SOUTH AFRICA’S LEADING GAMING, COMPUTER & TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE APRIL 2014

WIN A PC / PLAYSTATIPLAYSTATIONONON / XBOXXBBOX / NINTENDONININTN ENNDODO / LLIFESTYLEIIFFEESSTYTYLELE PS4 EIGHT REVIEWS INCLUDING Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare Thief

IT’S CLASSIC! IT’S MODERN! COULD THIS BE EVERYTHING WE WANT IN AN FPS?

PUBLISHER Michael “RedTide“ James [email protected] CONTENTS EDITOR Geoff “GeometriX“ Burrows geoff @nag.co.za

ART DIRECTOR Chris “SAVAGE“ Savides

STAFF WRITERS Dane “Barkskin “ Remendes Tarryn “Azimuth “ van der Byl REGULARS CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Lauren “Guardi3n “ Das Neves 8 Ed's Note 10 Inbox TECHNICAL WRITER Neo “ShockG“ Sibeko 14 Bytes 26 home_coded INTERNATIONAL 74 Mosh Pit CORRESPONDENT Miktar “Miktar” Dracon

CONTRIBUTORS OPINION Rodain “Nandrew” Joubert Miklós “Mikit0707 “ Szecsei 14 Miktar’s Meanderingserings Pippa “UnexpectedGirl” Tshabalala 16 I, Gamer Delano “Delano” Cuzzucoli Matt “Sand_Storm” Fick 18 The Game Stalkerer 56 Hardwired FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHY 82 Game Over Chris “SAVAGE“ Savides 36 WOLFENSTEIN: THE NEW Dreamstime.com Fotolia.com ORDER. MEIN LEBEN! PREVIEWS “There ain’t no school like the old SALES EXECUTIVE school.” That’s how it goes, right? Cheryl “Cleona“ Harris 32 The Elder Scrolls Online Or did we just fail hard at being [email protected] 34 WildStar youthful and hippity-hopping? +27 72 322 9875 Does it even matter? Either way, MARKETING AND Wolfenstein: The New Order PROMOTIONS MANAGER REVIEWS eagerly partakes of the old school Jacqui “Jax” Jacobs of fi rst-person shooter-ising. [email protected] 44 Reviews: Introduction And boy, does it look positively +27 82 778 8439 44 Mini review: Fable: scrumptious. Gather ‘round OFFICE ASSISTANT Anniversary Edition children, and let’s have a look at Paul Ndebele 45 Mini review: Dragon Ball Z: it together. Just don’t step in that Battle of Z puddle of Nazi juice. That stuff will CONTACT DETAILS 46 Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 eat right through your gumboots. P .O. Box 237, Olivedale, 2158, South Africa Tel +27 11 704 2679 / Fax +27 11 704 4120 48 Thief 50 Plants vs. Zombies: SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTMENT Garden Warfare [email protected] 52 Lightning Returns: Final ONLINE Fantasy XIII www.nag.co.za 53 Atomic Fusion: Particle Collider www.zinio.com/nag 54 Tales of Symphonia Chronicles DEMOS www.facebook.com/NAGMagazine www.twitter.com/nagcoza Bridge It Plus / Car Mechanic Simulator 2014 / PRINTING HARDWARE Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 Impress Web Printers / 031 263 2755 Ethan Meteor Hunter / Oniken / Pac-man 57 Dream Machine Museum / Tiny Brains DISTRIBUTION 58 Versus: GIGABYTE GTX 750 Ti On the Dot OC vs. MSI GTX 750 Ti GAMING Stuart Dickerson / 011 401 5932 62 GIGABYTE P27K Gaming DRIVERS COPYRIGHT 2014 NAG Notebook All rights reserved. No article or picture in this magazine 64 AMD A10 7700K None this issue may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form whatsoever without the express written consent of the 66 SteelSeries H Wireless Headset publisher. Opinions expressed in the magazine are 68 MSI A88X-G45 GAMING not necessarily those of the publisher or the editors. All trademarks and registered trademarks are the sole 69 ASUS N750J EXTRAS property of their respective owners. 70 ADATA DashDrive Elite SE720 Don’t pirate NAG! external SSD / GAMDIAS Cheatbook Database + updates Hephaestus / Sony Action Cam Free games: Gridrunner++ / Heroine's Quest HDR-AS30V Utilities: Stencyl 72 Lazy Gamer’s Guide: 46 wallpapers Gunnar Optiks 92 game trailers / 2 Pop Facts / 1 Pop Fiction

6 April 2014 www.nag.co.za

ed's note

Happy birthday to us!

elcome to the new look Pit, which now includes our lifestyle-focused NAG! Gosh, it’s a pretty section Everything Else. This means more thing, isn’t it? Every year cool gadgets, comics, action fi gures, we celebrate our birthday doohickeys and whatsits that go hand-in- by changing the design hand with what gamers love. Wa bit – sometimes more than a bit – and Otherwise, I’ll leave you to explore fi gured it’s been a while since we’ve had a these pages. Feel free to send us an email major shake-up. So we shook things up. ([email protected]) with any feedback you Some of the content has only had a might have. visual tweak – like reviews and previews – but in other places we’ve nipped and SPARKLE PARTY tucked and reorganised things to get more I’ve been told that not everyone really content into the same number of pages. knows what Wolfestein is all about. That’s It’s important to do this; as putting ink on an odd thing to me, as I was like, there slices of tree becomes more costly (which man, when Wolf 3D fi rst came along, but will continue to happen until forever), we if you’re not fully clued up then be sure to need to make sure that you lovely readers read RedTide’s very informative piece in our are getting as much quality content for cover feature. Wolfenstein is close to all of your purchase. We get it – times are tough our hearts, and I’m sure many of yours, and – so know that we’re here for you through I’m positive by time you’ve read all about thick and thin! the upcoming The New Order, you’ll be as But enough of that mushy stuff . I won’t excited about it as we are! go into detail about everything that’s changed in your favourite magazine, but NEW BLOOD I do want to point out a couple of things. This month we welcome another new writer First, you’ll notice that the Bytes section on-board in the form of Matt “Sand_Storm” has been given quite an overhaul. We Fick. Matt joins us from IGN Africa to write a shoved things around to make room for a few reviews this month, and I’m sure you’ll featured column every month – this’ll rotate be seeing more of him going forward. It’s between our columnists. We’ve also greatly always exciting to have new people writing expanded the home_coded section to tell for the magazine – they bring their own you, in greater detail, about some of the top personalities, ideas and eccentricities to our local game development projects. Rodain already rather insane pool of talent, which Joubert – part of the team behind Desktop can only be a good thing, right? Dungeons – is the perfect chap for the job so we’ve given him plenty of room. Take it easy, people! We’ve also mixed up the hardware -GeometriX section. Neo now also has a full page for his column, and we’ve trimmed off some excess stuff to make space for an expanded Mosh

8 April 2014 www.nag.co.za

inbox

*DISCLAIMER / Most of the letters sent to this fi ne publication are printed more or less verbatim (that means we don’t edit or fi x them for you slow kids at the back), so ignore any spelling or grammatical errors. It’s not us… it’s you. Inbox [email protected]

Letter of the Month April 2014 THIS MONTH'S PRIZE

FROM: Jürgen van Zyl at me, I’m not implying that all gamers are The “Letter of the month” prize is SUBJECT: Outgrowing gaming unactive couch potatoes. I am an active sponsored by the good folks at gamer myself, but as already stated above, I Megarom. The winner receives two I’ll start with the formalities, great mag, I think I am outgrowing gaming. games for coming up with the most love you guys and keep up the good work! I have tried every sort of game there is, inspired bit of wisdom of cleverness. Now I recently turned 15, I am about 1,85 many FPS shooter franchises e.g. Call of NOTE / You can’t change the games or the platform they come on. meters tall and to everybody at school I’m Duty, Crysis, Battlefi eld, but still I do not known as the friendly giant. Okay, I’ll stop receive the initial pleasure of playing these boring you now with the biography and cut games as I did a year or so back. I despise to the chase. RPG games, Indie is absolutely out of the I’ve loved games since I was very, very question, and Need for Speed just became young although I was never allowed my more and more boring every year. own gaming console (only PlayStation This brings me to the conclusion and 1’s was released at that time.) so I always fi nal question: why are there 25 and 30 year loved going to go to my cousin’s as we olds married to they’re gaming consoles could play Need for Speed, and Tekken and rigs, while I’m half they’re age and I (yes, believe it) 3! One December, my am becoming bored of the whole gaming cousin came over to my house with a thing? Am I playing the wrong games, is plastic Checkers bag and inside, lay the my console starting to become out-dated? beauty of a second hand PlayStation (my Or am I just, simply, outgrowing gaming? early Christmas Present.) The happiest This is very sad for me as I used to spend day of my life, needless to say. At that entire weekends dedicated to one game and time, was still my favourite game. now I am struggling to keep on playing for outdoorsy sort as well, and he manages to At a later stadium of my life I discovered a few minutes at a time. I need to fi nd a new fi nd a balance. the Modern Warfare franchise (also the hobby, as I can’t go to the gym the whole I think my point is: it’s okay to not doing of my cousin’s) and immediately fell day, I’d probably rip something apart. It be completely addicted to gaming. in love. I was never allowed to play it (age might even be something important! (My Some of us are, because gaming has restriction) and even if I tried, I couldn’t lame attempt at humour LOL) become infused with our brains through because of the very old Laptop we had, and I P.S: Hopefully this is posted and if prolonged exposure to what were very only had a PlayStation 2 at that time (which this is the case: Jennifer, will you be my simple titles back then that required far I also inherited from my cousin’s.) girlfriend? more perseverance and imagination Time passed and I am now the – two traits which made those games proud owner of an , and my I’ll play the adult card here and say “register” to a far greater degree in our recent Christmas present was Far Cry 3. “you young’uns don’t know minds. There’s some psychology there Absolutely stunning game, I had great what it’s like.” I don’t say that to but I dropped out of Psych 101 when fun playing it, but I quickly became bored condescend (well not entirely, I realised it was more about biology with it although I have not yet fi nished otherwise where’s the fun in than reading peoples’ dreams, so it… This brings me to the actual topic of being older?), but it’s the truth: I’m probably just making this all up. this letter and that is, have I started to I can’t imagine growing up with So don’t sweat it. Enjoy gaming outgrow gaming? today’s games. Far Cry 3 is a for whatever it is you want it to be, I’ve found that in this vacation I would great title, but it doesn’t have whether it’s an hour every now and much rather go outside, take a jog, or go to the sparkle of the sort then or underwear-drenching the gym instead of enjoying a nice hour or of games I grew marathon sessions every day. two of gaming. Really concerned, I decided up playing. Then As long as you keep buying to look further into this. I bored myself out of again, my brother NAG and attend rAge my mind and then I stood right between my is a little younger whenever possible, XBOX, and my bicycle. Even though I have than you and you’re okay with us. Ed. three new, unfi nished games I still ended he’s well into his PS: Hi Jenn! Jürgen is up choosing my bicycle over my XBOX. Now gaming, despite a solid chap and gets the NAG before everyone starts yelling and swearing being a bit of an Stamp of Approval.

10 April 2014 www.nag.co.za FROM: Christopher Grant Strydom SUBJECT: Censoring ON THE FORUMS Well i always said i wouldnt be a kiss- ass like many of my fellow readers, but We’re old, cantankerous and full of ourselves, but goshdarnit we can be a i have to say how brilliant your mag is! lovely bunch when we try. Join the fray at www.nag.co.za/forums Now the problem i see with the world today is simple, censoring! I found QUESTION / What is the single biggest thing that’s kept you gaming all these years? myself scrolling through your online site only to fi nd that South Park:stick of truth, a game i have been wetting BUTTONS! I love pressing the buttons! myself in anticipation of, has been - ZoRPA censored! Why would they do that? You wouldn’t censor the Mona Lisa if her dress was raunchy, so why tamper The fact that they keep making new games. When with the beautiful vulgarity that is they stop, I’ll stop. I’m stubborn like that. South Park? I honestly feel that if you don’t approve of it, don’t buy it. But - Nferno ruining it for everyone! That sucks donkeykongs! I can safely say that I still play games all these years later because of /Rock Band. If it weren’t for those Some people are too easily off ended and don’t understand that they games bringing me back I may well have drifted on... should simply not view/read/play - nukehead anything that they don’t like. These people then go around telling other people that they too should be Being big and single. off ended by something, and then - CrashHelmut eventually the whole world is up in arms about something that doesn’t The Sweet Sense of fulfi lment I get by really matter to most people. In the words of Mark Twain: Trolling in Multiplayer Games. “Censorship is telling a man he can’t - zAnD have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it.” Ed.

FROM: Dewan Brandt 40fps, and concentrate on making some low-quality mods that’ll boost SUBJECT: The Graphic Race games “lighter”. What I mean by that your frame rate. is, make a game that wil run 1080p Also please stop playing games Olla lé awesome peplo dé NAG (that’s at 40fps on a very budget computer at 640x480. Unless you’re playing French... I think) (low-end graphics card or even on- a retro or classic game. That’s okay Great issue this month, I loved the board graphics). Now I know that what then. Otherwise, every time you play Titan Fall “epic cover”, it was the fi rst I am suggesting is borderline insane, a modern game at that resolution, time I read a long article and wanted and at this time I will ask you to not you make John Carmack cry. Ed. more. Also (although probably late) trace my IP to take me to a mentel HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! institution, but I really think that FROM: Adriaan One thing that’s bothering me, graphics will someday reach the point SUBJECT: Stats and Levels in is the graphic’s thing. You know the where you physically cant see higher Multiplayer Games whole “Let’s make a game that runs resolutions and at that time you will native 1080p at 60fps!”, that’s all great, need the graphics equivalent of easily I’d like to share an idea with you guys, but if you’re like me (doesn’t have 10 x GTX 780 ti’s, but if you can reach and would appreciate your feedback. good PC and uses on-board graphics) that performance with a graphics With multiplayer games, there are you’re probably going to dial down card from yester-era, allot of budget always the experienced and skilled the graphics as low as the settings gamer’s will be very happy... Or we players who easily progress to the top will allow just to get a playable frame can just wait for component prices to ranks in the early days of the game and rate. Now that basically means that fall in which case this entire letter is constantly stay there, while us noobs the whole extra thousand bucks redundant. remain, well.. noobs, not only because spent on HD graphics (and in some other players are more skilled but cases 4K) is only going to be used Most developers do try to optimise because they have far better weaponry, by the people who bought high-end their games’ visuals to give you the giving them an even bigger advantage graphics cards, and the 4K isn’t even best bang for your buck, but the sad over the less experienced / new players. close to being used seeing how you truth is that maybe it’s just time to I think online multiplayer games need a small army of graphic card’s move on, get a console, and stop should have seasons of a number of just to power it (never mind the screen trying to compete with the super months long, after which everyone’s costing R50 000). [Snip, because high-end rigs. Or (perhaps more stats will reset. Everyone will start geez. Ed] I suggest that the big game usefully) you could stick with some anew, and us noobs will not feel as companies stop going for the higher of the older games, dig up a few oppressed. There will be a short time resolution and just stick to HD at optimisation guides and maybe even in which we have a fair chance of

www.nag.co.za April 2014 11 inbox

This is the best bit of fan created artwork we received at NAG this month. If you insert, use or create a piece of gaming artwork incorporating the NAG logo you might also end up here for your three lines of fame. Just don’t go and stick the NAG logo on a picture and send it in because that is dumb and dumb people don’t win things.

This month's prize courtesy of Prima Interactive is Zoo Tycoon for Xbox 360, valued at R449

Hjalmar Pretorius, “I made some fan art in celebration of the new Dark Souls game coming. I just can’t wait to get my grubby little paws on it, if the wife is ok with sleeping alone for best part of March, I don’t know if I’ll leave the Xbox for a long time this March.”

acquiring better weaponry without From: Daanyaal Matthews personally), but even then these too much strain. Subject: One Trick Pony or Never THE games are far from perfect. We got uncapped ADSL this Ending Story? SHORTS What you should absolutely do is keep an eye on the indie scene. January, and I’ve been very eager to [ extracts of LOL join the online gaming community We all know the rise of rumours about from the NAG There’s some cool stuff happening ever since. The release of Titanfall Duke Nukem Forever and when it audience ] there if you can wade through the creates the perfect opportunity, came out it was just another excretion retro/Minecraft/zombie clones, and because everyone will start off at the ( get it because in The game you can “my parents and it seems to be a part of the industry bottom, as Azimuth said. That’s just it. actually excrete ) it’s hype was big and I have discussed where storytelling is just as important the fact about as visuals – or more so. Ed. If everyone had to start from scratch its fall was epic. people online but every few months, online games Many developers make games that I mute them sp I (especially FPS games) will be far more are highly successful but when they can noy here them friendly towards new players. What do try to create a successor , it becomes swear to me” you guys think of this? a failure and if they are unlucky they – Luke might close down because of poor ON TWITTER “Ive noticed in Some games do have seasons – sales. one of ure letters StarCraft II, for example – but I Then at the other side of the coin the X Box One’s @nagcoza agree that there are sometimes you get never ending stories that go name was shortend imbalances related to the amount on forever just because there is a wide to “Xbone” lol!! Ian of time one has spent grinding in a audience that enjoy the game for one sounds like Using my tower of NAG Magazines as a table game, more so than their natural reason and the game could of just been someone refraining for my PS3 (been collecting them since 2006 from sex!” skill. The idea of “Prestiging” also Tomb Raider Legend was my fi rst) put up as DLC ( I am looking – Avenger Legend comes into play here as it resets at you ). However we gamers still your unlocked doohickeys. It’s play the never ending story’s because “my internet Emile Engels for this reason that almost all that one feature we just cannot let access is a little Finding your soul mate in life is easier than competitive gaming levels the go. But we are going to have to face crappy so that’s fi nding Roxy in the NAG #LifeSucks playing fi eld by restricting certain facts someday. They might brag , why I’m stuck.... My situation is weapons, perks, etc. or outright they might add a few things but if it very similar to Justin Conidaris customises the available loadouts plays the same and it feels like the fl appy bird” @nagcoza I sometimes look in a mirror and through modifi cations. Maybe that’s only change is the graphics ( because – Jodien think... poodles. something worth looking into? obviously they gave to change that. It does have to be said, though, Do you notice a trend here? In Ruwy Rique Ludick that very often the players at the the end we gamers are eff ected and I just love the smell of a new @nagcoza top of the score tables are there developers just get the buck. magazine!!! because they’re good at that game, or that map, or mode even. You’re right on the money there Johannes I wouldn’t slag them off too much (literally). We seem to be stuck in You know the new NAG is out when because one day you’ll be up there a bit of a rut in the industry at the @nagcoza changes their twitter profi le and someone will claim you’re only moment, but I hope that we’ll pull picture...... in the top spot because you’ve been through sooner rather than later. camping or noob-tubing or whatever Thankfully we still have a few titles Tristan Klein the cool kids will be complaining that come along every now and @nagcoza got my nag merchandise today, about by then. Ed. then to really shake things up (The looks AWESOME :D thanks guys keep up the Last of Us really stands out for me great work!

12 April 2014 www.nag.co.za

bytes / column

MIKTAR’S by Miktar Dracon MEANDERINGS In case of eggmergency: stare at Kirby

Miktar is a space ntil recently I had no idea what a it. Though if someone wants something of that magnitude, rabbit. He travels the galaxy in search of “burdizzo” was. If asked, I would have they really shouldn’t cheap out and try to use farm tools. carrots, happiness said some kind of enemy from Mario There are safer, if more expensive, methods. and something fuzzy to snuggle up against. Bros. or perhaps Pokémon. There are This friend of mine, who somehow got it into their head so many Pokemon by now, odds are that I’d be the person to ask about helping with such an good the answer would be correct. But awkward and painful (if you look purely at the physics of a burdizzo is not a Pokemon. If you’re the matter) procedure, doesn’t play games. I’m not saying studying animal sciences, you can stop the two elements are related. I’m sure many are perfectly Usniggering. I know you already know what it is. happy retaining their pinballs, even if they don’t play. I’m If you’re prone to sympathy pains – where having someone who grew up with gaming, didn’t really care something described to you makes you kind of feel it much for anything else, and ended up making it my entire – you might want to stop reading now. A burdizzo is a livelihood. My friend not playing games – any games, castration tool that looks like a large metal clamp. It has not even small time-waster mobile games – is to me far fl at ends that clamp down on and break the blood vessels stranger than their desire to stop their rocks. We’re even that go to the testicles. Once the blood stops fl owing to the same age, and yet we’re worlds apart. the happyspheres, they eventually shrink and just… go When one is heavily involved or invested in something, away. It’s a tool made to be used on farm animals for like a hobby, it’s easy to lose focus on the bigger picture. various reasons, and is considered safer than When something is your whole world, there’s some alternatives. the danger of assuming the whole world I’m given an additional 250 words works the same way. We see this with this month for my column and I’m people heavily invested in sports. If telling you about castration. You someone is a heavy duty spectator might be wondering what in the that buys the shirts and attends name of [REDACTED] this has the matches, such people are to do with gaming. The rabbit quick to assume that everyone hole goes deeper. The only is into sports the same way reason I even know about they are. Same goes with this tool which enacts half of popular television shows, an emasculation is because I music genres, or games. was asked by someone to use It’s okay to be a fan of it. Not on myself, goodness no. something though. I’d go so far And not on some poor sheep or as to say that people who enjoy cow. A human being, a friend dare something are far more important I say, confi ded in me that they really than the people who don’t enjoy it. wanted to be castrated. I’m not going to Far too much emphasis is placed on elaborate on the reasons why they’d want the critic these days. The popular trend is something like this done. I did not agree to help to equate negativity with truth. Being negative is them with this matter either, for my own various and totally “cutting through lies”, and being positive is an excuse or not just because I’m squeamish reasons. One day when cover up. If someone is mired in that kind of thinking you they make a movie about my life this part is going to be basically can’t do anything to change it. It’s a nearly perfect really awkward situation comedy. self-reinforcing loop, similar to the thinking of a conspiracy Other than the sheer WTF factor, and that I know theorist. It’s important to enjoy things, and not get overly some really strange people, there’s a lesson in all this fi xated on the things you don’t like. Otherwise one day, you somewhere. People can want very diff erent things from might fi nd yourself resorting to weird farm implements. life. Many think they know what they think they want. Later, they discover that what they thought they wanted wasn’t anything like how they imagined it’d be. We’ve all been there. So this guy I know wants to have his grenades defused. Okay, that’s fi ne. That’s their prerogative, as I see

14 April 2014 www.nag.co.za More info on Frictional’s SOMA Now’s a good time to stock up on pants

t’s impossible to love Frictional This allowed us to get away with just Games for their wonderfully about anything and explain it with I atmospheric works ‘because, magic’. But in SOMA we without simultaneously hating are building a world that is supposed them for traumatising us with the to be tied into the real world and to Penumbra series and Amnesia: make sense.” The Dark Descent. This is why we Frictional plans to place greater simultaneously hate and love the emphasis on telling SOMA’s story fact that the studio’s hard at work on eff ectively and ensuring that the its sci-fi horror expedition SOMA, a player becomes engrossed in the game we’re terribly excited (but at the narrative, which explores what it same time not at all excited) to get means to be a sentient being. Lastly, our trembling hands on. Frictional’s here’s the bit that you’re likely most released some tantalising new details interested in: on the project, and just in case you “The game should be utterly weren’t sure before, they’ve reiterated terrifying. We do not want you to that there will be terror. And lots of calmly stroll through the various it. Here’s what they say of the game environments; it must be emotionally world: tasking to progress. We want “When creating Amnesia our this blanket of oppression and setting was basically just ‘Old castle fear wrapped around the entire where supernatural stuff happens’. experience.”

Sacred 3 is still on its way ublisher Deep Silver has at some time during Q3 this year. been quiet about Sacred 3 What’s particularly interesting is the P since its initial batch of press complete lack of next-gen mentions screenings way back in 2012, but the in the trailer, which means the game recent release of a cinematic trailer is currently only aiming for PC, 360 means that those launch gears are and PS3 at present. We wouldn’t ticking away. The offi cial shelf date be entirely shocked if that changed is still unconfi rmed, but it’s pegged closer to release date, however.

www.nag.co.za April 2014 15 bytes / column

Miklós secretly saved the world from a horde of fl ying ninjas. Don’t ask him about it: he’ll deny the whole thing. While the Fish I, GAMER is away… by Miklós Szecsei Giant, high-fi ving robots!

think I fi nally know what it feels like to be one of those dudebro, Call of Duty kinds of people. You know, those butt-clenchingly Iembarrassing types who count the days until the next version of the same online shooter releases so they can prestige their soldier and, I don’t know, perk kill newbs or something – I hear that’s a thing. I kind of hate the online shooter scene; you have to play with other people, and I’m not good at sharing my game worlds. A few months back I confessed to rather enjoying Battlefi eld 4, but it hen Phil Fish rage-quit the games industry with his classy turns out I’m a fi ckle bastard (I’m as surprised as you are) because “i take the money and i run” blog post, it was largely I haven’t sniff ed BF4 in weeks. Wexpected that his studio Polytron Corporation would I’ve wanted to join the throngs of shooter-obsessed masses soon follow, but as it so happens, the remaining team members for a very long time now, because when it comes to gaming I have done what Fish couldn’t (something which agitated him get pretty bad FOMO. Dark Souls 2 and Dota 2 are my current greatly): see the indie platformer Fez onto Sony devices. The FOMO white whales, but that’s a whole diff erent story. My online game is now scheduled for release on PS3, PS4 and PS Vita, and shooter white whale, however, has now been harpooned right in should be available by time you read this. its blowhole. Take THAT, you albino plankton sieve. While there won’t be much in the way of new content, Polytron I can now don my online manshooter fanatic’s cap with pride, teased that the PS4 version will have “a few surprises”, and is “the and it’s all thanks to Titanfall. I never bought into the hype for this best-looking and smoothest Fez experience you can get on a TV set.” game because I knew it was a multiplayer shooter. The fact that The port wasn’t developed in-house; Polytron teamed up with the ex-Infi nity Ward guys were behind it only served to heighten Spanish company BlitWorks to handle the move over to C++ (Fez my haughty dismissal. Then, on a whim, I got stuck into the beta, was originally created with XNA/C#). Reprogramming rather than and I’ve been counting the days until the game’s release ever wrapping Fez means the gameplay is sure to be buttery smooth, and since that beta ended. At the time of writing this column, we’re Polytron claims the game runs at 60 frames-per-second at 720p on a little more than a week away from Titanfall releasing in South the PS3 and 1080p on the PS4. Africa. Right now, however, we’re all probably waist-deep in pilot guts and Titan scrap metal. That or we’re all being VERY ANGRY at Electronic Arts and Microsoft because the Titanfall servers are falling over. Sony is turning The Last of Us STOP PRESS *** *** into a feature fi lm

Well, would you look at that: I had to recall this column before the magazine went to print. This column’s deadline was 07 March, but something else happened a few hours after I submitted it to NAG HQ: Titanfall was cancelled for the South African market. The cancellation is all thanks to our lack of Microsoft Azure servers down here on the ass-end of the African continent. By now the whole world knows that Electronic Arts can’t be trusted to host reliable servers, and so Respawn and EA turned to Microsoft’s über-servers to host the game instead. While the South African market still has access to EU-based Azure servers, Electronic Arts South Africa felt that wasn’t good enough and so they pulled the plug on the local Titanfall release. According to their “recent online tests for Titanfall,” EA South Africa found that f during your playthrough of The Last of Us you said to yourself “performance rates” were not “as high as we need to guarantee a on more than one occasion “Man, this would make a pretty great great experience”. This despite many local gamers having a jolly I movie,” then you’re not alone. Naughty Dog, Sony and Screen good time with the Titanfall beta, and despite the fact that EA has Gems have started work on a fi lm adaptation of 2013’s resounding unleashed their multiplayer drivel on us in the past, so why the hit. There’s very little info other than the fact that the game’s directors, sudden about-face in customer experience policy? Neil Druckman and Bruce Staley, will be involved. The fi lm is being directed by Sam Raimi [I’m out. Ed], whose credits include the original Spider-Man trilogy and Drag Me to Hell. It sounds like the fi lm won’t deviate much from the game’s plot.

16 April 2014 www.nag.co.za The sky’s the limit continues to pack in the features

ven though it’s still in beta, sector devoid of danger. Instead Starbound has not only already of progressing by accessing new E made a ridiculous amount of sectors, your journey will be reliant cash for developer Chucklefi sh, but on technology you’ve unlocked it’s also jam-packed full of delicious that will allow you to gain access to content for those early adopters planets previously inaccessible due to enjoy. The devs continue to add to hazards like toxic air. Eventually, in new features, and while they the game will branch off into three previously teased future content like main progression paths: farming, support, a dungeon master-style adventuring and building. Director Mode and an optional PVP- This all aims to make progression focused endgame, those features less linear as you learn the skills will only be added further down the necessary to unlock more of the development line. game’s planets by doing what you Content that you can look enjoy doing most. The three roles will forward to sooner includes a eventually expand in optional ways; revamped progression system. In farmers can choose to learn animal the fi nal game, instead of diff erent farming, for example. Chucklefi sh sectors, there will be three are also adding outpost planets: sectors: the sector in which the small, safe hubs populated by every majority of the game takes place, a race, where trading can be done and PVP-centric sector and a creative quests can be found.

PlayStation 4 releases in Japan, global sales surpass 6 million

e’re not the only country on 22 February where it went that has to wait months on to sell 370,000 units in the Wbefore one of the new fi rst week. That pushed the consoles becomes available. In PlayStation 4’s global sales the case of Japan the wait for the fi gure to just over 6 million. Sony PlayStation 4 must have been also revealed that 13.7 million even more irksome considering PlayStation 4 games have sold Sony is a Japanese company. worldwide since the November Be that as it may, the console 2013 launch. launched on Sony’s home turf

www.nag.co.za April 2014 17 bytes / column

Pippa exists in multiple realities. Every now and then hers crosses over with ours and we snag her to write something for the magazine. Bribery of fi ne cheeses is sometimes required. Titanfall drops off THE GAME local release lists n the March issue of NAG we featured STALKER Titanfall on our cover. We played the beta on Iboth PC and , and had a lovely time by Pippa Tshabalala doing so despite the moderate amount of lag one gets from playing on European servers. It’s to be expected, really. But it appears as though the tested network performance wasn’t good enough for EA – the game has had its release Critique date pulled indefi nitely. EA South Africa posted this to their Facebook wall, and contacted those who he South African gaming industry is in many ways rather pre-ordered to inform them: “After conducting small, and I don’t mean this in the fi nancial or distribution recent online tests for Titanfall, we found Tsense, but rather in terms of the journalistic sphere. Game that the performance rates in South Africa journalists occupy a very small space in the sense that we all were not as high as we need to guarantee a kind of know each other, and while I would like to think that great experience, so we have decided not to once upon a time the industry was open to an infl ux of young, release Titanfall in South Africa at this time.” enthusiastic game journos, I see it rapidly becoming more The root of this issue stems from the fact competitive and more diffi cult to break in. I see people coming that Titanfall relies on Microsoft’s Azure in bright eyed and bushy tailed, desperate to “play games for server tech to run everything, but Azure a living (LOL!), and thinking that we’re all united in our love for servers are apparently more diffi cult to video games (in many respects true, but also naïve) only to establish than any ordinary gaming server come up against resistance when they realise how competitive and as a result there are none in South Africa. the industry has become. That’d force local players to stick to Euro They also quickly learn that there is a diff erence between servers at the very least, causing latency in having an informed opinion on a game rather than writing a excess of 250ms which is hardly ideal for fast- description that any reader could fi nd off the back of the game paced games like Titanfall. box. To the heart of the matter – I fi nd myself continuously Still, it’d be nice to have the option to play, coming back to the idea of review versus critique. and suff er the lag if we so choose. If you The concept of critiquing a game is in many ways agree, then be sure to sign the change.org problematic, and I think in part this is because many journalists petition at chn.ge/1cO6KoV – the world over, not just locally – see themselves as critics rather than journalists. There is a distinct diff erence between reviewing a game (supposedly objective, who are we kidding?) as opposed to actively engaging with the themes and deeper meaning of a game in a critique, and this doesn’t automatically mean that an excellent game journalist and reviewer is by default a good critic. I’m certainly not the fi rst one to bring up this argument, but crushed in I fi nd it bothering me more lately. Perhaps it’s because I’ve just been supervising a research paper on the value of online forum criticism in animation, or perhaps it’s because I’m tired of seeing candy-marking saga reviews that don’t really tell me anything I didn’t already know, nor do they prompt any thoughtfulness in me with regards to ocial game developer King kicked the game they’re reviewing. With the exception of a couple of up quite a ruckus in recent writers and publications, I fi nd that I read fewer reviews and more Smonths over their attempt critiques. I prefer to read articles that meditate on the themes to trademark the words “candy” within a game rather than the framerate and specs. I’ve always and “saga”, spawning endless argued that a review is an opinion – just because I don’t like backlash from the Internet and JRPGs doesn’t mean they’re invalid as a genre, but it does mean even a few direct jabs like the that I’m probably not the best person to review Final Fantasy indie-powered CandyJam. It M. A critique of the relationships between characters and the seems that all of that negative continual disruption of the planet’s life force as an overarching publicity was just too much for theme holds greater interest for me as a reader than hearing King to handle, and the company about how the combat system has been upgraded when we has now withdrawn its application for all know the tweaks are so fi ne that it’s not going to entice the trademark in the US. someone like me to give it more than a cursory once over. The exact reason behind this withdrawal is unknown, as King Yeah maybe you don’t care. Or maybe it’s time for a spokespeople declined to comment on the matter, but they have revolution. confi rmed that, even though the company is no longer interested in trademarking “candy” in the US, they will continue to “take all appropriate steps to protect our IP” within Europe.

18 April 2014 www.nag.co.za Up, up and away!

ean “Rocket” Hall – the man so I can talk, I can explain something. who created the open-world I can talk people up to the ledge and Dzombie player survival get them to jump off it.” simulator DayZ – will be leaving But Hall claims that’s all he’s good Bohemia Interactive this year. for, and that kind of person is no The Czech Republic-based studio longer required for DayZ as we see has been Hall’s home for the last the game’s development move into a couple of years while he and his phase more focused on maintenance team transferred DayZ from its than innovation. original form as a mod for ARMA Hall won’t disappear just 2 to a standalone game under yet, however. He’ll stay on as a Bohemia’s banner. consultant for the rest of this year at “I am a grenade,” Hall told least, but it appears as though he’s . “I have a specifi c use. I’m eager to return to his home country really good at risk-taking and making New Zealand where he plans to other people take risks, I’ve always assemble a small team and get back been good at that in my life. Like you to his goal of creating “the perfect say, maybe I’ve got the gift of the gab, multiplayer experience”.

Disney Interactive lays off 26% of workforce

isney Interactive has let go of as the company begins to focus 26% of their global workforce, on licensed development projects, Dor just over 700 employees. such as the recent Electronic Arts The company is in the process of Star Wars IP deal. This is all part of restructuring their gaming business, a move to see Disney Interactive and as a result they’ve combined return to profi tability, but in the mobile game teams with social process the company is anticipating game teams. In addition to this, in- a 50% reduction in releases. house development will decrease

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Gearbox’s With the bathwater Remastered not just Irrational founder leaves studio, shuts it an HD remake down behind him

s we all know by now, Gearbox is hard at work putting together Aan updated version of the classic RTS series Homeworld. They recently launched a new website for the game – you should check it out: www.homeworldremastered.com. In addition to a shiny new website, the updated edition has been given a fi nal en Levine, co-founder of Irrational “While I’m deeply proud of what we’ve name: Homeworld Remastered Collection. Games and the vision behind the accomplished together, my passion has It sounds like Gearbox is going the whole KBioShock series, has announced that turned to making a diff erent kind of game hog with this one as the collection will the studio will be shut down entirely. 15 than we’ve done before,” Levine writes. “To give both Homeworld 1 and Homeworld 2 members of the team will join Levine as he meet the challenge ahead, I need to refocus high-res textures and models, recreated moves to a new venture within 2K to create my energy on a smaller team with a fl atter cinematic scenes (the team that worked “highly replayable” narrative-driven games structure and a more direct relationship with on the original Homeworld cinematics is for core gamers. Every other developer, gamers. In many ways, it will be a return to remastering them for Gearbox), remastered artist and engineer has been given the boot how we started: a small team making games audio, and support for up to 4K resolutions. (albeit padded with some fi nancial support), for the core gaming audience.” Gearbox is also surveying gamers as to although Levine explained that they’ve Levine originally intended to take his new what kind of collector’s edition they want. had ample opportunities to assemble their concepts elsewhere though venture capital There are two options at present that diff er portfolios, and 2K has even invited other funding (or possibly crowd-funding), but when based on the size and style of a Homeworld studios to Irrational to chat with (and hopefully he discussed his intentions with 2K they Mothership replica: the one replica is a 6” employ) the remaining team members. gave him the opportunity to stay, and keep a metal model, and the other is a 12” resin This move might come as a surprise relatively small portion of the team. replica with LED lights powered via a USB/ to anyone who enjoyed BioShock’s latest The fi nal piece of DLC for BioShock Infi nite AC cable. Both options will include the foray among the clouds, but it appears as – Burial at Sea – should be available by the usual content: artbooks, lithographs, a though this move is driven more by creative time you read this, and will be the last bit of game manual (!), key rings and more. If you diff erences than fi nancial troubles. content created by Irrational. want to vote, head over to the website.

Nova-111 turns turn-based real-time reated by Funktronic Labs (a studio formed by ex-members of the PixelJunk C team), Nova-111 is set in a world wherein time is turn-based. When a team of intrepid scientists attempts to access the power of real-time, everything goes expectedly awry and the two universes of turn-based and real-time collide. What this means for us playing the game is that the world gradually shifts between the two forms of time, setting a unique time-manipulative stage for both combat and puzzles as you traverse the game in your research vessel. Your vessel will slowly be upgraded as you progress, and the whole product is wrapped up in an adorably eye- catching art style.

20 April 2014 www.nag.co.za Setting sale Valve changes sales policy, lets families share spoils

e’re pretty sure that them. The idea is to further bridge the Steam’s frequent mega- divide between developers and their W sale bonanzas have customers. It’ll allow developers to do become events that garner enough things like time sales to coincide with widespread attention to rival major major game updates and the like. game releases. But even beyond Another bit of Steam-related those massive sales, Steam’s news is the addition of Steam Family constantly running weekly sales, daily Sharing, which as the name suggests sales and other smaller-scale sales at will allow one Steam library to be all times, meaning that there’s always shared amongst family and other a deal waiting to be snatched up if Steam users. You can share your you frequently browse the digital library with up to fi ve other users, and distribution giant’s storefront. Up they’ll be able to play your games until now, Valve has had a fi rm grip while earning their own achievements on the reins of all sales that occur on and storing their own Steam Cloud Steam, but that’s all about to change saves. However, players must be as they hand control over to game online to access your library, and developers. if you start playing the same game It’s been announced that anyone as them, they’ll be booted shortly selling games on Steam will now thereafter, which means that you be able to fashion their own sales, won’t be able to play multiplayer deciding on the duration and pricing games together in this fashion. of discounted items. Developers can Regardless of the restrictions, it’s a either set up custom sales, or they can really awesome new feature for the opt-in to regularly scheduled events service. to get their games featured within

Crawl debuts uncooperative dungeon crawling

t fi rst glance, you may mistake powerful gear. Meanwhile, three Crawl as being just another other players control the monsters Aroguelike dungeon-crawler, and traps of the dungeon, evolving the likes of which we’re seeing a their critters over the course of the lot of these days. Peer beneath its game to become more powerful. If attractive pixel art veneer, however, one of those players kills the hero, and you’ll fi nd a “competitive they assume the role of the hero. The multiplayer dungeon crawler where goal is to be the fi rst to gain enough your friends control the monsters”. power to challenge the dungeon In Crawl, one player controls boss – which is cooperatively a hero moving through randomly controlled by the monster players. generated dungeons, gaining XP and Games are quick and frantic, and we improving their abilities while fi nding love the sound of it.

www.nag.co.za April 2014 21 bytes Shake it baby A third Risen arises 3D Realms stands its ground with the help of some hired muscle

ou might’ve heard in recent months Mass Destruction. Mike Nielsen of SDN will that 3D Realms decided that it would move into the position of CEO of 3D Realms, Ybe totally fi ne to just go ahead and but Scott Miller will stay on in a creative make another Duke Nukem game. You consultant role. know, because it’s not like selling As to how exactly this new high- all Duke IP to Gearbox means powered team thinks it can win they’re not allowed to do against Gearbox’s law suit that. Following 3D Realms’ is anyone’s guess, but it announcement, Gearbox appears as though there’s leapt into legal mode and far more to this story than has been attempting to what is public knowledge. shut down the project Nielson told Eurogamer he Risen series (spiritual successor since, and then, almost that the team hasn’t to the cult hit Gothic series) has out of the blue, 3D Realms technically offi cially T always been mighty attractive on announced that they’ve announced the game, and the surface thanks to its far-reaching role- been bought by Interceptor that they’ve “left some hints playing ambitions, but thus far it’s fallen Entertainment – the studio online. There have been a few short in delivering on that ambition due behind the recent Rise of the Triad leaks,” which sounds like a load of to technical shortcomings and a general remake (which itself was published by nonsensical legal side-stepping that, this sense that developer Piranha Bytes Apogee – the publishing wing of 3D Realms). early in development, can only spell trouble repeatedly bites off more than it can chew. As it so happens, Intercepter is owned by for the game – as we’ve seen so often in the That’s not stopped them from announcing a large investment fi rm called SDN Invest, past. the third title in the franchise, however. which believes it has the legal muscle to Whatever plans they have, Neilson leaves It’s called Risen 3: Titan Lords, and it’ll fi ght Gearbox on the matter of the new Duke’s fans with the message, “we’re not all transport players to a new setting that’s Duke game, which is entitled Duke Nukem out of gum yet.” This is going to get interesting. been “abandoned by all gods and suff ers from the Titan Wars when a new threat rises from the soil”. You, a young warrior, are attacked and have your soul stolen from you, and must embark on a quest to reclaim what you’ve lost. Multiple factions will star in the game, with Piranha Bytes Ouya prepares for promising a world that’s “diverse, authentic and full of life” and will off er an “authentic, classic RPG experience”. The game’s due world domination out this August. uya may not be the perfect meagre attempt at the same thing a gaming console, but the brand couple of years ago. Sure, it helped push O has grown steadily since its mobile gaming just that little bit further, launch, with over 30,000 registered but today you don’t hear anyone talking developers having published a total of about PlayStation Mobile (previously tends 675 games on the platform (about a fi fth of PlayStation Suite). If anything, this move which are exclusive) to date. That growth from Ouya is likely a reaction to the is just the beginning, claims Ouya’s CEO rumours that both Apple and Amazon are its fl ock Julie Uhrman, as the company prepares preparing to enter the tiny home console hen creators Team17 for its next stage of evolution. market – a move which Uhrman welcomes announced that they’d make a “One thing you'll start to see is Ouya on as a challenge and validation of this W return to the world of third-party other people's devices,” Uhrman said in market segment’s potential. publishing, many assumed that might mark an interview with [a]list daily. “For us, we'll the end of their developer days. Thankfully always have a minimum set of standards that has now been confi rmed as untrue: so the games will work well on our device Team17 MD Debbie Bestwick recently as well as others. It's the hardware plus an announced that the studio is working on a ecosystem.” new game. While it makes sense to expand Ouya That game is called Flockers, but to be a service rather than simply a unfortunately not much else is known platform, we can’t help but recall Sony’s about it at this stage. Bestwick describes Flockers as “the most important game we’ve worked on in over a decade”.

22 April 2014 www.nag.co.za Toby’s Island borrows some old-school charm

The Dark Knight just

ooking a bit like Pokémon crossed can’t get enough with Harvest Moon, Toby’s Island is La charming 2D adventure/RPG in which you play as titular Toby. After your Warner Bros. unveils Batman: Arkham Knight abusive father encourages you to run away from home, Toby gets lost at sea ’m Batman. You’re Batman. We’re ALL want it, and it’ll race to Bats’ side at the and eventually fi nds himself on an island. Batman! Again! Hooray! Warner Bros. touch of a button. The Batmobile will form On this island, he fi nds creatures that I Interactive Entertainment has lifted the an integral part of the game and you’ll be can be collected and used to fi ght other lid on Batman: Arkham Knight, the next fl itting from car seat to on-foot navigation creatures in turn-based combat. There’s game in the Arkham series that developer throughout the campaign. crafting too, and mini-games such as Rocksteady started fi ve years ago with A number of familiar faces will be making fi shing to enjoy, and there’s also a town Arkham Asylum. There really is nothing a return, including Harley-Quinn, Penguin, that acts as your home base, which can but good news with this reveal, starting Two-Face, Riddler, and Scarecrow, who be upgraded as you progress to add new with the fact that Rocksteady is back at the is the game’s main villain. Each of these buildings and features. development helm after a one game hiatus characters will be getting their same voice- Certain elements in the game will be when development duties were handed actors from previous games, with Kevin randomised to ensure that each person over to Warner Bros. Montreal. That resulted Conroy returning to voice Batman. who plays it has a diff erent experience. in the rather disappointing Arkham Origins, As for the subtitle, Arkham Knight, that Your creatures can be possessed by which acted as a prequel of sorts. Arkham actually refers to a new character who will a range of spirits you’ll meet, and your Knight, however, kicks off a year after the become an arch-rival for Batman during the party of critters will evolve as you use events of Arkham City. course of the game. This character is being them depending on what spirits they’re Arkham Knight will feature a “fully created specifi cally for the game by DC’s possessed by. Toby will also have to farm detailed and realized Gotham City” that’s Geoff Johnson, who has previously worked for food, because you have to eat in the about fi ve times the size of Arkham City. on Green Lantern and Justice League. game to ensure your continued existence. While it won’t be the largest game world, Finally, the game won’t feature As you grow in power and as your Rocksteady is aiming for it to be the most multiplayer and it will only be available on settlement expands, you’ll gradually be detailed. For the fi rst time in the series, the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, making it a able to venture out further to explore more Batmobile will be available whenever you “true next-gen experience”. of the island.

Dishonored II info supposedly leaked, may be real by the time you read this ACE Team

f a leaked Bethesda factsheet is to be announces its next believed, then Dishonored II is set for a Ireveal at this year’s . An off -screen CE Team – the Chilean developer set to master, containing such scary image was snapped from an internal responsible for such wacky fi ghter jargon as “cancel into supers” presentation and uploaded to notoriously Ainteractive fare as brawler Zeno and “dodge cancels”. The catch is that leaky website AllGamesBeta. The fact Clash (along with its sequel) and boulder the AI-controlled enemies have move sheet makes mention of a new main smasher Rock of Ages – have unveiled sets that are just as complex, so you’ll character with new powers. The game their next project. Abyss Odyssey is a side- have to truly master your character to won’t be set in Dunwall but rather in a scrolling beat-‘em-up set in a randomised best succeed at this game. northern area called Tyvia. Dishonored II world, and the developers are placing huge In a typically peculiar ACE Team twist, is powered by id’s Tech 5 engine and it’ll emphasis on the beat-‘em-up part. you’ll also be able to capture the souls of be heading to PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox They want their new game’s combat enemies, allowing you to assume their form One in 2016. Take it with a pinch of salt system to rival the complexity of and adopt their moves as your own. So for now. dedicated fi ghting games like Street you’ll be able to transform into such bizarre Fighter. To that end, each of the three things as a psychedelic bull with barnacles playable characters has a unique move (or something) growing on its back.

www.nag.co.za April 2014 23 bytes

Caption of Get fi t! the month Every month Nintendo announces new company division with we’ll choose a screenshot from renewed focus on fi tness products a random game and write a bad caption for it. Your job is to come up with a better one. The winner will get a copy of MXGP for PS3 from Apex Interactive. Send your captions to letters@ nag.co.za with the subject line “April caption”.

intendo president Satoru Iwata has video games. This business area, from the NAG’S LAME ATTEMPT AT HUMOUR announced that the company has sounds of things, will follow similar patterns to "I used to like 3D movies, then I took an N a 10 year plan to improve people’s Nintendo’s tried and tested model of releasing arrow to the eye" quality of life. Speaking to shareholders and hardware with compatible software. What investors via the offi cial Nintendo website, that means is we could see a new suite of Iwata outlined the company’s plans to expand Nintendo hardware with a focus outside of their hardware business in a new direction video games. According to Iwata, that focus that will complement their already existing will be on fi tness and wellbeing, and on entertainment off erings. This additional establishing “an environment in which more off ering was born out of Nintendo’s redefi ning people are conscious about their health”. of what they believe “entertainment” to be; The company has earmarked the next for Nintendo, “entertainment” now needs to 10 years to try and establish and grow improve people’s quality of life, or “QOL” as this new business area. In the meantime, the company is referring to it. it’ll be business as usual for platforms This new outlook does not mean that like the Nintendo 3DS and . Iwata’s Nintendo is abandoning the gaming scene, announcement didn’t make any indication as LAST MONTH’S WINNER and Iwata was quick to point out that to what type of hardware we can expect to “I told the doctor I broke my leg in two “dedicated video game platforms will remain see, but perhaps that Wii heart rate that was places. He said that’s what you get for our core focus.” However, the company will be rumoured some years back will get to see the sleeping with my daughter.” establishing a new business area aside from light of day? - Jason Batzofi n

24 April 2014 www.nag.co.za SUPPORT LINES RELEASE LIST Got a legal boxed game and need Codemasters / NC-Soft / Namco- Dates subject to change without notice some technical help? Before you call Bandai / Disney please do the following. Update your e-mail / [email protected] system software, drivers and have Telephone / 0861 987 363 APRIL WEEK 1 a look online for a game patch. Just these simple tasks eliminate 93% of all PUBLISHERS / Microsoft Xbox Cut the Rope: Triple Threat 3DS problems – it’s a made up statistic but Telephone / 0800 991 550 Don Bradman Cricket 14 360 / PS3 probably close enough. The Elder Scrolls Online PC PUBLISHERS / Electronic Arts PUBLISHERS / / Blizzard e-mail / [email protected] 2K Games Rockstar / / Telephone / 0860 EAHELP/324357 APRIL WEEK 2 Metro: Last Light Complete Edition 360 / PC / PS3 LEGO Friends DS LEGO The Hobbit 360 / 3DS / PC / PS3 / PS4 / PSV / Wii U Roxy hunt APRIL WEEK 3 Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn PS4 Send your sighting to [email protected] with 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil 360 / PS3 the subject line “April Roxy”, and of course Trials Fusion PS4 your contact details, and you could win a prize. Feeling lucky punk? APRIL WEEK 4 Dark Souls II PC FEATURE Titanfall

Titanfall is shipping on PC, Xbox 360, and Xbox One, but Respawn’s studio head has subtly hinted The Sly Trilogy PSV that any hypothetical sequels could launch on other platforms, saying the game is “exclusive at launch” only. PS4 Wireless Stereo Headset PS4

t is the future. As previously predicted by tens of thousands of straight-to- paperback sci-fi primers, humanity has colonised the deepest reaches of space – bringing fast food, Styrofoam, toilet Ipaper, and the other accoutrements of so-called civilisation to the stars of Earth’s night sky. Oh, and mining, obviously, because sucking every exploitable resource out of every planet is kind of our thing. Under the auspices (and shareholder cash) of the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation, commercial industry is booming and the galactic shipping lanes between here and there and everywhere else are crammed with freight. Enter the inevitable Militia, a mostly APRIL UNCONFIRMED lawless confederacy of homesteaders, mercenaries, bandits, and pirates who’ve decided they don’t much like the way the IMC is doing business in their backyards, ostensibly because NOBLE REASONS AND OTHER VAGUELY-DEFINED POLITICAL AGENDAS but probably actually because LEGO Mega Pack PSV they’re not getting a cut of the profi ts.

PROPAGANDA MACHINE

AI-controlled NPCs come in two categories – Grunts and Spectres. The former are fi rst-in, fi rst-out redshirt troopers, but the latter arrive alongside “It's better to make a game that a smaller It’s basically Weyland Yutani versus the Titan deployments, and are somewhat Browncoats [Ooh, an Alien and Firefl y more hazardous and much harder to kill. reference in one – nice! Ed], but with huge Using a Data Knife, human players can hack enemy Spectres and reprogram robots added to keep things interesting. them to switch teams. Remember, loyalty Full disclosure fi rst, then – Titanfall has and conviction are only as strong as occupied the prestigious #1 position on my Boolean values, and that’s why AI soldiers “Most Anticipated Shoot Things With Guns will probably never be a real thing. Games” since it was revealed at E3 last year. number of people love than a large I’m a shoot-things-with-guns kinda gamer, so I suppose it makes an obvious sort of sense, but in a genre currently dominated by copy-pasted military FPS clones set in Middle Russiastan, Titanfall is something special. And with more than 75 awards on Respawn Entertainment’s offi ce shelf before March winner number of people think is kind of alright. the game’s even launched, there are already loads of reasons to be excited. 40 March 2014 www.nag.co.za Danielle Nel, page 40 And if you can make that work in a business model it's a much nicer place to be as a developer. And I think it's a much This month’s prize nicer place to be as a customer as well, you feel like actually there's enough diversity.” BioShock Infi nite HeroClix Starter pack valued at R350. – Dan Pinchbeck, creative director at Dear Sponsored by Skycastle. Esther / Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs developer The Chinese Room, speaking with GamesIndustry.biz

www.nag.co.za April 2014 25 bytes / home_coded

EXPOSURE FOR SOUTH AFRICAN INDIE DEVELOPERS by Rodain Joubert

GAME OVERVIEW Described as a hybrid between puzzle game and sound toy, Cadence has players constructing zenlike and fl exible audio structures in 3D space using connections that are hooked between nodes. When a signal The Symphony is sent through the connective web, each node has its own musical note and set of rules for advancing or destroying the signal. The possibility of multiple solutions (inside a gamespace of Cadence that’s reminiscent of Osmos, Splice and First there was an X-factor sense that it An intersection of puzzle game and sound Spacechem) allows was bigger than the sum of its parts. A toy, Cadence has gone through several players to provide “feeling that I’d stumbled on this very rich major design revisions since its creation for unique solutions to the and fertile thing which was somehow more the Ludum Dare 26 game jam. Described by game’s problems and than the code I’d put into my computer. the author as taking a “zenlike” approach, procedurally generate Second was the sense that this was actually the emphasis on marrying aesthetics with melodies which are an achievable game for me to build as a mechanics has been a challenging, albeit particular to them. The lone developer.” rewarding process for him to go through. game’s ultimate design These are the words of Peter Cardwell- Cardwell-Gardner’s games have always goal is to have players Gardner, an aspiring developer entering the had a heavy emphasis on evoking emotion compose pleasing, market with his fi rst professional venture – an and projecting feelings. Before Cadence looped music without aural love letter he calls Cadence. Announced came attempts like Towards The Light, a realising that they’re in March, he plans to bring it to PC, Mac and claustrophobic cave explorer that lasts a few doing it, coming from iPad later this year, gaining attention and minutes and creates a convincing pressure solid and rewarding momentum on services such as Greenlight. situation for players. “In a broader sense I’m gameplay mechanics. hugely inspired by the spiritual awakening An online demo that’s happening in indie gaming right now,” of the game is he says. Projects he holds up as examples currently available at of the area he wants to work with include madewithmonsterlove. Journey (Thatgamecompany) and Gone com/demo/cadence (uses Home (The Fullbright Company). the Unity web player) Made With Monster Love, the one-man company he’s established, is working hard at promoting Cadence on a variety of avenues and marketing has been taken very seriously. “As an indie, good marketing is the diff erence between do or die.” Beyond a lot of the common advice which people receive about marketing, Cardwell- Gardner suggests that marketing needs a story attached to it – that being made aware of a game’s existence should be a relatable experience in itself. Promoting something that’s worth mentioning and discussing from the beginning is powerful. It’s the “tell your friends” approach, refi ned and distilled.

26 April 2014 www.nag.co.za

bytes / home_coded

A MARKETING MUST

Made With Monster Love uses the on a few key areas helps people press kit template created by the build a better internal idea of your fi ne minds at Vlambeer (dopresskit. game – shaping it and giving the com). Having a good press kit is an “marketing story” described by oft-underestimated – but extremely Cadence’s developer. Focusing useful – component of anyone’s that lens a little bit allows you to marketing plan. earn a personality for your project Putting aside the time and eff ort – for example, you can present to have your media bases covered is your game from the word go as a godsend for any journalist wanting unapologetically diffi cult, or tout to cover you – even seemingly it as a zenlike experience, or be a redundant and minor eff orts like radical demonstration of “Insert putting all of your contact URLs Your Trait Here”! in one place makes life easier for Bear in mind that the more media anyone who wants to spread news you provide for people to cover your about you. Good journalists can put game with, the more control you’ll more eff ort into portraying you with have over this eventual narrative interesting and thought-out pieces. and personality projection and help Bad journalists will be propped up people adjust their expectations by your initiative. And otherwise accordingly (“ah, so it’s meant to be uninterested journos may be swayed diffi cult,” and so on). But be sure to to report about you when they see understand that you can get burned what a convenient and painless as well – so don’t advertise the game source of news you can be. as something it’s not! This creates Even volunteering descriptions dissonance for everyone who tries of your game helps the way that your product and a savvy journo it’s portrayed in reports. Angling isn’t going to be impressed by false and focusing market attention descriptions.

Games as experiences have also informed “As an indie, good his activities with the local dev community over the past few years. He often has a hand in organising local events, the most recent one marketing is the diff erence being an experimental gaming party called Super Friendship Arcade. Teaming up with fellow developer Richard Pieterse (creator of between do or die.” Wang Commander), the Arcade brought an overwhelming crowd of Cape Town dwellers to a small skate park, merging alternative party culture with crowd-appropriate games like Johann Sebastian Joust and the locally- developed Broforce. He hopes to see more games moving in the “spiritual” playspace he’s exploring. Concerning games as art, he still feels that the industry is too reliant on self-proclaiming its cultural merits. “I like the notion that rich people don’t need to proclaim their wealth, for they simply are rich. I think in a similar sense I wish the games industry wouldn’t go round proclaiming that it’s artistic or needing to be more gender neutral. It would simply be those things and make games that refl ect that. This might take a while (particularly the second one).” He hopes to expand his company in the Cadence as it appeared in Ludum Dare 26. It future, and that Cadence will pave the way was originally called Synesthesis. for more ambitious projects requiring other talents. Check on the state of Cadence and learn more about Made With Monster love at www.madewithmonsterlove.com

28 April 2014 www.nag.co.za

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“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “PS4” is a trademark of the same company. preview

The Elder Scrolls Online The multiplayer Elder Scrolls we always wanted, at a price

ho hasn’t played Skyrim and wished game in the genre, so they’ll be fresh to all they could explore its vast and the various tropes and mechanics the genre Wopen-ended but ultimately single- traditionally employs. Those who have played player world with friends? While Elder Scrolls many MMORPGS may fi nd ESO overly familiar, Online does fi nally bring multiplayer into the in spite of the expertly-crafted thematic picture, it isn’t really like Skyrim or Oblivion, window dressing. it just tries very hard to make you think it is. And as long as you don’t look too closely between the cracks, the impression holds TROUBLE IN TAMRIEL together very well. I rolled an Argonian. The lizard-folk look a bit ESO takes place a thousand years before like a guy in a lizard suit, likely because they the events in Skyrim; the Daedric Prince needed the non-human characters to still Molag Bal is up to no good and it’s up to you conform to a certain shape to cut down on to stop his plans to pull all of Tamriel into how many diff erent types of armour models his realm. We got some hands-on time with to create. Character creation has all the the current beta, limited somewhat by only trimmings: race, class, body adjustments, being able to log in at certain predetermined facial adjustments, and so on. For class, I times. For many players, ESO will be their fi rst picked Sorcerer at fi rst, but a few hours later deleted the character and tried Dragonknight. "From the get-go, Elder Scrolls Magic wasn’t doing it for me, the combat felt very Online employs every trick it can unsatisfying due to a lack of feedback. Melee to look and feel like Skyrim." combat is marginally THE CLASSES better in this regard. There are only four classes in Elder Regardless of race or Scrolls Online, but each fi lls multiple roles faction, you start in a cell in the Wailing Prison. depending on how you develop it. THE You’re dead, or at least you were, and stripped TEMPLAR is a diverse class, capable of your soul. How you got there is unknown of tanking (being the primary damage and irrelevant. From the get-go, ESO employs soak), crowd control, and healing. You every trick it can to look and feel like Skyrim. usually won’t see many in a group, and The interface uses the same graphics and they use the sword and shield or staff . iconography, the game is played fi rst-person THE DRAGONKNIGHT is all about the (but you can go third-person at any time). But power of fi re, dealing huge damage during you can’t pick up everything you see. When you close quarter combat, can act as a tank, kill something, you don’t get to take its weapons and can wield any weapon. SORCERER or armour. No collecting every cheese wheel is a long-range damage dealer, using you come across, unfortunately. It’s not a big powerful spells, able to summon daemon deal, but it does make things feel very static. assistance, but remains a back line caster Combat is straightforward: left mouse with a staff as they have little in the way of attacks, right mouse blocks (using stamina). defence. Lastly, THE NIGHTBLADE is your If you double-tap a direction, you dodge. Not only pure dedicated damage role, using that dodging ended up being important in stealth to sneak in and drain stamina, the few hours I played. I forgot it even existed health and magicka from targets. after a while. Perhaps it becomes more Depending on your class you can wear one necessary at higher levels or during more (or more) of the diff erent armour types. Light diffi cult dungeons. A visage known only as armour assists in magic regeneration and The Prophet shows up, we talk – all dialogue provides a bonus to spell-casting. Medium (except your own) is fully voiced. An interesting armour boosts stamina regeneration, while design choice is that of having no identifying heavy armour boosts defence and adds a markers identifying other players. Other than bonus to being healed. their erratic movement, the only way to know The Elder Scrolls Online has been in if a character is a player is to walk up to them development since 2007. and press the interact key.

32 April 2014 www.nag.co.za RELEASE DATE / Q2 2014 PLATFORM / PC / PS4 / XBO It will cost $60 (R642) to purchase the GENRE / Massively multiplayer online role-playing game game client, and an additional $15 (R160) DEVELOPER / ZeniMax Online Studios a month to play. Prices subject to change. PUBLISHER / www.elderscrollsonline.com WEBSITE / Bethesda Softworks

There is stealth, allowing you to sneak bunch of things. A friend of mine logged in and up behind enemies as long as “HIDDEN” is asked I help them with that quest. I walked shown on screen. You have two weapon sets, over, but because I had already done the with swapping between them unlocked at quest I was invisible to my friend while in the 15. You can equip the same weapons area where the quest takes place. And they, twice but slot diff erent skills for each set. along with the things he needed to kill, were There are fi ve skill slots, and one what I can invisible to me. ESO tries to be a single-player only assume was an Elite slot. After the tutorial game and an MMO at the same time, and the section, I’m dropped at Bleakrock and given two paradigms seem to be at odds through three quests to choose from. Go here, kill this design. something. That’s fi ne, there are only so many While ESO will have respectable ways to engage a player in an MMO. Combat numbers at launch, after the free month will always be the primary mechanic. There is you get from buying the game disappears harvesting and crafting, but if you’re running it might struggle to maintain a healthy up to a mining node and someone gets there population. There’s the risk that series before you, tough luck. Once they harvest it, fans will feel the game is a half-baked it removes it for a while, so you either have to Elder Scrolls experience with shoehorned wait or go look elsewhere. MMO trappings. While on the other side of ESO has a great deal of nice touches. the coin, MMO players might fi nd it a very When a player is looking at their inventory, generic game in weak Elder Scrolls drag. The their character model shows them rummaging problem is the monthly subscription. If ESO inside a bag. If they’re looking at their map, was a buy once deal, supported by cosmetic they’re holding up a map scroll. But it also or quality-of-life microtransactions, it might has a lot of strange design choices. Players stand a better chance. But if Final Fantasy “phase” when they’re doing quests. For XIV can make it on a subscription-only example, I had already done one quest model, then perhaps this can too. involving going somewhere and killing a - Miktar

www.nag.co.za April 2014 33 preview

RELEASE DATE / Q2 2014 PLATFORM / PC GENRE / Massively multiplayer online role-playing game WildStar DEVELOPER / Carbine Studios Finally, a BraveStarr* game PUBLISHER / NCSOFT WEBSITE / www.wildstar-online.com

here was a time when the MMORPG impressive stable. While Aion didn’t have genre felt small. Now, it seems almost the wings many thought it did (having gone T every publisher has one or more free-to-play already), Blade & Soul, attempts at it, trying to win over the hearts 2 and II are making the publisher (and wallets) of the faithful willing to pay every money hand over fi st. The real question month. The unparalleled success of World of though: is there even room for another Warcraft has created many imitators. Some subscription-based MMORPG in this market (a are (or were) very straightforward and almost question The Elder Scrolls Online also faces)? literal clones, like Vanguard: Saga of Heroes We spent some time with the current closed (shutting down in a few months). Others rely beta of WildStar to see what it has on off er. on the brand power behind popular fi ction like The Lord of the Rings Online (free-to-play a few years after launch). A few MMORPGs THE MILD WEST opted to buck the monthly subscription model I made a Draken (horned space demon) and genre conventions entirely, like the Guild Spellslinger (ranged damage). I chose the Wars series, with varying degrees of success. Explorer path, because I’m a For some reason, NCSOFT decided it player at heart. This ended up being a poor wanted another MMORPG to add to its already choice: the physics engine behind WildStar is ill-suited for precise (or even imprecise) There is no auto-attack in WildStar platforming. Being Draken meant being part - you have to press the skill of the Dominion faction, so I started aboard a buttons you want to use every spaceship on route to the planet Nexus. The ship is time, even the basic attack skill. fi lled with tutorial quests which involved fi nding people with markers above their heads and then reading huge blocks of text that boil down to “go here and kill this or fi nd a certain amount of things”. When almost every other modern MMO has started to employ fully voiced quests with cut-scenes, WildStar is an odd throwback. HOUSING Every player gets their own instanced “sky plot” which they can customise. Logging out in your home gives you rested XP (a bonus to experience gained later). Higher quality furnishings give more rested XP. You can upgrade your home to include resource gathering nodes, crafting stations, and even give friends the ability to access your home when you’re not online. When they gather from your resource nodes, you get a cut.

34 April 2014 www.nag.co.za * Cartoon from 1987. WildStar has nothing to do with it, but I kinda wish it did. I feel old now. Players will be able to buy time cards from other players using in-game earned money, but at a variable exchange rate.

The WildStar client will cost $60 (R642) and has a subscription fee of $15 (R160) a month to play. Prices subject to change.

ADVENTURES These are a bit like dungeons, but with a bigger emphasis on self- contained stories, open environments, and choices to make at key points that alter the path you take through the story. They take place inside a virtual thanks to the game’s overabundance of environment (so they can area of eff ect markers. Once complete, most take place anywhere), and quests can be handed in immediately via once you’ve completed all communicator, so you don’t need to trek back the Adventures you can to the quest giver NPC. Most of the quests, attempt them again on as is standard in an MMO, involve going Veteran Mode for better somewhere and killing a bunch of things. rewards. Another Explorer quest popped up at one point, asking me to jump up a mountainside (the physics fought me all the way) and call in a sniper overwatch. Two Chua – little psychopathic furry creatures – appeared and assisted the players fi ghting down below, sniping enemies for them. WildStar looks very interesting, visually. It takes the cartoon visuals all the way. Enemies explode into literal steaks that fl y everywhere. Tutorials over (which lasted far too long in Everything seems designed to be as friendly my opinion), I’m dropped down on a planet and as appealing as possible. When an enemy called Olyssia for some more rudimentary attacks, they telegraph the exact shape and questing. There is no auto-attack in WildStar – timing of their attack via area of eff ect markers you have to press the skill buttons you want to that fi ll up as their attack charges. It’s almost use every time, even the basic attack skill. This impossible to be hit by anything damaging, can get tiresome. You can dodge by double- at least initially. When you get stunned, you tapping a direction, which uses stamina. can mash a button to break free faster. I can’t When you press the loot button, all loot in the comment on the user interface, because the immediate area around you is hoovered up entire UI is going to be scrapped and replaced into your inventory, which is a nice quality-of- in a few weeks. There are a lot of good life feature to have from the get-go. If you’re ideas in WildStar, like their implementation unsure where to go, clicking on the quest of housing, the concept behind Adventures, name on your HUD brings up a huge arrow and an attempt to cater content towards showing the direction of your objective. user-specifi ed playstyles (the Paths). And yet, Being an Explorer, once I got near a there’s very little to be excited about. It’s all specifi c cave, a quest popped up asking me been done before in other MMOs, some of it to go inside and fi nd something. Inside, rocks done better. fell from the ceiling randomly, easily avoided - Miktar

www.nag.co.za April 2014 35 COVER FEATURE / Wolfenstein: The New Order

RELEASE DATE / May 2014 PLATFORMS / 360 / PC / PS3 / PS4 / XBO GENRE / First-person shooter DEVELOPER / MachineGames PUBLISHER / Bethesda Softworks WEBSITE / www.wolfestein.com

" he New Order”. It says much: a new originally gormless hero regime of Nazis, a new government, – and once again bust Tnew enemies. It also says “hey, I’m a up the Nazi regime one new game – I play by my own rules,” and Stormtrooper at a time this Wolfenstein sure does. until there’s nobody left standing but an American The New Order is one of those games fl ag-bearer and a hotdog that attempts to stagger along the line vendor. Things kick off in between oldschool core gaming ideals 1946: The Nazis have all- (before we even knew they existed) and but won World War II with modern convenience while giving the their surprisingly advanced arresting offi cer its best sober face. But like weaponry that discards the the drunken driver I seem to have stumbled occult ramblings from the series across for the purpose of an unnecessarily in place of steampunk-like technology elaborate metaphor, Wolfenstein does that puts ze Germans decades ahead everything it can to stay razor-sharp, witty, of anything the Allies can muster. Now I deep – possibly poignant – even though see that look of confusion on your face: it’s just been pulled over for doing 200 in you’re thinking “but Geoff , as I gaze an 80 zone while cackling like a madman. upon these beautifully laid-out pages I see lasers, cybernetic implants and 2014’s Wolfenstein is an eccentric mix other technology that far surpasses that of gameplay, plot and characters that well which is conventionally described as suits the series’ scrappy legacy. You’ll ‘steampunk’”. Oh boy, you’re a sharp one. jump back into the size 13 boots of William That’s because The New Order, and BJ’s Joseph “BJ” Blazkowicz – Wolfentein’s hatred-fuelled journey through it, spans 14

36 April 2014 www.nag.co.za 2009’s Wolfenstein made use of the id Tech 4 engine to run things, and MachineGames has decided to go with the massively underused id Tech 5 engine for The New Order. Hopefully it won’t suff er from the same technical issues that plagued the last game that used this engine – id’s own Rage.

37 April 2014 www.nag.co.za COVER FEATURE / Wolfenstein: The New Order

Pre-orders for Wolfenstein will include access to the beta/demo for Doom 4, which is currently in development by and also uses the id Tech 5 engine. It appears that Bethesda has high hopes for this engine, as the upcoming The Evil Within from Shinji Mikami also uses id Tech 5.

years – from 1946 to the start of the not-so- tearing down national monuments, homes swinging ’60s. and entire suburbs to build in their places monolithic structures that oppress any The beginning quarter or so of The aesthetic that once was. Even the last New Order takes place in 1946 – kind of hopes of rebellion have been crushed continuing from where 2009’s Wolfenstein underfoot – until BJ comes along to shake left off . Blazkowicz and the small tactical things up, that is. unit to which he belongs are tasked to infi ltrate various Nazi locations but, after These locations, as depressing as they things eventually go more pear-shaped may be, make for a rich game world fi lled than even he can deal with, BJ fi nds himself with a ton of gameplay variety. At its core, knocked unconscious and trapped within Wolfenstein is a shooter, of course: every his own body that’s been shoved into a opportunity has been taken to ensure mental hospital for the remainder of his that the player can shoot Nazis wherever life. Days pass. They turn into weeks which possible, and with a weapons list long become months. Eventually, after 14 years, enough to challenge any game of the past BJ’s brain snaps back into activity and he you can be sure you’ll never be short of frees himself. But so much has changed in ways to do so. But as I mentioned before, the world outside. He completely expected there’s plenty here to appeal to gamers the Allies to win the war (an amusing poke who are used to current-day shooters at real history), but it turns out that the and the now staple cinematic action Nazi forces, powered by Deathshead’s sequences. There also appear to be a lot insane inventions and lust for the mayhem of turret sequences for those of you who they cause, eventually annihilated their like to mow down their enemies without opponents. They now rule the world and stopping to wonder who has to pick up have stamped key locations around the all the spent shells at the end of the day globe with their signature architecture, (I see potential for Viscera Cleanup Detail

38 April 2014 www.nag.co.za So I take it this isn't a healing gun, then?

HANDLE WITH CARE KICK ‘EM WHEN Much of the technology in the THEY’RETHEY DOWN game comes from the twisted mind of Nazi scientist Wilhelm SinceSince TThehe NNew Order spans 14 years, you can “Deathshead” Strauss, who serves expect tthehe enemy’se technology to have advanced to summarise and concentrate the considerabconsiderably, which makes for a hell of a roster real-world Nazi scientifi c efforts into ooff enemies and weapons available to them and a single, utterly evil and infi nitely ththee player.player. hateable character. Wolfenstein might seem tongue-in-cheek at times Your typical Nazi guy with a gun is with its excessive everything, but easyeasy enough to dispatch with anything MachineGames maintains that it’s fromfrom a pistol to dual-wielded assault approached The New Order with tact and riflrifl es, but Deathshead’s genetic care for history – embellishing the details anda cybernetic tinkering mean just enough to create a narrative that thatth there’s seldom such a thing somehow manages to feel like something asa simple combat. Robot attack you’d want to play with. These are murky dogs,d mechs, heavily-armoured waters to wade in, but the result is a game SSS Stormtroopers and many that appears alive, vivid and unafraid. morem enemy types are likely to “Punchy” would be an understatement. getge in your way, but thankfully a couple of them have weak points.poin Sometimes conventional weaponryweapo just won’t cut it, though – literallyliterally – and for that reason BJ will be able to liberate a number of high- poweredpowered rretro sci-fi Nazi weapons includingincluding a handy laser that lets him shred apartapa enemy cover, unlock hidden areasare and dispatch any enemyenemy gruntsgru unlucky enough to be sent to see what all the fuss is about. YouYou’ll’ also be able to carry a largelarge amountam of weapons at once – nnoneo of this primary/ secondarysecondary nonsense – weapon wheelswheels are the future, baby.

www.nag.co.za April 2014 39 COVER FEATURE / Wolfenstein: The New Order

HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE: A RETROSPECTIVE LOOK AT THE WOLFENSTEIN SERIES

he castle everyone is going beyond, BJ escaping the castle, paranormal stuff, X-labs, weird creatures, returning to, escaping from or shooting in returning to the castle (again), killing Nazis and Übersoldaten and T is derived from a few ideas, places and generally having a blasting good time. Interestingly the multiplayer concepts. Same goes for the name of the game, component (splitting of teams into Axis and Allies with objective it really means nothing, but if you must know in based fi ghting) is what most remember about the game and this German, wolf is wolf and stein is stone leaving you was all thanks to Splash Damage who then went on to release with stone wolf which sounds rather badass. Back Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory in 2003 as an open source, free-to- to the castle, the most recognised link between real play multiplayer only shooter. The game was originally going to life and the game is Wewelsburg Castle in Germany. be released as an expansion to Return to Castle Wolfenstein but This location was actually used for nefarious SS thanks to undisclosed reasons this plan was abandoned and purposes and rumoured occult rituals under Heinrich id Software put it up for free. It has since spawned numerous Himmler during World War II. If you add all these mods and continues to be played today. After this success the individual elements together you somehow end up guys at Splash Damage developed Enemy Territory: Quake at Castle Wolfenstein and a good lesson why you Wars, it was based in the Quake universe, used a new id should write things down when you make things up. Software engine and featured larger maps and vehicles.

The video game series began with two games More recently, 2009 in fact, we have Wolfenstein. from Muse Software back in 1981 designed to run on Put together by the distinguished 8-bit computers like the Commodore 64, Apple II and and id Software, it was another shooter featuring Atari 400/800 (and a DOS version too). The games stalwart hero pants BJ Blazkowicz. This one was were Castle Wolfenstein (1981) and Beyond Castle actually rather good, featuring some crafty secrets, Wolfenstein (1984). Castle Wolfenstein saw players occult dealings and trips through sewers, mining sneak around a castle occupied by Nazis, acquire facilities and various small town settings including secret plans and escape with their lives. The game is a spirited fi ghting on a zeppelin. The game threw credited for being the fi rst to employ tactical stealth caution to the wind and gave players access to a mechanics as enemy guards were alerted by any noise medallion that allowed them to have some fun and ammunition was limited. Players could also wear using magical and mystical powers. The game guard uniforms to fool enemies. The sequel saw the player did have a multiplayer component but the less infi ltrating Nazi headquarters in an attempt to assassinate said about this the better, odd considering the Hitler by explosive means; the same stealth tactics applied. Enemy Territory success story. We gave it 85 back in October 2009 and this was the bottom In 1992 the world of gaming changed forever with line: It’s an old school sublime FPS with id Software’s . It has been called the treasure hunting, intrigue and Nazis to shoot. grandfather of shooters and ultimately paved the way for It’s such a pity the multiplayer is so horrifi c. DOOM and, as they say, the rest is history. Wolfenstein 3D used animated scaling hand-drawn sprites in a fake 3D Now for 2014 we have Wolfenstein: The environment created using a technique called ray casting. For New Order which is looking mighty tasty. the world of gaming it meant depth and action and something nobody had seen before. In case you’reou re wonderwondering,ing, Muse -RedTideRedTide Software allowed their trademark to lapse,apse, which id Software took full advantage of. The original WolWolfensteinfenstein 3DD game concept featured many of the originalginal stealthstealthyy elements introduced by Muse, but were ultimatelyately drodroppedpped in favour of simplicity and speeding up the pacee of the ggame,ame, takintakingg it from a stealth game to the world’s fi rst rrealeal FPS. This ggameame also introduced us to William “BJ” Blazkowicz,cz, the iconic hero of the franchise who has featured in all the single-playergle-player games since. Incidentally the game is illegal to produce,ce, export, sesellll or use in public in Germany “for using characteristicsistics of unconstitutional organizations” (read: swastika), you can own it however. Using the same game engine and also releasedeleased in 1992 was tthehe prequel to Wolfenstein 3D, Spear of Destinytinyy. It is rumourerumouredd tthathat the whole title was completed in two monthsnths bbyy id Software who also went on to release mission disks foror the ggameame until 1994.

Zoom to 2001 and we have Return to CastlCastlee WWolfensteinolfenstein mamadede by Gray Matter Interactive, Nerve Softwaree (multiplayer and Xbox) and Splash Damage (using a modifi ed versionon of the QuaQuakeke III: Team Arena engine), id Software just oversaw the develodevelopment.pment. This version was technically a modern reboot of Wolfenstein 3DD anandd saw

40 April 2014 www.nag.co.za tie-in here). And beyond even that, a throughout the campaign he’ll gain new number of missions in the game showcase abilities depending on your playstyle. a decently capable stealth system, with There are a number of achievements a focus on silent take-downs, messing set out for you to attain: do so and you’ll with alarms and staying out of sight. be rewarded with new perks from the There’s also an “entirely optional” snap- categories of Assault, Tactical, Stealth and to (destructible) cover system, should you Demolitions. These perks include passive be inclined to use it, as well as enough bonuses to ammo clip size, speed and so environmental laterality to enable a few on, as well as new abilities like throwing fl anking manoeuvres at times. But with all knives for instant kills. These perks operate of those options to wipe out hordes of Nazi on a tiered system so the more you play forces, you can rest assured that there will a certain way, the greater the reward. almost always be the option to play The While this system is decidedly modern New Order like the corridor shooter that and COD-like, on the fl ip side there’s a lies at its heart. classic hitpoints mechanic with a twist (of course): you need to collect medikits to Reading the above paragraph, one fully regain health, but you will regenerate might think that MachineGames has over- up to the next 20 hitpoints if you manage scoped with Wolfenstein, but there’s even to stay out of combat long enough. We more to play with. On top of what seems fondly remember a similar partial health like a list of gameplay features from every regeneration system from The Chronicles FPS from Quake to Riddick, Wolfenstein: of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, and The New Order also features a light on the higher diffi culty levels it made for RPG system that rewards play diversity. one hell of an anxious experience when BJ starts off as a typical FPS grunt, but you’re down to your last chunk of health.

www.nag.co.za April 2014 41 COVER FEATURE / Wolfenstein: The New Order

Some of the cast of The New Order. Is that a love interest we see..?

And if you fi nd yourself dying just a little series and the real-world events that lay more than you’d like, be sure to grab some its foundations – and MachineGames’ armoured vests or armour shards – just treatment of both speaks of maturity like the old days! In addition, there will be and a real understanding of what a lot of fi ve levels of diffi culty that you’re sure to people want out of a shooter. The studio recognise, from “Can I play, Daddy?” to founders’ legacy as former Starbreeze “I am death incarnate!” MachineGames key people speaks volumes as well – senior gameplay designer Andreas there are clearly some elements of Riddick Öjerfors describes the experience in the lurking in the darkness – and this wild highest diffi culty level simply as “You will mix of classic and contemporary aspects cry blood,” and the mid-level diffi culty seems to be coming together somehow. selection is designed to be a solid It’s not a done deal just yet, though, but challenge, even for veteran players. In our with the delays this game has faced we own playthroughs we certainly found this can only hope that the developers have to be the case. spent more time balancing and polishing gameplay than layering on the next-gen Everything that we’ve seen and blur eff ects. This is certainly an ambitious played so far of The New Order has been title; we just hope that it can live up to its invigorating. There’s so much history massive potential. here to draw from – both as a game - GeometriX

42 April 2014 www.nag.co.za

reviews Reviews Intro We assembled a team of experts in their fi elds – the greatest game reviewers humanity has ever known. Unfortunately they all buggered off after a week, so this lot will have to do… Meet your reviewers.

Question / What is the single biggest thing that’s kept you gaming all these years?

CHRIS “SAVAGE” SAVIDES DANE “BARKSKIN” DELANO “DELANO” GEOFF “GEOMETRIX” MATT “SAND_STORM” FICK The Batman. REMENDES CUZZUCOLI BURROWS It’s my job to fi nd new games I’ve managed to get through Mods, of course. I’m a total It’s a security blanket. Gaming for my family to play, so I CURRENTLY PLAYING all my years thus far without mod whore. I still play the has just become part of need to play everything to StarCraft II losing one or both of my likes of C&C3, Half-Life 2 and my life, not having it there fi nd recommendations. Like a hands. That’s been an even ancients like classic would feel weird. But when pioneer. Or a test-dummy. incredibly important factor in Doom simply for their mods. something new comes along my continued gaming, and I’d that tries something special, it CURRENTLY PLAYING like for it to stay this way.. CURRENTLY PLAYING re-ignites that passion, and so Tomb Raider, DayZ and the Starbound the wheel continues to turn. rest of my backlog. CURRENTLY PLAYING Thief CURRENTLY PLAYING Many games that aren’t Titanfall :(

mini review Fable Anniversary

eter Molyneux, creative mind appeared on the PC re-release p behind the likes of Populous, some years ago. Considering that Black & White, and Fable, has the many people likely never played habit of over-promising on his the original Fable, the lack of any games. He wasn’t always like that, additional content is excusable, but but as time goes on his delusions thankfully the game’s interface and seem to have grown and, control scheme has been given an subsequently, the under-delivery overhaul to behave well on Xbox of his games has grown too. All of 360 controllers (the original was this naysaying is really just to give released on the fi rst Xbox, which you a bit of perspective, really, as had a somewhat unconventional to why the first Fable was so gosh- button layout), but it has to be said darn lovely, and why, if you haven’t that the updated inventory/map/ played it, then this remake is just quest interface is rather on the for you. sluggish side. Built on the -GeometriX and brought up to current/last/ whatever-gen visual spec, Fable Anniversary is exactly the same core game as the original Fable, with the added quests from 90 If you enjoy plenty of action and humour with your light RPGing, then Fable Anniversary is a must- The Lost Chapters DLC which play. This updated version is perfect for anyone who missed the fi rst couple of boats.

44 April 2014 www.nag.co.za HEARD AT THE OFFICE… “I don’t care how many penises are in that show, Spartacus is too violent!' - Cheryl

MICHAEL “REDTIDE” JAMES MIKLOS “MIKIT0707” SZECSEI MIKTAR “MIKTAR” DRACON NEO “SHOCKG” SIBEKO TARRYN “AZIMUTH” I was going to say Lara Croft, Escapism. That’s pretty I’m not really any good at Gaming is fun. As a result of VAN DER BYL but the reality is I’m stuck in much it really. I like seeing anything else. Growing up, all technological advancement, I hate leaving stuff unfi nished, a pattern of playing the latest the technological changes in I cared about was gaming. It’s the narrative has become and somehow I have this shooter each year for most of games as well, but really it all still all I care about. much stronger and the entire shelf of unfi nished the year, I don’t really know comes down to the escapism. experience so much more games. And achievements. why and I can’t seem to stop. CURRENTLY PLAYING engaging. More often than Mostly the achievements. CURRENTLY PLAYING Dark Souls II, Diablo III, Risk not gaming beats movies for CURRENTLY PLAYING Diablo III after the big patch of Rain, Bravely Default, TxK, escapism. CURRENTLY PLAYING Battlefi eld 4 :( and changes Banished, Titanfall! CURRENTLY PLAYING The Walking Dead

mini review Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z

ot helped by its awkward name, with others for team battles or a chaotic n Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z struggles eight-player free-for-all. Design-wise, to fi nd its audience. It tries to shake the menu sound eff ects are jarring up the formula of previous games by and there is no in-fi ght music. The implementing a team-based, MOBA-like character models are ugly compared fi ghting system. Unfortunately it feels to the rather pretty environments, the like a mess of half-baked and poorly lip-syncing is awful and each fi ght is implemented features that do an injustice weakly connected to the next by boring to the source material. The biggest cut-scenes. off ender is the storyline, which is mangled A terrible story, shallow controls and disjointed for no good reason, so and lack of local-multiplayer make this expect to see characters popping up in game diffi cult to recommend. It tries to the wrong fi ghts often (even if they should be a DBZ MOBA, but there are better have been dead by then). examples of each out there. While you The gameplay feels like a stripped- might fi nd yourself caught up in an down brawler that lacks the subtleties exciting moment, most entertainment is and required skills of a real fi ghter short lived. or MOBA. Your AI team is diffi cult to - Sand_Storm coordinate, most fi ghts can drag on for too long, and unfortunately there is no local multiplayer. The main focus is online play, which off ers slightly more 56 DBZ: BoZ may have some nostalgic value and unique gameplay, but the boring fi ghts and poor design thrills than solo. Players can join up make this for serious fans/masochists only. If you want a good DBZ game, play Budokai 3 instead.

www.nag.co.za April 2014 45 review

PLATFORMS / 360 / PC / PS3 REVIEWED ON / PS3 GENRE / Action adventure DEVELOPER / Mercurysteam

AGE RATING / 18 MULTIPLAYER / Local > None Online > None PUBLISHER / Konami

WEBSITE / www.konami-castlevania.com DISTRIBUTOR / Ster Kinekor Entertainment

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Gabriel is back, but he’s looking a little pale

n 2010, Konami and developer out to locate Satan’s acolytes in an attempt to i Mercurysteam reimagined the stop Hell’s frontman from entering the mortal Castlevania series and brought us an entirely world. It’s a very drab plotline that’s little more new story arc subtitled Lords of Shadow. than a vehicle for a series of boss fi ghts and Taking creative licence with the pre-existing extended exploration of the expansive game lore, Mercurysteam created a new action world. Luckily there are a number of sub-plots adventure game in the IP. Castlevania: that are far more captivating, but that are Lords of Shadow was a relative commercial unfortunately left with very little in the way of success, going on to ship over a million closure by the time the credits roll. It’s a pity, copies in Western territories. Despite the because the divergent Castlevania lore that game borrowing heavily from other games Mercurysteam has created is rich and enticing, in the genre, Lords of Shadow netted itself a but feels largely unexplored by this sequel. considerable fan base. The cliff hanger ending Those hoping for overall closure to Gabriel’s ensured that those fans were kept eager to trilogy (the side-scrolling Castlevania: Mirror see how Gabriel Belmont’s tale would end of Fate acted as the second game in this – an eagerness that would have to endure reimagining) are going to be left disappointed: four years for a sequel. Sadly, that sequel is a the game’s ending fi zzles and pops with a frustrating ride. largely anticlimactic end boss battle that does Lords of Shadow 2 picks up right from little to round off the narrative. where the fi rst game ended. Gabriel is now Gameplay remains largely unaltered from Dracula, and together with Zobek (voiced the fi rst Lords of Shadow, with the exception once again by Patrick Stewart) the two set of Gabriel’s new vampire powers and two new weapons: the Void Sword and the Combat Claws, both of which replace the original game’s Light and Shadow Magic. The Void Sword leaches life from enemies, and the Chaos Claws are used to break through enemy armour. The primary weapon, the Blood Whip, plays almost identically to the Combat Cross found in the fi rst Lords of Shadow. Each of these three weapons has an

46 April 2014 www.nag.co.za extensive skill tree to unlock, but a number of those skills will look very familiar to fans of the fi rst game. In eff ect, the game’s combat system remains unaltered, which is a good thing considering the fi rst game’s combat made for a solid action experience. One-shot magic items return and with a healthy dollop of creativity; the Seal of Alastor, for example, unlocks the entire skill tree for a limited time, but there’s also this elaborate lore tied to the item which fi ts perfectly with the world of the game. And this is where a sizable amount of frustration comes in: Lords of Shadow 2 has moments of stunning design decisions and incredible imagination. Then the converse applies: there are portions of the game that are so utterly dull and broken that it almost feels like you’re playing two diff erent games. The events of Lords of Shadow 2 take On occasion, Lords of Shadow 2 dazzles with its creativity; place in two realities: the main plotline plays here Gabriel encounters puppets made by the Toy Maker in out in a dreary modern day city that’s devoid one of the game’s more memorable moments.

a balcony overlooking the rooftops of the gothic castle; a storm fl ashes in the distance, and a full moon shines brightly, illuminating the snowfl akes that dance in the wind. It’s in the atmospheric moments like these when Lords of Shadow 2 sings, but those moments are too few and are juxtaposed with some of the dreariest sections I’ve encountered in an action game for a long time. Furthermore, the game has some tremendously frustrating portions that are so far removed from the core gameplay experience that they feel like tacked-on ideas that should have been left on the cutting room fl oor. One of these moments involves you having to avoid Pan’s demented brother Agreus by keeping off piles of noisy leaves. It’s a poor attempt at a puzzle sequence, seemingly impossible, and very Boss fi ghts are a mixed bag; the encounter against of any life; it’s a cookie-cutter game setting nearly ruined the entire game for me. the twisted form of the three sisters Euryale, Stheno, and Medusa (pictured) is one of the better ones. that feels completely out of place in the Lords of Shadow 2, much like its antihero, Castlevania IP and brings with it gameplay has lost its soul and whatever else it was that mechanics (like turning into rats to scurry past made the game feel vibrant and alive. invincible guards that kill you on sight) that - Mikit0707 are uninspired. In stark contrast to this are the sequences that play out in the ancient castle that Dracula called home a long time ago. Here is where the creativity and spectacle that imbued the fi rst Lords of Shadow can still About fi ve months ago I wrote a be found. Furthermore, the sections of the 60 feature for NAG Online called “My game set in the City of the Damned are just as top fi ve games of this generation”; interesting and full of imaginative enemies and the original Lords of Shadow was in my top fi ve amazing visuals. Unfortunately, the majority games list. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend of the game plays out in the awful modern that game to anyone with opposable thumbs, and day city, and I found myself pushing through it breaks my heart to have to say that I cannot just so I could get to the next sequence set recommend you play this sequel. in the castle or City of the Damned. The clear divide in the game’s aesthetics, atmosphere PLUS / Incredible music / Very good voice acting / and gameplay is actually quite startling. As a Solid combat / Some truly memorable moments result, there is a broken sense of narrative and gameplay fl ow, and it reeks of a tumultuous MINUS / Lots of questionable design / Some cheap development cycle. boss fi ghts / Convoluted level design / Some truly Still, there’s no denying the game has some dull moments truly memorable moments. One such moment, set in Carmilla’s lair, sees you step out onto

www.nag.co.za April 2014 47 review

PLATFORMS / 360 / PC / PS3 / PS4 / XBO REVIEWED ON / 360 GENRE / First-person stealth / action DEVELOPER / Eidos Montreal

AGE RATING / 16 MULTIPLAYER / Local > None Online > None PUBLISHER / Square Enix

WEBSITE / www.thiefgame.com DISTRIBUTOR / Megarom

Thief Living in the shadow of giants

hief is an important word in gaming. leeway to stand on its own, it’s a fantastic t Saying it out loud immediately strikes stealth game. the fl ame of nostalgia in anyone whose life in First though, there’s the story to contend the late ‘90s and early ‘00s mainly consisted with. It’s utter garbage, a hopeless mess of of sacrifi cing eyesight to countless hours shoddy writing, idiotic pantomime villains spent staring at a CRT monitor taking in the and incomprehensible plot points that digital delights off ered by the early days of (almost blissfully) lead to nowhere. There’s an 3D gaming. Thief: The Dark Project defi ned overpowering sense that somebody insisted an entire genre, and its overwhelming the story be “edgy” and “gritty” and other infl uence is still felt in many of today’s games. buzzwords, but it’s poorly handled. It’s best The Thief trilogy is practically the defi nition to just ignore it really. You are Garrett (or a of cult classic, and if you’ve ever found new version thereof, at least), and you like yourself awkwardly staring at a wooden wrapping your fi ngers around shinies that beam thinking “man, I wish I had a rope arrow don’t belong to you. You should leave the right about now”, then you no doubt count narrative at that. yourself amongst the legions of fans Thief has It’s a meaty game, packed with nooks to generated since its debut nearly 16 years ago. explore and crannies to loot. Between story So I kind of feel sorry for this reboot. missions, you’re presented with The City: an There’s no bargaining with nostalgia, and it’s open-world playground that you’re free to inevitable that fans will spend years picking explore at your leisure. There are optional side apart every fl aw apparent in Eidos Montreal’s jobs to pursue here, in two varieties. The fi rst stealthy excursion. No, it’s not nearly as overtly are quick mini-missions that see you doing impressive (nor as important) a game as its everything from disarming traps in off ending forebears. But it does a great many things apartments to stealing off ensively valuable right, and even occasionally skirts on the hand mirrors from daughters with dads who fringe of greatness. And if you give it a little double as pimps. The second involves two ongoing sets of more intricate jobs containing multiple missions – neatly packaged secondary stories that prove quite gripping. Aside from those, you’ll spend the majority of your time in The City tinkering with the environment, creating new routes for yourself and fi nding alternate ways to get around when you’re not on the hunt for scattered valuables. Flaws in the design peek through here, because not only is Garrett’s movement intrinsically clunky, but the environment is aggressively designed around the game’s insistence on Assassin’s Creed-style one- button traversal. It means you can’t jump unless the game deems it’s done in the correct context, and it makes environment traversal in a game where you’re supposed to be an agile, free-roaming burglar disappointingly oppressive. You get used to it though, just like you’ll have to get used to the fact that rope arrows are now nothing more than puzzle- solving items only usable in very specifi c instances. Unlike with previous games in the The new swoop movement is particularly gratifying, series, Eidos Montreal clearly isn’t confi dent letting you rapidly dash from shadow to shadow. It feels so good that it’s practically cheating. enough in their design to allow you to travel wherever you want, however you want. The main missions are excellent. I love

48 April 2014 www.nag.co.za As you progress you’ll gather various upgrades and thieving tools, like a razor that lets you slice paintings out of their frames, and a wrench to access alternate routes.

their intricate design, even though they’re Beyond all that, there are certain parts of clearly more linear than we’re accustomed the game that feel sloppy. It often feels like to with this series, despite obvious attempts the whole game lacks a defi ning personality, to hide that fact. When they do loosen the especially when traversing The City. It’s a reins, they off er plenty of opportunity for lifeless environment, scarcely populated careful sneaking and daring thievery. There’s by cardboard non-hostiles who somehow a good number of missions too, all taking make the city feel emptier than it would were a substantial amount of time to complete. the streets actually empty. It’s also buggy in Thief’s stealth gameplay is inherently frustrating ways. On one occasion an event satisfying if it’s the sort of precise, methodical failed to trigger, which made it impossible experience you’re eager for. There’s that for me to move past a guard without being undeniable rush of excited panic when a detected, forcing me to load from a much guard you hadn’t noticed suddenly bursts earlier save to slip by unseen. NPC audio has into the room carrying a darkness-stealing a nasty habit of dropping out and becoming torch, forcing you to scramble out a window illegible, which is a no-no in a game where to avoid detection. Or when you manage to atmosphere is king. Despite its fl aws, Thief quietly snatch all the gleaming treasures is engaging. And even though it can’t quite along a guard’s patrol route without them match the splendour of the original trilogy, it ever knowing you were there. scratches the same itch. While I do wish that enemies - Barkskin were perhaps a bit less dense on the standard diffi culty level, it’s almost comical how much the developers allow you to tweak the diffi culty to match your tastes whenever you start a The answer is no, it’s simply not new game. You’re able to disable various 84 as good of a game as its beloved HUD elements, and there’s even an Iron predecessors are. That said, Thief Man mode where if you die, your game is is an admirable attempt at rebooting this over permanently. Turning off Focus mode franchise. It successfully captures the spirit of is perhaps the most obvious change series the series, but stumbles too often to ever truly fans will make, because it allows you to slow rival their greatness. Nevertheless, you should time and highlight everything of importance play it. It’s lovely. in the game world, which you may consider to be a bit of a hack if you like to discover PLUS / Intricate level design / Stealth gameplay is such things for yourself. It’s remarkable that eff ortlessly fun they’ve added in enough diffi culty options to satisfy absolutely everyone, no doubt out of MINUS / World lacks character / Terrible narrative fear of rabid fans just waiting to splash their disapproval all over the Internet.

www.nag.co.za April 2014 49 review

PLATFORMS / 360 / PC / XBO REVIEWED ON / XBO GENRE / Third-person shooter DEVELOPER / PopCap Games

AGE RATING / 7 MULTIPLAYER / Local > 2 players Online > 24 players PUBLISHER / EA

WEBSITE / www.pvzgardenwarfare.com DISTRIBUTOR / Apex interactive

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare A horticulture of violence

ne of the perks of playing games as get the engineer, and there’s no dedicated o part of your job means never having demolitions class. It’s a subtle but signifi cant enough time to invest in just one to develop change from that makes a real addiction to it (or any real skill in it, but gameplay somewhat less predictable, much I’ll totally deny that). Except for Team Fortress more volatile, and entirely precludes those 2. For about six months between 2007 and tedious 5n1p3r W4rZ that ultimately spoiled 2008, I, uh, might’ve missed some deadlines the fun stuff forever. because, you know, “just one more game, Because, more than anything else, then I’ll type one or two sentences or words Garden Warfare is loads of fun. Where I’d or letters, and then I’ll reward my very, very previously almost exclusively played only hard work with one more game”. And then one or two classes in Team Fortress 2, I’m play another game anyway, because the constantly swapping between classes in this server is already loading the next map and game – and even though both the Plants I CAN’T QUIT NOW because I was secretly and Zombies teams have medic, heavy, and never planning to quit anyway. Remember, it’s soldier classes, each one is substantially technically only a problem if you acknowledge diff erent from the other, and plays in its own it’s a problem. special way. The Zombie medic – or Scientist Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is – is able to teleport short distances, and is very much like Team Fortress 2. And not just armed with a close-range, max-damage Goo STUCK ON YOU because it’s almost exactly the same game, Gun. He can also drop a Healing Station that Completing matches and but… actually, no, that’s pretty much it, except regenerates hit points to nearby comrades. in-game challenges earns you Garden Warfare also introduces a lot of The Plant team’s Sunfl ower, meanwhile, coins, which you can cash in improvements on the other’s own exceedingly has boosted movement speed and a sort of for virtual sticker packs. These compelling formula. Despite some asymmetry healing beam that locks onto a single ally unlock random additional between the Plants and Zombies teams, both at a time, plus a rapid-fi re Sun Pulse gun goodies like alternate class have their own versions of medics, heavies, and a devastating rechargeable death-ray. loadouts (an electrifi ed Cactus and soldiers; the most obvious divergence Depending on who’s playing what on both class, for example), deployable is that Plants have the sniper, while Zombies sides, the two teams must employ their own, potted plants and infantry distinctive strategies to win. units, and loads of cosmetic While this might easily have resulted in a gear. They’re also available lopsided mess and the otherwise inevitable in several types, with the compost heap of complaints about this, cheapest unlocking only basic that, and the other thing being scandalously reinforcements, and the more over-powered and/or under-powered and/ expensive unlocking weapon or disempowered, however, everything in upgrades, and sometimes even Garden Warfare just works. I must’ve clocked whole class loadouts in one over 15 hours or so by now, and no team go. There are approximately or class combination has a fundamental 48 zillion things to collect in advantage over the other, even in the game’s total, making this one of the most absurdly chaotic moments (and those most instantly compelling are in abundance). Despite the sophisticated unlock systems ever – come intricacies and nuances of the game, for the ‘splosions, stay for the moreover, it’s also extremely accessible for super rare pizza accessories. both run-and-gun beginners and more tactical Sooner or later (but almost veteran gamers. That’s quite an extraordinary defi nitely sooner), the sticker accomplishment on PopCap’s part. packs will probably also be What’s not such an extraordinary sold for real money as in-game accomplishment, though, is the inclusion microtransactions, but you’ll get of only three core modes at launch. That’s so many coins just by playing the Team Vanquish (deathmatch), Gardens & game that any worry about it is Graveyards (an objective-based mode similar completely irrelevant.

50 April 2014 www.nag.co.za Something spineless something something prickly situation something.

to Battlefi eld’s Rush mode), and Garden Ops (the now standard-with-every-purchase horde mode). There are also “classic” variants of Your assets have been frozen. Team Vanquish and Gardens & Graveyards that dump all customisations and upgrades, but I’m not sure those really count and I’m totally sure nobody plays them, anyway. More modes will doubtless be released later as DLC (and, according to the dev’s Twitter account, for free), but for now it’s a bit of a disappointment. So too are the game’s intermittent glitches – sometimes the connection to EA’s servers on the title screen just hangs with zero actual network activity, necessitating a restart to fi x it, and respawns can very occasionally get stuck for 20 seconds or more for no discernible reason, or simply not resolve properly and render you a sort of ghost on the fi eld. Don’t let the game’s zany aesthetics or “casual” legacy put you off – this is an ingenious and ambitious class-based multiplayer game that innovates in almost every aspect of the genre without getting bogged down with unnecessary complexity. Now please excuse me, because I’ve typed, like, a whole lot of words now and somewhere, a server is loading a new map and it’s time for my reward. Just one game, I promise, and then maybe one more. - Azimuth

Let’s not beet around the bush, 85 but go out on a limb and till it like it is – if class-based mulchyplayer games are your thing, you’ll moss defi nitely take a lichen to it. PEAS DON’T SHOOT MEEEEAAAARRRGHHH.

PLUS / COLLECT ALL THE STICKERS!!1 / Uniquely, wonderfully silly

MINUS / Only three modes / Some bugs

www.nag.co.za April 2014 51 review

PLATFORMS / 360 / PS3 REVIEWED ON / PS3 GENRE / Action role-playing game DEVELOPER / Square Enix / tri-Ace

AGE RATING / 16 MULTIPLAYER / Local > None Online > None PUBLISHER / Square Enix

WEBSITE / www.lightningreturns.com DISTRIBUTOR / Megarom

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII All things must end

f I were to be accused of Stockholm I showed interest. But it had interesting time- i syndrome* with regards to the Final travel elements and mechanics, reminding me Fantasy XIII trilogy I’d have a hard time of the tender Chrono Trigger. Final Fantasy denying it. Initially I thought Final Fantasy XIII XIII-2’s ending didn’t resolve anything, but by was a horrible cliché-ridden teen drama pie then I was too numb to care. Or perhaps, too with only a single tasty morsel in the centre, invested. I wanted to see it through. Along namely the “Paradigm Shift” combat system. I comes Final Fantasy XIII-3. really liked the combat, and that kept me going It’s diffi cult to place Lighting Returns until the eventual and unsatisfying conclusion. anywhere on the “Japanese role-playing When Final Fantasy XIII-2 came along, I game” scale. There’s only one party member. approached it like a beaten animal. Wary, Combat is real-time, not turn-based. You don’t untrusting. But it was kind to me, gave me an gain levels through battle. The only way to improved form of the Paradigm Shift combat improve your stats is to complete quests. And system and even included a mild monster then there’s the plot. It’s linear from start to capturing mechanic. The plot was still all over end, set across multiple days, but repeating, the place, beating me with a stick every time with multiple layers depending on where you are and when you are when you’re there. The closest comparison is Dead Rising: you replay the same set days over and over, gaining both statistical advantages (you keep everything through a “reset”) and knowledge each time. Successive attempts go faster, you get more schedule, certain vendors only appear in the done, and more is revealed to you. mornings, important quest characters may Lighting Returns is ambitious, overly so. only appear at night, and so on. Time fl ows It tries to do so much with its ageing and ill- quickly too, so if you don’t get everything suited engine that you need to forget about you wanted to do done within the day, you smooth framerates. The day/night cycle might miss out on something until all your aff ects everything. People move about on a days are up and you start over. This Majora's Mask style gameplay isn’t for everyone, it can carry with it quite a bit of anxiety. But only if It’s all about you stress about it. Lighting Returns asks the the outfi ts. The weapon / clothing player to go through a Groundhog Day style / accessory loop, over and over, until the player knows combination what to focus on, who’s important, and what determines your it’s all about. natural skills, - Miktar strengths and weaknesses.

The time-based nature of Lighting 70 Returns isn’t for everyone. Just like Dead Rising, you have to play through the limited number of days multiple times if you want to succeed on the whole. The real-time combat works, for the most part, and all plot threads are tidied up and concluded. A decent endcap for the trilogy.

PLUS / Acceptable story conclusion / Interesting game systems / Some funny moments

MINUS / Horrible framerate issues / Cheesy dialogue

* “A psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy and sympathy and have positive 52 April 2014 www.nag.co.za feelings toward their captors, sometimes to the point of defending and identifying with them.” - Wikipedia review WHEREVER YOURE PLATFORMS / Android / iOS REVIEWED ON / Android GOING, WE'VE GOT AGE RATING / TBA GENRE / Arcade MULTIPLAYER / Local > None Online > None YOU COVERED WEBSITE / www.bytesizedstudios.com

DEVELOPER / ByteSized Studios PUBLISHER / ByteSized Studios

DISTRIBUTOR / Apple App Store / Google Play

Atomic Fusion: Particle Collider You’ll be in your element with this atomic arcade game

t’s no small task making chemistry appealing to non-students, but this i small indie arcade game is an amiable eff ort. In Atomic Fusion: Particle Collider, you’ll play the part of a lowly photon as it absorbs energy and endeavours to become greater than the sum of its parts. Though it may sound like rocket science, the premise is deceptively simple: the photon in question is guided around a subatomic void with the player’s one hand, while the energy fi eld surrounding it can be switched between matter and antimatter with the player’s second hand. Beams of energy radiate all around the playing fi eld, and it’s up to you to make sure you have the corresponding matter type when your photon makes contact. Your quest begins easily enough, but matters (ha) quickly become complicated as you get bombarded by diff ering waves of energy and your margin of error rapidly decreases. Moving around limited space and quickly switching your energy types make for an extremely frantic, fast-paced experience that is reminiscent of the most unforgiving bullet-hell shooters. Accompanying the hectic action is an appropriately thumping, bass-laden electro soundtrack. It suits the neon colours and fl ashing lights of the game’s visuals perfectly, and between levels you’ll be treated to assorted chemistry- related trivia as your once-insignifi cant proton evolves into more powerful elements straight from the Periodic Table. Though later stages will probably have you leaving dents in your screen from the rapid fi nger-taping, it’s a perfect coff ee-break game that will absorb you and even expand your knowledge a bit. Get it. - Delano

A crazy, colourful, fast and frantic arcade game that'll make your 80 fi ngers sore while fi lling your head with all sorts of interesting chemistry-related trivia.

PLUS / Fast-paced and frantic / Educational trivia nuggets are good

MINUS / Lack of variety in the levels / Gets a bit too frantic later on review

PLATFORMS / PS3 REVIEWED ON / PS3 GENRE / Japanese role-playing game DEVELOPER / Bandai Namco Games

AGE RATING / 12 MULTIPLAYER / Local > 4 players Online > None PUBLISHER / Bandai Namco Games

WEBSITE / talesofgame.com DISTRIBUTOR / Megarom

Tales of Symphonia Chronicles “Only the darkness knows…”

irst appearing in NAG exactly nine Beneath those f years ago, Tales of Symphonia has pretty lights is a great combat returned to our pages. Bundled with its sequel, system. and revamped in HD, series newcomers and veterans will fi nd a lot to enjoy here. The main draw of this bundle is obviously Tales of Symphonia. If you’ve never played a game in the Tales of series, you’re going to be surprised by what’s on off er. Despite wearing the JRPG badge, Symphonia has a tactical yet exciting real-time combat system that is completely diff erent to the genre standard. The story feels familiar and a little cliché: boy and his friends save the world. However, it’s presented better than that with good writing and humour and takes a fairly dark turn early on. Character is one of the strong points

in Symphonia, and your protagonist Lloyd you’re getting stronger because power is Irving is very likable, charismatic and totally simply dished out to you as a plot device. unlike the miserable, self-loathing JRPG It’s also hindered by a fi xed camera that protagonists we’re used to. often loses you behind walls. And to combat Visually, the port shows improvement the confusion of the fi rst game, you are over its 2004 counterpart. The anime bombarded by text-only tutorial dumps. It’s artwork is crisp, the backgrounds look great still a decent game, and pretty enough to and the colours are much more vibrant than look at, but the unlikable hero and same before. One problem with the visuals is that archaic save-system bring it down. they’re… old. Graphics aren’t everything, but Tales of Symphonia Chronicles off ers great some of the character models have muddy value. The two games will keep you very Whatever you do, don't ask the robot for a back scratch. textures that clash with the otherwise good busy, but it’s clear the fi rst game will be the visuals. The animations in combat are fl uid one you remember. and detailed, but in conversation they are - Sand_Storm jerky and robotic. The game can be unforgiving, especially in the early-game when you’re fl ung into combat without proper tutorials. Often you’ll learn something valuable (like health item Recommended for JRPG and action- crafting) only to scream: “Now you tell me!” RPG fans alike, this bundle is a highly Worse is the archaic save system, where 72 entertaining way to get into the Tales death takes you back to your last fi xed save of series. The lacklustre sequel brings point, even if it was on the other side of a the score down, but if you can ignore some of the novel of unskippable dialogue. old-fashioned stylings, there’s plenty here to hold Symphonia is defi nitely the belle of the your attention. bundle compared to its sequel, Dawn of the New World. Kicking off after the events PLUS / Fun combat / Value for money / Entertaining of the previous game, this 2008 Wii port characters (mostly) / Diff erent to JRPG norm improves animations and refi nes the combat, but falls short of its predecessor. For one, MINUS / Poor sequel / Clunky animations / Poorly your protagonist (Emil Castagnier) is whiny, handled tutorials pathetic and diffi cult to relate to. The story meanders, and you never get a sense that

54 April 2014 www.nag.co.za win one of four

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 Dr acula's tomb premium editions

To enter the competition sms the keyword Castlevania to 33110

SMSes charged at R1.50 (free SMS bundles don’t apply) Winners will be notifi ed by SMS Judges decision is fi nal and no correspondence will be entered into Competition closes 30 April 2014

Castlevania T-shirt (not pictured) hardware / column

HARDWIRED by Neo Sibeko Welcome to the new and better version of the NAG hardware section. Some things have changed in how we test hardware, but the changes are defi nitely for the better. Overall, it’s about bringing simpler but more informative reviews to you, the readers.

With that said, some of what you should be aware of when of having at least 20 PCIe lanes available from the PCH looking to buy gaming hardware may sound obvious, logic within the CPUs. In fact, this is the case for all CPUs but you’d be surprised how this is often misunderstood. these days or at least ones that are gaming appropriate. Obviously budget is important, but even before a budget What should concern you however is the audio element is considered, one needs to fi gure out exactly what it is of the motherboard, its connectivity options (USB and you intend to do with your PC. For instance, in the modern LAN and the like), and most importantly the quality of gaming environment, PC gaming is increasingly becoming the motherboard in question. No single motherboard an expensive gaming platform. There is simply no point will give you a gaming advantage over another, but in trying to build a gaming PC for R5,000 because what there is a qualitative diff erence between a low budget you’ll walk away with is not a PC that will give you a R1,200 motherboard and one that costs twice as much. satisfying gaming experience. In fact, for the most part, You may not have experienced it yet, but most cheap you will get nothing but an offi ce machine that is anything motherboards will leave you susceptible to coil whine/ but pleasant to play games on. general electronic component noise and most importantly If that is the kind of budget you have then do off er next to zero protection against power surges, brown seriously consider buying a console instead, be it the outs and spikes. For instance if your PC gets struck by last generation units or the newer ones. Any one of them lightning, at the least your LAN port and controller is will give you a much better gaming experience than rendered useless, but if you bought a cheap motherboard anything you could build for that kind of budget. This also chances are you’ll lose your DRAM, CPU, graphics card, applies for PCs that are anything less than R8,000 as well, disk drives or perhaps even all of these components. especially if you’re looking to buy the entire machine with The reason we run benchmarks is to check that all the display and the peripherals on that budget. is operating as it should be, but performance variations So your budget, at least for 2014, when building a PC within 3 or even 5 percent should not be a concern. should be in the region of R10,000. It seems like a lot of Synthetic tests show such variations in numbers, but money, but for that kind of spend you’ll not be worrying for gaming these diff erences will translate into a 1fps about system specifi cations, and you’ll be able to play diff erence at most. So it is the quality of the motherboard games at 1080p which is what the minimum resolution that should be most important to you and its relevant for PC gaming should be. Anything less, then you may features. This qualitative aspect applies to PSUs as well. as well be using a console. To that end, after you’ve Do not be concerned about the power rating only but decided on how much you’re willing to spend, read our the quality of the PSU. If you’re buying a PSU for R500, reviews for more than just benchmark results. These are then the R400 you’re saving on a R900 model may end Neo. Our resident hardware genius,who very important, but not for every component. A good up costing you far more in the near future, in fact it most used to live in example is motherboards. There is a very valid reason certainly will. South Africa but is now based in why you should choose the best motherboard you can for For graphics cards, all the above is important, but Taiwan because it a specifi c price bracket, but be wary of being swayed by frame rates mean the most here. Diff erent vendors took hardware too long to get here (or SLI or CrossFire capability. For the vast majority of people, will use diff erent components, memory, coolers and something like that). these multi-GPU solutions are just not worth the cost and PCBs, but for the most part, the actual GPU is what He has basically lost half his body weight potential compatibility issues. Unless you’re playing in should concern you. If possible always buy the factory since we last saw active 3D or with a multi-monitor setup, SLI or CrossFire is overclocked parts, especially at the lower end of graphics him, probably thanks to eating rice and the last thing you should be concerning yourself with. cards. This will make the diff erence between a playable tentacle soup. He is Motherboard vendors would love to sell you this and an unplayable gaming experience. the smartest person we know when it as a feature, but consider that even the most basic With that said, hopefully you can read the hardware comes to computer motherboards based on the Z87 platform for example has reviews with a better and more complete understanding hardware and we know a lot of people. native SLI and CrossFire support. This is simply by way than before.

56 April 2014 www.nag.co.za hardware / dream machine

PSU GRAPHICS OS DRIVE STORAGE DRIVE Cooler Master Silent Pro M2 GIGABYTE GV-N78TGHZ-3GD OCZ Vector 256GB SSD WD Black 4TB FZEX 1500Watt PSU R11,799 / www.gigabyte.com R3,799 / www.ocz.com R3,299 / www.wdc.com R3,999 / www.coolermaster.com

CHASSIS DISPLAY KEYBOARD COOLER Corsair Obsidian 900D ASUS VG248QE GIGABYTE Aivia Osmium Cooler Master Nepton 280L R3,999 / www.corsair.com R6,099 / www.asus.com Mechanical Gaming Keyboard R1,499 / www.coolermaster.com R1,299 / www.gigabyte.com

MOUSE MOUSE MAT SOUND HEADPHONES Razer Ouroboros Razer Ironclad Creative Sound Blaster ZxR Plantronics GameCom Commander R1,399 / www.razerzone.com R599 / www.razerzone.com R3,499 / www.soundblaster.com R4,569 / www.plantronics.com

INTEL AMD

INTEL CORE I7 4960X AMD FX 8350 R14,103 / www.intel.com R3,099 / www.amd.com

ASUS RAMPAGE IV EXTREME BLACK EDITION ASUS CROSSHAIR V FORMULA-Z R7,999 / www.asus.com R3,999 / www.asus.com

CORSAIR DOMINATOR PLATINUM 2,666MHZ CORSAIR VENGEANCE PRO 2,666MHZ C11 16GB KIT C10 16GB KIT R4,999 / www.corsair.com R6,999 / www.corsair.com

INTEL DREAM MACHINE AMD DREAM MACHINE R75,622 R58,618

www.nag.co.za April 2014 57 hardware / versus

GIGABYTE GTX 750 Ti OC

MSI GTX 750 Ti GAMING

n a rather odd move back in February, than that which is found on the GTX 650 weaker GPU on paper, but one that is a lot NVIDIA introduced their fi rst Maxwell series (GK106). It also has fewer compute smaller physically as well at 148mm squared Ipowered GPU. If you’re not versed with cores. From roughly 2.5 billion gates on compared to the 221mm before. Keep in what Maxwell is, it is the successive the previous ASIC we fi nd that GM107 mind that we are still dealing with TSMC’s GPU family over Kepler, which powered houses around 1.8 billion. From a high high performance 28nm process here. the 600 and 700 series GPUs save for level perspective or at least logically, the However, despite all these changes, the 750. Maxwell debuted on the 28nm new GPU has more SM units but each one the GM107 GPU is a good bit faster than even though the target node was 20nm. houses only 128 compute cores, instead of the outgoing GPU. In all gaming scenarios However, NVIDIA took it upon themselves the 192 as found in the GK106 and the rest it is faster and especially in coin mining to try out the architecture on a proven and of the Kepler family. With that, the Texture the GM107 matches AMD’s eff orts if not mature node, before risking it on an eight addressing units have been reduced to exceeding them a little. billion+ gate ASIC as appearing on the GTX 40 from the previous 64 while the front TDP has been reduced dramatically 780 successor (as a result of when this end raster units remain unchanged at 16. as well, from 110W to a mere 60W for was written, we were not allowed to give Memory confi guration and bandwidth the reference models. That’s almost half specifi cs on that particular GPU). Thus what also remains unchanged via a 128-bit the power consumption, thus as far as you have here is the next generation NVIDIA bus featuring 5.4GT/s for a rather small performance per watt and performance per GPU family which, as it turns out, isn’t too 86GB/s throughput. The compute cores mm is concerned, this is the leading GPU on diff erent from what we have at present with on the new family, or rather the SM units, the market at present. With such a reduced the Kepler GPUs. In fact, Maxwell’s number are a little more complicated than on the power profi le, there’s no need for additional one purpose or sole purpose is increasing previous family, so a direct comparison power via a 6-pin PCIe connector. The GPU the performance per mm squared. Sounds in numbers alone is not valid. The raw can be powered by the PCIe slot directly. like something we’ve heard from AMD mathematical performance when just Obviously some models like the GIGABYTE in regards to their CPUs, but this time it factoring in numbers is still in favour of the one we have here use a power connector. actually does yield real results and dramatic GK106, however the GM107 is better able For all intents and purposes however, this gains in power consumption. to extract the 1.3GLOPS it is capable of is not necessary. What follows, is a quick The GM107 (GeForce Maxwell SKU than the GK106 core. rundown between two graphics cards, 107, (entry level)) GPU is actually smaller All of these changes not only make for a powered by the new GPU.

58 April 2014 www.nag.co.za GIGABYTE GTX 750 Ti OC

FEATURES PERFORMANCE OVERCLOCKING VALUE The GIGABYTE card features Given just how well the GM107 Overclocking on this card, much This card costs just as much as Dual HDMI connectivity, thus cores overclock, the factory like on the MSI card is limited the reference card. There’s no you will be able to output to a overclock on the GIGABYTE to the card's total power draw reason to buy the reference one full 4K resolution. The card has card is minimal. Still, you’ll be limit. You can easily push the when you can have this one with no VGA output, but houses able to play most games if not all slider right to the end to achieve just about everything about it two additional DVI outputs. of them at 1080p provided you a real clock of 1,300MHz and being superior. We still don’t get One is dual-link and the other use no AA and keep the detail game away with no issues. The the point of the power connector, is analogue, to which you can levels at low to medium. Some memory also overclocks to a but other than that it is as cheap use a converter to connect it to games can be played at high respectable 1.6GHz, which is a a GTX 750 Ti as you’re likely a VGA monitor. In addition, the detail levels, but those are not lot more than the 1.35GHz it is going to fi nd. However, you’ll GIGABYTE card uses a 6-pin demanding games to begin with. shipped at. Once again, you may get the GIGABYTE component PCIe connector for additional Certainly nothing like Crysis 3 even be able to go to 1.7GHz, but quality, 4K capability and a power. This isn’t necessary, should be attempted. that will depend on the sample. factory overclock that can be because the clock speeds are What is for sure though, is that further improved upon. not improved and there is no all cards should be able to do meaningful addition to the card's 1.5GHz since all the memory is capabilities as it never draws rated at 1.5GHz anyway. more power than what the PCIe slot can provide on its own. (With the reference BIOS at least).

www.nag.co.za April 2014 59 hardware / versus

MSI GAMING N750 Ti TF 2GD5/OC

FEATURES PERFORMANCE OVERCLOCKING VALUE This card has no additional This card was outright faster As mentioned earlier, we were This card costs more than the features over the reference than the competing card. It able to push this sample to competing card. By how much model. It will not give you 4K had a higher factory clock and 1,367MHz on the core and exactly we couldn’t tell you at output via any display but that we were able to push it to a 6GHz on the memory. We have the time of writing, but suffi ce to should not be an issue. If you comfortable 1,367 MHz on the seen clock speeds on other say it does cost more. It’s bigger can aff ord a 4K display, you core and 6GHz on the memory. GTX 750 Ti models go past and performs well for what it is. should not be buying a GTX 750 Once again, there was no the 1,400MHz mark and we’ve We wish it was a little smaller as TI in the fi rst place. Other than adjustment in voltage or fan no doubt this card could do it would be ideal for these small that, this is a standard card with speed required. Even at the the same, BIOS allowing. The Steam Box builds. However, an impressive Twin Frozr cooler overclocked settings it stayed issue however is the limit that even as it is, it’s a great card which keeps things under the relatively cool at just over 52̊C. is imposed in the concerning that’s worth taking a look at. 50̊C much like the other card. Games obviously played a little power draw. Even with the The MSI off ering has a dual better, within 2 to 3 fps faster. BIOS unlocked, because this BIOS feature, which is supposed With such cards you’ll want to card does not feature a PCIe to off er UEFI and Legacy get the most out of them so power connector, you’ll end support. However we feel this is this factory overclock should up causing some instability by best used as a backup BIOS for come in handy. drawing more power than the those who might want to dabble motherboard is able to provide. in some overclocking. An odd All of this aside, this is a good thing to have on such a low-end overclocking sample. card, but one we do appreciate.

60 April 2014 www.nag.co.za

hardware / review

GIGABYTE P27K Gaming Notebook Website / www.gigabyte.com ERP / R19,299 Supplier / Rectron

CPU Intel Core i7 4700HQ

GPU NVIDIA GTX 765M 2GB

MEMORY 16GB DDR3

STORAGE 256GB SSD (RAID 0) + 1TB Storage drive

OPTICAL DRIVE xxxDVD writer

GPU xxxNVIDIA GTX 765M 2GB SPECS BENCHMARK RESULTS aming notebooks have always PC Mark8 Creative Suite had a tough time going about their (OpenCL accelerated): 3,732 purpose at a decent price. More so G Battery time: 2H:49m: 45s than desktops, many were limited by what technology could off er and as a result, 3DMark FireStrike: 2,599 desktop replacement machines in particular Catzilla 1080p: 3,426 were always the worst. For the most part, this continues to be the case. Fortunately however, here we don’t have a desktop replacement machine. The P27K is a simple gaming notebook, which is designed to be appealing in a gaming context, but also appropriate for use in a working environment. In other words, it is not as vulgar as some units we’ve seen before. It’s simple yet appealing aesthetic works and GIGABYTE has done a great job with it. Like most 17.3” notebooks, the P27K is not light by any measure, as it tips the scales at 3.2kg. It is still lighter than many desktop alive. This would be an even better display Overall, this is a fairly good notebook, replacement systems, but heavier than other had it been paired with a faster GPU in the but it’s not quite ready to challenge for competing products. That said, the weight form of the GTX 770M. The GTX 765M is the top spot when gaming comes to mind. distribution is great and it isn’t particularly an acceptable GPU, but just doesn’t have There are some component decisions that heavy on any one side. the oomph to drive the display at the native off set what is otherwise a sublime machine. Aesthetics aside, this notebook is resolution. Unlike the desktop GTX 760, For the right price however, it is certainly primarily about performance and it must the 765M only has at its disposal 64GB/s of an attractive off er and should allow you go be said that disk performance is incredible. memory bandwidth. That means it has even about your gaming without much trouble. If Thanks to the RAID 0 confi guration, the lower bandwidth than what you’d fi nd on you’re looking for something a little special machine is very snappy and there is no a GTX 650 Ti for instance. Since that GPU perhaps, do consider GIGABYTE’s other waiting for any program to open. From isn’t capable of 1080p gaming, it stands to notebooks instead. pressing the power button to the desktop, it reason that any similarly confi gured GPU - Neo Sibeko takes a few seconds. You’ll be hard pressed would not be and this is the case with the to fi nd better disk performance from any 765M as featured in the P27K. We do feel notebook for any amount of money. We that sacrifi cing some other features on the tested the RAID confi guration and recorded notebook would be worth it just so that the scores of 947MB/s in sequential reads and GPU would be a GTX 770M instead as that 629MB/s in sequential writes. 4K (QD32) would make virtually all games playable at Much like the P35K, the P27K is performance was equally brilliant at 471MB/s 1080p with medium to high detail settings. 7 decent at playing current games and 456MB/s respectively. To put this into That aside, we were once again and off ering a solid computing perspective, there’s not a single 2.5” SATA underwhelmed by the speakers on experience. It can still be improved upon, 6Gbps or SAS SSD you can buy that could the 27K. They simply lacked the bass however at lower to similar pricing. deliver this kind of performance. and clarity we would expect from such As with the P35K, the full HD screen is a notebook, which is another wasted PLUS / Phenomenal disk performance / Great great, off ering respectable viewing angles opportunity. Given that there are several display and consistent colour reproduction. It is general use notebooks that off er better one of the better panels on the market and audio, you may want to consider headphones MINUS / Keyboard could do with improvement / certainly makes videos and games come rather than using the built-in speakers. Speakers are poor / Heavier than necessary

62 April 2014 www.nag.co.za

hardware / review

AMD A10 7700K Website / www.amd.com ERP / R2,599 Supplier / AMD

CORE 28nm Kaveri (4 threads)

FREQUENCY 3,400MHz (3.8GHz Turbo)

CACHE 4MB total (2x 2MB L2)

TDP 95W

TDP PLATFORM xxxFM2+ SPECS

n only a fashion that AMD’s CPU department could master, the new family Iof Kaveri APUs launched several months ago but they are only now available to buy in quantities. This is typical of product launches, but AMD has said to us that demand was high, so that was the reason for the shortages. Be that as it may, our fi rst encounter with AMD’s 7000 series APUs was an odd one. Right now you can buy the A10 7850K fl agship model, the A8-7600 budget model for those who are power graphics hum along smoothly with the especially because it has the exact same conscious, and fi nally the 7700K which new APUs. This is of course keeping in specifi cation as the 7700K in the number we have here. All three of these APUs are mind we are talking low detail settings of compute cores and turbo frequency. built around the Steamroller architecture here for most games. You’ll be able to For Steam Boxes this would make that AMD has been touting as their next play games based on the UE3 engine for a great APU, and defi nitely one to architectural evolution. instance fairly well at 1080p. However consider if you’re trying to stay within a As it stands, comparing Richland to the best resolution for this APU is 720p. tight budget. That however only works if Kaveri in compute performance shows At this resolution you can get frame rates you’re not going to be adding a discrete some gains. However, these gains are well above 40fps for almost all games at graphics card, because as soon as you minimal on average. Yes there are some medium settings. A stretch to 900 pixels do that, then you may consider the Core scenarios where the changes result in can be made, but then you’re at the edge i5 CPUs which sap even less power, cost massive gains but most of those are in of what we would consider playable. less and off er signifi cantly better CPU synthetic tests. In general computing Overall, the 7000 series APUs are performance. terms and where gaming performance what you’ve seen before just with much As it stands this is a respectable APU, is concerned, there’s no diff erence at all better graphics. A fundamental diff erence but we do feel that you’d be better off with between the previous 6800K and the between the last generation parts and the A8 7600 or the fully fl edged A10- new 7850K. This is of course when using this family is that for the fi rst time, we have 7850K (reviewed in the next issue) with a dedicated GPU. If you resort to the IGP a true heterogeneous die where both more GPU processing cores. If you must you’ll see the most signifi cant gains and the GPU and CPU parts are not only in have the latest APU however at any cost, in benchmarks that can take advantage the same package but on the same die, then this will not disappoint you. of OpenCL. The number of applications sharing many resources. This allows for - Neo Sibeko that can take advantage of this are a great many programming techniques increasing, however there are still more which were previously not possible or applications that rely on raw single thread costly to execute. As far as future looking performance, and this is where AMD is technologies are concerned, AMD is lacking severely. spot on in focusing on heterogeneous That aside, there is some reason to computing and a large part of that needs AMD have done a great job on be excited because once again AMD powerful GPU logic. 6 the GPU side of things, but have has delivered the next step in IGP The 7700K specifi cally diff ers from the done nothing at all where the CPU performance. The move to the GCN A8-7600 only in that it has an unlocked performance is concerned, which ultimately architecture has enabled the Kaveri APUs multiplier and has a 95W TDP. The 7600 hurts these APUs. to put even more distance between them on the other hand is confi ned to 3.3GHz and what Intel off ers. A quick comparison (non-Turbo ratio) as opposed to the PLUS / Great OpenCL performance / showed the AMD part (7700K) delivered 3.4GHz we have here. More importantly, GCN GPU off ers plenty of performance performance that is in some cases more the 7600 is a 65W part with the capability than double what Intel can muster with to run at an even lower 45W. It costs a MINUS / Costs more than the Core i5 4430 / the HD4600. Moreover, some games little more, but for the power conscious Power consumption / Disappointing single that are simply unplayable with the Intel it may be the better APU to buy. This is thread performance

64 Xxx 2014 www.nag.co.za

hardware / review

SteelSeries H Wireless Headset Website / www.steelseries.com RRP / R3,699 Supplier / Megarom

WIRELESS RANGE 12m (40ft) straight line

LATENCY <16ms, fixed

PORTS Analogue in, analogue out, mini USB, optical on, optical out, power

BATTERY TYPE Rechargeable Lithium-Ion, 1000mAh SPECS

BATTERY LIFE xxx20 hours per pack, typical usage

he SteelSeries H Wireless headset ticks all the right boxes, it’s quick T and easy to setup, the battery lasts forever and it looks good while still being comfortable to wear. Connecting it to your PlayStation, Xbox and PC is done using the supplied optical, analogue or USB cables; it also supports iOS and Android. The Wii U is off the menu because it has no optical out. The Xbox 360 chat functionality requires another cable (supplied) and while it will get sound from the Xbox One, it doesn’t support chat because Microsoft hasn’t released a headset adapter yet. The real magic happens between the headset and a small but very functional transmitter that features an intelligent OLED display telling you everything from battery life and volume to which device is connected. The transmitter has a large volume knob that also functions as a select button and another smaller ‘back’ button. Around the back we have connection points for analogue in, chat out, USB and optical in and out as well as a USB driven between the transmitter and headset is see a few more notches on the volume dial DC power adapter with multiple country about as lag free as you’re going to get in a as the H Wireless isn’t super loud. It’s very power connectors. The transmitter is sleek wireless environment and no movie, game hard to fi nd fault here and if you’re looking and impressive and provides access to or music tested produced any noticeable for a wireless solution that will plug into a multitude of menus and options, from lag, even when the battery was dying. On almost anything you own then this is it if you fi ddling with the equaliser to setting up the topic of battery, SteelSeries has seen fi t have the cash. profi les as well as the brightness of the to supply two batteries, one in the headset - Michael James display. Two additional options you’ll fi nd and one spare which you can charge inside useful are ChatMix and LiveMix. ChatMix the transmitter. This is pure genius and lets you decide the volume ratio between means zero down time while playing and voice chat and a game’s sound level, while considering the batteries last around 20 LiveMix automatically detects when a voice hours, it’s almost like having them plugged chat comes in, and reduces the volume of in permanently. The only misstep here is It’s a perfect mix of almost the game sounds. the battery cover needs somewhere to grip 9 everything you could ever want out The headset itself is comfortable and when removing it or you’re going to need of a wireless headset. The very fact snug on the head, not as much as other one of those rubber mats your mom has in that the H Wireless comes with two batteries premium products from SteelSeries, the the kitchen. and all the required cables tells you that Siberia Elite for example, but more than The headset uses a virtual 7.1 SteelSeries takes you seriously as a customer. adequate for long gaming sessions. The soundscape that accurately allows you to microphone is retractable and features a hear sounds all around you and everything PLUS / Comes with all the cables / Spare battery red light to show if it’s on or off ; do bear else you’d expect from a multiple speaker included / Great sound / Super easy to use in mind that pushing the microphone in set up. The audio quality is crisp and doesn’t turn it off like other headsets – features deep enough bass to satisfy most. MINUS / The battery cover is tricky to remove / something to be aware of. The connection Those hard of hearing will probably like to Could be a bit louder

66 April 2014 www.nag.co.za

hardware / review

MSI A88X-G45 GAMING Website / www.msi.com ERP / R1,999 Supplier / Corex

CHIPSET AMD A88

MEMORY 4x 240-pin DDR3

CPU SUPPORT FM2+

EXPANSION 3x PCI-E 16X, 3x PCI-E 1X, 1x PCI

SIZE xxxATX SPECS

o here’s yet another gaming motherboard from MSI. This time it S features AMD’s A88 chipset. Since AMD isn’t in the business of advancing chipsets in any remotely plausible way, it falls to vendors such as MSI to bolt on as much as they can to make compelling motherboards. To that extent MSI has done a great job with the A88X chipset and complemented it with a great set of features that make this a very well rounded motherboard for the platform. It is to be kept in mind that gaming on the FM2+ socket is for budget conscious buyers and not ones seeking the ultimate in gaming pleasure. AMD’s APUs are not in any way shape or form cut out for that kind of gaming, but they do make the best budget gaming CPUs money can buy. Paired with such a motherboard, it could be exactly what a appreciate the now mandatory 600 ohm tandem with the IGP of the 7000 series APUs budget-conscious gamer needs. headphone amp. It actually does make a to further bolster your gaming performance. To start with, MSI has included with diff erence and helps deliver an even better The scaling is great for the most part and you this board their standard Military Class 4 audio experience with the software than can make most of your games playable at components, which simply put means that you’d initially expect it to. 1080p. To that end MSI has also included a the motherboard should not experience any Where overclocking features are free copy of Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD. blown capacitors and the like regardless of concerned, you’ll want to pay close attention It’s a port, but it’s a good one and a lot of fun how long you’re gaming. There should be here as this is one of the few times where to play, especially since it runs so well on the minimal if any electronic noise and you’re overclocking makes a sizeable diff erence in APU (with reasonable settings). guaranteed a board that will probably gaming performance especially with Kaveri Overall this is a solid off ering and outlast its relevance in a gaming context. APUs. You will want to get your hands on as defi nitely one of MSI’s best motherboards That aside, the two parts that make a fast a set of memory as you can. Two sticks to date. If you want a full ATX A88X gaming motherboard are the audio solution obviously and not four because you’ll lose motherboard, do consider this one. and network interface card. To this, MSI out on latency, which happens across all - Neo Sibeko adds a special feature in the form of a platforms mostly. With a set of 2,600MHz dedicated USB 2.0 hub that is confi gured to DIMMs you can boost the rendering decrease signal latency by up to 7ms. This is performance of the built in GPU quite also applicable to the PS/2 port as well. How dramatically, making previously unplayable much of a diff erence this makes remains to games very comfortable. This is where you As far as A88X motherboards are be seen but for the most part it cannot hurt can never have enough bandwidth and 9 concerned, this is the best one we to plug your peripherals into these ports. fortunately the MSI board has plenty of have seen to date. MSI has done an Delving deeper into the audio we fi nd overclocking features which will allow you excellent job with this product. that MSI has resorted to a software layer to reach speeds of at least 2,400MHz if your Sound Blaster Cinema package. This set isn’t capable of 2,600MHz. PLUS / Looks great / Good features for the price / is used in conjunction with the regular This motherboard supports CrossFire Assassin’s Creed Liberation included / Realtek ALC codec. The audio is not up as well, but this would be wasted with the Performs well to the levels of what you’d expect on the kind of processing power available on the premium gaming boards, but it’s better than platform. The best scenario for CrossFire MINUS / Would be even better as a mini-ITX what is on other A88X motherboards on use is in hybrid-CrossFire mode where you board / Could be potentially expensive / Software the market. If you use headphones you’ll can use a relatively inexpensive GPU in audio and LAN gaming solution

68 April 2014 www.nag.co.za hardware / review CHOOSE ASUS N750J ORIGINAL GAMES Website / www.asus.com RRP / R26,000 Supplier / ASUS

CPU Intel Core i7-4700HQ (2.4GHz)

GPU NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M / Intel HD Graphics 4600

RAM 8GB DDR3 (supports up to 16GB)

HDD 2x 1TB HDD

DISPLAY xxx17.3-inch non-glare, 1920x1080 native resolution SPECS

SUS’ N Series notebooks aren’t designed especially for gaming. Instead, the N750J is targeted at users looking for a complete A multimedia solution that’s backed up by impressive performance. And they’ve succeeded at that, bar a few shortfalls. Using the notebook for everyday tasks is brilliantly comfortable with its full-size backlit keyboard and spacious, gesture-enabled touchpad. There’s enough power under the hood to ensure that general productivity tasks are effi ciently handled, while still not being so overly power-hungry that you’ll get hardly any unplugged battery life. The 17.3- inch screen is incredibly crisp and vivid, making watching movies and playing games a pleasure. Unfortunately, the audio that’s boasted about in the notebook’s marketing falls a bit fl at. The N750J ships with a detachable subwoofer that can be placed alongside the notebook to provide bass, while the quad speaker array promises excellent sound production. In use, however, the audio performance is disappointing. It’s meatier than most laptop audio, sure, but at the same time it’s muffl ed and unpleasant. Gaming performance isn’t bad at all, with the N750J awarded a score of 1,593 in 3DMark’s Fire Strike test. It’s not an amazing score (it’s held back by the GT 750M that powers this notebook’s visuals when the Intel 4600 isn’t running the show), but it means you’ll be able to play pretty much any game out there provided you’re willing to lower the graphics settings for the more demanding ones. Sadly, the huge price tag makes it diffi cult to recommend the N750J when for a couple thousand rand more you can get a full-fl edged gaming laptop like the ASUS G750, which will get DON’T PIRATE GAMES you double the gaming performance that’s on IT’S A CRIME AND IT off er here. If you absolutely must have better battery KILLS OUR INDUSTRY life, however, then the N750J is nevertheless a great notebook. By supporting piracy you - Dane Remendes support organised crime

If you’re on the hunt for a powerful multimedia notebook, the 8 N750J is a strong choice.

PLUS / Fantastic screen / Good all-round performance

MINUS / Disappointing audio / Expensive

www.piracysucks.co.za hardware / reviews

ADATA DashDrive Elite GAMDIAS Hephaesteus Sony Action Cam SE720 external SSD Website / www.gamdias.com HDR-AS30V Website / www.adata.com RRP / TBA Website / www.sony.co.za RRP / R1,650 Supplier / GAMDIAS RRP / R3,999

Supplier / ADATA IMPEDANCE 32 ohms Supplier / Sony FREQUENCY 20Hz – 20kHz CAPACITY 128GB RESPONSE WATERPROOF 5m (16 feet) for 30 minutes

MICROPHONE WEIGHT 110g -46db IMAGE SteadyShot SENSITIVITY

SPECS STABILIZATION INTERFACE USB 3.0 Carl Zeiss Vario- LENS TYPE DIMENSIONS 117mm x 79mm x 8.9mm Tessar lens ersonally, I don’t at all like the look of SPECS SPECS the Hephaestus’ chunky white form. he SE720’s claim to fame is that, P That said though, it defi nitely turns he AS30V is an updated version instead of packing a traditional heads, especially thanks to the bright of the HDR-AS15, so if you’re a fan T magnetic drive into a portable lighting that covers it, but it’s a bit much for Tof Sony’s previous POV camera enclosure (as is usually the case with my taste. Still, I know there are people who off ering, you’re going to like this one. The external drives), ADATA’s gone and will adore its over-the-top sci-fi stylings. AS30V now comes with an improved case shoved an SSD into this particular portable And those people are in luck, because it which is waterproof to 5m compared to its off ering’s housing. boasts good audio performance beneath predecessor's 60m. The new case features As such, it boasts all the benefi ts of its fl amboyant aesthetic. membranes to better capture underwater an SSD: faster read/write performance, There are some caveats, however, sound and access to all the function buttons zero noise, low power consumption and mostly centred around its vibration on the camera – the previous version no moving parts – and therefore less of a function, which is designed to vibrate the required opening of the case for any kind of chance that you’ll break something and lose ear cups based on the position of in-game input. The reduced depth and subsequent your data if you drop it. It does carry the sounds to help you pinpoint enemies. improvements here are much more in line always less inviting price of an SSD, however, Unfortunately, I didn’t really fi nd this with how most people use a POV camera. along with a relatively small capacity. functionality all that useful, because most The HDR-AS30V also has built in GPS, Testing its performance has proven a sounds ended up setting off vibrations in but viewing GPS information requires bit anomalous, because on three diff erent both ear cups anyway. the use of Sony’s proprietary software machines the drive provided three wildly In music and movies, the variable PlayMemories Home which incidentally diff erent test results. The best of them vibration eff ect is essential because is free to use for Action Cam owners. The revealed read/write speeds of 156MB/s turning it off practically removes bass Action Cam uses Sony’s SteadyShot for and 369MB/s respectively on USB 3.0, entirely. Having it on the highest setting image stabilisation when shooting at a and the write performance in particular is created a tinny rattle on the unit I tested, fi eld of view of 120°, but is disabled when a bit worrying given that ADATA boasts however, so I’d recommend leaving it on switching up to 170°. Overall the HDR- write speeds of up to 400MB/s. Still, it’s the medium setting. Provided you won’t AS30V is a big improvement over the excellent performance for a portable drive. be bothered by having vibrating ear cups, previous model and will get the job done As an added bonus, its housing is made of then you should be very happy with the in most environments humans can get to. scratch-resistant stainless steel. Hephaestus. - Michael James - Dane Remendes - Dane Remendes

The HDR-AS30V makes a few 8 critical improvements over the The SE720 is an impressively previous model and in doing so 9 fast external drive, even broadens market reach. though it’s outperformed by If you like its over-the-top look, standalone SSDs. the Hephaestus is a worthwhile PLUS / GPS / Improved waterproof case / 7 choice of gaming headset. Smartphone functionality PLUS / Great performance / SSD benefi ts PLUS / Solid audio production MINUS / Limited in the accessory MINUS / Not as fast as standalone SSDs / department / PlayMemories requirement for Low capacity MINUS / Vibration function isn’t brilliant GPS display

70 April 2014 www.nag.co.za win one of two

Canon LEGRIA Mini cameras valued at r4,000

LEGRIA MINI FEATURES • 170° ultra-wide[1] angle lens • Vari-angle LCD screen and built-in stand • Switch between ultra-wide and close-up • Wi-Fi; live streaming and sharing • Full HD recording • HS System: 12.8 MP CMOS, DIGIC DV4 • Built-in stereo mic, Audio Scene select • Detection orientation • Mirror image recording/playback • Slow & Fast motion; interval recording

Sms the keyword wespeakimage to 33110

SMSes charged at R1.50 (free SMS bundles don’t apply) Winners will be notifi ed by SMS Judges decision is fi nal and no correspondence will be entered into Competition closes 30 April 2014 hardware / the lazy gamer's guide

the lazy gamer's guide

Website / www.gunnars.com RRP / Wi-fi ve Onyx - R995 | RPG Gunmetal Amber – R995 | Gunnar Carry Case – R199 Supplier / Comet Computing

“Eyeballs are pretty important things.” Somebody famous once said that. Look it up. Life sucks a lot when your eyeballs decide that they’re tired of performing your slave labour for little to no pay. And so they form a union. And while they go on strike demanding better work conditions and a 30% moisture increase, you’re left eyeball-less, expected to fend for yourself in a world that’s scientifi cally proven to be very dependent on being able to see whether or not you’re about to be mauled by that lion over there. You know, the one that you haven’t yet spotted because your sight-orbs are happily picketing throughout your skull. That’s where Gunnar comes in as a sort of eyecare arbitrator. Their eyewear is here to help keep your hardworking vision- spheres satisfi ed and suitably protected when they’re confronted by modern life’s vision-related hurdles.

72 April 2014 www.nag.co.za DESIGNED WITH PURPOSE In addition to potentially making you look cool (or like an accidental hipster) at all times, Gunnar’s range is designed above all else to protect the integrity of your sense of sight, as well as enhance it in certain ways.

WHY IT’S NEEDED As you can imagine, modern life places a range of stresses on your eyes. Working under fl uorescent lighting. Staring at blue-light emitting screens for hours on end. Stuff like this puts immense strain on your vision, and not only are you physically able to feel the fatigue this causes, but other symptoms like headaches and blurry vision can manifest as well.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT Gunnar’s lens tint, coatings and the curvature of the lens all serve to help shield your eyes from screen glare, artifi cial lighting and air currents that could potentially dry out your eyes. They create a more relaxed visual environment, fi ltering out any harsh elements to keep your eyes safe and functional, even after hours of exposure. TECHNICAL OCULAR CLARITY Thanks to the tech of the lenses and the fact RPG GUNMETAL that your eyes won’t have to work so hard, AMBER you’ll get sharper vision and enhanced clarity Lens width: 62mm when using Gunnar glasses. Gunnar eyewear Nose: 17mm is also prescription compatible, in case you’re wondering. Temple: 120mm Weight: 35g Material: Aluminium- SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE magnesium Gunnar’s eyewear is available in a variety of styles to suit your taste. Given their usefulness in long gaming sessions, they’ve got a whole WI-FIVE ONYX range designed especially for gamers, Lens width: 56mm called Advanced Gaming Eyewear, as well Nose: 18mm as Advanced Computer Eyewear. The two models we were sent and pictured here is the Temple: 120mm RPG Gunmetal Amber from the Gaming range, Weight: 25g where gunmetal refers to the frame colour and Material: Stainless steel amber refers to the lens tint. The Wi-fi ve Onyx is one of the Computer Eyewear models. They also off er branded carry cases. SUMMARY Pros: Protects your eyes / High quality Cons: Nothing Alternatives: GOING TOTALLY BLIND. Obviously.

www.nag.co.za April 2014 73 mosh pit MOSH This month’s hot list of cool stuff and everything else you simply must have. Well, almost everything.

GOOGLE NEXUS 7

Supplier / ASUS Website / www.kalahari.com RRP / R5,999

The Android tablet market is saturated with every level of device from the most basic to those that take on a couple of decent notebooks, but sometimes all you want is something simple but powerful, and that’s where Google has carved out its niche for the last few years. Teaming up with ASUS once again, the new Google Nexus 7 sports a powerful quad-core CPU, full HD display and Android 4.3, all while staying at a moderate price point. Its clean design and light weight mean you’ll never feel that carrying it aroundndd ASTRUM TAB is a hassle, and the no-nonsense version off the OS means navigation is quick and easy.. 7.0 3G PRO Perhaps the only let-down on the Nexuss 7 is the camera, which clocks in at 5MP but Supplier / Astrum lacks a fl ash or auto-focus. If you only need Website / www.astrum.co.za it for a few quick snaps in good lighting, it’ll RRP / R1,899 be suffi cient, but this weak camera is almostst made worse by contrast with this otherwisee If you’re strapped for cash but absolutely high-end off ering. There’s also no support must have a feature-packed tablet, for storage expansion, but the entry-level the Astrum Tab is defi nitely worth your option comes with 16GB on-board so you attention. For the price tag on the box you shouldn’t be too bothered by this. can’t expect stellar performance, but the Astrum is capable enough to not drive you completely crazy. What might get on your nerves is the low-quality screen that cripples this full HD display, but the fact that you get HDMI output, SD card support and 3G should make up for it. This might be a budget tablet, but it feels decent overall and isn’t too bulky or heavy, although the side buttons feel cheap. Lastly, we’d also recommend that you fi nd a way to get the latest version of Android on the device, as it still runs 4.2.2.

74 April 2014 www.nag.co.za AR.DRONE 2.0 ELITE EDITION

Supplier / SMAC Website / www.smac.co.za RRP / R4,499 [Replacement hulls (indoor) R599 / (outdoor) R399]

Parrot wants you to buy their new Elite Edition AR.Drone 2.0 so you can take to the skies (via two high defi nition cameras) and do whatever you think requires a high fl ying remote controlled drone. The Elite version of this means the hulls comes in three diff erent colours for maximum camoufl age, although it must be said due to the noise the drone makes there’ll be no sneaking up on anything. Colours are sand, snow, and jungle. To make it all work, AR.FreeFlight 2.4 must be downloaded onto the mobile device of your choice and then connected to the drone using the magic of Wi-Fi. First up however, you sensitivity, maximum Whether you want to spy on your must charge the battery with the provided altitude, and enabling sunbathing neighbour, deliver a dog wall charger. The battery should get you diff erent kinds of controls such poop surprise to the noisy kids down the around 12 minutes of fl ight time; in reality as on-screen joysticks or tilt road or simply want to see what your roof looks like, then this is for you. it’s a little less and as the seconds tick motion. Camera controls are also away to a fl at battery, performance also on the screen and switching between tends to suff er. In other words, get a few the forward facing and bottom camera batteries for long term projects. is easy. Essentially the drone fl ies itself, and The wireless control is fl awless: there are can recover from fl ips and stabilise itself in take-off and land buttons as well as a nifty light wind conditions. All you really need fl ip you can perform by just tapping twice to do is tell it which direction to face and on the screen – it’s impressive and makes where to go. It’s pretty much military grade you look like a real pro. The software has a control in a civilian air space. The AR.Drone multitude of settings for the drone including 2.0 is very easy to recommend.

ICY DOCK BLIZZARD 3.5" SATA EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ENCLOSURE

Supplier / Frontosa Website / www.frontosa.co.za RRP / R750

If you’ve got a spare 3.5-inch hard drive when your drive hits a certain temperature lying around and you need extra external threshold. storage, Icy Dock’s Blizzard external HDD A nice added touch is the inclusion of enclosure will let you put that spare drive to an eSATA cable in the Blizzard’s box, which good use. Its standout feature is an 80mm you don’t often see done. The Blizzard also fan at its front that’ll keep your chosen drive supports USB 3.0 though, which will provide cool – which is especially brilliant if the drive a faster method of data transfer than eSATA. you plan to use is, say, a WD VelociRaptor The build quality of the Blizzard is decent, or similar high-performance drive that but its plastic outer shell defi nitely feels generates a lot of heat. fl imsy enough that you shouldn’t expect it At the back of the Blizzard you’ll fi nd to survive a nasty fall. Still, as far as external fan speed controls, which include an auto drive enclosures go, this one is undoubtedly function that’ll adjust the fan speed to match one of the most impressive, particularly the temperature of your drive. In addition, since it’ll allow you to use high performance you’re able to adjust the intensity of the drives without fear of overheating. fan’s blue LED – which turns red to warn you

www.nag.co.za April 2014 75 mosh pit

GAMDIAS AEGISS

Supplier / GAMDIAS/Esquire Website / www.gamdias.com RRP / R429

Marketed as a multi-function gaming set, the AEGIS is a unique accessory that easily attaches on to the top right of your monitor ASUS RT-N14UHP using adhesive strips. It has been designed with the intention of removing some of the WIRELESS-N300 clutter on your desktop, and provides three convenient functions all in one slim housing. Supplier / ASUS You can hang your headphones on the fl at Website / www.asus.com hook at the top, it can function as a four-port RRP / R1,499 USB 2.0 hub, and it can serve as a mouse bungee so all your cables are neatly stored This single-band N300 router from ASUS behind your monitor. boosts wireless coverage by up to 300%. Features include three detachable high-gain 9dBi antennas, adjustable output power, a USB 2.0 port for sharing printers and fi les, and 300Mbit/s Wi-Fi performance. The RT- N14UHP can be easily confi gured to operate as either a router, a wireless access point or a wireless range extender.

NOKIA ASHA

Supplier / Nokia Website / www.nokia.com RRP / Asha 500 – R899; Asha 502/503 – R1,199

Nokia recently announced three new Asha devices at a showcase event that we attended in Johannesburg. The range is eye-catching and unique and comes in a variety of funky colours to suit all tastes. The interface for this range has been redesigned and all actions are now performed using the swipe gesture. Another new addition is the Fastlane, which is basically a hub that shows all your latest interactions with your apps, calendar and social networks. The Asha 500 features a 2.8-inch screen and 2MP camera. The Asha 502 features a 3-inch screen, a 5MP camera with LED fl ash and Easy Swap Dual-SIM. The Asha 503 is basically the 3.5G variant of the 502.

76 April 2014 www.nag.co.za PS4 WIRELESS STEREO HEADSET 2.0

Supplier / Ster Kinekor Entertainment Website / www.playstation.co.za RRP / R1,299

Looking for wireless 7.1 virtual surround sound for your PlayStation 4? The Wireless Stereo Headset 2.0 has you covered. Plug the USB wireless adaptor into your PS4, PS3, PC or Mac and you can game for up to 8 hours before it will need a recharge. You can also use it with your PS Vita by plugging in the 3.5mm stereo mini jack. The headset features a noise-cancelling internal microphone for online multiplayer chit chat with your friends.

ICY DOCK MB973SP-B

Supplier / Frontosa Website / www.frontosa.co.za RRP / R1,325

If you’re looking to install three 3.5” SATA hard drives into your computer case’s two available 5.25” device bays then the Icy Dock MB973SP-B 3-in-2 SATA Backplane is what you’ll need. Last issue we featured the 2B model that had two USB 3.0 ports on the front and cost R130 more. This model has a USB and eSATA port, so will be ideal if your case doesn’t have front/top port access. There’s also an internal SATA cable and USB header connector built into the rear for easy connection to your rig's motherboard or add-on card. Another appealing feature is the screw-less technology which means you can quickly hot swap your drives with ease. The ICY DOCK MB662U3-2S package includes an 80mm cooling fan at the back. Supplier / Frontosa Website / www.frontosa.co.za RRP / R1,499

This sexy ICYRaid MB662U3-2S is a 3.5” SATA dual bay RAID HDD enclosure that operates independently from your rig. The controls on the rear panel allow you to create RAID 1 (SAFE), RAID 0 (FAST), BIG, and JBOD for a variety of cases. It’s as easy as opening the door fl ap at the front, sliding your hard drive in and selecting the RAID setting you want. Once you turn the device on the RAID process will start automatically.

www.nag.co.za April 2014 77 mosh pit

OLYMPUS OMD-EM-1

Supplier / Tudortech Website / www.tudortech.co.za RRP / R20,000 (body only); R28,000 (kit which includes the new M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 12-40mm 1:2.8 lens)

A more compact version of your traditional DSLR camera, but one that doesn’t compromise in terms of quality or price, is the Olympus OMD-EM-1. It’s smaller and much lighter than a traditional DSLR, but still packs all the features of a high-end camera. The EM-1 is also splash, dust and freeze proof, and sports built-in Wi-fi allowing it to communicate with a compatible smartphone. So you can easily send your pics directly to Facebook and also remotely control the camera.

ALIENS XENOMORPH EGG & FACEHUGGER

Supplier / AWX Website / www.awx.co.za RRP / R465

There’s an unknown formula that governs It’s quirky, kind of cool and something the buying of things like this comprising you’ll enjoy if you’re a big fan of of the following variables: cost, love of the the movie franchise. Of course franchise, quality of the product and mental in terms of things you really makeup of the buyer. It’s not an exact want from the movies, science but it covers all the important bits. nothing beats a replica What we have here is a plastic Xenomorph M41A pulse rifl e or a egg capsule that stands 13cm tall; inside it real working motion has a spring-loaded Facehugger delivery tracker, so you can mechanism that must be depressed and fi nally fi nd out locked into place. Once the Facehugger is where your cats ready, a button on the outside of the egg go each night. launches the Facehugger into the air. The Facehugger itself is realistically textured and coloured and made from a fl exible latex type material. Oh, one last thing – the egg glows green if you press another switch underneath… and, if you look close you can see the ‘hugger inside – bonus! This bit of movie memorabilia comes from a time when the Xenomorph lifecycle could be understood by 13 year-olds. These days with the black slime, eye worms and weird albino things who can tell what’s going on without a two hour documentary backed up by a handy fi eld guide (or a few know-it-all work If an ostrich egg is the colleagues) [Not that it’s helped. Ed]. same as 24 normal eggs then how many chicken eggs are these babies worth?

78 April 2014 www.nag.co.za LIGHT ACTION ROBOCOP 1.0 & 3.0

Supplier / AWX Website / www.awx.co.za RRP / R195 (black 3.0) / R220 (silver 1.0)

This is the guy that changed many lives back in 1987 when he fi rst blasted, broke, shot and thumped his way through the bad guys. 2014 sees a cracker of a reboot that comes 27 years after the original and makes up in style and fi nesse what it lacks in excessive, but lovely, violence. Now we have the fi gurines. These two guys are mostly identical but diff er in colour. Opinion is mixed in the offi ce, but most favour the original silver colour. Robocop stands 15cm tall and is somewhat articulated, he also ships with a little Taser and machinegun. The big highlight here is the light-up visor, activated by pressing a button on his chest. So that’s about that… Not a terrible fi gure but not a great fi gure, and once again a must if you’re an avid must have everything collector.

NICKELODEON: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ACTION FIGURES

Supplier / AWX Website / www.awx.co.za RRP / R125 each

Heroes in a half shell they are indeed and the need to have them around in fi gurine form is strong amongst the geek community. Nobody is entirely sure why the turtles became so popular or why their charm and appeal have lasted so long. The smart money is on their love of pizza, ninja skills and cool Yoda-like rat leader. There are many sets in this particular range from the turtles themselves, Splinter, a few bad guys, Shredder and almost everyone between. The fi gurines stand from 6cm to around 16cm depending on accessories and, in some cases, tentacles. They’re well made, articulated and include tons of detail. Each fi gurine ships with the relevant swords, weapons and other bits of equipment. So, if you’re missing your fi x of pizza that smells like sewer rat or your renaissance artists kicked seven kinds of cheese out of Shredder then hook it up.

www.nag.co.za April 2014 79 mosh pit

MANOWAR X-O VOLUME ONE: BY THE SWORD

Supplier / Cosmic Comics Website / www.cosmiccomics.co.za RRP / R169

Valiant Comics isn’t a company that you’d usually associate with high-end LAZARUS ONE entertainment, but the publisher has been making strides in recent years to align itself Supplier / Cosmic Comics better with its competition, and Manowar Website / www.cosmiccomics.co.za X-O is a great showing of that eff ort. RRP / R149 This fi rst collection tells the story of a Visigoth who inadvertently travels through Dark and moody with pinches of post- time and space, gaining great powers apocalyptic science fi ction, this trade and upsetting rather a lot of people along paperback collects the fi rst four issues of the way. It plays out much like Battlefi eld Lazarus and is sure to whet your appetite Earth, minus all the boring bits and pro- for more. It tells the story of Forever scientology hints. Carlyle, a so-called Lazarus who’s been While Robert Venditti’s writing is a commissioned (or more accurately, built) to little on the cheesy side, we’ll forgive it as be a warrior for the Carlyle family in a future a means to rush along the story in these where political and geographical lines have establishing stages – there’s obviously been torn down. plenty more to come. The art comes from Now, wealthy families rule the world and Cary Nord, Stefano Gaudiano and Moose take care of those people who willingly give Baumann, and is as strong as any other top- up their freedom to serve them. Everyone tier graphic novel, giving equal care to all else is designated “waste”, their lives locations that this book visits. considered to be worthless. Lazurus is penned by Greg Rucka, who’s been credited with work on everything from Action Comics to Daredevil to Wonder Woman. Michael Lark handles the pencil work, while Santi Arcas MARVEL #1S takes care of the colours. Together, these artists create magic. Supplier / Cosmic Comics Website / www.cosmiccomics.co.za RRP / R50 each

“First issue” doesn’t mean quite the same thing it used to back in the day, or really just the other day, but there’s still something DIRECTORY kinda cool about #1. And Marvel knows that, which is why this WHERE TO FIND ALL THE STUFF year is host to a whole whack of #1s from FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE across their stable. Here we’ve got the queen of weak attempts at gender equality Apex Interactive 011 796 5040 She-Hulk, the All-New Invaders, which is Astrum Peripherals 011 314 0400 only as new as the name as it includes the ASUS SA 011 783 5450 likes of Cap and Johnny the Human Torch, AWX 011 789 8215 and lastly Wolverine, who’s seen more Comet Computing 011 825 8640 canon-murdering reboots than anyone else Corex 011 700 7188 in the history of putting pictures on paper. Cosmic Comics 011 782 0819 Maybe it’s just us being all old and Esquire 0861 700 000 crotchety, but this all seems rather silly. Frontosa 021 551 4411 And look at Wolverine holding a gun on the Megarom 011 361 4800 cover! I’ll bet he doesn’t even Snikt! Still, Nokia 0861 166 542 if this is the fi rst time you’ve picked up a Rectron 011 203 1000 comic and you have some sort of allergy to Tudortech 011 803 2226 classics, then this isn’t the worst possible SMAC 0861 888 222 place to start your collection. Sonic Informed 011 314 5800 Sony 011 690 3555 Ster Kinekor Entertainment 011 445 7700

80 April 2014 www.nag.co.za

game over

Tarryn is currently in her lab, where she works to create super kitties that are genetically engineered to help around the house for once. GG by Tarryn van der Byl Storytime

his month or next1, I’ll have and proper attention to spelling and 1 Or maybe the one – writing for games is hard. It’s even been writing for NAG for eight grammar. I mean, books and TV and before or after. It’s harder than writing about games, and T years. It’s time I revealed the obviously very private dramas been eight years, that’s already super hard. something that will doubtless astound going on next door that you like to okay. I can hardly In a stunning coincidence that you – if you go back through every watch furtively from the windows remember what I did defi nitely, probably, maybe has issue of the magazine between then late at night have been doing this last night. nothing whatsoever to do with the and now, you’ll fi nd that the fi rst letter stuff for years, already – it totally subject of my column this month of every article I wrote, put together, works. Everybody loves a good story 2 And because and/or disingenuous self-promotion, spells out a sentence. Go on, I’ll wait. because it’s an escape from the I’m just about mad I’ve recently been contracted by a … humdrum, predictable normality of enough to actually local game dev studio to work on our own lives and the taste of leftover do something like a project as a writer. More on that Okay, so I made that up. But I’ll spaghetti that might’ve been in the that. My cats keep as it happens, but in the meantime, bet you believed me, even for just fridge a bit too long [There’s a “too telling me to get I’m absolutely terrifi ed. I’m thrilled a moment. That’s because making long”? Ed]. help, but what do too, of course, but working to create people believe what I write is part of So why, then, is there so much they know? They’re something I’m usually working to my job2. So is being a reliable and lousy writing in games? It’s a medium just space lizards destroy instead is an intimidating responsible source of information, that’s fundamentally built for exactly pretending to be prospect. I’m taking that “being I suppose, but I also liked Hellgate: that sort of alter-ego experience. Not cats. my own worst critic” thing to a London in my review, so whatever. every game has to be a profound and whole new level of masochism, The point is that words are invested intellectually provocative magnum 3 Or any game, plus the extra work load means with puissant powers of persuasion opus on the human condition as ever. That doesn’t I won’t be getting much sleep. If – but as gamers, most of us knew a subversive deconstruction of even mean anything, nothing else, I’m sure the inevitable this already. A compelling narrative neosemiotic sublimination3, mind but it does make me hallucinations will be of some and credible characters are two of you, but it’s also not too much to look really clever. inspiration. You know, the parts of the most important aspects of that ask for plot exposition that at least That’s part of my the game where everything turns otherwise somewhat elusive quality provides a more tenable incentive to job too. neon pink and the voices start often described by trendy, cool keep shooting the bad guys than just arguing about chocolate pudding. writers like me as “immersion”. Oh, “because”. Or is it? I’ll tell you a secret You read about it here fi rst.

EXTRA LIFE By Scott Johnson / ©2014 All rights reserved / myextralife.com

82 April 2014 www.nag.co.za