on, by getting various negative traits - quests, are simply exploring and clearing like RPGs, but that simply isn’t the case. CPU: Intel/AMD Dualcore becoming selfish, paranoid, masochistic, out randomly generated dungeons. You The starting amazement with the game GPU: Open GL 3.2+ compatible or something else; and then you’ll have to walk down a hallway from room to room slowly turns into monotonous grinding RAM: 4GB send them on a vacation for a while, to a and disarm traps or battle opponents. and stress accumulation. Being a hard HDD: 2GB church to pray, or to drink and gamble in Battles are always 4 on 4, in which both game is not about having all of your the tavern. Those heroes are of no use to your team and the enemies are lined up, effort goes to waste due to some random GAME PROVIDED you while they’re in recovery, so you’ll have and the position in line can significantly factor which you simply can’t influence. BY: Red Hook to use others. Levelling new heroes from determine what can a certain character do A few unfortunate mishaps causing you Studios scratch can be very tedious, so it’s really and which abilities they can use, making it to lose a few key characters is all it takes important to take good care of your best a key factor when choosing your tactic. To to set you back to have to tediously mercenaries. solve any quest, aka go to the dungeon, grind for new resources and level new PLATFORMA: RAZVOJNI TIM: you have to clear all of it and have 90% characters. Apart from that, the game PC/Mac Red Hook Studios We mentioned ‘stress’. This is a game of it explored. If you think that you’re in lacks content diversity, which is why it IZDAVAČ: TESTIRANO NA: mechanic which also represents one of it’s trouble, you have the option to abandon can quickly become boring. The enemies Red Hook Studios PC “selling points” that the developers used the quest - but you will also lose all of your soon start to repeat and the “advanced” CENA: to market the game. The basic idea behind loot. Resources can be used to recover dungeons are simply upgraded versions 19,99€ this mechanic is for us to view these your mercenaries, develop your estate, of those same enemies you fought on adventurers from a more humane angle - upgrade armour and weapons, hire new lower levels. The dungeons at first look as people made of flesh and bones who mercenaries.... But the resources are scarce nice and detailed, but then you realize RATING and very important, so you will often that you’ve seen the same corridor a 6.5 barely make ends meet. thousand times and wonder how is it Excellent visual can be influenced by the many horrors possible that no one thought of adding game and you have to carry it with you to design they face over time. There are many every mission, but the more food you take, All of this makes it seem like the a few more designs. We understand that factors that influence your stress scale: there’s less space that remains for loot gameplay is rich and diverse, so you’re rogue-like dungeon crawlers usually Atmosphere and the dwelling in the dark for too long, too much and other equipment. Once a character probably wondering why we rated this eschew strong narratives, but when narrator’s voice damage taken, lack of food... Darkness accumulates a critical mass of stress, one game so (relatively) low? Simply put – every quest is “go open all the doors and can be easily regulated by carrying of his negative traits becomes active. In because we got a cat in the bag. The kill everything”, at some point it stops torches, but the more illuminated you are, case one of your characters suffers from game might amaze you for first ten-or- making sense. Furthermore, the game Quickly becomes repetitive the higher is the chance that you’ll get too many of these negative traits at once, so hours. Overwhelmed by the different is brimming with balance issues that spotted by some unplanned (additional) it might not be cost-effective to treat him options and gameplay elements, you would warrant another text that’s just as Substantial problems in enemies, so you’ll have to find a balance. anymore, and it might be better to simply might feel that the game is heaven for long. Suffice to say that there’s a ton of gameplay mechanics Food adds to the survival aspect of the let him go. The missions themselves, i.e. the fans of tactical turn-based rogue- unimportant and redundant characters

20 | Reviews Play! #92 | February 2016 | www.play-zine.com | 21 Author: Borislav Lalović Review

RECOMMENDED PC CONFIGURATION: OS: Win 7 “Second part of ‘Chronicles’ fails CPU: Intel Core i3 2105 3.1 GHz GPU: nVidia GeForce GTX 470 to bring us many innovations” RAM: 4GB HDD: 4GB Assassin’s Creed animations, and the colors are like you’re on so that doesn’t affect the overall experience. a Goa Trance festival. The colorfulness is so Compared to China, this game is a technical intense that we can only congratulate the improvement, but also a continuation of a authors on this faithful adaptation of the trend of departure from true assassin values. atmosphere of the nineteenth century India. When it comes to the gameplay, it’s not The palaces, gardens, clothing - everything even close to what we’ve seen in “Mark of is nicely and faithfully adapted, it makes you the Ninja”, but we won’t take that against it. Chronicles: India want to travel to India on a vacation. What to conclude on? Honor the franchise PLATFORMS: DEVELOPED BY: by pouring a few hours into this game, but PC, PS4, Xbox One, Climax Studios But, after a while you realize that the game don’t expect India to reignite the glory days PS Vita Aladdin or Assassin? becomes repetitive. Luckily it’s not too long, of this fallen series. TESTED ON: PUBLISHED BY: PC Ubisoft e’re getting the second part during the mid-nineteenth century as he PRICE: of assassin Chronicles after attempts to acquire a specific artefact, while 10€ the holidays, and just in time simultaneously fighting to save his princess. to fill the void before a new If there wasn’t AC in the title, we would have WAC game. In the last couple of years, sworn we were playing Aladdin. Basically, RATING many players gave Ubisoft a hard time. Of this 2D (alright, 2.5D) platformer is great 7 course, most of that was brought about at what it does. You’ll be avoiding direct Colorful by the releases of buggy Unity and totally conflict most of the time, but when you do detached Syndicate. Cautioned by these engage in combat you won’t feel inferior Likeable music failings, Ubisoft has decided not to release against your opponents. As the game goes a main AC game this year, and instead we’ll on, the enemies get stronger, but so do you gain access to a growing plethora of be getting the two remaining Chronicles. Predictable and shallow story assassin skills and weapons. The controls are What’s new in India when compared to a bit questionable, but you’ll soon get used We’re moving further away from China? Essentially nothing. We take on to them if you’ve ever played a platformer the assassin’s essence a role of an assassin operating in India on a PC. The combat is fluid, as are the

22 | Reviews Play! #92 | February 2016 | www.play-zine.com | 23 Author: Bojan Jovanović Review

“A game from a local studio which resonated with the hardcore audience” UnderRail We’ve got our own Fallout

However, when it gets to combat, there’s the turn-based system featuring action points for movement and attack that we’re used to in RPGs. Weapon arsenal includes both close combat and ranged weapons, crossbows with different kinds old games were better, truer and more of projectiles, as well as psyonic powers complicated. This definitely helps with the GAME PROVIDED if you’re more magically inclined. You’ll game’s minimal hardware requirements, BY: Stygian usually end up crafting most of your own except in certain scenes where it causes Software gear, because it’s most likely better than the loss of fidelity. A few stronger shadows, the pieces you find on dead foes or can buy especially around characters, would have from traders. It takes an effort to find all the probably helped there. UnderRail is a PLATFORM: DEVELOPED BY: he world is almost destroyed. status quo-zone bordering much bigger It’s impossible to avoid comparisons with the materials and schematics to craft the best fairly long game and you’ll gets tens, if PC Stygian Software The surface of our small planet and not very neutral settlements. In original Fallout. Starting with the isometric pieces of equipment, so there’s a feeling not hundreds, of hours from it; especially PUBLISHED BY: TESTED ON: is completely uninhabitable the usual roleplay manner, you’ll start perspective, then retro graphics, all the way of personal success when you finally equip because different approaches to gameplay Stygian Software PC by doing small assignments for your to the basic stats which are reminiscent of and the survivors are relocating your character with the best gear, instead offer different experiences and options. This PRICE: Tunderground, into the tunnel networks neighbors and over time unravel a huge the famed SPECIAL system and turn based 14€ of simply picking it up along the way. is very commendable for a price this low. that used to be metros, where they lay the net of conspiracy and political intrigue combat. This is, of course, not a flaw in In the end, we can say that the Stygian foundations of new civilization. This is not between several factions. Your character this game – moreover, it’s a bold move to The biggest contribution to the games retro crew’s toil had payed off. By making a sort a plot to some spinoff to Metro books/ is not predetermined and at the beginning release an RPG so ingrained with classic RPG feel comes from it’s visuals. The hand- of Fallout 2.5, they have found their niche RATING games, but UnderRail, and RPG from a local you can spend a lot of time setting up his principles, rather than follow the modern drawn 2D graphics and “hacker” fonts will in an overcrowded genre that has been 8 studio called Stygian Software, a game starting stats, choosing abilities and picking trend of streamlining everything. Stealth transforming into pure action FPS games make old-school players grin with delight Huge replay value that has spent more than half a decade in feats. The list of abilities seems intimidating gameplay is excellently implemented and as they explain to the youngsters how the over the years. And finally, UnderRail is development and after a long stint in Early at first, but you’ll soon find the ones that it’s quite possible to finish most of the game a local game that’s made it’s mark with Access is finally available to our PCs. are most interesting to you and develop without direct confrontations, while strongly the hardcore gaming audience. It’s not for Oddity system for a different approach to levelling your character accordingly. It’s possible to charismatic characters can use their honeyed everyone, but it wasn’t meant to be. You’ll begin your underground adventure create more or less any RPG archetype and tongues to avoid even getting scratched. Price as a new settler of South Gate station, a successfully play it in UnderRail. You can use the very interesting ‘oddity’ RECOMMENDED PC CONFIGURATION: XP system instead of the standard “kill OS: Windows XP everything for XP” system, which gives you CPU: Intel Celeron 1.66GHz Overview is not always optimal “A NUMBER OF WAYS TO APPROACH THE a good reason to explore the world in detail GPU: DirectX 9 and which will certainly appeal to players RAM: 2GB Storyline is a bit naive GAME BESIDE THE CLASSIC hack’n’slash” who like to play non-standard characters. HDD: 3GB 24 | Reviews Play! #92 | February 2016 | www.play-zine.com | 25 Author: Nikola Savić Review

the background and history of the island. All in all, this is a classic “feel good” game. It’s easy to miss some of them, so there’s You’ll simply feel pleasant and fulfilled another reason to play a few more times while playing it, enjoying those hand- and learn all the details. drawn backdrops, and listening about life problems of list teenagers. And all that Although it’s nominally a horror game, while trying to discover the mystery of a Oxenfree you’ll hardly be scared by anything; but, deserted island. We highly recommend if you start caring about the characters, it to all fans of old 80’s horror, fans of soon you’ll start dreading all paranormal “coming of age” books and movies, and of Those horror eighties situations out of concern for these course, fans of TellTale Games’ adventures. kids and their fates. Beside the brilliant dialogues and believable characters, credit RECOMMENDED PC CONFIGURATION: xenfree is a debut game from cheap horror movies and that’s where the also goes to good voice actors, whose OS: Win 7 appeal and beauty of this game shines the Night School Studio, a naive and adolescent voices fit perfectly CPU: 2,5 GHz through. young indie studio, who’s in part with the story and atmosphere. Same goes GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 comprised of ex-developers from for the music, which seems like it comes RAM: 2GB OTellTale Games. If you’re familiar with the You take on a role of Alex, a blond girl straight from an 80’s radio. HDD: 3GB work of that excellent development team, whose brother had recently passed away, then you know that their games strongly whose mother remarried, and who met Visually, the game looks great with it’s accentuate the narrative experience. her new step-brother that very evening. watercolor style and kind of reminds us Layered characters, convincing dialogue Joining her is her best friend, his crush, of some old fairytale picture book. The and importance of decisions you make are the ex-girlfriend of your lost brother... whole style seems mystical and perfectly some of the defining points of a TellTale This seemingly typical group of high after reaching the island they manage to Throughout the 4-5 hours of gameplay, captures the atmosphere of a spooky adventure, which means that’s something schoolers, with all of the problems that wake “something” paranormal on it and you’ll spend most of the time walking night on a deserted isle. And an especially we should expect here as well. puberty and growing up brings, actually PLATFORMS: DEVELOPED BY: will spend the rest of the game trying to around the island and talking with your charming detail is the ‘noise’ effect that PC, Xbox One Night School Studio hides many complex layers which you’ll discover what it actually is. The main and friends, and learn details from their and happens during certain moments, and The story and setting of Oxenfree is discover throughout the game. Soon which is reminiscent of the ‘noise’ that PUBLISHED BY: TESTED ON: invaluable tool with which you’ll uncover Alex’s life through those conversations. Night School Studio PC influenced by the popular 80’s horror the story and communicate with these During the dialogues, you’ll always be able appeared when rewinding old VHS tapes. movie subgenre, the so-called teenage PRICE: paranormal activities is a small radio to choose between 3 answers, but you can 20€ horror movies. Initially everything seems transistor which Alex brought along. As we also decide to stay silent, another detail familiar and somewhat generic. A diverse mentioned in the introduction, the main borrowed from the TellTale games. The group of teenagers decides to spend an features of this game are it’s narrative and dialogues are meaningful and brilliantly evening on an abandoned mystic island dialogues, and some would mockingly call written, and many of your decisions from RATING where they plan to do what young people 8 it a “walking simulator”. If you’re expecting them will accumulate in the end and like to do: get drunk, hang out, and indulge action or hard puzzles, this isn’t the game determine the game’s ending and your Teenage characters in some light drugs. However, our heroes for you. This is a game in which you’ll leave relationship with each member of the who are actually likeable and well written are all but typical irritating teenagers from your reflexes and wit behind and enjoy the group. That means that although the game brilliantly written characters and dialogues, is relatively short, there are a number of Excellent aquarelle visual design featuring all of their problems with endings, so there’s definitely a reason to growing up, with relationships, and with replay the game. Besides, while exploring “MANY developers who worked on this The game has almost no hardships with which these young people, the island, you’ll encounter tourist points gameplay game came from telltale games studio” on the cusp of adulthood, will have to face. of sorts, in which you’re able to investigate 26 | Reviews Play! #92 | February 2016 | www.play-zine.com | 27 Author: Petar Vojinović Review That Dragon, Cancer

Time doesn’t matter. Only life matters. “Very heavy and unsettling story”

“Computer games will become art when somebody confesses that they made him cry” – Steven Spielberg

RECOMMENDED PC CONFIGURATION: OS: Windows 7 CPU: Intel/AMD Dualcore 1.8 GHz GPU: 512MB VRAM RAM: 2 GB HDD: 5 GB

ometimes a bad game gets parents of terminally ill Joel, their son The game is a mosaic of disconnected published; sometimes a good whose brain tumor was diagnosed a few scenes which represent the parents’ game gets published. And months after his birth, and who died before memories of the whole situation and which sometimes a game gets published his fifth birthday. TDC will introduce you to become progressively more horrifying Sthat makes you remember the popular these heavy subjects very effectively - from and gut wrenching; the feeding of ducks – their fears, hopes, their faith a higher caring for their sick child, and if the game PLATFORM: DEVELOPED BY: PC Numinous Games internet saying about ninjas cutting the dilemma about friends and relatives at a lake, swinging and see-sawing in a power might eventually save their child. manages to make you feel an empathic onions. That Dragon, Cancer is just such a seeing the newborn (Amy is pregnant with park, driving the cart through the hospital, connection to them, you’ll feel at least a PUBLISHED BY: TESTED ON: Numinous Games PC game, which delves into the most painful another child) as a “replacement” for dying unsuccessful attempts to get crying Joel The scenes with their memories are mixed bit of their terror after receiving the worst subject for any parent – the one of illness Joel; the complete hopelessness that the to sleep. During a scene the player can with mini-games which represent fantastic news, at least a bit of Ryan’s relief when he PRICE: 15€ and inevitable death of their child. parents are living through when the doctors glean into the parents’ deepest thoughts metaphors for their whole situation; so, finally manages to put the child to sleep, inform them that they’ve exhausted all by clicking on items and the background you might lead Joel thorough something and fake joy while Joel’s playing in the That Dragon, Cancer is not as much a game, possible options; to their attempts akin to a two-dimensional hallway, or fight park like other healthy children. as it’s an interactive story in which you’ll to reconcile their faith in God with a magical dragon who Joel can’t seen and RATING relive all emotions of Ryan and Amy Green, the situation they’re facing. has no chance of defeating. Regardless of the “lazy” commands, lack 8 of gameplay in true sense of the word, Emotionally charged That Dragon, Cancer is hard to rate, and and other smaller remarks, That Dragon, and brilliantly told even harder to compare with another Cancer perfectly conveys the emotions of story “The game is about the most game. There are no tasks to accomplish in a heavy, harrowing tale and is surely a title TDC, no obstacles to overcome or enemies that will in some way be noted in 2016. painful subject for any parent to slay to complete the game. The goal Sadly, the smiles it elicit from you from Clunky commands is to simply understand the parents and time to time will be painful, and the tears - the death of their child” the horror they had to live through while will be those heaviest of all. 28 | Reviews Play! #92 | February 2016 | www.play-zine.com | 29 Author: Bojan Jovanović Review

Life is Strange Life is truly strange

t’s hard growing up. When you’re teenager, everything seems strange, your emotions fluctuate, and you make bad decisions after which you wish Ithat you could turn back the time and see what would have happened if you didn’t say what you did and perhaps acted differently. We have to apologize for our omission. Because we failed to review each episode of Life is Strange as they “You’re going to connect with the came out from Dontnod’s studio. But now, with the whole story before us, we’ll see characters and care about their fates” why Life is Strange. The game is divided into five episodes and your decisions will influence the outcome The beginning of this story might seem the gameplay is very reminiscent of recent of some scenes, as well as the relationships more boring than strange. Max is an TellTale adventures, except that you’re between a significant number of characters. insecure girl, new student in Blackwell provided with a wider movement allowance school in her home town on the west and the quicktime sequences were replaced Life is Strange is often an extremely difficult cost of USA. A confused, albeit bright with timed situations which you can rewind game, not because of complicated puzzles girl, a typical teenager who snaps an to your heart’s content. The introductory or anything, but because of the subjects it occasional selfie and listens to indie-rock, chapter serves mostly to help you learn tackles. Death of loved ones, depression, Max discovers that she’s not only a gifted the rewind mechanic and some basic rules suicide and auto-destruction – all very photographer, but that she can also rewind (objects you carry stay with you, you can serious themes and scenarios that you’ll time. Simultaneously, she’s being visited by stay on a location during the rewind, etc.), have to face in this game. There’s no ‘skip’ nightmarish visions of an apocalypse that all of which you’ll discover through dialogue button, there’s nobody who can make would reduce her town to ashes. Yup, a between Max and her best friend Chloe. decisions for you, and sometimes you’ll feel typical teenage life. Even though the story is linear, many of like the whole world is conspiring against

30 | Reviews Play! #92 | February 2016 | www.play-zine.com | 31 “ONE OF THE MOST SINCERE STORIES OF FRIENDSHIP”

you. Like the movie Guardians of the Galaxy, blankly into the TV’s empty screen while the music in Life is Strange plays a major contemplating should I even continue, role not only in the game’s atmosphere, but and should I really allow everything that also as an initiator for the plot. The licensed I thought was going to happen to the soundtrack is chock full of excellent tracks characters even transpire (and it did). No and fits perfectly with the tone of every matter how awkward the game’s writing scene. You even get the music disk of it if is, you’ll connect to the characters and you purchase the game as a physical copy. start caring for their fates; you might take somebody’s side or actively work against Certain scenes will hit you like a ton of another and build your own version of the bricks and make it perfectly clear why story. It might sound crazy, but don’t repeat “THE GAME TOUCHES UPON SOME VERY sometimes the main and episode pause the episodes before finishing the entire screens feature a warning speaking of game. Experience it as a whole in which SERIOUS and heavy SUBJECTS” possible psychological effects, all with a your choices are truly choices, and not a link towards a depression support group. chase for the best outcomes or stats that Personally, I had to lay down the controller appear after each episode. Explore every around you, and the game will reward you make it not as stellar as it and quit the game at one point. I stared nook and cranny, slowly absorb the world for your “snooping”. deserved to be. GAME PROVIDED BY: There were only two ComputerLand games that struck a chord in this old gamer’s heart. Those were Siberia and PLATFORMS: DEVELOPED BY: TellTale’s Walking Dead, PC, PS4, PS3, XONE, Dontnod Interactive X360 both games packed full TESTED ON: of emotions that make PUBLISHED BY: PS4 Square Enix you stare bewilderedly at the monitor while the PRICE: 20€ credits slowly roll over black All of this makes me lament the game’s background. This duo is joined by Life is uneven tempo when it comes to events. Strange, one of the most sincere stories RATING Sometimes the story gets no development, of friendship. This game is one step away 8.5 while at another time you’ll be bombarded from being a masterpiece, hampered only An emotional with information and dialogues because by it’s sometimes awkward dialogue, but experience of which you’ll wish Max had the ability to absolutely worthy of your time and money. freeze time, not just rewind it. You’ll hear Besides, if a game can turn a grown man Decisions truly affect the story Life is Strange being called a rollercoaster into an emotional ruin, then there’s no need Atmosphere and the soundtrack of emotions, but the same could be said to say much else about it’s impact. about it’s story. The dialogues and written information sometimes suffer from this RECOMMENDED PC CONFIGURATION: The plot develops in too, as if an adult tried to think how the OS: Windows 7 an uneven tempo teenagers would speak without knowing CPU: Intel/AMD Dualcore 3GHz anything about it. This issue is brushing GPU: GeForce GTX 260 or Radeon HD 4890 The way in which characters the fence when it comes to immersion, but RAM: 2 GB speak and write is very luckily it doesn’t break it; however it does HDD: 3 GB unconvincing at times

32 | Reviews Play! #92 | February 2016 | www.play-zine.com | 33