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ANDY McNAMARA
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
andy@gameinformer.com
umme,
daily for the
com
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Read my column or
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We Have Lift Off
box One and PlayStation 4 units are
X finally landing in living rooms world-
wide, and what begins as a whisper
will quickly turn to a scream. There won't be
enough units for everyone who wants one,
many of the games won't be as good as we
hope, and the online networks that support
them will sputter and fail.
And that's just the way launches go. The
good news is, in time there will be enough
units for everyone with the money to buy one,
the games will reach dizzying new heights
with each passing year, and the networks will
evolve and improve over time.
It's a global battle for our entertainment time,
and Sony and Microsoft are going to pull out all
the stops to recruit us and make their respec-
tive platforms successful. With each glancing
blow or uppercut that the two behemoths land
in this war, the players and the games that we
consume will grow stronger.
Microsoft and Sony will force innovation to
win our allegiance, as will the other competitors
in the market, be it Nintendo, Valve, Android,
or even Apple (if they ever enter the home
console game market). All will drive evolution
and change in the market, and games will
follow suit.
I'm amazed by the changes I’ve seen in
games over the last 40 years, and | can’t wait
to see what happens over the next decade
and beyond. Some pundits say this round
of consoles will be the industry’s last, and
maybe they are right, but just like any predic-
tion, things change as the battle rages on
and | truly believe no one knows how this
generation will end. | know | don’t, but | do
know I'm going to enjoy watching the battle
unfold and playing the games that are the
spoils we all get to enjoy in this fight for living
room dominance.
Enjoy the issue.
Cheers, }
DUR;
Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor
The Lord of the Rings has conquered literature and cinema, but
it has not had a runaway success in the world of video games.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor developer Monolith is hoping
to change that with a highly exporable Middle-earth and an
innovative Al system. by Matt Miller
. = =
3 42 . „BA
Current-Generation Cult Classics
regulars
6 Feedback
This month readers fondly
recall Activision's achieve-
ment badges, question
the purpose of Valve's
"Steam machines, and
accuse us of a brave new
form of prejudice: console
racism. What can we say?
We're trendsetters.
12 Connect
It's time for our annual
Holiday Buying Guide where
we show you the most
interesting gifts to buy for
your favorite people. We
also reminisce about some
cult classics you may have
missed, dig into Steam's
latest evolution, and take
a look at the business of
strategy guides.
60 Previews
BioShock is returning to
Rapture with the Burial at Sea
DLC, and we got our hands
on Infinite's first story-driven
add-on content. We also
got extended hands-on time
with the PlayStation 4 and
Killzone: Shadow Fall.
Test Driving The Oculus Rift
Holiday Buying Guide 2013
76 Reviews
It's that time of the year when
all the big games we've been
excited about playing are
beginning to appear. We've
got reviews of Batman:
Arkham Origins, Assassin's
Creed IV: Black Flag, Call of
Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4,
The Legend of Zelda: A Link
Between Worlds, Pokémon
X & Y, and many others.
100 Game Over
The days of 151 easy-to-
remember Pokémon is far
behind us. Now there are
more than 600 of Nintendo’s
pocket monsters. Test your
knowledge and see if you
know what a Slurpuff or an
Aggron looks like.
contents 3
games index
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.
Assassin's Creed Liberation HD. . .
Batman: Arkham Origins
Batman: Arkham Origins
Blackgate
Battlefield 4
BioShock Infinite:
Burial at Sea — Episode 1
Call of Duty: Ghosts.
Child of Light
Device 6
Drakengard 3
Dungeon Defenders 2
Etrian Odyssey Untold:
The Millenium Girl
F1 2013
Fable: Anniversary.
Final Fantasy XIV:
A Realm Reborn
Legend of Zelda:
A Link Between Worlds, The ...
Lego Marvel Super Heroes
Long Dark, The
Middle-earth:
Shadow of Mordor
NBA 2K14
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney —
Dual Destinies
A Pokémon X & Y
Ratchet 8 Clank: Into The Nexus
Ratchet & Clank:
Into the Nexus
Routine
Rune Factory 4
Skylanders: Swap Force
Sonic Lost World
Stanley Parable, The
Star Wars Pinball:
Balance of the Force
Tales of Xillia 2
Tropico 5
Valiant Hearts: The Great War.... 31
Wii Party U
Wolf Among Us:
Episode 1 — Faith, The
WWE 2K14
4 contents
GSM
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Contact Us
feedback@gameinformer.com
they had fi
the record: That's not a real thing.
Answering The Call
If you ever want to hear a 12-year-old kid in
the seventh grade scream loud enough for
everyone in the neighborhood to hear it, send
me another issue with Call of Duty: Ghosts
on the cover. Seeing all that Infinity Ward is
doing to improve Ghosts is amazing. Call of
Duty has always been my favorite series. | am
really curious to see how others will react to
Ghosts given all the hate the series receives
in general. Despite being referred to as a Call
of Duty “fanboy,” | will always love the series.
It’s nice to see you guys showing some excite-
ment for Ghosts.
Kolton Jenkins
via email
The response to our Call of Duty: Ghosts
cover has been predictably divisive. Fans
of the series celebrated our first Call of
Duty cover since Modern Warfare 2, while
the naysayers accused us of being the
ultimate sellouts. Remember when people
could just enjoy the games they like with-
out being treated like war criminals? Yeah,
neither do we.
Unlucky At Launch
Do you have any idea what the deal is with
pre-ordering the PS4? | went online a few
weeks after E3 in an attempt to pre-order, but
just my luck, they were all sold out and pre-
orders were put on hold. Sony says anyone
who wants one will get one, but most likely
not on release day. Do you know what kind
of launch goodies | will miss out on because |
wasn't quick enough? Will | have to purchase
DriveClub? What about DC Universe Online,
Blacklight: Retribution, and PlanetSide 2?
Will latecomers like me have to spend extra
greenbacks on those games that are available
at launch?
Ryan Ibsen
via email
It didn’t take long for Sony to run out
of PS4s, and so far the company hasn’t
stated if and when pre-orders will resume.
While your odds of finding one on launch
day are probably slim, you don’t have to
worry about Sony’s free launch titles.
The PlayStation Plus edition of DriveClub
(which was recently delayed out of the
launch window) will still be available no
matter when you purchase your PS4,
and DC Universe Online, Blacklight:
Retribution, and PlanetSide 2 are all free-
to-play titles, meaning anyone can play
them without spending a dime.
What’s The Score?
I'll get right to the point: | feel you have allowed
console racism to penetrate your magazine.
There are almost no articles whatsoever on
Nintendo games. Case in point, GTA V and The
Wonderful 101 came out at the same time, and
have identical user scores on Metacritic. Yet in
issue 246, GTA V gets a multi-page spread and
The Wonderful 101 gets nothing. Not even a
peep. Why? The game is amazing, and people
should know about it! There is more to gaming
than Sony and MS, and there are still tens of
millions of gamers who love Nintendo. I'm not
saying you have to devote half the magazine
to the Wii U, but at least a few pages would be
nice! The Wonderful 101 has been praised left
and right by gamers, and again, it’s right on par
with the almighty GTA V in user scores. Why
would you allow this to be ignored?
Jaxon Holden
via email
“Why is it called Assassin’s
Creed IV: Black Flag when
Ubisoft could have pulled a
Brotherhood and just named it
Black Flag?”
Because Roman numerals
are awesome.
“How cool would it be to have
an Airwolf video game?”
Kind of cool.
“Have you ever thought about
expanding Game Informer
to Russia?”
Huxorna He
rogopu HMKOTĄA.
The absurdity of the term “console racism”
aside, we did cover The Wonderful 101 in
issue 246; it appeared as a full-page review
instead of a preview. As for user reviews:
While some gamers take the time to write
an honest evaluation of their experience
with a game, others use them as a voting
mechanism to sway public opinion. GTA V’s
user score on Metacritic in particular has
been skewed by a significant number of zero
scores, few of which are accompanied by
actual reviews. In short, don’t let Metacritic
scores (user or otherwise) sway you too
much; even a well-written review is still just
one person’s opinion.
“About live Sports”
“mantel by amd and dice is 9x
more powerful than open gl if
ps4 used it it would help them
it is told to be 9x better than
dircet x 11 to but m$ would
not use it”
Do you enjoy traditional fan-
tasy games — like with elves
and dragons and stuff? Why or
why not?
OPERA REC ŚOK OO
(Left) Japan's biggest and
brightest developers were
in attendance at this year's
Tokyo Game Show. First up:
Kim with D4's writer and
director Hidetaka “Swery 65”
Suehiro. (Right) Meanwhile,
Tim caught up with GungHo's
Dakota Grabowski and Grass-
hopper Manufacture’s Goichi
Suda (aka Suda51). Note:
Don’t sneak up on Suda with
a camera.
continued on page 8
feedback 7
BEE EE EEE ES
1111111111
= 32% PS4 vs. Xbox One
Bickering
EH 27% “Call of Duty:
Ghosts Rocks!”
m 24% “Call of Duty:
Ghosts Sucks!”
E 12% Next-Gen Sports Talk
m 05% Retro Gaming
Nostalgia
(Left) Lucky for Tim, Metal Gear
creator Hideo Kojima was more
laid back when they chatted
about Ground Zeroes.(Right)
Ben Hanson recently interviewed
PlayStation 4 mastermind Mark
Cerny about Sony's next-gen
system and the future of the
industry. Watch the video at
gameinformer.com.
ea
>S
ACTIVISION
9
Dude
2 Je UT MONO}!
Your article on the old-school Activision badges
(Classic, issue 246) immediately brought a smile to
my face. | am an original Atari kid, and | still have
my old Atari 2600. | also have all my old Activision
achievement badges. When | read the article, |
was reminded of all the playtime my friends and
I put into earning those badges — and bugging
my parents to take the photographs to prove my
accomplishments to Activision. The wait was ago-
nizing, but when the badges would finally arrive in
the mail, they would bring with them a tremendous
feeling of relief and accomplishment - and | have
kept mine safe to this day. Modern digital achieve-
ments are fun to earn, but are typically forgotten
as soon as you move on to a new game. Unlike
digital trophies, the Activision badges have stayed
with me for most of my life, and they are treasured
reminders of a happy childhood.
Chug Kendall
via email
| wanted thank you for the great stories featured
in the Classic section of your magazine. Honestly,
that is where | start reading each issue. My first
game system was the Atari 2600 that my mom
bought for my sister and me when | was 7 years
old. The story on the Activision badges was a
great blast from the past. | loved Activision games,
and although | never sent away for a patch, |
always shot for those goals. Your timing of this
story is amazing as just this past weekend | finally
obtained my first patch - a Chopper Commandos
patch that was mixed in with a box of Atari games
| bought at a local flea market. This classic gamer
thanks you for the story.
Alan Brown
Raleigh, NC
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Send to: Game Informer Reader Art Contest 724 First Street North, 3rd Floor | Mpls, MN 55401 or Email to: ReaderArt@gameinformer.com
(L Sony’s Aram Jabarri
and Media Molecule’s Siobhan
Reddy and Rex Crowle pose
with their newest mascot, lota.
ight) Evolution Studios’ Jamie
Brayshaw, Paul Rustchynsky, and
Col Rodgers were really excited to
race pretend cars with Tim. Who
says imagination is dead?
10 feedback
A
EZ
2X)
SOON
GET
MORE
WITH
XBOX
ONE
RATING PENDING to MATURE 17+
ESRB esrb. org
Visit esrb. org for
rating information
Available features and content may vary by country Advanced TV hardware
required. Games, add-ons, and media content sold separately. Initial setup
adband Internet; ISP fees apply.
flix, Hulu, ESPN, and the NFL on
ship (sold separately) and/or
and some games and feature:
Online multiplayer, Game DV
Xbox One require Xbox Live G
additional requirements. Adaptive Al and Game DVR available in supported
games. Titanfall, Kinect Sports: Rivals, Halo for Xbox One, Sunset Overdrive,
Quantum Break, Destiny, Watch Dogs, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Elder
Scrolls Online, and NBA 2K14 release dates for Xbox One to be announced.
See xbox.com/xboxone for more details.
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constant companions:
strategy guides in an
evolving industry
test driving the oculus rift
current-generation
cult classics
interview: suda51
holiday buying guide 2013
opinion: next-gen's
media problem
ii U Survival
Guide
HOW THE WII U CAN STAY RELEVANT
he next generation of gaming technically started on November 18
when Nintendo released the Wii U, but the reality of the situation
was a different matter. The console may have launched before
those from Microsoft and Sony, but it didn’t signal the vanguard of
a new round of home consoles. Rather, the Wii U had to play catch-
up in graphics, features, and software to what the PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360 were already doing. After a year of less-than-stellar
sales, the Wii U is in serious danger of losing its relevance among
the newer and more advanced next-gen systems. We look at how the console got
itself in this predicament and how it can get out.
by Matthew kato
a
The confusion and apathy from the Wii U's E3
2011 unveiling lingered through the system’s
launch at the end of 2012. To be fair, Nintendo
itself did not assume the console would fly
off the shelves as quickly as the original Wii,
and this turned out to be the correct outlook.
Nintendo says that it has shipped 3.61 million
Wii U units worldwide in a little more than six
months on the market. The first Wii sold over
3 million units in its first month and a half on
the shelves alone. As another point of com-
parison, Sony says it expects to sell five million Notable Recent
PlayStation 4s in under five months on sale. And Upcoming
Nintendo has already downgraded its Wii U Wii U Titles
sales forecast for the fiscal year; adjusting its * The Legend of Zelda:
target of 5.5 million units down to 4 million. The Wind Waker HD
Perhaps a larger problem for the system (10.4)
is its lack of compelling software. While the + Skylanders:
system's launch window came with third- Swap Force
party support that was stronger than previous (10.13)
Nintendo home hardware, games like Mass
Effect 3, Assassin's Creed III, and Call of Duty: “Lego Marvel
Black Ops II were already out or scheduled KE
to appear on other systems, and didn't give ć
gamers a compelling reason to either buy Deus Ex:
them again or to wait to buy the Wii U version. Human Revolution —
During a Q&A at a summer shareholder's meet- Director's Cut
ing, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata admitted (10.22)
that the third-party software during the launch + Batman:
period didn't do its job. “There were so many Arkham Origins
games released by third-party publishers for (10.25)
Wii U during the launch period, but most of Wi Paty
them were converted from other platforms and (10 foe
therefore could not enjoy brisk sales.” 8
However, Nintendo’s first-party software * Sonic Lost World
didn’t do much to boost sales of the Wii U (10.29)
either. Titles like Lego City Undercover, New
Super Mario Bros. U, and The Wonderful 101
didn't make a significant mark, and Pikmin 3 —
i E go to a customer with your idea and you real- sales that month; meaning Wii U sales were * Duck Tales
powi 3 Canons U ize they don't understand it, it's more important likely below 150,000 units — an average month Remastered
has long past,” Pete Hines, vice president that they do and you should shift your idea.” for PS3 or Xbox 360. (11.12)
at Bethesda Softworks, told GameTrailers, “In an industry that offers consumers a lot of Hopefully the system’s price drop and the + Super Mario 3D World
"The bocie out” choice, Wii U is not viewed by consumers as sales of the Wind Waker HD bundle signal (11.22)
Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata being special,” says Colin Sebastian, senior a turn in fortune for the Wii u. But unlike iI fü U
believes that, once the Wii U takes off, com- equity research analyst for Baird Research & the meaning behind Nintendo s own name — (12.13)
panies will be compelled to make software for Insights. There is also no clear killer app, such Leave luck to heaven” — the company must be
it. However, this presents a “chicken-and-egg” _ 35 Wii Sports on the predecessor platform. pro-active and change the way it approaches * Donkey Kong Country:
dilemma: without compelling software, what Michael Pachter, managing director of the Wii U if it wants to change its fate. Here are Tropical Freeze
will spur sales of the console? equity research at Wedbush Securities simply some of the things that Nintendo can do to put (February)
The confused reaction to the Wii U back isn't impressed by the system. “The Wii U is the system on the right course. + Mario Kart 8
when it debuted at E3 2011 (many didn't not as intuitive as the Wii, the integration of (Spring)
understand whether the Wii U was a new the GamePad controller into the system is SUCCESS THROUGH SOFTWARE + Watch Do
5 A gs
system or merely a peripheral for the Wii) may awkward (and frequently requires people to Recent Nintendo home consoles have (Spring)
have told us all we need to know about why hold it in the air in their line of sight), and the struggled to engage consumers with quality,
the system isn't doing well currently. The ques- price is relatively high given that it is not a consistent software releases. There’s no doubt * Bayonetta 2
tions we had then still ring true now. Does the huge improvement in power or graphics over that Nintendo is capable of making good (2014)
GamePad really add that much to the gaming the PS3 or Xbox 360.” games, but it must avoid the sporadic release + Super Smash Bros.
experience? ls it worth the price tag? Where's The bright spot for the console is that the schedule and delays that impede the steady for Wii U
the game that not only shows what this system recent release of The Legend of Zelda: The flow of titles for the console. (2014)
is all about, but which | can’t live without?
In an interview with Japan business publica-
behind the Wii U was being lost on consumers.
“You can’t just force your way through. By say-
ing the point is to be accepted’ | mean, if you
Wind Waker HD Wii U bundle and $50 price
8 drop has just earned Nintendo and the system s af A
** a en rz tion Toyo Keizai (translated by Kotaku), Iwata a 200 percent increase in Wii U consoles sold GE N
TC himself seemed to understand that the idea in the month of September as compared to (10.29)
software top 10 for sales.
Unfortunately, the Wii U’s third-party
software problems will likely persist for the
foreseeable future, and some believe it’s
the previous month despite the fact that it was
only on the market for 15 days. Nevertheless,
the system still lost out to the PlayStation 3 in
+ Angry Birds: Star Wars
(10.29)
+ Call of Duty: Ghosts
(11.5)
QQ t t
Unlike the meaning behind Nintendo’s own name Leave luck
to heaven” - the company must be proactive and change the
way it approaches the Wie U if it wants to change its fate.
connect 13
Moreover, Nintendo needs to execute a
multi-pronged strategy that includes both
untapped franchises like Metroid and Star
Fox and all-new IP if it wants to invigorate the
system and avoid going the same software
path as the Wii and GameCube before it.
Nintendo has a roster of beloved characters
and franchises, but it’s about time that new
faces carry the standard for the company.
Despite Iwata’s belief that third-party
companies will flock to the Wii U when it
becomes successful, Nintendo might not
have the luxury of waiting around for that to
happen. Whether it’s assisting outside devel-
opers in working with the system, fostering
more indie development, or paying for more
exclusives, something needs to be done.
Nabbing Bayonetta 2 was a good start for
the system, but the fact that the title hasn’t
come out yet is yet another case of perpetual
delayed gratification for Wii U owners.
Although Pachter might not be too high
on the system itself, he agrees that software
is the one thing that can help. “There is no
question that the software is going to get
better over time. I’m not sure there is a lot
they can do, other than keep the software
rolling out.”
EXPANDING ONLINE SERVICES
It’s good that Nintendo finally got with the pro-
gram and acknowledged the power of online
gaming, but there is still a lot of work to be
done before the Wii U can match the function-
ality and popularity of Microsoft's Xbox Live
service or Sony’s PlayStation Network.
First of all, there are a number of amenities
offered in other services that Nintendo
must match. Universal chat, achievements/
trophies, video sharing, the ability for users
to re-download their games, accessing your
content on other Wii U systems, and a univer-
sal friends list from which you can send game
invites from is just the beginning. As soon as
the new systems are released, both Sony and
Microsoft will continue to evolve their services,
and Nintendo must do the same.
Going hand-in-hand with the Wii U’s software
problem is the fact that even when titles are
released for the system, some lack services or
an online component altogether. Call of Duty:
Ghosts lacks the game's cross-platform clan
XP system, and Batman: Arkham Origins has
no online multiplayer on the Wii U. First-party
games like Pikmin 3 and New Super Mario
Bros. U also omit online multiplayer, and the
mobile app for Injustice: Gods Among Us isn't
supported on the Wii U. Why would gamers
who own multiple systems buy third-party
titles on the Wii U if they aren’t getting the
full experience?
WHAT’S THE GAMEPAD GOOD FOR?
Right now the Wii U’s GamePad, complete
with gyroscope/accelerometer and large
center touchscreen is a differentiator between
the system and the other consoles. It needs to
be better utilized — and not just to display level
maps. Speaking to Game Informer at E3 this
year, even Miyamoto admitted that the com-
pany sees the GamePad as just one of several
control options for titles. The original Wii had
Wii Sports to prove to the masses how fun it
was to use motion controls; the Wii U doesn't
have that equivalent — not even the pack-in
title NintendoLand — for the GamePad.
A stronger, more innovative push by Nintendo
itself to making the GamePad more relevant
could help blaze the trail for the controller, show-
ing third parties the system's potential.
Then again, if Nintendo can't make the
GamePad crucial, perhaps Nintendo should go
the opposite direction and stop packing it in
altogether. This could pave the way for a signifi-
cant drop in price, giving the Wii U at least one
advantage over the new systems at retail. ©
Speaking te G ame Informer at E3 this year, even
Miyamoto admitted that the company 5225 the GamePad
GS just one of several control options for titles.
14 connect
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power to merge into walls to move over ledges will help Link explore hidden areas or drop
or through tight spots. Ę down and attack enemies from above.
For Nintendo 3DS systems, use Parental Controls to restri
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trategy guides have been
around almost as long as
video games themselves,
helping players get the
most out of their favorite
titles. Full of maps, tactics,
and secrets, these books have been in-
valuable resources to countless gamers.
Years ago, official guides were the only
way to get exhaustive information about
a game. Now, the situation has changed.
PRIMA
WATCH DOGS
Almost everything about a game can be found
online if you're willing to look. User-run wikis
compile all of the important characters and
events. Online forums allow gamers to tap
into a community to get questions answered.
Walkthroughs can get virtually any gamer
unstuck — often accompanied by videos illus-
trating the proper steps. All of these options
are even available on mobile devices, so they
can be accessed anywhere. For some gamers,
the convenience of these Internet resources
is enough. However, enthusiasts know that a
guide isn't a cheat repository; it's a roadmap
to help you enjoy a game to the fullest extent.
No matter how much the industry
changes, gamers will always be
looking for a deeper experience
with the titles they love, and strat-
egy guides offer a single, compre-
hensive, and curated collection
of information.
“We have people who have been
writing strategy guides for us for
over 10 years,” says Mike Degler,
publisher at BradyGames. “I would
consider them some of the best
gamers in the world. We work
directly with the people making
the game. Sure, you have to pay
for this content, but we’ve gone to
great lengths to make sure you're
getting the best information you
can get between the two covers.”
The collaboration with develop-
ers is a key part of that equation,
ensuring that the official guide is as thorough
and correct as possible.
The cooperation also opens the door for
other supplementary content exclusive to
guides, like developer interviews and commen-
tary. This is one of the major ways that guides
have evolved over the years; instead of being
a series of step-by-step instructions, modern
guides offer behind-the-scenes access that
caters to the hardcore fans who want to know
anything and everything about a title. While the
idea of a book containing information about a
game may not seem like it leaves much room
for innovation, these kinds of additions can
add value and separate official guides from
user-created content.
Over time, this approach has created prod-
ucts that are much different from the guides
players used in the PS2 era. In addition to
developer commentaries, an emphasis on
visual instruction and more attractive graphic
design has emerged. More charts and dia-
grams help players optimize their characters.
Sidebars summarize the background behind
historical events represented in game. Touches
like these make today’s strategy guides more
informative and easier to read and navigate
than ever.
“All of the ideas that we come up with for
a specific title, we carry through to the next
one,” says Piggyback Interactive managing
director Louie Beatty. “So you see a general
improvement — a lot of innovation — on our
guides as they evolve over time.”
With changes in technology and consumer
tastes, strategy guides are different today than
they were 10 years ago. Because the business
is so closely tied to the video game industry,
its success relies on adapting to shifts in the
gaming landscape. “What we are experiencing
is essentially what's happening in the games
market,” says Debra Kempker, president of
Prima Games. *You have your top hit product,
and you have a larger gap in the middle that
used to be filled out with more titles. It's as if
the games industry has lost its middle class.”
Gamers have seen this in publishers’
increasing focus on a few blockbuster titles,
rather than a stable of games that span a
spectrum of cost and quality. For strategy
guide companies, this means there are fewer
viable candidates than there were 10 years
ago. "You could pretty much publish on any
game that was releasing and retail would take
it,” Degler says. "We did guides for Defender
at one point in time — it was insane. It was a
remake of Defender.” These days, companies
need to be more careful about the guides they
produce, considering a game's popularity and
whether or not retail stores will even make
shelf space for the finished product.
Even the rise and fall of certain genres
affects the strategy guide market. Guides
for role-playing games are popular among
fans (figuring out how to get every ultimate
weapon would be torture without them), but
the genre has more a niche audience when
compared to blockbusters like Call of Duty or
Assassin's Creed. That doesn't mean guides
for RPGs are no longer made, but they need
to be approached differently tnan they were
during the genre's PS2 heyday. Tapping into
Facebook and Twitter to raise awareness for
guides covering lower-profile games allows
the creators to specifically target the interested
gamers. “It might be a smaller market, but it’s
a smaller market you can still publish to and
find an enthusiast crowd,” Kempker says.
“There’s a lot of loyalty there.”
Another way to serve a loyal fanbase is by
providing rare collector's editions. Tying into
the aesthetic appeal of owning a physical
book, these versions go above and beyond
with their hard covers and high-quality paper.
“It’s not only the content, but the delivery of
that content,” Beatty says. “It is a compelling
proposition. Gamers can hold it in their hands,
it belongs to them, and it enhances their expe-
rience.” These premium editions also entice
hardcore fans with extra bonuses, from pro-
motional items to in-game content. “Gamers
are really wise,” Kempker says. “You can’t just
manufacture any items and pack them in and
expect people to get excited about that kind
of thing.”
Strategy guides have come a long way,
and they aren’t done evolving. In the years to
come, gamers can expect them to branch out
into even more formats. “[Digital] is our big
push right now,” Degler says. “We know there
is a certain set of fans out there who absolutely
want a print book, and they’re not going to buy
anything but a print book. But we also know
there’s a different section of people who may
not buy that print book; they love their iPad, or
Kindle, or getting content on their phones.”
Gamers can already get digital versions of
Official guides, go to the big guide companies’
YouTube channels, and even download official
supplementary apps (like complete maps and
collectible finders) on mobile devices. Even
as guides become more integrated with tech-
nology, the printed product won't go away;
it will just take advantage of the variety of
ways gamers can access its information. “I
think there will be more and more connectiv-
ity between the game, the guide book, and a
digital product,” says Piggyback managing
director Vincent Pargney. “I think we will see a
larger number of hybrid products; that's where
I think the future is going to be.” ©
It's Not Cheating
Mention strategy guides in a
group of gamers and some-
one will inevitably claim that
using a guide is cheating.
“That perspective comes from
someone who hasn't opened
a guide in 10 years," says
Piggyback managing director
Vincent Pargney. "I use guide
books in a lot of other areas:
sports, photography, cooking.
It's not about cheating; it's
about going deeper... You
cannot learn everything by
doing it yourself — there's
knowledge to be shared with
other people.” Using a guide
isn't about beating a specific
boss or solving a puzzle — it's
about finding all of the secrets
and experiencing every piece
of worthwhile content a game
has to offer.
connect 19
Launch Games
- Game Boy
Though it had been released before, Nintendo hoped Tetris would be
the killer app it needed to establish mobile gaming as a staple for the
masses. The company packed a copy of the game with each Game Boy,
and doing so spurred both Tetris and Nintendo to new heights, topping
35 million copies sold.
- Xbox
Without Halo, it's possible that Microsoft wouldn’t still be in the
home console business. Until Bungie came along, no studio had
done the shooter genre justice with a controller. It also gave the
Xbox a system-selling, blockbuster franchise.
a = *
- Wii
The Wii doesn't have many classic games, but this GameCube
holdover ensured that it had one on launch day. Some critics
and gamers even dubbed this epic adventure the best Zelda
ever. The Wii version didn't add much, but the game stands the
test of time — which can't be said about most of the Wii catalog.
- NES
Few games can claim to have changed the industry. Super
Mario Bros. is one of them. It singlehandedly established the
side-scrolling platformer as a staple genre, and made Mario
an industry icon. The game's myriad secrets and hidden areas
defined game design. The formula still works to this day.
- N64
Beginning to see a pattern here? Back in the day, Nintendo
knew how to kick off a new console. Super Mario 64 brought
sprawling platforming worlds into three dimensions, revolution-
izing console gaming in the process. Mario 64 still holds up, as
evidenced by its excellent DS port.
27 eS
- Xbox 360
Call of Duty wouldn't become a global entertainment franchise
until Modern Warfare, but the second game in the series is
where it came into its own. Call of Duty 2 was just what Xbox
360 gamers were looking for on launch day — especially in the
absence of a Halo game.
- SNES
- Dreamcast
- PlayStation 2
Super Mario World didn't redefine the series
like Super Mario Bros. or Mario 64, but it did
refine 2D platforming to the highest degree.
Eschewing the animal suits of Super Mario 3,
Mario World partnered the plumber with green
dinosaur Yoshi, adding a new aspect to the
already polished gameplay.
20 connect
Namco took the launch of Sega's Dreamcast
as a chance to fulfill one of fighting fans’
long-held dreams: a home console fighting
game that delivered the look and feel of an
arcade unit. Soul Calibur was big on eye candy
and easy to learn, making for a game that
appealed to both newbies and pros.
- GameCube
Rogue Squadron Il comes from an era when
LucasArts still existed and the flight com-
bat genre was still commercially viable.
Graphically, it was dazzling, and remains a
classic flight combat game.
SSX wasn't the first snowboarding game,
but it made previous attempts like the
Coolboarders series seem muddled and slow.
The speed of SSX was unprecedented, as
were its over-the-top tricks and dizzying
mountain courses.
developer United Front Games is working on
another entry in the series entitled Triad Wars.
The game will be published by Square Enix, and
United Front says that it will reveal more about
the title next year.
“It must have been a
very tough time for
them. That shows
how smart they are,
and it shows their
dedication to making
Xbox One successful.”
BE takes a hit with the delay
BE I of the first-party game
DriveClub are in 2014). Ubisoft also Paran the release of its highly anticipated Watch Dogs (until
spring, left) and the open-world racer The Crew. Ubisoft's delays apply to the versions on other systems as
well, but the PS4 launch lineup is now running low.
launch is marred by players
oś % ih. u having difficulty getting into - Shuhei Yoshida, Sony world-
a KEG game, Mihi and lost characters, cars, property, prog- wide studios president, talks
7 ress, etc. Rockstar has released multiple patches to try and about Microsoft's Xbox One
address the issues, and has also gifted players $500,000 y about-face with Gamesindustry
each of in-game cash to help soothe the situation. | International
connect 21
enen,
Test Driving The Oculus Rift
We still don't know when the Oculus Rift will
be available for purchase, but that doesn't mean
there aren’t a variety of unique experiences
available right now for those with a developer
kit. If you have $300 to purchase a kit from
the Oculus website, several free tech demos
and very basic games are available to try. Most
are rough around the edges, and the developer
kits aren't in HD, but I’ve been impressed by
many of these early experiences. If they're any
indication of what full-fledged games will be
like on the final version of the virtual-reality
headset, consumers may be blown away by its
capabilities. Here are a few of the demos that
can be found online right now.
by Dan Ryckert
22
Taking place in a well-lit office, you might
expect this brief demo to belong to the horror
genre. My playthrough was good for a couple
jump scares and one particularly creepy sen-
sation that | won't spoil. It only asks one thing
from the player: Don’t let go of the control
buttons. With your actual fingers holding down
both keys, you look down in the virtual office to
see your polygonal arms and hands in the same
position. Bees surround you and a velociraptor
steps in for a brief visit, but a couple scarier
events occur in the latter moments that will
test your ability to stay calm.
If your nerves are rattled after Don't Let Go,
the Unreal-powered Rift Coaster demo is a
leisurely trip through a medieval castle town.
No input is required as your roller-coaster cart
is whisked along the peaks, valleys, and turns
of this trip. Rift Coaster does a good job of
imparting a sensation of speed and showing
off the tracking ability of the Oculus headset,
So it’s a great starter demo if you want to show
the Rift off to your non-gamer friends.
Several tech demos explore the possibili-
ties of horror games using the Oculus Rift,
but none are as frightening as Dreadhalls.
It places you in a randomly generated dark
labyrinth with nothing but a lantern, and
you're tasked with collecting oil for it while
avoiding terrifying creatures that stalk the
halls. It obviously takes inspiration from
Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but it’s amaz-
ing how much dread this demo can produce
without the polish and budget of that PC title.
No controller or keyboard is needed for this
colorful journey, as the only thing you have to
worry about is swinging Dumpy’s large trunk
around from a first-person perspective. You're
bound to look insane while whipping your
head around, but it’s fun to swat cop cars and
aliens out of the way while you stomp along
as an unfortunately named elephant.
Resembling an interactive planetarium
exhibit more than a game, Titans of Space
does a great job of presenting the scale of
planets. It shuttles you along the planets
of our solar system, teaching you tidbits
about them and their respective moons.
Eventually, the focus shifts to the sun and
other stars. It may sound like something
you’ve seen on a mobile in science class,
but | felt my jaw involuntarily drop more than
once when being introduced to some of the
larger objects in the universe.
While not an official download, a quick web
search will lead you to instructions on how
to enable head tracking while using Google
Streetview. It’s fairly quick to set up, and
there’s something novel about being able to
type in any address in the world and imme-
diately be transported there. No lag is pres-
ent, making it a smooth experience to revisit
your old college apartment, your childhood
home, or take an instant trip overseas.
All of these tech demo
none of them are full
ick with me for quite s
on a low-res deve $
Rift will be when used with modern gar
Epic Dragon is another hands-free experience, as moving your head around
influences the direction of the giant dragon you're riding. You're free to fly
upside down and perform barrel rolls as you swoop past large rock spires and
collect eggs before the timer runs out. Epic Dragon’s non-demanding nature
makes it another solid showcase for non-gamers.
Almost all of the demos currently available for the Rift are understandably first-
person experiences, but Super Mega Mega shows off how well it could work
for 2D platforming. You play as a sprite-based character in a space suit who
ascends and descends cylindrical columns while attacking enemies. Looking
in a specific direction influences where your shots go, making your own head
the equivalent of the right stick in a twin-stick shooter. As you climb higher in
the column, it can be nerve-wracking to look down and see just how far you'll
plummet if you take a wrong step.
connect 23
Current-Generation
GUILT CLASSICS
s the current console age comes to a close and
we look toward the future, prepared to embrace
all the new video games that accompany a new
generation, it's important to remember those that didn't
receive blockbuster marketing budgets but developed
strong followings nonetheless.
Cult classic video games are releases that originally
failed to get their hooks into the mainstream gaming
public, but were gradually embraced by a small, but vocal
group of fanatics. Presented in alphabetical order, these
are the scrappy titles that rose to prominence through
word of mouth.
Alan Wake
Alan Wake was meant to be one of the Xbox 360’s
premiere exclusives, but when it released in 2010
(and later on PC), the narrative-driven psychologi-
cal thriller failed to meet the sales expectations set
forth by Microsoft and Remedy. In the past few
years, however, Alan Wake has steadily built up
an audience, eventually cracking three million in
sales. An Xbox Live Arcade follow-up, Alan Wake's
American Nightmare, tied a few loose story ends,
but it was far from a true sequel. When developer
Remedy announced its next project, the live ac-
tion/game hybrid Quantum Break, fans were out-
spoken in their disappointment that it wasn’t Alan
Wake 2 instead. Remedy writer Sam Lake thanked
fans for their support, and said the studio hopes
to make a proper follow-up when the time is right.
360 + PC
PS3 + 360
Bayonetta
Developed by Platinum games, Bayonetta serves as
a wacky spiritual successor to Hideki Kamiya’s previ-
ous series, Devil May Cry. The two share similar com-
bat, and a level of action absurdity that only Kamiya
can deliver. The game saw a reasonable amount of
commercial success, but not enough to guarantee
a sequel. Fans received a pleasant surprise when
Nintendo unveiled that it would bring Bayonetta 2 ex-
clusively to Wii U, allowing the devoted to breathe a
sigh of relief and have a reason to purchase Nintendo’s
new console.
College Hoops 2K8 | . es
Sports games release every year, so the idea that one could become a
cult classic is surprising, but College Hoops 2K8 fits the bill. The final
release in the College Hoops 2K series, the 2008 edition marked the
end of a franchise, but fans refused to see this as the end. The game
officially died when its online servers shut down late last year, but it
lives on with a fanbase of devoted college basketball fans creating
updated rosters, even if they can't play together as easily as before.
Deadly Premonition | . o. ve
Perhaps the quintessential cult classic, you either love Deadly Premoni-
tion or don’t understand its appeal. The controls are terrible, the story
and characters are bizarre, some PlayStation 2 games look better, and
sometimes a giant dog chases you around the streets at night for seem-
ingly no reason. Nothing else like this campy open-world mystery game
exists, and its review scores covered the whole spectrum. Three years
after its release, in response to fan demand Ignition Entertainment re-
leased a director's cut of the game exclusively on PlayStation 3 (and later
on PC), giving a whole new segment of players a chance to experience
its bizarre but undeniably engrossing Twin Peaks-inspired world.
connect 25
Demon’s Souls | »s
Demon’s Souls is either a game that you love and have
played for hundreds of hours, or one you played for
a few minutes and questioned what the buzz was all
about. This action RPG’s dark world is unforgiving, but
masochists in search of punishing difficulty adore it
and make sure everyone within earshot is well aware.
its innovative online multiplayer, which allows play-
ers to both hinder and help one another without the
need for constant direct interaction, was vehemently
defended every time Sony threatened to turn off its
servers. The end-date was constantly delayed thanks
to fan outcry, and From Software’s gave the game an
encore with spiritual successor Dark Souls and the
soon-to-be-released Dark Souls Il.
Earth Defense
Force 2017 PA
In Earth Defense Force, you shoot bugs. Not much
context exists for why you are shooting said bugs,
many of which are gigantic, but do you really need
any? That's the argument made by EDF's biggest pro-
ponents. The Starship Trooper-inspired third-person
shooter was released as part of D3 Publishers’ budget
lime of games with a generic, forgettable space marine
firing a gun on the front cover. Despite its bargain-bin
pedigree, it found a devoted audience and inspired
numerous sequels on multiple platforms.
El Shaddai: Ascension
Of The Metatron
In El Shaddai you play as the great grandfather of the Bible's Noah who wears
jeans and must return lost angels to heaven. This beautiful, but shockingly ab-
stract game uses Christianity as its source material, with a substantial dose of ar-
tistic license. Most people never bothered to check this game out, but many who
have played it are big fans. The game has earned an especially large following
in Japan, even if those fans weren't there at the beginning to boost sales. Game
director Sawaki Takeyasu's new studio, Crim, recently purchased the rights to
make more El Shaddai games from the original publisher, Ignition Entertainment.
PS3 * 360
Enslaved: Odyssey
To The West
Before successfully giving the Devil May Cry series a reboot, devel-
oper Ninja Theory worked with noteworthy motion-capture performer
Andy Serkis to modernize the ancient Chinese novel Journey to the
West. Its focus on story and performance was ahead of its time, but it
didn't resonate with every player. Since the game released in 2010, it
has slowly gained a following. Namco Bandai has recognized the swell
of enthusiasm and is preparing to re-release a premium edition on
PlayStation 3 and PC.
PS3 * 360 · PC
26
Metro 2033 | :«.:c
Ukraine isn’t widely known for its game-develop-
ment scene, but developer 4A Games changed that
perception with the Metro series. Based on a Rus-
sian novel of the same name, this post-apocalyptic
first-person shooter sets itself apart with a palpable
sense of constant dread. When it released in 2010,
Metro didn’t make a huge mainstream splash, but
it inspired enough of a following to convince 4A
Games to release a critically acclaimed sequel.
Mirror’s Edge
PS3 * 360 * PC
Mirror's Edge was an unconventional project for DICE,
a studio that made a successful living on the Battlefield
series and racing games. Set in an dystopian city where
a totalitarian regime has rendered crime nearly non-exis-
tent, players assumed the role of Faith, a parkour courier
who makes her living delivering sensitive information by
running, climbing, and dodging bullets instead of shoot-
ing. Despite the original premise and gorgeous art style,
it didn't run into commercial success. The series has
slowly grown an allegiance over the years to the point
where DICE and EA finally heeded calls for a sequel by
teasing a new Mirror's Edge at this past E3.
Nier PS3 * 360
Nier opens with a very vulgar, passionate
woman screaming angrily at a sentient book
for its inadequacies. This lets you know imme-
diately that you are in for an interesting experi-
ence, and the game doesn’t disappoint. With
satisfying combat and a surprisingly emotional
story that becomes ever more impactful dur-
ing a second playthrough for reasons | dare
not spoil, Nier surprises everyone who is will-
ing to devote time to it. The game is hardly a
household name, but its fanbase does its best
to convince others to check it out by calling it
an ignored masterpiece.
No More Heroes
No More Heroes tasks players with combating assassins
with an Internet-purchased lightsaber at one moment,
and follows up with a watermelon collecting minigame
the next. The game was born from the twisted mind of
Suda51, who is renowned in the video industry for his
ability to craft original, incomparable experiences with
bizarre characters and distinct art styles. No More He-
roes is arguably his most successful title, as it was the
only one of his games to inspire a true sequel. The game
flopped in Japan, but saw modest success in Europe and
North America. Fans praise it for satirizing video game
clichés, while still offering a bizarre story with fun and
violent combat. &
connect 27
Developers talk about the steam
Controller and more
ast month Valve finally unveiled its latest Steam initiative.
The aim of the SteamOS, specialty controller, and gaming-
focused PCs designed to Valve's specifications is to deliver
the no-fuss, living room-friendly experience of your home
console while retaining the power and adaptability of a PC.
If users find this proposition appealing, it has the potential to shake up the
gaming landscape as we know it. We reached out to a handful of develop-
ers who've gotten their hands on the Steam controller to hear what they
think about Valve’s latest trailblazing effort.
by Matthew Kato
28
The Controller
The controller Valve presented
to developers in a special test
session was one of 10 or so pro-
totypes that the company had
made, and was created by a 3D
printer. The most striking feature
of the controller is its lack of
analog sticks, which have been
replaced by trackpads with haptic
feedback. The pads produce
inertia movement like a trackball
(including being able to flick it into
motion and stop it instantly) as
well as movement via tracing the
pads with your thumbs.
You can feel rumble through
the trackpads, with haptic feed-
back telling you when you’re
The back of the controller has two paddles
that Dan Tabar, creator of Cortex Command,
says are “pure genius” because they are large
but inconspicuous, facilitating a different kind
of input than the controller's face buttons
approaching the boundary be-
tween the pads’ inner and outer
zones (designated by a tactile
ring near the outer edge of the
pads). A game can use these two
zones, for example, to differentiate
between walking and running. “It
almost feels as though there are
these giant trackballs under your
thumbs, because you're sliding
them along, and you hear and
feel this sort of ticking going on
underneath,” says Ichiro Lambe,
founder of Dejobaan Games
(AaaaaAAaaa...!!! - A Reckless
Disregard for Gravity).
Dan Tabar from Data Realms
(Cortex Command) described
another unique aspect of the
What They're
iy
Ż Z Valve has released the following specs
, tot the 300 prototype machines that will
Uy be sent out as part of the initiative's beta
Uf program. The Machines are expected to
. 2 come out in 2014.
, opus some units with NVidia Titan,
oy f some GTX780, some GTX760, and
N
N
,. some GTX660
CPU: some boxes with Intel i7-4770,
some i5-4570, and some i3
+ RAM: 16GB DDR3-1600 (CPU),
3GB DDR5 (GPU)
+ Storage: 1TB/8GB Hybrid SSHD
* Power Supply: Internal 450w
80Plus Gold
* Dimensions: approx. 12 x 12.4 x 2.9 in.
controller. “Both trackpads can
blend together so you're using the
mouse with both thumbs. You can
kind of trade off and walk it across
the screen using both thumbs.”
The trackpads aren't just about
being different from current
controllers; they are designed
to allow developers to transfer
their keyboard and mouse or
controller-based titles to the
Steam OS successfully no matter
what the genre. "It makes the
transition from mice and keyboard
simple,” says Paradox Interactive
(the Crusader Kings series) CEO
Fredrik Wester.
Tabar doesn't think the Steam
Controller has the flexibility to
replace specialty controllers like
flight sticks or stand up to a key-
board/mouse expert in a competi-
tive setting, but he thinks it's “way
better than the regular game con-
troller with analog sticks because
of the actual trackpads.”
The developers we spoke with
tested the controller prototype
with Borderlands 2. Although
not all of them had previously
played the title, they were able to
jump right in with an unfamiliar
controller that wasn’t optimized
for the game, but merely had the
controls directly mapped onto it.
“| was immediately better than |
was with any gamepad | played
with,” Lambe says. Gamers’
adoption of the controller may
require work on the part of devel-
opers to ensure that everything
is mapped smoothly, but if you
prefer another input method
you can use whatever you like.
Some gamers may do this seeing
as how the Steam Controller's
main face buttons are awkwardly
placed around the perimeter of
the center touchscreen.
The SteamOS Experience
SteamOS is based on Linux,
and is being designed to deliver
improvements in graphics pro-
cessing, audio, and input lag.
Anyone can download the OS for
free, and it naturally runs Steam
and plays Linux titles.
Right now, the Linux game
library is drastically smaller than
the PC Steam library. The list of
native Linux games is only a few
hundred long, lacking content
from heavy hitters like Electronic
Arts and Rockstar. Although Linux
is not a major gaming OS, the
developers we talked to weren't
daunted by the task of porting
titles to the OS.
To give players more options
while the Linux library is beefed
up, users can stream their PC and
Mac titles from the Steam client
through their home networks.
No one we spoke to had tested
this functionality yet, so we don’t
know how well it works or what
kind of specs are needed from the
native machine.
Even with the ability to stream
Steam games, all systems need
a tent-pole title or two to differ-
entiate them and help convince
consumers that the platform is
worth getting. “Ultimately, with-
out that must-buy product driving
us all towards this stuff, | expect
that the industry at large will watch
curiously, but remain largely un-
affected by anything Steam does
along this vector of OS, machines,
and controllers over the next two
or three years,” Gearbox Software
president Randy Pitchford told
Gamesindustry.biz. "If the must-
buy product appears driving us
there, or sufficient time goes on
where an installed base starts to
emerge, more and more folks will
move from being curious to being
investigative with the possibilities.”
Pitchford was even more specific
on what Valve should do to make
the company’s Steam initiative
complete. Voicing the thoughts
of many gamers, he said, “We all
know that product would prob-
ably have to start with an H and
have a 3 at the end and it would
sound like Half-Life 3. But alas,
| would be very surprised indeed
if we see any worthy movement
on that front, as | do not expect
another true successor Half-Life
game from Valve for quite some
time — possibly never.”
The Machines
Third parties plan to offer dif-
ferent configurations of Valve-
sanctioned, SteamOS Steam
Machines at different prices — the
details of which have not been
announced. You can also put in
your own graphics card, install
a different OS, or upgrade the
PORTAL
ZOOM OUT
MOVEMENT
OWDSA OLSHIFT ©SF
PARTNER VIEW
PUSH TO TALK
TOGGLE ZOOM
boxes just like a regular PC. If you
already have a good gaming PC,
you could just install SteamOS on
your current PC as well.
The Linux platform occasion-
ally has trouble with graphics
cards drivers and other minor
technical issues, but the develop-
ers we talked with hoped that
Valve's involvement would help
the problem.
*There seems to be develop-
ments in the industry that are
likely to shape the future of
gaming on Linux,” says Kai
Tuovinen, marketing developer
for Frozenbyte (the Trine series).
“Examples that come to mind
are the recent moves by Nvidia
and AMD, who both upped their
driver support for Linux. | expect
the audio tech side to be making
similar adjustments. Valve seems
to be good at driving demand,
and getting all these different
companies to make adjustments
to support their SteamOS.”
Portal 2 Bindings
—
—
BLUE PORTA
ZOOM IN
COMMUNICATION ...
GESTURE MENU
CROUCH
connect 29
The Creative Breadth Of UbiArt
any gamers are already familiar with the UbiArt framework,
even if they don't know it. Ubisoft's Rayman Origins
and Rayman Legends were crafted using the innovative
development platform, which lets artists create images that
can be rapidly implemented into the game engine. Ubisoft has two new
projects in the works that capitalize on UbiArt's strengths, so this month
we're highlighting two small but fascinating downloadable games from
the publisher.
The beautiful RPG Child of Light is emerging
from some of the same creative minds at Ubi-
soft Montreal that brought us Far Cry 3. “I was
given a chance to make a pitch and | wanted to
do something radically different,” says creative
director Patrick Plourde. “Fairies in place of
insanity, small instead of big, 2D instead of 3D
open world. The contrast inspired me creatively
because what's the point of doing something
safe?” This new vision draws strongly on the
storytelling, party building, and battle traditions
of Japanese role-playing games, coupling this
with cooperative play, an elegant and original
art style, and a fairy-tale inspired setting.
The story focuses on Aurora, the daughter
of an Austrian duke in 1895, as she awakes
in a mystical world known as Lemuria. As
she looks for a way home she’s joined by a
firefly companion named Igniculus, who is
optionally controlled by a second player. “The
idea behind the co-op mode is to allow you
to share an RPG adventure with your loved
ones,” Plourde says. “As a parent, instead of
playing a game designed for children, | wanted
to bring my child toward the kind of experience
that | like to play, namely Japanese RPGs,
without sacrificing depth in gameplay.” As a
firefly, the second player serves as a literal light
in dark surroundings, but Igniculus can also
flit about to find hidden chests or switches. In
battle, the first player handles all the tactical
decisions, while the second player can mess
with enemies, slowing them down within the
turn order.
The battle system is directly inspired by
the classic JRPG Grandia 2. Characters and
enemies move along a timeline at the bottom of
the screen, and each action has a designated
casting time. “If a character gets attacked
while casting, he or she loses his or her turn,”
Plourde says. “So the player must manage
time, either to avoid getting countered, or to
counter enemies and prevent them from deal-
ing any damage.”
Child of Light’s world is a lost continent filled
with fairy tale creatures like aristocratic colonial
mice, screaming banshees, haunted trees, and
“bristle-bearded herbalists who like to smoke
mint out of pipes,” says writer Jeffrey Yohalem.
“There are secrets to uncover about Lemuria's
past and Aurora's destiny on your journey
through dark forests, floating fortresses, and
dusty plains down to the sea.”
Along the way through Lemuria, opportunities
arise to help citizens, some of whom join your
party in return. “Each character has a unique
skill tree and specialty when fighting,” Plourde
says. “You can switch to any character within
your party during combat, so each one has
a tactical use when tackling enemies and
bosses.” Skill trees open up new spells and
stat augmentations as you progress along
them, and are built to encourage choice;
you can only unlock about half the skills in
a given playthrough.
A whimsical and picture book art style
enhances the fairy tale vibe, as does the script,
which is being written entirely in rhyme. I've
also heard some of the classical-inspired,
piano-heavy soundtrack as it moves between
delicate moments of exploration, and larger
orchestral/choral bombast during battles.
Child of Light is coming to PS4, Xbox One,
PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC in early 2014.
Child of Light
The subject matter of this other
UbiArt project, Valiant Hearts:
The Great War, couldn’t be more
different. Set during World War I,
this side-scrolling adventure tracks
three unsung heroes and one
trusty dog as they work together
to help a young German soldier
named Karl find his way home to
his beloved wife.
“We chose the Western Front as
the back drop, so it made the most
sense to include characters from
this region,” says content director
Yoan Fanise. “Each character is
of a different nationality and has
personal objectives and puzzles
to solve, but they'll end up helping each other
out. All of our characters will eventually cross
paths.” Emile is a former POW cook who
confronts the challenges of the war to help his
son-in-law, Kari. A nurse named Anna and an
American volunteer named Freddie complete
the group, and each of them have special abili-
ties that let them solve specific puzzles.
No matter which character you're controlling,
you often have the help of a canine compan-
ion. “We meet the dog for the first time in the
German camp where Emile is being held pris-
oner,” Fanise says. “He belongs to a German
medic, and the dog ends up saving Emile after
Neuve-Chapelle is leveled by a bombardment.
It’s the beginning of the characters and,
also, the player's — close relationship with this
canine helper.”
Gameplay focuses on problem solving, alter-
nating between carefully planned environmen-
tal puzzles and frantic action scenes brought
on by the ongoing violence all around you, like
the scene depicting a hulking poison gas ma-
chine. “You have to find a way to get through a
battlefield with poison gas belching out of the
ground, make your way to the source of the
gas — a giant, screeching machine — and then
figure out a way to disarm it and get out of
there alive,” Fanise says.
Since the setting offers constant grim
reminders of this awful time period, the team
opted for a caricatured, presentation filled
with pretzel-munching Germans and beret-
wearing Frenchmen, even as some of the
horrific historical events of the war play out in
the background.
The story unfolds through comic-book style
bubbles over the characters’ heads filled
with pictograms instead of words, helping to
Valiant Hearts
3 FA 8
emphasize the way individuals in the war often
spoke different languages but still needed to
communicate. Actual personal correspon-
dences from the war are included, helping to
establish the tone and emotional range that
characters faced during the conflict. “The
letters that have inspired us are very moving,
and just by reading a few lines, you feel like
you're in the trenches,” Fanise says. “We also
have letters and postcards sent from family
members to soldiers on the front, which gives
us a different perspective on the war as it
was experienced by civilians, and has helped
inform the personal narratives that appear in
the game.”
Arriving on the centennial of World War I's
opening battles in 1914, the Ubisoft Montpellier
development team is approaching this project
as much as a tribute to the past as an enter-
tainment product. Either way, I’m fascinated
by the melding of comical and tragic tones at
play in Valiant Hearts, which is making a potent
case for the artistic potential of UbiArt.
32 connect
Final Fantasy XIV:
A Realm Reborn
The original incarnation of Final Fantasy XIV was a mess. It wasn’t fun, got poor
reviews, and drummed up a lot of bad buzz from disappointed fans. That's all relevant
information, but you probably don’t need to be told why you didn’t play Final Fantasy
XIV three years ago. However, you should know why it’s worth giving a second chance.
ſter some major staff changes and
fl redesigns, Final Fantasy XIV has
EM reemerged as a fantastic and entertain-
ing MMO. While the contrast to its previous
failure makes the improvement more notice-
able, the transformation isn't just impressive
because of how far the game has come. Taken
solely on its own merits, Final Fantasy XIV: A
Realm Reborn is the best Final Fantasy of this
hardware generation.
The biggest single factor in my enjoyment
of Realm Reborn is the pacing. Everything
is masterfully distributed, from the flow of
important quests to the frequency of rewards,
ensuring that players always have something
fun and interesting to do. Specialized class
quests open up every five levels, and other
aspirational perks (like earning advanced
classes or getting your own chocobo mount)
give you a reason to crank out just one
more level.
To gain experience, you don’t just stand
in one zone and grind monsters; the quest
givers are plentiful, and their tasks gradually
introduce you to the game and its mechan-
ics. Those quests are usually basic “deliver
this message” or “kill these monsters,” but
once you know the ropes, you branch out
into more interesting territory. Each class
has a hunting log that rewards you nicely for
killing specific beasts, and Guildleves are
repeatable quests that earn a hefty chunk of
experience. Those are fun, but the real payoff
comes from focusing on Fates — cooperative
world events. Fates involve players working
together to complete a goal within a time limit,
like defeating a strong foe or a large number
of weaker ones. Upon victory, you’re awarded
money and experience based on the weight of
your contribution.
No one of these things seems groundbreak-
ing alone, but taken together they provide a
steady stream of worthwhile content. If you
get bored of one activity, you move on to
another. This slows down considerably as you
hit the level 30, so you don't ride the wave
all the way to the cap of 50 — but it lasts long
enough to get you invested in the world and
your character.
Leveling up is satisfying, but the real
purpose is to feed into the cool job system
fueling your abilities. You start by picking a
single class (I went with the Thaumaturge,
focused on offensive casting), but can switch
to another one after level 10. The advantage
to switching is that certain skills can carry over
from one class to another; after switching to
Conjurer (healer), | was able to learn the Cure
and Protect spells and use them when I went
back to being a Thaumaturge. The number of
abilities you can carry over is limited, so you
can’t have a single character who can use
every class ability. However, you also don't
need to create new characters to try out differ-
ent playstyles; you’re better off using a single
character and benefitting from the extra skills
(and an experience boost) that comes with ex-
perimenting with other disciplines. This system
fully captures the fun of the job system found
elsewhere in the series, like Final Fantasy V,
allowing for a great deal of customization.
Combat works well, veering away from
the need to auto-attack while waiting for
cooldown timers. Classes have a good selec-
tion of abilities to keep players involved in the
action, but a lot of fights boil down to routine.
Some enemies use special attacks that have
a highlighted zone of effect, and moving out
of the way adds a small element of mobility
to the action, but most of the time you are
just going through the motions. Of course,
situations get more complicated when you're
tackling the dungeons and bosses.
Realm Reborn is generally solo friendly, but
a handful of story missions require a party,
which you can assemble yourself or use in-
game matching. The only frustration | had on
that front was the wait; as a damage-focused
class, | easily waited 30 minutes or more for
an open slot. In a group, each class fills one of
three roles familiar to any MMO veteran: tank,
healing, and damage. The interplay between
these roles is predictable, but coordinating a
strategy with your party members is still fun.
This is especially true of boss battles; they
demand the same kind of cooperation and
precision that a hardcore MMO player would
expect. The highlights are the battles against
primals — creatures like Ifrit and Titan — that are
visually stunning and tactically challenging. |
was also impressed that during these tense
encounters | was still able to control the action
using a gamepad (with a keyboard to handle
typing). Mouse-and-keyboard is still easier, but
anon-broken gamepad interface is a step in
the right direction for the genre.
I've sunk dozens of hours into Realm
Reborn, and have been having a great time. I
haven't hit the level cap yet, but some players
in the community have voiced disappoint-
ment at the sparse endgame offerings. After
completing the main story, the flow of quests
stops and players are instead left to grind
for better equipment, level up other com-
bat classes, or delve into crafting. | wasn’t
impressed by the crafting system at all, so |
can understand why some players are upset
by the lack of diversity at the end of the line.
Even so, progressing to that point is reward-
ing, and an array of iconic elements like Magi-
tek Armor and Chocobos gives the journey an
unmistakable Final Fantasy vibe. &
he Kin
This fall, MOBA fans celebrated the third season of Riot Games’ League of Legends
World Championship tournament. The 14 best League of Legends teams from
around the world faced off over the course of three weeks, culminating in a final
showdown between Korea’s SK Telecom T1 and China’s Royal Club. In front of
13,000 fans at the sold out Staples Center in Los Angeles, SK Telecom T1 swept
=: =i
4 u 224
From Left to Right:
Bae "bengi" Seong-ung
Chae "Piglet" Gwang-jin
Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok
Lee "PoohManDu" Jeong-hyeon
Jung "Impact" Eon-yeong
Royal Club 3-0, snagging the coveted Summoner's Cup and walking away with
the $1 million grand prize. We spoke with the team about their previous gaming
experiences, the tournament, and their plans for the future.
interview by Jeff Marchiafava
What was the first game
that led you to playing
games professionally?
Lee "PoohManDu" Jeong-
hyeon: Playing and watching
Starcraft on television made
me think about pursuing a
career as a pro gamer, but I
wasn't good enough at games
like Starcraft. Then, | came
to play an AOS game [AOS
stands for Aeon of Strife,
the first popular MOBA in
Korea -Ed.] named Chaos and
thought AOS games suited
me better.
Why League of Legends
instead of other MOBAS?
Jung "Impact" Eon-yeong: |
used to play Dota and Chaos,
but after two-to-three years |
became tired of them. I looked
for other AOS games that |
could enjoy, and that's when
League of Legends came into
my eyes.
Do you think League of
Legends is a good MOBA
for players who are new to
the genre?
Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok: |
really do think that League of
Legends is a good game for
beginners. LoL is the easiest
game of its genre, | think. Also
I think that Riot Games tries
to make the game immersive
for beginners by patching it
that way.
How much time do you spend
training in an average week?
PoohManDu: If I'm not sleeping,
fm practicing.
You lost your second game
in the tournament to OMG.
How did that affect your
approach to the rest of
the tournament?
Bae "bengi" Seong-ung: Well,
we all had a sense of crisis on
the first day. We barely man-
aged to win the first game
against Lemondogs, and lost
to OMG in our second game.
That made us analyze thor-
oughly and be more prepared
in other games.
How did you prepare for your
showdown with Royal Club
in the finals?
PoohManDu: Royal Club was
in the other bracket in the
quarterfinals, so we arranged
a scrimmage with them. Also,
we were able to gain a good
understanding of Royal Club
by analyzing their games in the
quarter and semifinals.
A huge number of people
turned out at the Staples
Center for the championship.
What was it like playing in
front of that many people?
Faker: It was a fantastic experi-
ence. | thought it was an honor
to be there.
Are you surprised at the
amount of enthusiasm
international fans have for
your team?
Chae “Piglet" Gwang-jin: | was
very amazed to see the crowd
cheering for us and felt very
thankful for their support. It
made me really happy.
How does it feel to be
world champions?
Piglet: The joy of becoming
world champion only lasted a
moment. We're trying not to
cling to that feeling because
we have other competitions
coming up. | went back home
and had meals with my mom,
dad, and older brother. It
would have been better if the
vacation had been longer.
What do you plan to do
with your share of the $1
million prize?
Impact: I’m going to save it in
the bank for now. In the future,
| may spend money doing
what | want to do. | want to try
DJing, learn English, and travel
abroad by myself.
What's next for the team?
Faker: We'd like to win the
qualifier for the World Cyber
Games and then WCG itself.
We also aim to win the OGN
Champions Winter tournament.
Any final words for your fans?
PoohManDu: We'd like to
express our gratitude, and we
will try hard to give you good
performances. ©
connect 33
photo; Grasshoper Manufacture Inc
From The Mortuary To Next Gen
Japan is famous for the gonzo visuals and storytelling of its manga, anime, and video games. It takes a truly
eccentric Japanese developer to stand out from a country known for the absurd. Goichi “Suda51” Suda, with
risky titles like No More Heroes and Lollipop Chainsaw, is one such man.
How did you first get into video games?
Video games started when | was a kid,
and | was just pulled into that world. It was
something | was very interested in. | used to
go by myself to arcades when | was a kid,
which usually you’re not supposed to do.
You’re supposed have an adult with you. It
was just something that | couldn’t stay away
from. One of the first games that pulled my
interest was Atari Star Wars. | saw that and
thought, “There’s a world in this box that’s
completely different from the world where |
live in,” and that was something that really
intrigued me.
What made you consider going from a fan
to creating games?
| really didn’t think | would join a video game
company, because | didn’t know how to get
into one. Back then they didn’t really have
any human-resource department that was
looking for people. | didn’t have the skills to
do it. | had an image in my mind of video
game companies with people wearing white
doctor suits, working like scientists basi-
cally. That was the disconnect | had; it was
that wide.
| was working at a funeral service compa-
ny, and didn’t really think of myself becom-
ing this video game person. But | was look-
ing at a human resource magazine for job
openings and saw Human [Entertainment].
| knew Human as a video game company
and they were looking for people. | figured |
might as well send in my résumé, because
even though | didn’t have any knowledge
of how to make a game or had a career in
video games, | knew a lot about wrestling. |
was sure | knew a lot more than most peo-
ple, and | thought as long as [Super Fire Pro
Wrestling 3 Final Bout, Suda’s first game] is
based on professional wrestling I'd be able
to contribute a very big chunk.
What prompted the leap from working at
a funeral home to applying for a position
at Human Entertainment?
The initial reason why | was working at a
funeral services company was because the
pay was good. Especially because not a
lot of people like working at a funeral, obvi-
ously. | was mostly contract-based, initially.
| would go to different funeral homes every
day to work there and get to know people.
There was this one funeral home that kept
on asking me to come back, and one
day they wanted me to join as a full-time
employee, which means you get even a
better salary. Back then, | was already mar-
ried and | had to provide for my family, so |
figured, “You know, I’m just gonna do this
as a career.” | was ready to do it. I’m sort of
confused why | started working in the video
game industry in the first place. That was
sort of the life | was leading up until | joined
Human [Entertainment].
How did you sell yourself to
Human Entertainment?
| created a one concept document of a
wrestling game. | probably went into a lot
of detail with the wrestling part. That’s how
| sold myself saying, “Okay. | like video
games, | like wrestling, and a game like this
would probably be awesome if you could
make it.” And | sold that to Human, and |
guess Human picked it up.
Wrestling is really over-the-top, theatrical,
and ridiculous. Did that in any way influ-
ence your gonzo development style?
Yes, definitely, for the short answer. But
basically | used to watch American wrestling.
| used to watch European wrestling. It’s very
different from Japanese wrestling, because
Japanese wrestling is more combat-based.
It’s about fighting. It’s about one guy versus
another guy. U.S. wrestling is more about
entertaining the fans and having everybody
have fun. So | definitely thought that was
very different, and it definitely had some kind
of effect on me as a child while growing up.
Who is your favorite wrestler?
Bruiser Brody.
What was it like getting mainstream
attention when Killer7 hit the GameCube?
Killer7 was definitely a turning point for
Grasshopper [Manufacture] as a company.
Initially, Shinji Mikami at Capcom came to
me and said, “Let’s make a game together,
and let's try to get it out to the global
market.” That was the big challenge for
Grasshopper, and probably back then for
Capcom, where they had to cater to global
government. Up until then they were very
local, very domestic. That was one change,
and the good thing about working with
Mikami was he believed in my vision and
what | wanted to do. He was always sup-
portive. He said that | should get support
for whatever | wanted to create. Basically, it
was his job to support me so | could make
something | wanted to make. | definitely had
a lot of freedom in that game, and it ended
up becoming Killer7, which was very popular
in the U.S. as well.
Grasshopper Manufacture had a long line
of Nintendo-only games, but in recent
years has been working on Sony and
Microsoft’s systems. Do you see that
trend continuing into the next generation?
No plans on focusing on one or two con-
soles. Definitely we're always thinking
multi-platform. One of the main reasons we
have been going with our current console
[choice] is that we wanted to utilize the
Unreal Engine. And, obviously, Unreal works
really well with Sony and Microsoft stuff.
That was one of the main reasons why we
shifted towards that. But it’s not like we’re
excluding a platform. We're always thinking
about all platforms as well as Android and
iOS devices. Everything inclusive, we think is
multiplatform, does include iOS and Android
devices. We're always open to everything.
Do you have any core design phi-
losophies you closely adhere to while
making games?
The main thing that | want is to be careful
of when making a game is the emotional
rhythm that the player will have. | don’t want
it to be offbeat or anything, | want it to stay
smooth. If there’s movement, | want it to
be gradual.
It's very abstract, but | want the player to
remember the rhythm when they play the
game. After they’ve finished the game, or
they're playing another Grasshopper title in
the future, they’re able to remind themselves
of what kind of rhythm the previous title
was. That’s a key point | want the players to
take away from the game.
You're known for creating games with
crazy stories and oftentimes bizarre
visuals. Do you ever feel constrained by
your reputation?
| realize that | have a unique style, and that’s
sort of the Grasshopper brand. It’s known
for that. So, for the last five [games], it’s felt
like a lot of people wanted that, so that's
why I've been working on it. But definitely I
want to try out new styles and experiment,
and I think as a creator that's one of the
main missions that you have — that I have
to work on, especially just in recent years.
| do want to break off from that and try
new things.
How is your vision for the PS4 title Lily
Bergamo different from your past titles?
As you may know, Grasshopper titles have
never really had a strong online feature. In
terms of Lily Bergamo being different from
previous games, it’ll be the online features
that we have. We've always wanted to try
online in previous titles, but we didn’t have a
chance to do it. Now that we’ve teamed up
with GungHo Online Entertainment — which
as you can see has “Online” in the title — it's
definitely one of the strong suits of GungHo.
We'll definitely try to implement that. That'll
probably be the biggest difference. We’ll
have companion apps, which we announced
at the Sony's [TGS 2013] press conference.
You can play Lily Bergamo on the console,
on TV at home, but you'll also have an app
that you can play just by itself without play-
ing the console version. That is one of the
big points that we're pushing. ©
To learn about Suda's idea to make next-gen multiplayer a
more emotional experience, visit gameinformer.com/mag
1993
A CAREER IS
RESURRECTED
At age 25, Goichi Suda
leaves his funeral-
services job to join Human
Entertainment. His first gig
is director for Super Fire Pro
Wrestling 3 Final Bout on the
Super Famicom
1996
JAPAN MEETS SUDAS51
Suda directs the Twilight
Syndrome series. This Japan-
only series focuses on horror
and storytelling, introducing
Suda's unique style
1998
MAKING THE JUMP
Suda leaves Human
Entertainment shortly
before it closes. He starts
up his own studio called
Grasshopper Manufacture Inc.
2005
HIS FIRST KILLER APP
Killer7 arrives on the
GameCube. It gains a cult
following thanks to its cel-
shaded graphics and crazy
story revolving around
assassins and international
intrigue. It makes Suda51 a
name in the industry
2007
TOUCHDOWN!
No More Heroes releases
on the Wii. It only
gamers modest sales but
quirky protagonist Travis
Touchdown becomes a
recognizable video game
character and Suda51's
Tenown spreads
2011
JAPAN'S BRIGHTEST
TEAM UP
Suda teams up with Resident
Evil 4 mastermind Shinji
Mikami for Shadows of
the Damned. This PS3 and
360 game receives praise
for its crude humor and
solid gunplay
2012
A STARLING IS BORN
Lollipop Chainsaw and its
pom pom-waving heroine
Juliet Starling arrive on PS3
and 360. It receives praise
for its absurd zombie-fighting
cheerleader foil, but its
gameplay receives criticism
2014
GUNG HO
INTO NEXT-GEN
Lily Bergamo is Suda’s
latest action game slated
for release on the PS4. This
is the first Grasshopper
Manufacture title being
published by GungHo Online
Entertainment following the
studio’s 2013 purchase
connect 35
36
he malls are stuffed tighter than a holi-
day bird, and that means it’s time to start
wrapping presents for your loved ones.
You probably already have one or more
of the new consoles on pre-order, so this
could be an expensive year. But you don’t have to
break the bank buying a bunch of junk that your
friends and family will fake a smile over. Fill your
shopping cart — and wish list — with the kinds
of games, gadgets, and geek gear that won't get
traded in for store credit.
by Ben Reeves
$25 AND UNDER
“Here’s a thing to show
I didn't forget about you.”
1. StarKade Wrestling Prints
James White is the talented artist be-
hind the neon-soaked Far Cry 3: Blood
Dragon posters. Now he's applying his
skills to prints of ‘80s wrestling icons.
Each poster in this five-set series
measures five-inches square and fea-
tures the stylized physique of legends
like Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, and
Jake the Snake.
$10.00 (signalnoise.bigcartel.com)
2. Los Santos Sheriff
Trucker Hat
You've spent enough time running
over thugs in Los Santos that it's time
you were deputized as an honorary
lawman. This green and white mesh
cap features a Los Santos County
Sheriff badge in front and a small
Rockstar Games logo on the back.
Maybe those punk kids down at the
five-and-dime will finally give you the
respect you deserve.
$15.00 (rockstarwarehouse.com)
Parr EF Kee
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TRIVIAL PURSU
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—
A INI
3. Star Wars Black Series
Boba Fett Figure
Recreate some of the most memora-
ble Star Wars moments with Hasbro’s
newest line of collectable six-inch
figures. The full series includes char-
acters like Han Solo, R2-D2, Anakin
Skywalker, and the the legendary
bounty hunter Boba Fett. Warning:
Boba Fett is a choking hazard for all
baby Sarlacc; this stoic Mandalorian
warrior will not stay down their giant,
multi-fanged gullets.
$19.99 (hasbro.com)
+ WAR(RA
4. World of Warcraft
Trivial Pursuit
Is your copy of Trivial Pursuit older
than your grandfather's bell bottoms?
Get a copy of the classic trivia game
you'll actually use more than once
a millennium. This official World of
Warcraft-themed trivia game contains
more than 100 trivia cards with 600
questions covering six categories:
geography, player characters, lore, loot,
enemies, and encounters.
$24.99 (blizzard.com/store)
Arcade Fire: Reflektor
$11.99 (arcadefire.com)
Eminem: The Marshall
Mathers LP 2
$11.99 (eminem.com)
THE MUSIC OF
GRAND THEFT AUTO V
N
The Music of
Grand Theft Auto V
$24.99 (rockstargames.com)
POLICA ULAMITH
Polica: Shulamith
$12.99 (thisispolica.com)
Red Fang:
Whales And Leeches
$11.88 (relapse.com)
Bob Dylan: The Complete
Album Collection V.1
$335 (bobdylan.com)
connect 37
$25 - 990
“Hey we're friends, right?”
1. Marinko Milosevski Video
Game Posters
If most of your friends’ wall art fea-
tures creases from back when it was
folded inside in a DVD box set, it might
be time to upgrade to art that is actu-
ally worth framing. Marinko Milosevski
takes classic video game franchises
like Metal Gear Solid, Metroid, and Star
Fox and gives them a classy motion
picture-inspired poster treatment.
$35.00
(marinkomilosevski.bigcartel.com)
2. Sportique Retro EA
Sports Tees
if some of your friends’ fondest sports
memories happened with a Genesis
or SNES controller in his or her hands,
then check out these 16-bit throw-
backs. These officially licensed EA
Sports-themed shirts cover every-
thing from soccer and basketball to
boxing and golf, but our favorite is the
“Blood On Ice.”
$35.00 (sportiqe.com)
3. Figma Link and
Samus Figures
Two of Nintendo’s most iconic heroes
may be mute (We're trying to forget
about Metroid: Other M), but we can’t
shut up about how cool they look on a
bookshelf. Japanese toy manufacturer
Max Factory is finally releasing its line
of high-end Figma figures stateside.
Figma’s plastic joints make each figure
very flexible, so you can twist these
five-inch figures into a series of awk-
ward poses and Link won't be able to
articulate a single word of complaint.
$49.99 (bigbadtoystore.com)
4. Nerf N-Strike Elite
Centurion Blaster
Practice elite sniping skills on loved
ones with Nerf’s new sniper rifle
equivalent. This high-caliber blaster
comes with its own removable bipod
stand and six oversized darts. The
Centurion also has an unprecedented
firing range of over 100 feet. Action
figures don’t stand a chance, and nei-
ther will coworkers.
$49.99 (hasbro.com/nerf)
1. Eldritch Horror Board Game
Inspired by the tabletop classic
Arkham Horror, Eldritch Horror lets up
to eight players team up as paranor-
mal investigators who must travel the
world and hold back an ancient evil.
Players gather clues and solve mys-
teries while holding off otherworldly
monsters and the threat of insanity,
ultimately trying to subdue a darkness
that threatens to overwhelm human-
ity. Challenging and varied scenarios
offer tons of replay value in this story-
focused cooperative adventure.
$59.99 (fantasyflightgames.com)
SA
ThinkGeek TRAVEL BOY
2. Travel Boy Carry
On Luggage
Nintendo’s Game Boy was a trusted
travel companion, and that doesn’t
have to change just because we've
grown up. Masters of the impulse
purchase, ThinkGeek has modeled a
slick carry-on suitcase after Nintendo's
classic handheld. This 20-inch tall case
features an aluminum telescoping han-
dle, a three-digit TSA combination lock,
and an interior zipper divider to help
you keep all your gaming equipment
organized in-flight.
$69.99 (thinkgeek.com)
3. Batman: Arkham City
Deluxe Action Figure:
Solomon Grundy
Even the bravest Dark Knight figure
might feel weak in the joints with
this 13-inch Solomon Grundy tow-
ering over them. Designed after his
appearance in Batman: Arkham City,
this oversized Grundy figure from DC
Entertainment features a removable
heart and chest plate, neither of which
will improve his temper. He also goes
well with DC's new line of Arkham
Origins figures.
$89.95 (shopdcentertainment.com)
4. Roku 3
Roku's newest model lets you stream
movies, TV shows, sports, web se-
ries, and games to any HDTV. The
Roku's new headphone jack lets us-
ers soak up entertainment late into
the night without disturbing house-
mates. Most gamers already have
a console that does most of this,
but the Roku is ideal for streaming
Netflix, Amazon Instant, HBO Go, Hulu
Plus, or Pandora to a lonely TV that
doesn't have a console companion.
$99.99 (roku.com)
8
S100 - $500
“I hope you spent this
much on me.”
‘STG
1. Pebble Smart Watch
The Pebble smartwatch is one of Kick-
starter’s biggest successes, raising
more than $10 million over its initial
campaign. Once you strap it onto
your wrist and pair it with your 108
or Android device, it acts as a handy
go-between for a user and his or her
phone. You can set it up to provide
Notifications for incoming calls, text
messages, and other alerts (complete
with vibration), which lets you stay
connected without having to constant-
ly dig your phone out of your pocket.
Third-party developers have used the
Pebble's design tools to create their
own apps and watch faces, to varying
degrees of success. The Pebble is a
winner in our book, regardless.
$150 (getpebble.com)
2. HTC One
Thanks to its 1.7 GHz Snapdragon
600 quad-core processor, Beats Audio
sound performance, and a design
sense that rivals Apple, the HTC
One is the premier Android phone
of 2013. The HTC UltraPixel Camera
is one of the better phone cameras
on the market, and the 4.7-inch 468
pixels-per-inch screen makes every
shot (not to mention every game and
movie) look amazing. Get the Google
Play edition for the authentic Android
experience, free of HTC's unneces-
sary digital skin.
$199 (hte.com)
2-year contract required
3. Corsair Voyager Air
Portable Wireless Drive
The Internet is nearly everywhere,
but that “nearly” part really frus-
trates us when we're miles from civi-
lization and can't stream our favorite
shows and music off the cloud. With
Corsair's high-performance media
hub, you can store up to 1TB of data
(approximately 800 HD movies) and
then stream it to any TV, tablet, or
phone via its built-in wireless net-
work. You could also stick this hub
in the center of a home network and
use it to consolidate and share data
across every device.
$199 (corsair.com)
4. Google Nexus 7
Google's own Android slate remains
one of the best pound-for-pound tab-
lets on the market. This year's model
is thinner, lighter, and faster. Weigh-
ing less than a pound, this seven-inch
tablet is feather light but still capable
of churning out 3D graphics thanks
to its Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro
processor. The screen looks great,
thanks to Google cramming 323 pix-
els into every inch of the display.
$229 (play.google.com/store)
w W,
(Biaca9*
Battling Boy
by Paul Pope
Comics creator Paul Pope (Batman: Year 100)
returns with a new sci-fi graphic novel. In a
city under siege by monsters, the people's
only hope is a young boy from another world
who is armed with magical T-shirts.
$15.99 (us.macmillan.com)
Capcom 30th Anniversary
Character Encyclopedia
From Ada Wong to Zero, this hardcover tome
details the facts, statistics, and historical
information for over 200 of Capcom 's most
beloved characters.
$16.99 (us.dk.com)
DAVID
AND
GOLIATH
David and Goliath
by Maicolm Gladwell
The prized author of Outliers and What the
Dog Saw challenges our assumption about
obstacles and disadvantages, then shows how
beauty can arise from suffering and adversity.
$29.00 (hachettebookgroup.com)
RISE
The Heavens Rise
by Christopher Rice
New York Times bestselling author Christopher
Rice crafts a tale about three friends forced to
confront an ancient evil rising to the surface of
the Louisiana bayou.
$26.00 (books.simonandschuster.com)
5. Geth Pulse Rifle Full
Scale Replica
Mass Effects go-to alien rifle is highly
accurate and finely balanced to pro-
duce low-recoil. Triforce’s replica of the
Geth Pulse Rifle measures 33-inches
in length, weighs 20 pounds, and fea-
tures working LED effects. This replica
doesn't fire anything other than the
plasma blasts in your mind, so its use-
fulness in a firefight depends on your
level of biotic mastery.
$243 (projecttriforce.com)
6. NetGear Nighthawk AC1900
If a loved one's house looks like a spi-
der's web of Ethernet cables, it may
be time to upgrade them to a wireless
router with some muscle. NetGear's
Nighthawk has been juicing like an
NFL linebacker. This duel-band rout-
er's internal dual core 1GHz processor
helps prioritize bandwidth for stream-
ing videos, music, and online gaming.
An EZ Mobile connect feature allows
guests to scan a QR code to connect
to the network, while Netgear's genie
mobile app allows power users to
customize their home network and
monitor problems.
$199 (netgear.com)
7. Big Jambox
Jawbone may call its speaker sys-
tem Big, but since it measures only
10-inches long, it's still small enough
to take anywhere. Featuring dual pas-
sive bass radiators and LiveAudio
software that optimizes the audio, the
Big Jambox lets you wirelessly stream
audio from any mobile device for up to
15 hours. Since each Jambox is made
to order, you can mix and match color
schemes to find the perfect look for
a friend.
$299 (jawbone.com)
8. GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition
Even photographic memory can’t com-
pete with the GoPro’s 4K-resolution
camera and ability to capture 12MP
photos at up to 30 frames per second.
If you want to show off your friend’s
wicked snowboarding or skydiving
abilities, then pick them up a GoPro so
they can upload their hijinks to social
networks using the system’s built-in
Wi-Fi. GoPro’s Hero3+ is waterproof to
131 feet underwater and has an auto-
matic low light mode. It’s like having
instant replay for your entire life.
$399 (gopro.com)
Mister Max: À
The Book of Lost Things
by Cynthia Voigt
Newberry medalist Cynthia Voigt is back with
another magical children’s tale. After Max's
parents go missing, he goes into hiding, only
to discover that he has a knack for finding
lost things. This leads him on a series of
unexpected adventures.
$16.99 (randomhouse.com)
Dario M Ew
DAILIES
Superman: The Silver Age
Newspaper Dailies Vol 1: 1959-1961
Superman 's silver age newspaper strips have
never been reprinted, until now. Superman
battles aliens, super villains, and Lois Lane s
heart in these oft-forgotten tales of suspense
and slapstick.
$49.99 (shop.idwpublishing.com)
connect 41
9500 - 31000
“You can't put a
price on family!”
1. Pioneer SP-PK52FS
Turning a living room into a home
theater is usually expensive and time
consuming. Thankfully, Pioneer has
made picking a sound system easy
as well as inexpensive. This update
to Pioneer's budget 5.1 channel sur-
round sound system comes complete
with a 100-watt, 8-inch powered sub-
woofer that produces the kind of high
quality sound that you'd expect from a
speaker set twice its price.
$549 (pioneerelectronics.com)
2. ZBoard Classic
Walking is exhausting, and Segways
are jokes on wheels. ZBoard com-
bines the mobility of a motorized
scooter with the rebellious attitude
of a skateboard. The weight-sensing
triggers allow boarders to simply lean
in the direction they want to travel,
and the onboard motor pulls them
along at a top speed of up to 15 miles
per hour. Finally, a skateboard that
can travel uphill without all that calo-
rie burning.
$649 (zboardshop.com)
3. Panasonic Viera S60
50” HD Plasma TV
Even if you already have an HDTV,
the clarity of Panasonic’s impressive
plasma screens might entice you
to upgrade. With deep blacks and
strong off-angle fidelity, this is one
of the better-looking televisions un-
der $1,000. The Smart Viera’s built-in
Wi-Fi gives the TV access to stream-
ing apps like Hulu Plus and Netf-
lix, and the Swipe 8. Share system
makes it easy to toss movies, photos,
and webpages from your smartphone
or tablet onto the display. A free re-
mote app for Android and iOS allows
you to keep flipping through channels
even if the standard remote is lost
between couch cushions.
$699 (shop.panasonic.com)
STan
4. Xi3 Piston Console
If you can't wait for Valve's Steambox
to make it to market, Xi3's Piston is
a tempting alternative. Using the
strength of what must have been a
million black holes, Xi3 took a 3.2
GHz AMD Trinity Processor, a Radeon
7000-Series GPU, and 8GB of DDR3
RAM, and compressed them into
a diminutive four-inch cube. The
Piston's native triple-monitor sup-
port lets you surround yourself in
your games — pretty impressive for
such a small package.
$999 (xi3.com/piston)
Luther 3
Breaking Bad: The Complete Series
This massive replica money barrel set con-
tains all six seasons of AMC's award-winning
drama about a science teacher turned meth
dealer, a two-hour documentary about the
show, and 55 hours of special features.
$224 (breakingbadstore.com)
42
Dexter: The Complete
Series Collection
Dexter Morgan isn't just an awkward foren-
sics expert for the Miami Police. he’s aiso a
serial killer who hunts down other killers.
8251 (store. sho. com)
Elysium
District 9 director Neill Biomkamp envisions
a future where the majority of the population
Struggles to exist on a ravaged Earth while
humanity's elite keeps them under heel from a
iuxurious space habitat called Elysium.
$28.99 (itsbetterupthere.com)
in this psychological thriller miniseries from
the BBC, a psycho fetishist starts targeting
young women in London, and detective John
Luther must solve the case while dealing with
an internal affairs investigation.
$34.98 (bbcamericashop.com)
855
SI000 AND OVER
“I have a few things I need to
overcompensate for.”
1. Nikon D7100
One of Nikon's fiagship cameras, the
D7100 shoots crisp photos at up to six
images a second, which can instantly be
shared via the WU-1a Wireless Mobile
Adapter add-on ($59). The D7100 also
houses a specially designed 24.1-MP
DX-format CMOS sensor that can cap-
ture 24.1 megapixel images and 1080p
video at 30 frames per second. Pair this
with a high-end Nikkor lens and this
complicated piece of technology will
either deliver the best pictures you've
ever taken, or steal peoples’ souls.
$1,199 (nikonusa.com)
UNIVERSITY
2. MSI GS70 Stealth
Just because you travel a lot doesn’t
mean all your mobile gaming has
to take place on a four-inch phone.
MSI's newest Windows 8-based,
17-inch laptop houses an Intel Core
i7-4700HQ Processor and a NVIDIA
GeForce GTX765M, which should take
care of all your gaming needs. Less
than an inch thick and weighing less
than six pounds, the Stealth isn't a
pain to lug through the airport. Once
you get home, you can use the Matrix
display feature to hook this laptop up
to three other monitors at once.
$1,699 (msi.com)
Gran Turismo 6 (PS3)
Inhumane
Superheroes
Marvel Comics isn’t taking a break
from its universe-shaking events.
The aftermath of /nfinity leads
to Inhumanity, a new standalone
limited series that kicks off today.
The Avengers are thrown right
back into the action. Their target?
Karnak. He's learned the secrets
of the Inhumans.
11.2 Halo’s Ongoing Tale
Christopher Schlerf, head writer of
Halo 4, is at the helm of Dark Horse
Comics’ new ongoing Halo: Escalation
comic series. This story begins with
a Covenant attack against the UNSC
flagship Infinity. Can the Spartans
stop them?
13.1 Friday Night
Game-A-Thons
We're looking for people to be a
part of Game Informer's Friday Night
Game-a-thons. A different game is
selected for each event. Grand Theft
Auto Online, Battlefield 4, Call of
Duty: Ghosts, Assassin's Creed IV:
Black Flag, and many others are
in consideration each week. If
you're interested in being a part
of an event, check out Andrew
Reiner's blog on gameinformer.com
for details.
13.2 Bilbo
Keeps Walking
The Lord of the Rings may be J.R.R.
Tolkien's most famous trilogy, but
not many people know about the
three Hobbit books. That's because
there weren't three Hobbit books,
but as it demonstrated with Harry
Potter and Twilight, Hollywood
insists on drawing out the story and
milking fans for as long as possible.
Assuming The Hobbit: The Desolation
of Smaug (in theaters today) succ-
eeds, brace yourself for the inevi-
table The Silmarillion dodecaology.
15 The Latest TV Musical
The comedic detective drama Psych
is ending its seventh season tonight
with a two-hour special that places
Shawn and Gus — one of the best
tandems on TV — at the heart of
another mystery, this time on a
stage for a musical. The musical
worked for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Here's hoping it works for Psych.
20 Stay Classy,
San Diego
The cast from one of the funniest
movies of the last decade returns
to theaters today in Anchorman 2:
The Legend Returns. Think about
this: Since the release of the original
Anchorman, Steve Carrell started
and finished his run as Michael
Scott on The Office, Will Ferrell has
pretty much done everything an
actor can do, and Paul Rudd still
isn't popular.
The New
Face Of Justice
DC Comics’ New 52 universe is at
the mercy of its villains, most nota-
bly the Crime Syndicate composed
of vilified versions of Superman,
Batman, and Wonder Woman. Why
have they waged war on Earth?
What secrets are they holding? In
today's Justice League comic, we'll
finally get some answers.
25 Grumpy Old Boxers
Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro
duke it out in today's theatrical
release, Grudge Match, a movie
about two retired boxers getting
back into the ring. This film is poised
to set Hollywood records — not for
box office receipts, but for featuring
the oldest, shortest, and mumbliest
actors ever seen in a single film. The
previous record holder was Cocoon.
connect 45
46
„ Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a new export in the Bigvarbiind of
2 - this vaunted fantasy universe. Most Tolkien games have hewn close to
„Pl form the central stories of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, retelling the
PlayStation 4 + Xbox One familiar tales of the Fellowship, or offering up side stories that run con-
PlayStation 3 * Xbox 360 * PC
current with major moments depicted in the books and movies. Shadow
of Mordor reaches further, creating a new narrative set between the
years of Bilbo Baggins’ adventure and the grand quest undertaken by
his nephew, Frodo. Developer Monolith is crafting this story inspired
by the huge body of Tolkien’s work, as well as drawing from the visual
~ cues of Peter Jackson's movie retellings. In the process, the studio is i
introducing a remarkable approach to next-gen enemies, questing, and
storytelling, built around player choice and emergent gameplay.
by Matt Miller
cover story 47
chaotic frontier.”
Watching over that frontier
is a dedicated garrison of
rangers who stand senti-
nel along the Black Gate,
Morannon. Talion is one man among many who brave
the wilderness to hold the line against a long-absent
foe. When Sauron returns to reclaim Mordor, his first act
is to send forth his black captains to capture this vital
pass. Sauron’s evil lieutenants slay the guardians on the
gate, put Talion’s loyal mentor, loving wife, and valiant
son to the sword, and then, laughing, strike down Talion
as well. “After 2,000 years, Sauron returns to Mordor
and takes everything from him,” de Plater says. “His
family, the garrison — even his own life.” But a greater
doom awaits Talion. He mysteriously reawakens after
death, filled with a desperate call to vengeance, even as
he reels from the loss of all he holds dear and comes to
terms with his supernatural revival.
“This is someone who's never had any notion of any-
thing magic or supernatural in his life, and suddenly this
onolith’s vision is a striking third-person open-world action game
that takes players deep into the enemy territory of Mordor in
the days before it decays into a blasted hellscape. “Sauron has
been away for thousands of years, and over that time Mordor
has been settled by different people, races, and wildlife,” says
Michael de Plater, director of design at Monolith. “It’s a wild and
catastrophic event descends on him,” de Plater says.
“He wakes up simultaneously not understanding what
has happened, or understanding why he’s being denied
the peace of being with his family, but also pursuing
answers and vengeance against those that took every-
thing from him.”
As he fights his way into the depths of Mordor, play-
ers shape the unfolding story in a way we’ve never seen
before, crafting a personalized story that reacts to the
specific enemies he kills and those he leaves behind.
Every foe remembers him and his deeds, and responds
dynamically within the game world. “The nemesis
system is the name we've given to the idea that through
your gameplay, choices, and interactions, any enemy
in the game can become a villain, and all the things
that you'd associate with that — with a boss, in another
game,” de Plater says. “Strengths, weaknesses, abili-
ties, smack talk, great last words, memorable missions,
having their own henchmen - all of those things you
associate with a good villain, you're actually creating
those dynamically through your actions in the world.”
This fascinating approach to enemy and encounter
design helps answer part of that looming question for
gamers: What stands out about the next generation of
software from the perspective of gameplay?
Our demo begins shortly after Talion’s remarkable
return from death, which occurs because of an inexpli-
cable link to a wraith of vengeance. “In Middle-earth, as
we see with the army of the dead, or the barrow wights,
or the ghosts in the Dead Marshes, being a restless
spirit — a specter — is associated with things from life
that aren’t fulfilled,” de Plater explains. When Talion
dies, the mysterious entity joins with him in a bond of
vengeance — a curse that keeps Talion from moving on
into a restful afterlife with his family. “This spirit within
him is another entity,” he says. “It has its own identity,
its own agenda, its own questions. It also doesn’t know
exactly what it is, but they’re both bound and Cursed to
be together, and driven to work together to find answers
to the reason for their curse, and what they have to do
to end it.” :
The strange tie between these two individuals is
apparent in the first moments of our demo. Talion
stands near a ruined fortress in the heart of Uddn, the
central province of Mordor just beyond the Black Gate.
With a button press, the view shifts from the physi-
cal world to the wraith world, a gray and windblown -
landscape that is familiar to anyone who remembers
Frodo wearing the One Ring in the Lord of the Rings
movies. Inhabiting the wraith world allows Talion to find
the location of his target, a filthy Uruk orc by the name
of Ratbag. > :
continued on page 52 >>
Before the game begins, Talion has spent his life as a ranger of the
Black Gate; he’s part of a garrison that stands guard at the very edge
of civilization. “There are definitely secrets in his past that we’ll
about as we go along, as to what led to him spending his life
sg far away from the center of civilization,” says director of design
ichael de Plater. After the death of his family, his bond with a spirit
“of vengeance brings him back from death, and he becomes a mon-
Ster to the monsters who took his life. But the nature of the wraith
remains mysterious. “Through the course of the game, Talion and
the wraith will learn the identity and the secrets of who the wraith is,
what brought these two characters together, and also learn how that’s
connected to the larger story of Middle-earth,” de Plater says.
i
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»
||
|
=
| << continued from page 49
Every one of hundreds of enemies in Shadow of
* Mordor has a name, its own abilities, immunities, vul-
T _ nerabilities, and fears, as well as its own place within
T the hierarchy of the orcs. Moreover, each of these
enemies remembers its encounters with you, and will
even independently interact with other orcs to jockey
for higher and better positions. “It’s a combination of
gameplay systems, technology, Al, character art, and
}
| JE — +53 A
DY tile Terror OF
storytelling mechanics,” de Plater says. “Each one of
those systems has to work together so that any enemy
you find in the world — they all have the seed of their
own identity in them.”
Ratbag is a bodyguard to our real target, a towering
orc named Orthag that Talion burnt with fire in a previ-
ous encounter. Talion can use the connection between
the two orcs to his advantage. He climbs a nearby wall,
clambering up the side until he reaches an unwary
A 14 8
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Sentry and kills the guard be
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vantage point gives the ranger a good view of Ratb:
and the other nearby orcs. Talion balances his way ot 8
onto a tightrope-like cable between his building and
another until he’s hanging over his foes, and then leaps
down into battle.
Monolith’s approach to combat draws strongly from
another Warner Bros. property. Talion’s rhythm-based
button presses and engagement with large groups of
enemies plays very much like the Batman: Arkham
games, albeit with a far more fatal edge. Talion leaps
from one orc to the next, slashing with his sword and
stabbing with his dagger. Counter button prompts pop
up as a foe raises his weapon to attack, and Talion slips
underneath the raised blade to brutally gut the orc.
Another button press sends Talion forward to stun one
attacker, before he shifts direction and tackles another
foe to the ground. A tap of one of the shoulder buttons
throws a knife, but hold that button down, and he enters
wraith mode. Time slows as Talion draws back his bow
and zeroes in on specific enemy body parts. “It’s very
visceral and lethal,” de Plater says. “Talion and the
wraith are both masters of their respective weapons.”
When Talion takes too many hits, he stumbles to
the ground, and the player has one final timed button
press opportunity to prevent death and turn the tables.
Alternately, skilled combat increases a multiplier coun-
ter, opening up additional powerful moves to deploy,
like a devastating shockwave of terror from the wraith
that sends all nearby enemies reeling. By combining the
martial might of Talion with the supernatural rage of the
wraith, the duo is a nigh unstoppable force.
By now, Ratbag has realized he’s outmatched and
makes a run for it. Talion sprints after, casually
dropping the orc with an arrow to the leg. “We blend
seamlessly from an epic battle into a chase, on into
ranged combat, and then into stealth, flowing dynami-
cally back and forth between the different styles of
gameplay,” de Plater says. À
Approaching the terrified creature, we get a look at
Talion's domination abilities. Grabbing up the orcish sol-
dier, Talion’s face begins to shift as the wraith emerges,
demanding the obedience of the orc. Players have a
choice regarding what to do with a dominated foe.
Ratbag can be used to spy, giving Talion information
- about Orthag's location and vulnerabilities. Alternately,
Ratbag can be set free to carry forth the story of your
encounter, terrorizing subsequent orcs in the area,
ensuring they'll be more scared of your appearance.
Instead, Talion opts to send Ratbag into position to
assassinate Orthog. At an opportune moment, the
orc bodyguard will turn on his master. Even if Ratbag
doesn't kill Orthog outright, the attack will soften the
warchief up. The wraith’s spectral hand imprint is left
on the dominated orc, and Ratbag scuttles forth to do
our bidding.
The demo leaps ahead to a rainswept night by a
towering fort. Talion creeps through an empty moat
beneath the drawbridge as scores of orcs enter the
structure. By now, Ratbag isn’t the only dominated
foe; many of the orcs entering the gathering are under
your sway. Talion sees an archer on a high parapet and
enacts the shadow strike ability; in the blink of an eye
Talion’s wraith ability sends him zipping into place to
backstab the archer, and simultaneously sets him on
top of the fort. “Shadow strike is basically death from
anywhere, rather than the classic death from above,”
de Plater says. “You can target your enemies, use
them as grapple points to traverse the enemies, and
take them down in one fell swoop.” Below Talion’s new
vantage point stands a motley gathering of Mordor's
finest, all paying heed to their pacing leader on a raised
platform. Orthag proclaims his lordship over them, and
shouts his defiance of the “gravewalker” for the hor-
rible burns that Talion left on his face in their previous
encounter. Ratbag skulks behind his captain, waiting for
your command.
Talion activates his sleeper agents all at once, and
chaos erupts as the orcs below turn on their compa-
triots. Ratbag draws his curved dagger and shanks
Orthag. The furious captain ruthlessly murders Ratbag,
but your enemy's health is now dropped by a third.
Talion shadow strikes down into the fray, and we see
the full potential of the battle system, as dozens of
combatants scuffle with one another. Orthag charges
into the fight, and a furious duel ensues between the
ranger and the orc, until at last Talion's blade beheads
the dangerous Uruk. Orthag's remaining followers flee
in terror, and it's impossible to know-which ones will
= hold a grudge against Talion for the assassination, or
even which one will rise to take Orthag's place in the: -
my hierarchy. ae HA
Within the wraith world, players can |
track enemies across long distances,
or slow time to get a good bow shot
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ur first look at Shadow of Mordor paints an exciting pić-
ture of the potential for crafting your own battles, enemies,
and rewards, but does the system actually work when not
following a pre-scripted path? A second playthrough of the
demo gave us the answer.
Sneaking among the fallen stones of ancient castles, Talion spies a
squad of orcs on patrol. Using stealth, Talion slits the throat of the rear
guard before the others are aware of his presence, and the remainder
of the gang is dispatched in a quick skirmish. The final orc submits to
Talion’s domination, and we see into his mind, where the full hierarchy of
orcs in the area is visible.
The team at Monolith gives us the choice of how to proceed, and
which orc to uncover information about. We choose one of the captains
at random, a creature named Mogg Man-Eater. We learn that Mogg is
obsessed with showing his cunning by finding Talion, that he’s vulner-
able to stealth, and terrified of magic. Unfortunately, he’s also immune
to combat finishers and jump-overs, so a frontal assault is probably a
bad idea.
By switching into the wraith world at regular intervals, Talion tracks
down Mogg. The nemesis system is constantly generating dynamic events
that the orcs engage in without your interference. “They are given jobs
and positions,” de Plater says. They might have to tend the slaves, they
might be gladiators, they might be out on beast hunts, or they might be
responsible for cooking.” We find Mogg in the midst of a deadly duel
with another orc, during which he’s injured. After leaping into their midst
and dominating him, Mogg turns out to be a “squealer,” meaning he
reveals info about not one but two of the nearby warchiefs — the highest
tier of enemy soldier in the area.
After finishing off Mogg, an interesting twist is thrown in. A large group
of orcs happens to be passing nearby, making for a nearly impossible
battle. Talion tries to fight rather than run, but a grunt named Ukakũga
viciously stabs Talion in the back and kills him.
In another game, this would lead to a checkpoint restart, but Talion is
4
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Officers of Sauron's Army
Constantły backstabbing each other
the gravewalker, and the world continues to develop even when he dies
and subsequently returns. “Because you are a spirit of vengeance — a
revenant — when you die, you are cursed to return, but that takes time,”
de Plater says. “Time’s going to move forward. The thing that makes that
particularly interesting is the way it combines with our nemesis system.
Uruk society is also a living thing, so your personal enemies are also
going to move up in the world, or possibly die, or get promoted.”
Talion reappears in the world some distance away, and we learn that
Ukakũga has been advanced within the hierarchy. In fact, he's off cel-
ebrating his defeat of Talion with a barrel of grog and his new subordi-
nates. "The other really important element is that they have memories. As
you meet them, if they defeat you, they flee from you, or you flee from
them, all of those build up a history that they can speak to and remember,”
de Plater says. Monolith gives us the option; do we continue after our
original target — one of the great warchiefs — or hunt down Ukakiga to
teach him a lesson? p
The answer to that is easy, and Talion soon finds himself sneaking into
an enemy camp, where an arrow from his bow detonates the explosive
grog that is the orc's preferred drink. Ukakaga gets what he deserves, and
then Talion sets out to choose which warchief to bring down next.
Thanks to the nemesis system, the opportunities for emergent and cus-
tomized gameplay in Shadow of Mordor are mind-boggling. Players can
freely hunt down the soldiers of Mordor in one bloody battle after the
next, or create carefully orchestrated assaults against an enemy warchief
while using dozens of dominated agents. Kill an enemy captain, or let
him slip away from a fight, after which he'll grow stronger and level up
to offer a more substantial XP and rune reward upon eventual defeat. Use
stealth, ranged attacks, and direct combat to match an enemy’s weakness,
or simply find another foe with different vulnerabilities that more closely
match your style.
Behind the nemesis system, Monolith promises that Shadow of Mordor
includes all the features you’d expect in a open-world action game.
Players can look forward to extensive side missions, like hunting down
packs of wargs, freeing slaves
from the ore mines, tracking
hidden collectibles and secrets,
as well as a full campaign of
dedicated story missions. All the
activities are wrapped around
the nemesis system, and use its
capability to craft a player-driven
maintaining control with the
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“The Nameless Enemy Kas arisen again. Smoke rises once more from Orodruin that we call Mount Doom.
of the Black Cand grows and we are hard beset. When the Enemy returned our folk were driven from Ithilien, our fair
domain east of the River, though we kept a foothold there and strength of arms. Gut this very year, in the days of June,
sudden war came upon us out of Mordor, and we were swept away. A power was there that we have not felt before.”
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring a
<< continued from page 53
_Orthag’s death leaves the player with two tangible
_ rewards. The first is a glowing rune that helps to
enhance the power of Talion's weaponry. In his journeys
— through Mordor, Talion wields three weapons, and each
“Serves a distinct purpose. His ranger’s sword is his
imary tool for close combat, the broken haft of his
murdered son’s blade serves as a dagger that is used
in stealth kills, and his ornate bow comes in handy for
ranged assassinations. Depending on the method used
to kill an important enemy like Orthag, you get a rune
tied to one of those three weapons. Since Orthag was
killed in open combat, Talion receives a rune for the
sword that boosts melee damage, but at the cost of a
lowered regeneration rate. Several of these runes can
be slotted into each weapon, and the more powerful
the enemy, the greater the rune. That’s why it might be
in a player's best interest to sometimes allow enemies
Stealth is one of many viable
options te complete your objectives
to escape and gain power and prestige; their even-
tual rune reward becomes all the sweeter. “The level,
strengths, and weaknesses of your enemy directly feed
into the strengths that you'll get from a rune, and how
you defeat them will inform what that reward is as well,”
de Plater says. “Just like we have a huge variety of
enemies, we'll have a huge variety of different powers to
put onto our weapons.”
That same formula applies to the other major reward
received upon Orthag's death: XP. Following in the
tradition of hundreds of games before it, Shadow of
Mordor features an XP system to help measure char-
acter progression. However, rather than provide a flat
value for the death of a certain foe, Shadow of Mordor
offers dynamic XP values that shift in response to
many variables.
Had Talion killed Orthag in their first encounter, he
would have been worth a paltry sum of XP. But, by
escaping (albeit badly burned), Orthag leveled up,
losing some of his vulnerabilities, gaining new immuni-
ties, and increasing in both health and attack power.
He also gained a fear of fire. By the time Talion kills
him, Orthag has become a warchief worth a significant
XP payout.
On top of the enemy’s level and strength, XP also
shifts in response to your actions. Successfully com-
plete a stealth kill, and you get a big bonus for remain-
ing hidden. Chain together a number of close-combat \\
attacks, and you get an increased multiplier on your
final XP bounty. Nail that enemy guard with a headshot
from your bow, and you're rewarded for your accuracy.
Each action leads to a suitable compensation, so dif-
ferent play styles are all encouraged. "We want to
make sure that players can build up their character in a
bunch of different ways, so it's not just focused on the
combat,” de Plater says. “There are really good awards
around playing stealthily, using the environment, turning
your enemies on each other, and more.”
Collect enough XP and you will earn a single skill
point, which can be spent on two distinct trees that
must each be developed independently. “The main prin-
ciple here is that the skill system represents the duality,
the two sides of our character,” de Plater says. The
ranger skill tree increases Talion’s mortal abilities, while
the wraith skill tree offers new supernatural powers to
add into the mix.
Ranger skills are varied, and the ones we saw in
action have us eager to see more. One ability turns a
standard stealth kill into a brutal five-stab attack into the
enemy's chest, perfect for building up a strong start to.
the combat multiplier before a melee gets going. Ihe
shoulder charge ability lets Talion turn a sprint into a
bull rush, potentially knocking enemies off a cliff or into
a fire. A third ability triggers only when Talion has been
badly beaten and is near death. When the final blow
threatens to finish him off, this power lets Talion dra-
matically counter the attack for a one-hit kill.
Wraith abilities are similarly varied, but offer opportu-
nities that go beyond mortal capabilities. A basic power
lets Talion grab hold of an enemy from a distance,
lifting it from the ground to drain energy, which then
fuels other wraith powers. The aforementioned shadow
strike is perfect for quick stealth kills as well as being a
quick way to teleport around the battlefield. The deto-
nate power gives Talion’s arrows an explosive quality.
Another special power causes the wraith to separate
from Talion and attack another target on its own. These
=
early powers in both the ranger and wraith categories
are impressive and exhilarating to see played out on
screen, and leaves open the tantalizing question of what
abilities await at the end of each skill tree.
No matter how Talion chooses to gain experience,
or what skills he acquires as he explores, he has —
an impressive open world to explore along the way.
Appropriately, Shadow of Mordor plays out across
the vast nation of Mordor, carved out millennia age
a home for Sauron and his minions. However, since
Sauron was seemingly defeated and lost the One Rin
centuries ago, some semblance of life has returned.
With Sauron’s reappearance, that glimmer of light is
about to be snuffed out again, but Talion enters while
the land is still changing from a lawless frontier to. a
blighted landscape of death and smoke.
Familiar locales abound, but they appear different from
- what we've come to expect in the later years of the War
of the Ring. Mount Doom threatens in the distance, a
smoking voicano that has yet to erupt, still blanketed
in vegetation along its stony slopes. The Black Gate
is bleak, but isn't as scarred from recent battles. The
ancient Gondorian castle of Durthang is only recently
taken by Sauron's forces, not yet littered with the detri-
tus of Sauron’s occupation. The impgssibly high tower
of Barad-dir may one day be Sauron’s stronghold, but
as the game begins it still lies in ruins. Brave, dispos-
sessed humans still try to eke out a life on the plains of
Mordor, but they're rapidly being overtaken and flung
into slavery as the game begins.
Visually, Mordor looks to several real-world locations
as inspiration. The stark, volcanic mountainsides of
eastern Washington state offered photo reference, as
do the grasslands and distinct geographical landmarks
of Yellowstone National Park. While Monolith isn’t
aiming to craft an idyllic vacation site, the Mordor seen
in the game juxtaposes harsh natural beauty against
an impending engine of war that has already begun to
transform the landscape. “It’s going from a place that
was very wild and isolated, to a place that is now going
to become transformed, and come under the heel of
this totalitarian regime,” de Plater says. “Throughout
Middle-earth, there’s a very strong relationship between
geography, terrain, and nature with history and story.
So the actual environment itself is transforming in a
way that reflects the story. The land itself is reacting to
Sauron’s return.”
While Talion's journeys often bring him into contact with
the orcs and other sentient soldiers of Sauron, he is also
forced to contend with the wild creatures of the land.
Feral trolls roam freely through the countryside. Gore
crows fly overhead, genetic precursors to the dragon-like
fellbeasts that the Nazgul will one day ride into battle.
The wolf-like wargs serve as orcish mounts, or run free
in packs. Monolith is also introducing a new ferocious
feline into the mix — the terrifying caragor. “Caragors are
some of the alpha predators in Mordor,” de Plater says.
“They are to lions what a warg is to a wolf.”
Throughout these battles, the mystery of the wraith
looms, and Talion must come to terms with the curse
that keeps him from finding rest with his family. The
story also explores the mysterious origin of the rings
of power. That tale unfolds through the writing talents
of Christian Cantamessa, one of the chief writers and
designers behind Red Dead Redemption — a sign that
we're in for some intriguing storytelling.
While Talion’s journey is ultimately a lonely one, Talion
meets a host of side characters as he journeys. While
most of their identities remain secret, Monolith says
one familiar face is on the way. According to the estab-
lished fiction, the ghoulish character Gollum shows
up in Mordor in this same time frame, inadvertently.
drawn here as all evil creatures are flocking to Mordor.
“Because he's had the ring, Gollum has also had this
experience of seeing into both the physical and the
wraith world,” de Plater says. “The two of you enter
Mordor with a few things in common. You’re also there
searching, looking into these two worlds for hidden
4 secrets. When the two of you meet, there are opportuni-
ies for each of you to help the other in nee tree: >
a . and carrying the story forward,’ = :
Gollum's importance to the story speaks to the
broader subjects Monolith hopes to explore through
Talion's tragic tale. “Tolkien said there can be no story
without a fall; that’s hugely important to us,” de Plater
says. “The theme of power, and of people who set
out to do the right thing and end up going down a
dark path. Characters like Boromir, Saruman, and
Gollum. Gollum turns a really interesting light on Talion,
because he also has this nature of duality; Gollum and
Smeagol — we see these two characters in one. That
reflects something about Talion and the wraith within
him.” Talion’s adventure is clearly not a happy one, but
it does present questions about the dark workings of
vengeance and the potential for redemption, even while
simultaneously embracing the excitement of a narrative
of righteous vengeance.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a surprising take
on Tolkien’s lore. With its focus on brutal combat and
a conflicted and violent character at its head, some
may balk at the liberties being taken to tell a new story
at the expense of some of the heroic ideals present
in The Lord of the Rings. However, in the past, that
unwavering need to retread familiar ground has made
many previous games set in Middle-earth suffer. Our
time talking to the developers at Monolith established
the deep affection the team has for this beloved fic-
tion, and publisher Warner Bros. Interactive has earned
some credibility with'its licensed work on the recent
Batman games. Beyond the storytelling, Shadow of
_gameinformer.com/mofdor to track updates as they post.
Monolith is crafting its own distinct vision of Middle-
earth, but that doesn’t mean the team hasn't looked to
established visual treatments of the world for inspira-
tion. While the recent movies offer a wealth of cool = 3
moments and scenes to draw from, Monolith cited the
following three moments as impactful to. ideas | pre
sented in Shadow of Mordor.
Aragorn and Lurtz
The vicious orc scout named Lurtz is a terrifying oe
who murders Boromir. Afterwards, Aragorn offers =
no quarter to the creature — the fight echoes the duels
we saw between Talion and the powerful Uruks
of Mordor.
Dark Galadriel
When Frodo offers the ring to Galadriel, we see a
brief glimpse of the duality of her nature, and he
awful power she could wield, This duality is central
to the presentation of Talion, the progit of
new game.
The Orcs of Cirith Ungol >>> 5
When Frodo is captured by orcs, Sam pursues into tie
dark recesses of the Tower of Cirith Ungol, and there
finds that the orcs have fallen to savage infighting:
Similarly, your enemies in Shadow of Mordor are >
often their own worst enemies, and Talion can capital-
ize on their evil and duplicitous natures. -
Mordor immediately captures the imagination with its
next-gen approach to enemies, and the enormous
flexibility for a player to shape their own adventure. Ft
the opportunity to finally have new stories and e:
in Middle-earth, we're ready to take a chance on
new PO eee
kunor for more details. on Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor? We've gota :
full month of exclusive interviews with the development team and in
explorations of the game systems, setting, and main character
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360 · PC
1-Player Shooter
2K Games
Bioshock Infinite:
Burial At Sea Episode 1
hen Irrational Games co-founder and
| creative director Ken Levine revealed
V players would return to Rapture for
BioShock Infinite’s two-part narrative DLC
adventure, Burial at Sea, fans were giddy.
Few settings are as memorable as BioShock’s
underwater objectivist paradise. This time,
we get to see what life was like under the sea
before rampant addiction to gene splicing
undid Andrew Ryan’s life’s work.
Burial at Sea Episode 1 begins in the familiar
office of Booker DeWitt. Instead of turn-of-the-
century New York though, DeWitt resides in
mid-century Rapture as a private detective. On
this fateful day, a more mature Elizabeth walks
through the door with a job. She enlists DeWitt's
help finding a young girl named Sally. Booker
knows this child, but we'll leave it for you to find
out how. As we follow Elizabeth out onto the
promenade, we're treated to a new sight.
This is Rapture in its prime. The city isn’t
leaking, and people mill about, shopping and
conversing about life under Andrew Ryan’s
rule. Big Daddies can be seen repairing the city
and keeping things working. Little Sisters are
only briefly glimpsed, but by eavesdropping we
get the sense that the average citizen isn’t ter-
ribly comfortable with their vacant eyes.
We also learn that Rapture’s culture
accepts all manner of personal choice; the
worth of someone’s labor is most important
when judging the character of a man or
woman. Activities that might cause one to be
shunned in Columbia are openly exhibited on
Rapture’s streets.
The opening section of Burial at Sea
Episode 1 is devoid of combat. This narrative
exercise is best experienced slowly and delib-
erately. Listening to the conversations on the
street provides a better understanding of how
residents view the conflict between Ryan and
Frank Fontaine. As punishment for Fontaine’s
criminal activities, his department store has
been turned into a prison and sunken to the
bottom of the sea.
On your quest to find information about
Sally, expect to encounter a familiar character
from BioShock. This child trafficker dupes
Booker and Elizabeth, sending them down
to Fontaine’s department store to continue
their quest.
At this point, BioShock returns to its combat
roots. The action feels largely like BioShock
Infinite, though the original weapon wheel
is back. The hacking minigame has been
removed, and the plasmid selection is more
streamlined. Irrational added a new upgrad-
able weapon called the Radar Range and
a new plasmid, and Infinite’s gear takes the
place of gene tonics. Playing smart, hoarding
ammo and eve, and staying alive will ensure
that players have enough cash to invest in
these purchases.
The prison is inhabited by splicers, but their
addiction is not so far advanced that they
have gone insane. They work together to keep
Booker and Elizabeth on their heels. For this
reason, stealth and resource management are
far more important than in Infinite.
Getting the jump on a group of splicers with
a plasmid trap or something from Elizabeth’s
tears can mean the difference between life
and cash-draining death. Ammo is scarce, but
Circus of Values and Ammo Bandito machines
can help resupply.
The first episode of Burial at Sea should
take players three hours (shorter if they rush
through the first part instead of taking in the
sights). The combat is fierce and the narrative
is compelling, which is what we expect when
returning to Rapture. » Michael Putter
1e city of Rapture before
previews 61
62
Killzone; shadow Fall
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Sony Computer
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November 15
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in
illzone: Shadow Fall was one of the
flagship titles shown during Sony’s
PlayStation 4 reveal event in February.
The extended gameplay demo showed the
immediate aftermath of a terrorist attack on
Vekta City, and the protagonist’s explosive
response. As we learned later, action was
pieced together from several different chunks
of the game's fourth level — which | was
recently able to complete myself.
I begin in a transport shuttle high above the
devastation. While we descend on a nearby
office tower, I'm briefed on my mission. The
terrorist leader behind the attacks, a Helghan
named Tyran, has taken civilian hostages, and
it's my job to go in and help the ISA with their
rescue. As Shadow Marshal Lucas Keller, I'm
trained and equipped to work alone — though I
certainly appreciate their support.
The building is a maze of cubicles and
offices, but I'm able to use my pulse scanner
to see the locations of hostages and their cap-
tors. | can take aim at the terrorists’ glowing
silhouettes and blast through walls to take
them by surprise. My Al allies are helpful,
though I rely more on my robotic OWL com-
panion's toolset to get through some of the
rough spots — particularly his cover-fire ability,
which is both a great way to thin out crowds
and a useful diversionary tool.
Shortly after untying the last captive, I spot
Tyran and give chase. He manages to escape,
heading back over the wall that runs through
Vekta City like a scar. That leaves me with
only one option: I'm going to need to enter the
Helghan side posing as a refugee.
By now, I've played Killzone: Shadow Fall
a couple of times. At E3, | played an open-air
section that let me take out Helghan forces
head on or with ghostlike stealth. | sneaked
into the tower as best | could, but my quiet
approach quickly turned into a satisfying,
close-quarters shootout. The next portion I
played was something else entirely - Shadow
Fall is nothing if not filled with variety.
I begin the level shuffling along with other
refugees in line. Spotlights and the red beams
from laser sights occasionally sweep across
the screen, letting everyone in the corridor
know that they are being watched closely.
Even with that amount of scrutiny, there are
whispers of mutiny. One potential instigator
is shushed into silence, though it's clear that
not everyone is on board with compliance.
The eerie section reminds me of Half-Life 2's
City 17. A husband and wife are divided by the
masked Helghan, and when I stop to hear her
pleas, I'm forced to move ahead — the camera
control temporarily taken away from me, in a
nice touch.
I'm eventually led aboard a train, which is
where our plan springs into action. | press
a button and activate an EMP device (the
Helghans really should consider upgrading
their checkpoint scanners), and grab a guard’s
weapon in the ensuing chaos. | tear through
a few checkpoints, disarming the alarms that
come in my wake, and eventually find myself
in Containment City.
As the name implies, it’s an area built with
shipping containers and exposed |-beams.
Where Vekta City proper is a gleaming gem of
polished glass and green space, this is an ugly
artifact of industry. It’s densely packed, and its
inhabitants are rightfully wary of my incursion.
| don’t exactly blend into the surroundings, as
evidenced by the way the people look warily
at me. Tyran comes across the city loudspeak-
ers, telling everyone within earshot that there
is an intruder among them. He encourages
them to stop me by any means necessary.
Containment City is a cluttered mess of
girders and boxy containers, which makes
it especially tough to deal with snipers. |
scan the area for their heat signatures, but
| find that they often teleport away before |
get a chance to fire off a shot. Instead, | use
the low-tech solution of keeping my eyes
peeled for telltale laser beams and proceed
from there.
Eventually, Tyran’s taunts take on a personal
tone. Instead of telling people to go after me,
he asks why I’m in Containment City in the
first place. “You are an asset,” he snarls. “No
more a person than the weapon you hold.”
It’s food for thought, but I’m able to sneak up
on him between transmissions. | catch him as
he’s engaged in a conversation with someone
who’s obviously his superior. Before they can
finish the discussion, which is focused on the
delivery of a weapon, Tyran spots me. The
demo ends with a melee battle, where I'm
tossed over the edge of the structure.
The more I’ve seen of Shadow Fall, the
more I'm impressed. I’ve never been a huge
fan of the series, but Shadow Fall's variety,
scope, and polish have put it on my list of
must-have PS4 launch titles. » Jeff Cork
The PlayStation 4's new
controller has a few tricks
up its sleeve, which Guerilla
was more than happy to take
advantage of. I saw a couple
of those gimmicks during my
time with Shadow Fall.
While working my way
through one of the levels,
I picked up an audio file. It
was fairly mundane stuff,
mostly focused on a jealous
boyfriend's hope that his girl
wasn't with another guy.
The most interesting aspect
of the message was how it
was projected through the
PS4 controller s speaker.
The audio quality was
surprisingly high and loud; I
didn't need to hold it near my
ear like a seashell to make
out the content.
The controller's light bar
is also used in a pretty
slick way, with the front-
mounted LED changing color
depending on your health.
As you take damage, it
steadily shifts from green to
a throbbing red. I took cover
while critically damaged and
watched the color seamlessly
blend from hue to hue. I
hadn't paid much attention
to this feature before, and
it's impressive to see the
range of colors that the bar is
capable of producing.
previews 63
PlayStation 4
Xbox One
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360 * PC
1-Player Action
Square Enix
Eidos Montreal
February 25
The
f e've been following the progress of
Eidos Montreal’s Thief reboot since we
first revealed it as our April 2013 cover
story. Since then, the studio has allowed
Garrett to step out of the shadows, reveal-
ing more about the world he inhabits and the
people important to him.
| recently spoke with narrative director
Steven Gallagher, who painted a picture of
a city falling on hard times. Garrett has been
gone for a while, and when he returns, he finds
an illness called The Gloom, tyrannical law
enforcement, and precious objects to steal
from the city’s wealthy.
My demo begins as Garrett returns to his
hideout in a clock tower. Everything is cov-
ered in dust, except for innumerable small
bricks scrawled with messages from a fence
named Basso.
Upon leaving the clock tower, | am presented
with a small section of the city to explore.
Instead of heading straight for Basso, | prowl
about, experimenting with different arrows.
Water arrows extinguish torches. Blunt heads
make noise and distract. Rope arrows give you
access to higher ground.
| pry open windows, steal carelessly strewn
valuable objects, and listen in on conversations
that reveal just how miserable the city has
become. After poking around a bit, | check in
on Basso, who assigns four menial jobs.
One of the things that stands out about Thief
is the control scheme, which is different than
most other first-person titles. Instead of a jump
or cover button, most of the dynamic move-
ment is handled with the left trigger.
Holding the trigger engages something
similar to Assassin’s Creed’s free run mode.
Garrett makes more noise, but he vaults over
obstacles, grabs onto ropes, and scrambles up
the sides of buildings.
Garrett is at his best when he’s unseen,
and Eidos-Montreal has made it easy to
stay hidden. The A button on the Xbox 360
controller allows him to perform a strafing
swoop. These large movements in any direc-
tion can quickly move the master thief into the
shadows or sidestep a blow from an enemy.
The control scheme takes getting used to,
but once | get past the desire to jump for a
rope or to grab a ledge, things begin to fall
into place.
The four jobs are quick affairs that rely on
finding the right way inside, quietly disposing
of any potential threats with a melee takedown,
and procuring the valuable target.
Some of these are more straightforward, but
there are occasionally cerebral, puzzle-solving
elements that come into play. In one job, | am
tasked with stealing a gift received by a young
maiden from a suitor.
When | enter the house through the bed-
room window, | find the girl asleep in her bed.
Reading her diary exposes that her father
is offering her hand in marriage as a way to
take gifts from eligible bachelors for himself.
The young girl’s writing reveals that she has
scratched the combination to her father’s
safe somewhere.
Sneaking downstairs, | find the grifter. His
back is to me, so | knock him unconscious. He
was standing by a painting, so | investigate.
This triggers an interaction that allows me to
look for a hidden switch behind the frame.
| use the analog sticks to move Garrett's
hands around the border until an indicator
bape
|
ko
lights, signaling that I've located the trigger.
Pressing a button reveals a safe behind
the artwork.
Looking around the room narrows down only
one place the girl could have hidden when her
father opened the safe: a closet. | duck inside to
confirm my suspicions. She has scratched the
combination into the wall. | open the safe, steal
the goods, and quickly make an escape.
The jobs (and a side-quest | uncovered by
prowling about) are enjoyable, but it isn’t yet
clear how Garrett’s thieving ways will progress
the story. We’re looking forward to seeing how
the pieces come together in advance of the
game’s launch in February. nael Futter
previews
» Platform
PlayStation 3
» Style
1 to 4-Player Role-Playing
» Publisher
Namco Bandai
» Developer
Namco Tales Studio
» Release
2014
66 previews
Tales Of Aa 2
Fighting against time
-T ales of Xillia proved Namco's franchise
hasn't lost its charm or trademark
combat, but it also showed that the
developers are brimming with ideas to take
Tales in new directions. That trend continued
as | explored the opening hour of the import
version of Tales of Xillia 2. The choice to both
shape the narrative and foster character rela-
tionships during skits is the most noticeable
addition in next year’s follow-up.
Tales of Xillia 2 opens with the new main
character, Ludger Will Kresnik, fighting against
a mysterious, shadowy figure. You’re thrust
into the action, throwing hits and combos. But
it’s no use. The dark figure casts an almighty
mystic arte, and Ludger meets his demise,
or so you think... It was all a dream. He soon
awakens, greeted by one fat kitty; the token
animal character for this adventure.
Soon after, you meet Ludger's brother, who
resembles the shadowy figure. Immediately, a
choice appears on screen if you want to refer
to him casually or formally; you make your
decision by choosing L1 or R1. He wants to
test your combat skills and ability to navigate
a dungeon.
Entering combat, | notice Ludger is much
faster than previous protagonists. With his
duel short swords, he rapidly slices through
enemies. The most obvious difference is that
elemental weaknesses play a bigger role this
time around, as the leveling up system is based
around different equippable orbs that provide
skills. Each skill these orbs teach is tied to one
J
Z
of the six elements, of which various enemies
are weak or strong against.
Soon enough, | tragically meet the other main
character, Elle, who watches her father die
before her eyes. Ludger and Elle’s paths collide
when they both take a train in Elympios. Xillia
veterans will remember Elympios from Xillia’s
end. The city looks the same, and Ludger
even lives in the same apartment building as
Alvin’s relative.
While Xillia 2 features a new protagonist, that
doesn’t mean characters from the original won’t
be making an appearance; it seems they’re
heavily involved in the story. The opening
cutscenes feature the likes of Jude, Milla, Elise,
and that crazy talking doll, Teepo.
Namco Bandai hasn’t revealed much about
the localization of Tales of Xillia 2, but one
thing is clear from my play time: Ludger isn’t
your average main character. Not only is he
a passionate cook, he has the ability destroy
alternate timelines. How this will impact the
story is anyone’s guess, but Namco Bandai has
emphasized making choice important for this
entry. Unfortunately, we have to wait until next
year to see how Ludger and Elle collide with the
cast from the first game. » Kimberley Wallace
Drakengard
1 tora Cniva haieta IAIN
Square Enix’s twisted wor
quare Enix is a company in flux. In the
past year, it has largely shifted its con-
sole game development to its Western
studios, made bigger strides in mobile in
Japan, and revealed plans to pursue more
regional (rather than worldwide) development.
Given this segregation, we're pleasantly sur-
prised to learn that Drakengard 3 is coming to
North America next year.
We spoke with producer Takamasa Shiba,
who explained why Square Enix was revisit-
ing Drakengard after an eight-year hiatus (not
counting the spin-off Nier). Shiba says that
the decision to make Drakengard 3 was to go
against the grain and provide an experience for
console gamers in a market that is becoming
more casual. “Instead of creating more JRPG
games, we were making games just for casual
gamers,” he says. “We were only helping the
market to shrink.”
In this prologue tale, players assume the role
of Zero, a magical goddess who formerly con-
trolled the world with the power of her singing.
After being abandoned by her five sisters, she
pursues One, Two, Three, Four, and Five in
order to kill them. Though sororicide is the end
„=> Mikhail is Zero's dragon companion
game, Shiba says this is not a revenge tale.
“Typically in JRPGs, you'd expect a hero
that's fighting for justice,” Shiba says. "In
Drakengard 3, we have an antihero. It's a dark
fantasy and a mature game. Zero is not out
there for revenge... She just wants to kill them.”
The combat moves at a frenzied pace as
Zero strings together combos. As Zero cuts
through enemies, blood collects on her cloth-
ing and the Intoner blood gauge at the top left
of the screen filis, which she can activate to
slow down time for everyone around her.
Zero often has companions in tow, who are
as twisted as the rest of the story. The first one
players encounter is Dito, who often makes
veiled (and not-so-veiled) sexual innuendos.
Other partners include an extreme masochist, a
sex addict, and a more traditional Final Fantasy-
type hero that just gets everything wrong.
The most important companion is your
dragon ally, Mikhail. He is a young dragon, but
nonetheless enormous and powerful. He can
be called in to assist during fights, and the
moments riding the beast look exciting. In a
new move for the series, players can stay on
the ground with their dragon mount to rush
and stomp on enemies.
Our first look at Drakengard 3 revealed a
lot of promise. The combat looks slick, and
the story pushes deeper into curious, mature
directions. In 2014, we'll find out if this is a
winning combination. » Michael Futter
» Platform
PlayStation 3
» Style
1-Player Action/
Role-Playing
» Publisher
Square Enix
» Developer
Square Enix
» Release
2014
previews -67
PlayStation 3
1-Player Action/
Platforming
Sony Computer
Entertainment
Insomniac Games
November 12
68 previews
Ratchet & Clank: Into The Nexus
TY
nsomniac announced the fourth installment
to its Ratchet & Clank Future series at this
past E3, but we haven't heard much about
the game since. Into the Nexus may be an
epilogue to 2009's Crack In Time, but after
getting my hands on the title, | came away
assured that Insomniac has crafted a robust
single-player experience that should stand
on its own.
The game starts with the notorious space
witch Vendra Prog escaping from a prison
transport. After blowing up Ratchet and
Clank’s ship, she leaves our heroes floating in
the dead of space. Thankfully, they stow away
on one of the villain’s scout ships, and infiltrate
the sorceress’ secret base on the planet Yerek.
| join the duo once they set foot on Yerek.
This hostile planet is not a safe place for a
Lombax and his robotic pal. Yerek was once
a thriving cosmopolitan planet, but was
abandoned years ago when evil spirits started
haunting the entire world. Something about
this story doesn’t smell right, and | set off to
get to the bottom of what happened.
| run into a bobble-headed scientist who
gives me a device called the Grav Tether. This
device can activate certain targets scattered
across the planet and create Grav Streams,
which act like tractor beams, allowing Ratchet
and Clank to float from one platform to
another. When earthquakes rock the planet,
causing ravines to suddenly form underfoot,
| use the Grav Tether to navigate through one
of Yerek’s mines.
Before long I've stored up enough bolts,
the in-game currency, from blasting Vendra’s
goons to buy a new weapon. The Temporal
Regulator — a shotgun that uses quantum
energy — looks tempting, but the Nightmare
Box wins out. This handy little gadget fires
out small cubes. As enemies approach these
Nightmare Boxes, a mechanical “ghost”
pops out and scares them like some kind
of evil alien Jack-in-the-box. Not only is the
Nightmare Box hilarious, it’s useful for dis-
tracting enemies and taking some of the heat
off Ratchet.
While snooping through an abandoned
orphanage, | pick up several voice recordings
that give some backstory about Vendra, and
then run into the friendly scientist who gave
us the Grav Tether. He has another gift, irra-
diating Clank with a rare dimensional energy
that allows him to track down cracks in the
space-time continuum.
Once he finds a crack, Clank can enter
through the purple fissure and play a 2D plat-
forming minigame. During these sequences,
Clank controls the direction of this universe’s
gravity with the right analog stick, which
allows him to easily avoid certain pitfalls or
cause blocks to fall in unusual directions and
activate wall switches. These minigames are
brief, but seem like they could be some of the
most entertaining segments of Into the Nexus.
Once Clank returns to Ratchet, the time
fissure explodes, creating a hole in the wall
that allows them to progress to the next area.
Clank has also learned one important tidbit
while visiting the alternate dimension: The
ghostly spirits that drove away most of Yerek’s
population are entities from this alternate
dimension. | solved one mystery, but still
have to figure out how this is all connected to
Vendra and her evil schemes.
The demo of Into the Nexus comes to a
close more quickly than | wanted; the adven-
tures of Insomniac’s eccentric duo remain as
entertaining as ever. Into the Nexus is full of
slapstick humor, colorful characters, and a
truckload of creative weapons. » Ben Reeves
Fable Anniversary
Revisiting the original, from cover to cover
hen a franchise has been around for
W nearly a decade and spanned a couple
of hardware generations, sometimes
even its fans have a hard time keeping up.
Fable Anniversary lead designer and franchise
director Ted Timmins relayed a recent conver-
sation that summarizes it nicely.
“When I was speaking with someone at PAX,
| said, ‘Well, Theresa from Fable II is actually
your sister from Fable 1,’ and it just blew their
mind — they had no idea that this character
had such a rich and important history back in
Fable 1,” Timmins says. “They had so many
questions about it, and | was just like, ‘Wait
to play the game. There's no way I’m going
to spoil it for you if you've already waited
10 years.”
Fable Anniversary, coming a decade after
the original game launched on the Xbox, is
being designed to tell the original tale (and
the content from The Lost Chapters) to new
players, while giving the rest of us a reason to
revisit the Albion of long ago.
The game now runs on Unreal Engine 3, and
Timmins says the artists have gone out of their
way to ensure that it delivers more than an HD
texture pack. “In my mind, Final Fantasy XII
is still the greatest-looking game of all time,”
he says. “Whenever | go back to it | always
go, ‘Oh my god, | don’t remember it being like
this!’ | want players to say, ‘This is exactly as
d remembered it. That means reworking and
polishing everything from the textures, models,
animations, and particle effects, while staying
true to the original style and design.
Once Lionhead nailed the look, it began
revisiting aspects of the original that weren’t
sacrosanct. “There are things that are charm,
and that players expect from the original game,
but there are also bugs and general features
that could be improved,” Timmins says. “I’m
still in contact with Dene Carter, the original cre-
ative director on Fable, and when I first told him
about Fable Anniversary, the first thing he said
was, ‘Please, for the love of god, tell me you’ve
changed the save system.”
The team added in mid-mission checkpoints,
so players can now take a break and not lose
valuable progress. Tiny improvements are
dusted throughout as well, such as giving
players the ability to equip newly acquired
gear without having to wade through an
inventory screen.
Most notably, however, is the introduction
of Fable Il-style controls, which map magic,
ranged, and melee attacks to separate buttons.
“Purists don't have to worry — they still can
switch to the original Fable control scheme at
any time — but because we felt it had such an
improvement to the actual combat without us
having to risk changing the combat itself, we
felt it was the appropriate change to make,”
he says.
Timmins thinks the decision to bring Fable
Anniversary to the Xbox 360 was a no-brainer
because it basically closes the Xbox 360
chapter of the series. The story will continue in
Xbox One's Fable Legends, but that's a tale for
another time. » Jeff Cork
» Płatform
Xbox 360
» Style
1-Player Action/
Role-Playing
» Publisher
Microsoft Studios
» Developer
Lionhead Studios
» Release
February
» Platform
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360 * PC
» Style
1-Player Action
» Publisher
Ubisoft
» Developer
Ubisoft Sofia
» Release
January 14 (PS3)
January 15 (PC)
January (360)
70 previews
Assassin s Creed Liberation HD
-or the jump t
ssassin’s Creed Ill: Liberation released
\ on PlayStation Vita last year, but many
/ franchise fans never partook in Aveline’s
adventures through 18th century New Orleans.
Ubisoft Sofia is crafting a new HD port of the
game for download on home consoles and
PC, and the team has more than a jump in
graphics quality in mind.
“For Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD our
goal was to refine and update all the gameplay
features, as well as adapting them to home
consoles in order to bring the most polished
experience possible,” says producer Momchil
Valentinov Gindyanov. The team has rebal-
anced enemy encounters, combat timing, and
damage. From a traversal perspective, Ubsoft
updated or rewrote from scratch all of the navi-
gation pathing. A stronger tutorial better intro-
duces the core concepts to new players, and
story panels throughout the plot offer a deeper
understanding of the narrative.
On the technical side, Ubisoft polished
both combat and navigation animations to
fit in with the newly upgraded visual styling.
“Every object in the game has been updated
to HD quality — geometry, textures, and materi-
als,” Gindyanov says. “All characters in the
game were remodeled and we created new
skeleton rigs for them so they look more
natural. Every cinematic in the game has new
cameras and the facial animation was done
from scratch which results in a much better
cinematic experience.” In addition, the pro-
grammers optimized the engine to achieve a
smoother framerate.
to consoles, Ubisoft makes chan
eros
(
Perhaps most exciting, the developers
gathered critical and fan feedback from the
original release and used it to re-constitute
every mission, including both the central story
and side missions. “Those modifications
include, but are not limited to, objectives,
pacing, and difficulty to deliver a challeng-
ing and fun experience,” Gindyanov says. In
addition to the existing missions, the HD ver-
sion adds 15 new side missions focused on
Aveline's three personas — the assassin, lady,
and servant.
All of the Vita-exclusive features have been
remapped onto a traditional controller, which
ISS LIS
tho | oal rd
suggests that longtime Assassin's Creed
console players should have little trouble
slipping into Aveline’s shoes. It remains to be
seen how these changes affect the touch-to-
kill mechanic that allowed Aveline to one hit
combo strike several enemies at once.
Ubisoft Sofia clearly wanted a second shot
at perfecting its venture into the Assassin’s
Creed universe. We're curious to see how it
performs given that it's releasing on the same
platforms as Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
only a few months later in early 2014. But
given the size of the fan base, it has a fighting
chance. » Matt Miller
The Long Dark
Making games in the cold Canadian wilderness
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine at
Relic, he felt that he was at a crossroads
in his career. "| had the post-partum process
that you always seem to go through when you
finish a game,” he says. He decided to leave
Relic, relocate his family, and start something
new. He opened a small independent devel-
opment studio, Hinterland, and began work
on The Long Dark. “I didn't want to give up
on my dream of working on great games with
great collaborators,” he says.
After settling in Vancouver, van Lierop began
assembling his team and gathering funding.
Hinterland got a recoupable advance from
the Canada Media Fund, which promotes
À fter Raphael van Lierop finished work on
There are no potions or spelis in The Long Dark, but
the game's creator Raphael van Lierop, is hoping the
world feels magical in its cold, quiet splendor
innovation in film, television, and games in the
Canadian industry. Hinterland also recently
completed a successful Kickstarter cam-
paign, which raised additional funding for the
game’s development.
“(There is] a trend that I'm sure you've seen
in the industry generally, of established triple-A
developers that have decided that they want
to do something different,” he says. Van Lierop
and the members of his team all fall into this
group of creative risk takers, and van Lierop's
passion for his project made it easy to inspire
talented developers with impressive resumes
to join his team.
The Long Dark is not a survival-horror
game. Instead, van Lierop refers to it as a
survival-simulation game. In a cold, snowy
world that recently experienced a mysterious
apocalypse that made all modem electron-
ics useless, players must learn to survive and
interact with an unforgiving world. You won't
have super powers, and you won't be fighting
off zombies. Instead, you're doing your best
to simply stay alive in the face of wildlife, an
unforgiving environment, and other survivors
in the same predicament. In the Long Dark,
staying warm and counting calories is just as
important as counting bullets.
The Long Dark follows the journey of pilot
William Mackenzie. Something happens to
the world's satellites and electronics while
Mackenzie is mid-flight, causing him to
crash-land in a snow-covered environment.
In a world without modern electronic conve-
niences, Mackenzie has to learn to survive.
Van Lierop does not consider the game a
survival-horror title, and was somewhat sur-
prised to see the online community describe
the game as spooky when it was first revealed.
He describes it as atmospheric and moody —
not scary or horrifying. His focus is to create a
survival simulation, as opposed to a survival-
horror experience. You won't find jump scares
or fictional monsters in The Long Dark, but
the nature of survival in a snowy wild lends a
certain amount of unavoidable spookiness to
the experience.
The Long Dark represents an ambitious
game from an experienced, but unproven
developer. We're curious to play the final prod-
uct to find out if surviving in the wilderness will
be exciting and invigorating, or feel too close
to the real thing. » Kyle Hilliard
3 You are not a soldier, so creatures like wolves pose a serious threat
» Platform
PC * Mac * Linux
» Style
1-Player Action
» Publisher
Hinterland
Developer
Hinterland
» Release
October 2014
Previous Titles
Hinterland's
Developers Have
worked On:
* Baldur's Gate II
+ Company of Heroes
* Dawn of War
+ Far Cry 3
+ God of War
+ Jade Empire
League of Legends
+ Mass Effect
Red Faction
+ Saints Row
+ Sly Cooper
+ Star Wars: Knights
of the Old Republic
* The Unfinished Swan
+ Warhammer 40,000:
Space Marine
previews 71
» Platform
Xbox 360 · PC
Mac * Linux
»
Style
1-Player Strategy
(4-Player Online)
» Publisher
Kalypso Media
» Developer
Haemimont Games
72 previews
» Release
2014
Tropico
Five major changes awaiting El Presidente
Games has been slowly convincing sim
fans that being the mayor of a virtual
city isn’t nearly as much fun as being the
supreme ruler of your own banana republic.
Tropico 4 and its subsequent Modern Times
expansion built upon the developer’s complex
mix of nation building and politicking, favor-
ing small, incremental improvements over
sweeping changes.
While Tropico 5 doesn’t rewrite the rules of
being an island dictator (dictators tend to make
their own rules, after all), Haemimont is intro-
ducing some substantial changes that should
excite fans.
() ver the past few years, Haemimont
The Beginning Of A Dynasty
Tropico 5's centuries-spanning campaign
takes armchair dictators from colonial times
to the modern era and beyond. As such, you
need a little help cementing your legacy for the
generations to come. Tropico 5 allows play-
ers to create their own dynasty by placing El
Presidente’s family members into positions
of power. Unlike Tropico 4's Ministers, your
despotic kinsfolk are more than just power-
less figureheads. They earn experience and
unlock new skills depending on their leader-
ship roles, and can provide your nation with
global benefits. Once El Presidente meets
his or her demise (be it timely or otherwise),
one of your relatives can even step in to take
the reins - democracy is no match for a little
old-fashioned nepotism.
Where No Tyrant Has Gone Before
Despite Tropico 4's complexity, many of the
campaign scenarios led players down the
same building progression path. To allevi-
ate the monotony, islands in Tropico 5 are
shrouded in a fog of war, requiring players
to send out scouting expeditions to discover
what precious resources their tropical paradise
contains. They also have to contend with new
dangers while venturing in the wilderness,
such as hostile animals and native tribes.
Haemimont says it’s crafting a wealth of unique
events that pop up during the game to push
players in new directions.
Paradise Never Looked So Good
Tropico 4 featured only minor visual improve-
ments over its predecessor, leading many to
refer to the sequel as Tropico 3.5. While no
one plays city sims for mind-blowing graph-
ics, Haemimont is prepping a complete visual
makeover for Tropico 5. This includes model-
ing over 100 unique buildings, some of which
unlock new mechanics such as diplomacy and
advanced industry as you progress through
the ages. Unlike in Tropico 4’s Modern Times
expansion, players can still use their older
building in subsequent eras — just don't expect
your citizens to be happy with your island’s
aging infrastructure.
Systems Check
A number of Tropico’s other main mechan-
ics are getting an overhaul. Haemimont is
reworking its unit simulation, which will make
citizens seem less like automatons and grant
them more free time to pursue other interests.
Haemimont says that while citizens’ needs
are largely the same, they go about satisfy-
ing them in different ways. Tropico 5's trad-
ing system is also being expanded, allowing
players to choose their trading partners and
the number of ships assigned to each trading
route. Players can also schedule the frequency
of freighters.
Spreading out across the island may m
Calling All Dictators
Tropico 5's biggest addition is one you won't
have to tackle alone. For the first time in the
history of the series, up to four players can
play together in a variety of cooperative and
competitive multiplayer modes. Players form
up their tyrannical nations on the same island,
and can choose to wage war or work together,
sharing resources and citizens. Players can
also build a separate, persistent dynasty in
multiplayer. Selfish dictators won’t have to
worry, however; Haemimont says Tropico 5’s
campaign modée is still a strictly single-player
affair. » Jeff Marchiafava
contending with dangerous wildlife or native tribes
ungeon Defenders 2
Defending the Eternia Crystals was only the beginning
fortable home on touchscreen devices,
but the strategy sub-genre also has a
solid base on the PC. Trendy Entertainment’s
Dungeon Defenders found success launching
on Steam, Xbox 360, and PS3 to the tune of
more than one million copies sold, but for the
sequel it’s sticking to the PC platform.
Dungeon Defenders 2, which was origi-
nally conceived as a MOBA, has evolved
into something more akin to the original title.
The base game has four different classes,
each with their own defenses and abilities, a
p ower defense games have found a com-
loot system, and strategic gameplay that is
better with a full complement of four players.
Enemies march toward the home base, facing
defenses like barricades and magic-missile
towers, while players actively engage the
goblins, orcs, and dark elf archers to cull their
numbers. Like any good sequel, Dungeon
Defenders 2 improves on the formula while
staying true to its roots.
The original four heroes from Dungeon
Defenders — the squire, the apprentice, the
huntress, and the monk — have all grown up
since their last adventure. Having accidentally
unleashed the Old Ones, the quartet must pro-
tect the land from beasts and monsters.
Trendy has made some changes to the
formula, and though the build I played was
pre-alpha, it seems to be coming together
well. Dungeon Defenders’ heroes now have
access to two separate mana reserves. One
is used for barricading lanes and placing
offensive towers, while the other fuels active
abilities. In the original Dungeon Defenders,
these all pulled from the same mana pool.
In the sequel, the split ensures that players
can remain active in battle without sacri-
ficing their ability to build, upgrade, and
repair emplacements.
Physics play a more important role this time
out. For instance, freezing an enemy makes
them more vulnerable to blunt damage from
cannonballs and susceptible to gravity. A
whirlwind trap hurts an ice-encased foe more
upon impact. This makes teamwork and com-
munication even more critical than before.
Players also have important sub-objectives
to protect in each level. The castle map has
two gate locks. Each one protects a lane from
opening up. Failure to defend these makes
later waves much harder.
The enemy assortment looks familiar so far,
but with the resource pools split up, players
will be able to engage them without worrying
about sacrificing defenses. In our brief time
with this early build, this is just one of the
changes that made Dungeon Defenders 2 feel
fresh. We're looking forward to learning more
over the coming months. Michael Futter
> Platform
PC * Mac * Linux
> Style
1-Player Strategy
Publisher
Trendy Entertainment
» Developer
Trendy Entertamment
Release
2014
previews
PC * Mac
iOS * Android
Style
1-Player Strategy
(Multiplayer TBA)
74 previews
> Publisher
22Cans
> Developer
22Cans
2014
Peter Molyneux returns to the god-game genre
n 2012, Peter Molyneux announced that
he was leaving Lionhead Studios and the
Fable franchise behind to begin work on
small-scale, experimental projects at a new
development house, 22cans. Molyneux left
behind the world of large-scale budgets,
console exclusives, and narrative-driven
RPGs to eventually come back to his roots:
god games.
The first game from 22cans was a mobile
game called Curiosity - What's Inside the
Cube? In the game, players from around
the world worked together to slowiy chip
away at a gigantic block by tapping it, peel-
ing away layers to find out what was inside.
Molyneux - who is known for his grandiose
proclamations — promised the reveal would be
life changing for whoever was lucky enough
to get inside first. That person was Bryan
Henderson, an 18-year-old graphic design
student from Scotland. Soon after Henderson's
stroke of good fortune, Molyneux revealed that
Henderson would not only earn a percentage
of Godus’ profits, but he would also be the first
god to control its world.
Henderson’s deity status is not permanent;
after a six-month period, his rule can be chal-
lenged by other players. When the game
launches, however, Henderson will be in
charge. He can make widespread decisions
that affect the economics and value of cer-
tain supplies, decide on moral dilemmas like
whether your workers deserve time off, and
control the weather.
Other players take on the roles of minor dei-
ties tasked with making the world livable for
its inhabitants by terraforming the land. Using
belief, the currency of Godus, the land can be
pulled, stretched, and destroyed in order to
clear areas for people to build homes. As the
population grows, you gain access to greater
tracts of land, revealing new supplies to
create new types of structures, better homes,
and temples.
As the livable area expands and your popu-
lation grows, you move forward through the
ages, like the bronze age, unlocking cards that
grant special powers. Unlocking the Smart
Sculpting card, for example, allows you to
double-click to destroy and create land, which
is faster than dragging the land where you see
fit. Players are all expanding their civilizations
on the same globe, so it is possible to eventu-
ally collide with another player, at which point
they can decide to work together or wage war.
Players can begin playing Godus right now
by purchasing the game through Steam's Early
Access program. At this early stage of devel-
opment, Henderson has not taken his throne
as god, so it’s unclear exactly how much of an
effect he will have over the players of Godus.
The game's biggest selling point is how players
interact with one another, as well as Henderson
and his lineage, but it is difficult to analyze that
community and its implications without seeing
it in action. It’s both exciting and terrifying to
imagine what kind of chaos a real person with
ultimate power could have on your world.
Kyle Hilliard
Routine
Sci-fi horror shoots for the Moon
Dark Descent's flight-over-fight design,
the indie scene is becoming a breeding
ground for worthwhile first-person horror.
High among these titles is Lunar Software’s
Routine, a first-person ordeal set on an aban-
doned moon base.
5 ollowing the success of Amnesia: The
Routine draws inspiration from sci-fi films like
Alien and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Instead of
Game Art
Game Development
Game Design
sterile hallways and touch-enabled holograms,
the tech is grounded with 1980s analogs.
Players interact with the dated operating sys-
tems on boxy computer monitors while noisy
hard drives boot up. Floppy disks are even
used to upgrade your all-in-one Cosmonaut
Assistance Tool.
The CAT is your flashlight, nightvision, PDA,
and firearm all rolled into one. It only carries
3300 University Boulevard * Winter Park,
two batteries, forcing players to choose
whether to discharge one firing the CAT at a
patrolling killer robot or continue using their
flashlight. Floppy disks can make the flash-
light brighter and improve the refresh rate on
the nightvision screen (some objects may be
closer than they appear).
The inspired sci-fi setting and Swiss Army
knife-like CAT separate Routine from other
indie horror titles. Amnesia’s combat-free
design did well to strip first-person horror
down to its essence, but Routine promises to
put power back in players’ hands without kill-
ing the tension of being alone and hunted by
machines on a lifeless rock. » Tim Turi
1-Player Action
Publisher
Lunar Software
» Developer
Lunar Software
Release
2014
800.226.7625
fullsail.edu
Outstanding. A truly elite title that is nearly perfect in eve
way. This score is given out rarely and indicates a game
that cannot be missed
Superb. Just shy of gaming nirvana, this score is a high
recommendation because the game reviewed is head-
and-shoulders above its competition.
Very Good. Innovative, but perhaps not the right choice for
everyone. This score indicates that there are many good
things to be had, but arguably so.
Average. The game’s features may work, but are nothing
that even casual players haven't seen before. A decent
game from beginning to end
Limited Appeal. Although there may be fans of games
receiving this score, many will be left yearning for a more
rewarding game experience.
gameinformer
GAME e MONTH
Flawed. It may be obvious that the game has lots of
potential, but its most engaging features could be ‘ gamenformes
undeniably fiawed or not integrated into the experience.
PLATINUM
Bad. While some things work as planned, the majority of
this title either malfunctions or it is so dull that the game
falls short as a whole.
gamenformer
GOLD
Painful. If there is anything that's redeeming in a game
ber, it’s buried t ath agonizing gameplay and
execulion in its features or theme.
Broken. Basically unplayable. This
2 insufficient
in execution that any value would be derived in extremely
small quantities, if at all.
one updates for consoles.
Gamenformer
GAME = MONTH
Awarded to games
that score between
9.75 and 10
Awarded to games
that score betv
9 and 9.5
arded to games
8.5 and
The award for the
most ot anding
game in the is
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of Apple Inc,
> Concept
A hotheaded pirate and his
crew gain wealth and infamy
on the high seas
» Graphics
The water looks amazing, but
the framerate is unstable on
current-gen platforms and Wii U
„ Sound
The fantastic collection of sea
shanties make this my favorite
soundtrack in the series
» Playability
Changes to the fast-travel and
weapon selection significantly
tighten up the on-foot controls.
Sailing usually works well, but
steering a ship in combat is
often more frustrating than fun
» Entertainment
Fun when you're chasing
down your interests, but
the enthusiasm deflates
when working through the
campaign missions
Replay Value
Moderately High
The Edge
Without question, Black
Flag is superior on next-gen
hardware. The performance
on PlayStation 4 is smoother,
load times are shorter,
and the graphical tweaks
(like billowing smoke and
flapping sails) look good.
The two Sony systems also
include exclusive missions
starring Aveline from last
year's Vita entry, Assassin's
Creed III: Liberation. Ubisoft
was not able to provide
us with those missions for
review, so I can't vouch for
their quality, but it's content
that you can't get elsewhere
(until the six-month exclu-
sivity window expires).
78
Assassin's Creed IV:
Pursuing the root of all evil
heroes in the Assassin's Creed series.
While they pursued abstract goals like
justice, freedom, and revenge, Edward's
motivation is more tangible. He wants money,
and lots of it. He gravitates more toward
the "everything is permitted” half of the
Assassin's creed, killing and plundering for
his own self-interest. Edward's devotion to
the pirate's life (and the coin that comes with
it) creates a unique high-seas adventure, but
Ubisoft Montreal's desire to craft a differ-
ent experience may have taken priority over
making a refined one.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag replaces
the towering cathedrals and expansive
wilderness from previous entries with worn
shanties and open water. The new setting,
full of historical figures and an array of
H dward Kenway isn’t like the previous
Unlike Ezio and Connor, Edward is
mysterious locations to explore in the waters
of the West Indies, suits the series well. Ship
sailing returns from Assassin's Creed Ill,
but as the centerpiece instead of a side
activity. Almost everything you do — finding
hidden treasure, attacking naval convoys,
raiding warehouses — earns you money and
resources you can funnel into upgrading
Edward’s ship, the Jackdaw. As the ship gets
better, you can sail to even more dangerous
(and rewarding) areas, giving you extra loot
to spend on more improvements. This loop
made me want to explore every corner of the
map, since it ensures that the various pirate
exploits all have satisfying payoffs. Blasting
through an enemy fleet behind the wheel of
a heavily armored, multi-cannoned Jackdaw
makes the toil worthwhile.
As fun as it is to watch your ship become
more formidable, | wish | had more ways to
acquire resources required for upgrades.
Money isn’t in short supply, but other materi-
als like cloth, metal, and wood also need to
be collected. You can’t buy these items, so
the main way to obtain them is to plunder
other ships by boarding them (instead of
destroying them) to steal the resources. The
problem is that this process gets old quickly;
| must have boarded 100 ships, and it plays
out the same way each time. It’s time-
consuming and boring, but a necessary step
if you want your ship to stand a chance in
more difficult encounters.
Navigating your vessel has improved con-
siderably since the last entry, with tweaks that
make it easier to juggle the various offensive
options. The weapon you fire is dictated by
the direction the camera’s facing, so looking
to the side means that the broadside cannons
are active, while looking over the back gets
the fire barrels ready to drop. These controls
work great when you're up against an enemy
ship or two, but fali apart when things get
more chaotic. Because you can’t attack in
one direction and look in another, getting
a full picture of the battle is difficult. A fight
that involves attacking a fort while fending off
attacking ships or surviving a storm quickly
becomes an aggravating mess. Thankfully,
those fights are rare; most of your time on the
water is spent casually sailing between des-
tinations and attacking any ships unfortunate
enough to be in your way.
Once you're on land, familiarity takes over.
Edward climbs, stabs, and shoots like his pre-
decessors. He collects various items scattered
throughout the islands, does side jobs (make
sure you complete the five “Templar Hunts” for
some cool armor), and crafts new items and
outfits. These tried-and-true elements of the
franchise are still fun distractions, and you may
be more desperate than ever for an excuse to
delay the next story mission. Black Flag is a
major disappointment when it comes to vari-
ety; the main missions all feel the same, with a
tiring abundance of lame “tail the guard” and
“eavesdrop on the conversation” objectives.
| enjoyed the more exciting scenarios and
assassinations when they surfaced, but they
are vastly outnumbered by these filler tasks
that highlight the imprecise stealth mechanics.
The story isn’t much better than the mis-
sions. Edward’s obsession with money and
lack of personal conviction are all a part
of his character arc, but those traits make
the plot haphazardly bounce around for the
majority of the game. Apart from his goal to
find an ancient site called the Observatory,
Edward doesn’t have any loyalty, purpose,
or a compelling antagonist. His friends in
one mission may be his enemies in the next,
but the transitions are abrupt and poorly
explained, as if several expository scenes
ended up on the cutting-room floor. Only a
few of the supporting characters are given
proper development — Blackbeard is espe-
cially entertaining — leaving you wondering
why you should care about various events
as they unfold.
Apart from Edward's tale in the Animus, life
continues in the present day after the events
of Assassin's Creed III. You control a cipher
employed by Abstergo Entertainment, but
this whole section just treads water from a
plot standpoint — don't expect any significant
developments. The gameplay is even worse,
as you wander your office in first-person and
almost exclusively work through half-baked
hacking minigames. Most of this is mercifully
optional, and I couldn't hop back into the
animus fast enough.
Despite my issues with the paths that
are laid out before you, Black Flag is great
fun when you let your impulses guide you.
Whether you want to hunt animals or unearth
Mayan relics, it caters to obsessive gamers
with a multitude of objectives to cross off the
checklist. Plus, so many different activities
are available that | could hardly sail between
destinations without getting sidetracked
three or four times on the way. Even though
you don't amass an empire that pays you
dividends over time, hunting down the big
sources of money is still rewarding.
Black Flag is ultimately better than
Assassin's Creed III (which | did not formally
review). Some elements seem crafted directly
in response to criticisms about the previous
game. You get to the piracy rather quickly,
without the need for several hours of tuto-
rial missions. Weapon switching happens
immediately thanks to the d-pad assignment,
and fast-travel locations are convenient
and plentiful. However, some of the same
complaints resurface with a vengeance: frus-
trating stealth, numerous glitches, and poor
performance (the framerate is all over the
place on the current-gen incarnations). These
flaws, combined with the disjointed story and
repetitive main missions, make Black Flag a
game that fails to live up to its full potential.
Though Edward’s voyage isn’t all smooth
sailing, the choppy waters don’t sink the ship.
oe Juba
We were only provided review code for Assassin's Creed IV
on the platforms listed above. The game is also releasing
on Xbox One and PC on November 19.
Despite the pivotal role naval
combat plays in the single-
player campaign, you won't
find any ship-to-ship battles
in multiplayer. Instead, Black
Flag offers an experience
similar to the last installment —
though you can still find some
changes like new characters
and maps. You can also create
and share your own modes.
More of the same may be
enough for the hardcore fans,
but Black Flag isn’t likely to
rope in new initiates.
reviews 79
8.5
Concept
A prequel story that details
Batman’s first encounter
with the Joker
Graphics
Gotham City is an architectural
wonder, dazzling the eye with
its century-old buildings. Most
of the dramatic story moments
are captured in stunning
cinematic sequences
Sound
People who don't read video
game news likely won't
notice that Mark Hamill and
Kevin Conroy don't reprise
their roles as Joker and
Batman. Troy Baker and Roger
Craig Smith recreate these
iconic voices without
the slightest error
Playability
Most of the gameplay from
Arkham City is recycled
or presented in a slightly
different way. The shock
gauntlets break the
combat's balance
> Entertainment
Joker's origin story is the
highlight, but plenty of fun
can still be had beating
the snot out of low-
ranking henchmen
» Replay Value
High
Batman: Arkham Origins
The younger, less experienced bat
gamenformer
SILVER
Eve. No taxis shuttle last-second shop-
pers to toy stores. No children visit
Santa Claus to make sure he knows exactly
what they want to see under their trees. The
only commotion on the city’s streets is the
fluttering of snowflakes, warning of a storm.
Even with Gotham's citizens embracing the
warmth of their homes on this joyous night,
Batman is hard at work. Black Mask, the
head of the city’s largest crime organization,
infiltrates Blackgate Penitentiary to snuff out
police commissioner Gillian Loeb. As Batman
races to save Loeb’s life, he learns that Black
Mask’s plot extends to another target: He
wants Batman dead. A sizeable purse goes
to the assassin who delivers his corpse.
Eight of Gotham’s most feared killers receive
this invitation, and Batman knows they are
coming for him.
This is an intriguing premise for a Batman
story. Gotham’s sworn protector isn’t eliciting
fear into others on this night. He’s the prey.
He’s on edge. He knows he’s a target. He just
2 otham City is oddly silent on Christmas
doesn’t know when or how he will be attacked.
| was fully onboard with this premise,
but it never truly takes root as the central
focus. Other story threads pollute the hunt;
a thin lead puts Penguin in the crosshairs,
the Falcone family gets involved, conflict
arises with Gotham City’s police department,
Anarchy seeks citywide mayhem, Black Mask
becomes a part of a greater mystery. Batman
has his hands full. The assassins are pushed
to the back of the mind, and most of these
deadly foes become stopgap boss battles
Style 1-Player Action (8-Player Online) Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer Warner Bros. Montreal, Splash Damage Release October 25 Rating T
(two of these bouts even take place in a dedi-
cated combat arena). That’s not to say that
the various story threads are unwanted or
void of compelling events. | enjoyed most of
these arcs, but for the first third of the game,
there isn’t a cohesive narrative to follow; it’s
more a scattershot of mini-tales.
But just when it seems this story could
become even more convoluted through addi-
tional developments, a sinister smile creeps
across the screen. At that point, the plot is
given new life filled with clarity and excite-
ment. Some of the other threads continue
on, but the Joker takes over and it becomes
his game.
He's revealed in a plot twist that is shades
of Scooby Doo silly, but most of his story is
mesmerizing, diving deep into his psyche
to illustrate his disturbing first moments as
Gotham’s clown prince. Actor Troy Baker
(replacing the great Mark Hamill) does a
remarkable job mimicking Joker’s haunt-
ing voice from the first two Arkham games.
Roger Craig Smith’s interpretation of Kevin
Conroy’s Batman is also incredibly close. The
title “Arkham Origins” speaks mostly of these
characters’ first encounter, which is a new
take outside of the comic and movie lore.
Voice acting aside, the most impressive
form of imitation comes from developer
Warner Bros. Montreal, which is faced with
the tall task of creating a prequel game to
Rocksteady’s incredible run with the Bat.
Although we're looking at a younger Bruce
Wayne, he’s the same physical specimen
we've come to know over the years, relying
on a familiar arsenal of gadgets to topple his
opponents and explore his fair city.
Combat scenarios play out with the same
levels of grace and brutality that we’ve seen
i
in the past, pushing the player to use attacks,
counters, cape strikes, and an array of
gadget abilities to strategically chain together
impressive combos. New animations are
peppered in, but it’s very much the same sat-
isfying song and dance. Traversal once again
combines the Bat-claw, glide, and dive bomb
techniques as a means of soaring across
Gotham. Detective Vision is used frequently
for stealth sequences, and to reveal secrets
hidden from plain sight.
The gameplay rarely breaks free from being
more of the same. Warner Bros. Montreal
uses this formula to deliver sizable thrills, but
many sections use recycled gameplay tech-
niques ad nauseam. Batman's cryptographic
sequencer, for instance, is tapped so often
that it almost becomes comedic. Before
Gotham was turned into a prison, it was
apparently a password-protected nightmare.
The gadgets come across as Warner Bros.
trying too hard to emulate Rocksteady’s
Stealth can once again be used to clear out specific interiors
~
Mad Hatter's mission is one of the best in the game
formula. The glue grenade, which replaces
the freeze grenade, handles the same func-
tion of gumming up deadly steam vents, and,
well... “I need to use my glue grenade to
make a raft,” Batman says. A glue raft? Is that
even scientifically possible?
In the later stages of Batman’s quest, he
obtains a pair of shock gauntlets that are
similar in concept to BAT mode from Arkham
City’s Armored Edition. No foe can with-
stand the might of these kinetically powered
devices. Shield carriers, larger heavy units,
and any foe you come across in standard
combat situations can be knocked down
with one shock gauntlet strike. Sure, it’s
enthralling to control a version of Batman
that doubles as an electrically charged pin-
ball on the battlefield, but above all else, the
shock gauntlets break the careful balancing
of combat. Finding windows to disarm shield
carriers and stun heavy units is an integral
part of Arkham’s intense combat. Removing
those elements leads to mindless brawling,
and that’s what this becomes in its final leg.
The most enjoyment | got out of Arkham
Origins came from Joker's story, and a few
of the scenarios tied to specific villains. Mad
Hatter takes Batman on a crazy adventure that
showcases fantastic environment designs. An
encounter with Firefly unfolds across unstable
terrain and impressive setpiece moments. |
also liked Warner Bros. Montreal’s new take
on investigations. They favor science fiction-
like ideas over traditional sleuthing to show us
exactly how the crimes were committed. They
get fairly complicated, and give us a good look
at how Batman breaks down a crime scene.
Gotham City is considerably larger than
Arkham City’s walled-off version, but that
doesn’t mean more time is lost to gliding
between destinations. Fast travel stations
are placed in each borough, and the city is
designed in a way that allows Batman to stay
airborne with the Bat-claw. If you don’t use
fast travel, Gotham Pioneers Bridge is enor-
mous and takes a considerable amount of
time to navigate.
This world is littered with secrets and
villain-specific side activities. Riddler returns
as a welcome foe that has hidden hundreds
of extortion files across Gotham. For those
of you who will track them all down (a doable
feat with a handy in-game locator) and aspire
to hit 100-percent completion, Challenge
mode is loaded to the hilt, pushing players
to collect 288 gold medals. And if you really
want to dive into this game, New Game Plus
is unlocked after the story concludes. There’s
also | am the Night mode, which only offers
one life and no saves.
Arkham Origins delivers more of what made
Rocksteady’s games great, but doesn’t break
much new ground. Like a youthful Bruce
Wayne, it isn’t as crafty and takes its dings
during combat, but still puts on a hell of a
show when it needs to. Once Joker steps into
the spotlight, it becomes a hard game to put
down. » Andrew Reiner
Don’t Bother
With Multiplayer
You won't be missing any-
thing if you never click the
“Online” option. After finding
moderate success with Mono-
lith Productions’ Gotham City
Impostors, Warner Bros. has
enlisted the talents of Splash
Damage (the studio behind
Brink) to re-envision a Batman
multiplayer experience. While
offering the unique set-up
of 2 vs. 3 vs. 3 (Batman and
Robin versus three of Joker's
henchmen versus three of
Bane's), the shoddy gunplay
kills the experience. Sure,
stealthily taking out players as
Batman or Robin is fun, but
most of your time is spent as
the inept villains. Playing as
Joker and Bane (who can be
controlled by one player
mid-match) is empowering
to a degree, but overall, this
multiplayer package brought
back nightmares of fight-
ing other players (and the
controls) in BioShock 2’s
competitive component.
reviews 81
Introduce gamers to Call
of Duty's new universe
Val Of Duty:
Af
has featured a Modern Warfare or Black
Ops subtitle in its name. After finishing
the Modern Warfare story with the decisive
conclusion of its third entry, Infinity Ward had
every chance to inject the long-running series
with new life. With Ghosts, the developer
S ince 2008, every Call of Duty release
(Ghosts
esh start with a familiar feel
Style 1 or 2-Player Shooter (18-Player Online) Publisher Activision Developer Infinity Ward
Release November 5 (PlayStation 3, Xbox PDA November 15 (PlayStation a November 22 poos One) Rating M
Confirmed match type, and it results in some
tense moments as you struggle to return dog
tags before you're killed. Blitz is fast-paced
and fun, tasking players with sprinting into
a designated scoring zone before enemies
stop them with a hail of gunfire. Search and
Rescue is a smart variant of a series favorite,
aims high but simply isn’t much fun to play.
Players have the ability to create 10 different
soldiers, each with their own specific loadout.
These squads can be put to work in a variety
of match types, most of which involve one or
two human players in rounds otherwise popu-
lated by bots. Unsurprisingly, spending a ton
of time in menus as you tweak characters for
Al-filled matches isn’t nearly as fun as partici-
pating in shootouts filled with real opponents.
While Squads misses the mark, the new
Extinction mode is a great co-op distrac-
tion. It may be limited to one large map, but
teaming up with three friends to take down
increasingly difficult waves of aliens and their
hives is a blast.
For better or worse, Treyarch took risks
with Black Ops II’s campaign in the form of
branching paths, alternate endings, and the
disappointing Strike Force missions. Rather
than continuing down that path, Infinity Ward
and gives players hope to return after being
eliminated. These new match types can be a
lot of fun, but the only thing that feels differ-
ent is the method of scoring.
Infinity Ward touted environmental
destructibility in Ghosts’ multiplayer maps,
but these moments rarely have an impact
on the matches. A gas station may fall over,
some doors can be opened and closed, and
specific sections of walls are destructible,
but these events never feel like an organic
(or necessary) development of shootouts.
The most significant tweak to multiplayer
is the toning down of air-based killstreak
introduced a new universe, populated it with a
new cast, and brought the franchise to a new
generation of consoles. One thing the studio
hasn't done is introduce significantly new ele-
ments to the gameplay experience.
Even using the enhanced power of the
PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Ghosts feels
like any number of previous Call of Duty
games. Most of its predecessors featured
at least one big hook that made them stand
out. For example, Modern Warfare 2 greatly
expanded on the killstreak system, and
Black Ops II offered branching campaign
paths and smartly streamlined loadouts with
The engine does an admirable
job of handling many scenes
of total chaos no matter which
console you play on
Sound
Shootouts sound realistic, but
the voice-over performances
are as generic as
the characters
Playability
The gunplay is as smooth
as ever, without any
major improvements
Entertainment
Ghosts is polished and fun, the Pick 10 system. Ghosts simply doesn't rewards. Without choppers, fighter jets, and chose to play it safe with the story of Ghosts.
but fails to push the series have its own hook. drones constantly buzzing above you, there New characters are devoid of personality,
forward in any major ways Sure, it contains a handful of new are far fewer instances of dying seconds and the plot is so clichéd that it plays out
Replay Value multiplayer modes. Grind mixes Halo's after spawning. like a South Park parody of action movies.
Moderately High Headhunter mode with Call of Duty’s own Kill Squads is a new multiplayer mode that You've got your badass soldier flipping his
The Edge
While the PlayStation 4 and
Xbox One versions of Ghosts
feature some impressive
Jy lighting, you won't be at
a major loss if you haven't
%
*
U
upgraded to the next genera-
e tion of consoles yet. Both the
Y PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
/ e versions look sharp, and they
2 include all of the features
and modes of their next-gen
counterparts. Outside of some
less impressive lighting and
the occasional framerate
drop, they perform near the
Wy level of the PlayStation 4 and
///~ Xbox One versions.
82
captors the bird, the tough-but-loving father
whose two boys are “all he’s got left in this
world,” the melodramatic death speeches,
and the once-noble soldier who's gone
rogue and joined the bad guys.
As stupid as the story is, | found myself
enjoying it for exactly that reason. This is a big,
dumb action game, and it makes no attempt to
be more than that. Instead of the convoluted
techno-babble of the Modern Warfare series,
Ghosts’ campaign is simply about blowing
up everything you see in progressively bigger
ways. It’s short and wastes no time with char-
acter development, opting instead to shuttle
you along to the next exploding satellite sta-
tion or chaotic chase scene.
Ghosts had potential to be more than it
is. As the first series entry on new consoles
and the first of what will assuredly be a
new brand, | was disappointed to see it
resemble its predecessors even more than
the franchise typically does. Even without
its own significant hook or sense of identity,
however, Ghosts is still fun thanks to Call of
Duty’s polished and reliable backbone that’s
been established for years. » Dan R t
Most multiplayer maps place combatants in close quarters
reviews 83
Battlefield
Holding the line
pork
5
» Concept
Continue evolving the
addictive multiplayer in subtle-
but-meaningful ways, and
start over with a brand new
story campaign
» Graphics
The Frostbite 3 engine looks
great on PC, but the current-
generation consoles suffer
from environmental pop-up
and muddy shadows
> Sound
DICE produces the most
visceral gunshot effects in the
industry. When you hear that
"thwack" in your ear from a
sniper bullet buzzing by, you
know it's time to seek cover
> Playability
Battlefield 4 controls largely
the same on PC, but the
console controls have been
tweaked to promote team play.
If you're having trouble piloting
choppers and planes, you can
revert to the old controls
» Entertainment
DICE successfully defends its
position as a major player in
competitive multiplayer, but
another wayward single-
player campaign begs the
question of why the studio
even bothers
» Replay Value
High
>. SILVER
À s someone who originally enlisted in
Battlefield 1942, tracking the series’
trajectory has been interesting. What
originally started as a multiplayer-only
hardcore PC shooter has steadily evolved
over the last decade to achieve mass suc-
cess. Along the way, developer DICE has
built on its solid foundation of team-focused
air, land, and sea battles with impressive new
features like destructible environments and
deeper progression systems. At the same
time, the studio has struggled to branch out
with engrossing cooperative or single-player
experiences. As if acting off muscle memory,
Battlefield 4 follows this same pattern, with
another strong dose of large-scale multiplayer
and a forgettable story campaign.
Battlefield 4’s multiplayer largely takes its
cues from the pre-existing playbook, mixing
some long-lost ideas with a few innovations
that enhance teamwork. To help console
players better communicate with one another
without the need of a headset, DICE carried
over the commo rose from PC to consoles.
By holding the right bumper (which handles
spotting as well) players can request ammo,
health packs, and repairs. To encourage
soldiers to play the objectives in team-based
games, DICE also tweaked the point system.
Flag captures and M-Com arming aren’t all-
or-nothing propositions anymore, so players
earn points incrementally. If you get capped
at the last second when trying to disarm an
M-Com station, at least you get rewarded for
trying to save your team.
The 10 new maps deliver a nice variety of
environments. During any given mission, you
wind through urban streets, roll through fields
in a tank, and make amphibious assaults
via boats. Each level features a “Levolution
moment,” which is essentially an opportunity
for DICE to showcase its technical prowess.
The quality of these experiences wavers from
impressive to gimmicky. When the tsunami
kicks up in Paracel Storm it makes shooting
from boats much more challenging, testing
the skills of the best machine gunners. In
other levels, I wish DICE had left the maps
alone. Watching a skyscraper fall is cool the
first time, but as you play more matches in
Siege of Shanghai, you realize the map is
so much better with the tower standing tall.
Some of these fallen buildings are also tough
to navigate, as your soldier often gets caught
on the awkward geometry.
While the best maps, like Hainan Resort,
work no matter which of the seven modes
you are playing, some maps were clearly
designed with one style of play in mind. If you
like Team Deathmatch or Domination, you
may enjoy Operation Locker, but the corridor
design makes it a terrible option for the new
Obliteration mode.
Perhaps the best new mode to be introduced
to Battlefield since Rush, Obliteration places
a bomb in the middle of the map. From here,
teams must vie for possession and then try
to detonate it at one of the opponents’ three
objectives. The first team to detonate all three
wins. The best way to win this tug-of-war is
to coordinate with teammates, picking up the
bomb carrier in a vehicle and rushing across
the map in a convoy. These matches have a
great sense of urgency and almost give you
the sensation of participating in a team sport.
The second new mode, Defuse, is a
Counter-Strike style, five-on-five competition
where each player only spawns once. You
can win by either eliminating the other team or
by detonating a bomb. This game mode goes
quickly, so it’s a great change of pace from
the lengthy conquest and rush modes.
The infantry-focused modes like Team
Deathmatch and Domination aren’t nearly as
Style 1-Player Shooter (64-Player Online, PC) (24-Player Online, 360/PS3) Publisher Electronic Arts Developer DICE Release October 29 Rating M
compelling. Simply put, not many of these
maps stand up to the offerings from compet-
ing games like Call of Duty, and they also
mitigate the value of splitting players into
different classes. The engineer class is hardly
useful in these battles, and the game doesn’t
have the same attraction when you remove
vehicles from the mix.
One of the big problems previous Battlefield
games faced was the steep learning curve of
more complicated vehicles like helicopters and
jets. To help soldiers who would rather learn
how to operate vehicles without the threat
of constant fire, DICE added a test range for
practice. This should cut down on the amount
of battles where a soldier hops into a helicop-
ter and crashes it immediately. However, since
you can’t have more than one person in the
test range at a time, players still need to join
live-fire battles to master subtleties like know-
ing when to fire countermeasures.
No matter what mode or class you are play-
ing, you continually earn rewards thanks to
the deep and varied progression system fea-
tured in Battlefield 4. The variety is stagger-
ing, with more types of sights, grips, knives,
rocket launchers, and camo than any previ-
ous Battlefield game. Some are unlocked by
ranking up your class or weapon, and others
can be acquired at random in a Battlepack,
which you receive roughly every three levels.
Battlepacks offer the chance to get a great
attachment early on, but the randomness
comes with a price. Since the items con-
tained in a Battlepack are determined by pure
chance, you may receive attachments for sev-
eral weapons you haven’t unlocked yet.
Ever since it was abandoned following
Battlefield 2, a subset of hardcore fans has
lamented the loss of Commander mode.
DICE resurrected the mode for Battlefield 4,
with several significant alterations. As a
commander you don't spawn into the world
like a normal soldier. Instead, you make all
of your decisions from a tactical map, which
makes it an attractive option for players using
tablets. From here you can launch UAVs to
reveal enemy locations on the map, create
EMP blasts to neutralize the UAVs of the
opposing team, and direct squads to attack or
defend specific locations. Your other options
are controlled by how well your team is per-
forming. If they lock down several control
points in conquest, then you are given access
to powerful ordinance like cruise missiles and
AC-130s that can turn the tide of battle. Not
many commanders were present in the major-
ity of my matches, so it’s tough to gauge how
impactful they are in a match’s outcome.
Commander or no, the deep multiplayer
stands in stark contrast to the forgettable
single-player campaign. DICE promised an
emotional connection with its star charac-
ters, but not even the magnetic Michael K.
Williams (Boardwalk Empire, The Wire) could
find success with this B-movie-level script.
The story follows a squad of American sol-
diers caught in the middle of the action when
a civil war erupts in China. On a mission to
extract a couple VIPs from Shanghai in the
midst of the madness, the crew shoots its way
back to its fleet, only to find the U.S. aircraft
carrier stationed off the coast completely
decimated. From here, they shoot their way
through Chinese airfields, prisons, and remote
outposts. The story culminates with a choice-
driven ending, but given my lack of attach-
ment to the characters | hardly felt engaged
enough to weigh my options seriously.
The combat is improved from Battlefield 3
thanks to the removal of quicktime events
and the inclusion of Crysis-style micro-
sandboxes that let you choose how you
want to engage the enemy. You can give the
squad at your side basic attack commands,
but in most cases you can wipe out an entire
brigade alone before your allies can take one
enemy out, so | often left them to their own
devices. The bullet-fodder Al hardly presents
a challenge, and often pop in out of thin air
right in front of you. | would expect an army
that has that kind of technology to be much
more formidable. Thankfully, the campaign is
short, clocking in at roughly five hours.
Battlefield 4 doesn’t advance the series in
any significant way, but the subtle improve-
ments provide enough incentive for multi-
player fans to invest heavily in the land, air,
and sea battles. Given the underwhelming
performance of yet another story campaign,
maybe DICE was on to something in ignoring
single-player altogether in Battlefield 1942.
Imagine what the studio could do if it invested
all that manpower into making its already
good multiplayer experience even better.
Battlefield 4 is also releasing on PlayStation 4 (November
15) and Xbox One (November 22). Though we played these
versions, we were not able to fully test all features to
the point that they could be included in this review. As a
result, this text pertains only to the platforms listed.
If your PC can handle the
considerable workload
demanded by Battlefield 4,
playing on that platform is a
no brainer. The PC version
looks drastically better,
supports 64-player conquest
battles, and has a much
better Battlelog implementa-
tion. The current-gen console
versions suffer from muddy
shadow textures, frequent
environmental pop-up, and
caps out at 24 players.
reviews 85
Assemble a massive force of
Marvel's biggest heroes to
take on Doctor Doom and
his evil cronies
» Graphics
The best-looking Lego
game yet, from big boss
encounters down to the
tiniest character animations
» Sound
A solid cast pushes the action
while providing plenty of
laughs along the way
» Playability
Heroes and villains wield
a stunning variety of useful
powers and abilities. One of
the most addicting hooks is
unlocking new characters
and testing them out
» Entertainment
Traveller s Tales latest is an
obvious labor of love and a
must-play for anyone with an
interest in Marvel comics or
Lego games
» Replay Value
High
Lego Marvel super Heroes
Lego heroes, assemble
Gamenformer
GOLD
Style 1 or 2-Player Action Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Developer Traveller's Tales Release October 22 Rating E10+
comes in an exchange between Loki
and Tony Stark. “I have an army,” the
trickster god gloats. “We have a Hulk,” comes
Stark’s deadpan response. Not only does
Traveller's Tales have a Hulk with Lego Marvel
Super Heroes, but it has a Thor, a Spider-
Man, a Captain America, a Wolverine, and
a closet filled with Iron Man suits. As Marvel
fans know, there’s no shortage of heroes and
villains in the comics universe, which is some-
thing Lego Marvel Super Heroes takes advan-
tage of in ways | haven't seen since Marvel:
Ultimate Alliance.
Traveller's Tales is through tinkering with
the series’ core gameplay, and now it’s
all about refining what works. Levels take
you through iconic areas like Stark Tower,
Asgard, and the Savage Lands, where your
heroes face off against a who’s who of vil-
lainy. The battle against Sandman in the
opening level is of a size and scale that
would normally be reserved for end-game
boss encounters, and it only grows from
there. | won't spoil Doctor Doom’s ultimate
plan is, but he’s in cahoots with one of the
() ne of the best lines in The Avengers
How did the villains board 5.H.1.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier?
You have to play the game to find out
universe’s biggest threats.
The rosters in the Lego games have always
been impressively robust, but they’ve largely
been padded with character clones and
nobodies. For every Legolas or Batman,
there’s a generic archer or construction
worker. That bumps up the number of choices
that players have — almost always a good
thing — but it also makes it clear who the real
heroes are in each title. Lego Marvel Super
Heroes smashes through those boundaries,
offering more than 100 different characters
that are actually worth playing. It's impossible
to miss the amount of love and care that went
into each of those characters.
lceman glides along in long strides, arms
tucked behind him like a speedskater.
Sandman transforms into a cannon for long-
range attacks. Even Spider-Man’s mercurial
boss J. Jonah Jameson brings a unique style
to battle, attacking enemies with a barrage of
newspapers — not bad for what's essentially
a throwaway gag character. Marvel Heroes
has some deep cuts on the roster, too, and
unlocking and playing as some of these
obscurities (Howard the Duck or H.E.R.B.I.E.,
anyone?) is particularly fun.
In addition to taking your favorite charac-
ters into previously beaten levels via free
play, you can roam around the New York
City hub world. The closest comparison
would be Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes’
version of Gotham, though Lego Marvel’s
city is a much calmer locale. You aren’t con-
stantly on the defensive from leagues of bad
guys, which makes exploration less annoy-
ing. A variety of points of interest are dotted
throughout the map, which include combat
challenges (New York isn’t completely tooth-
less), races, and puzzles. Another highlight
is the Deadpool-narrated bonuses. These
goofy, quickie levels take place in smaller,
more focused areas. They’re home to some
of the funniest moments, too, and they’re
worth the effort that comes with tracking
down the elusive gold bricks you need to
unlock them.
Ultimately, Lego Marvel marks the first time
V had as much fun in the hub world as in
the story-based missions. Variety abounds,
and the split-screen lets players explore the
city on their own. | made it my mission to find
bricks and solve the unexpectedly clever puz-
zles to unlock extras, while my son was happy
to rampage through the streets as Venom.
Traveller’s Tales continues its streak of
making every one of its games better than the
last, and | recommend it to anyone looking
for a lighthearted game with plenty of replay —
whether or not they have a closet filled with
polybagged first editions. » Jeff Cork
We were only provided the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3
versions of the game for review, but Lego Marvel Super
Heroes is also available for the Wii U, PC, Wii, Vita, 3DS,
and DS. It will also be available for the PlayStation 4 and
Xbox One at each system’s launch.
okylanders: Swap Force
eable
fun
gamesńormer
n SILVER
Style 1 or 2-Player Action Publisher Activision "e Vicarious Visions Release October 13 Rating E10+
field on the Island of Doctor Moreau.
Severed legs and torsos from various
animals are scattered across it; warriors with
weapons raised high stand triumphant over
the grisly tableau. Making like the Doctor,
| rummage through the sea of body parts,
attaching the tentacles of a squid to the upper
body of a parrot. | place the spliced abomina-
tion on the Portal of Power and it comes to
life, a mighty beast possessing the powers of
both wind and water. Tentacles streak across
the terrain, thwacking any foe foolish enough
to get in his path, and razor-sharp wings
dance furiously to fend off any attacks from
the flank. My created beast excels in close
quarters but has no way of defending itself
against volleys from afar. Maybe Ill swap the
parrot parts for those of a gun-wielding snake.
No matter what bizarre creature is placed
on the Portal, Skylanders: Swap Force
handles the empowerment of playing god
convincingly. Creating my own monsters —
even if it is as simple as snapping two pieces
of an action figure together — is more fun
than | expected. | spent a fair amount of time
experimenting with these hybrids, seeing
which upgrade paths best fit their unique
dynamics, and made a contest of unleashing
the most ridiculous-looking beast possible
(the owl-snake wins).
Even if you've assembled a hefty war chest
of Skylanders figures from Spyro’s Adventure
and Giants, you're going to feel the itch to run
out to the store to purchase more of them —
and you have to if you want to see everything
this game has to offer. In addition to the eight
elemental types and the Giants, this install-
ment introduces eight new “ability” zones that
can only be entered by Swap Force figures.
These areas are not extensions of the levels
like we've seen with the element types, and
are instead standalone minigames — all of
which are quite enjoyable.
M y living-room floor resembles a battle-
The Swap Force sections reward the player
well with hidden items, as well as stars that
feed into the new Portal Master rank. Leveling
up the Portal Master allows you to activate
more Legendary Items, which carry various
attribute bumps like +10 armor.
You need the help from those bonuses;
this is the most challenging Skylanders
game yet. Kaos’ desire to “evilize” everyone
produces a more lethal crop of foes. Many
of them are armed to the teeth with weap-
ons that rain down death. Others soak up
immense amounts of damage. Some are
heavily shielded. All of these foes demand
different strategies, and make you work for
your experience.
All of the Skylanders are now equipped with
the ability to jump, which is used frequently to
navigate elevated terrain and platforms, but
is most effective in giving the player a new
way to dodge ground-based blasts. It’s a nice
addition that gives combat another layer of
skill and strategy. | rarely could plant myself in
one spot in battle sequences.
Although most encounters are exciting, the
level designs are often rote, clinging for dear
life to the “everything in video games has
to happen in threes or more” cliché. A nice
sense of scale accompanies most stages,
but isn’t enough to shake the feeling of rep-
etition that eventually hits halfway through
most of them. Several stages lean heavily
on concepts from previous entries, such as
redirecting light to doors, and pushing blocks
in the right sequence to create passages. A
tedious new lock-picking minigame also rears
its head far too often.
Despite the environments sapping some of
the fun out of this adventure, Vicarious Visions
has crafted an excellent continuation for this
annual series. The story unfolds across beauti-
fully animated sequences loaded with hilarious
Kaos and Flynn banter. The most impres-
sive aspect of this installment is the focus to
deliver a more challenging experience, one
that pushes the player to experiment and
find strategies that work best for specific
scenarios. And that plays right into this title’s
hallmark feature of building Frankensteined
monsters to meet these demands.
| feared of franchise fatigue, but this install-
ment shows us that a few great ideas can
keep this action figure-based experience alive
and well. » Andrew Reiner
8.3
» Concept
Rip apart your beloved toys
and reassemble them as new
beasts to tackle the series’ most
demanding combat scenarios
» Graphics
The visuals have a softer
edge, sometimes looking like
claymation. Each environment
is teeming with beautiful
touches like flowing grass and
a giant Godzilla-like beast
lording over your movements
» Sound
Patrick Warburton gets plenty
of face time and is funny as
always. Chaos is frequently
visited by a surprise guest who
rattles his cage, leading to
great banter between the two.
Familiar Skylanders melodies
join catchy new tracks that
follow this adventure's frantic
and slow moments nicely
» Playability
The jump ability elevates
combat, and the new
minigames challenge players
in different ways. Lock-picking
puzzles continue to annoy
» Entertainment
I didn’t know if this series
could handle annual releases,
but this entry shows that
it's still building up a head
of steam and has plenty of
life left
» Replay Value
Moderately High
reviews 87
Concept
Dive into WrestleMania
history in the same manner
as last year's tribute to
the Attitude Era
Graphics
Many faces still look awkward
Sound
Jim Ross and Jerry
Lawler provide plenty of
historical context for these
legendary battles
Playability
Controls are just like last
year's iteration, and the
minor additions to the im-ring
action rarely surface
Entertainment
It’s great to play through so
many good memories, but
the rest of the experience
hasn't evolved
Replay Value
Moderately High
WWE 2K14
The showcase of the predictably entertainin
a) 1 to 4-Player Fighting praya omie Publisher 2K Games SPA 2K Games/Yuke's Release October 29 a T
went through a reboot two years ago,
the true upgrade in quality came last
year with the fantastic WWE ‘13. In place of
its predecessor's annoying and unrewarding
Road To Wrestlemania mode was the Attitude
Era mode. This love letter to wrestling's boom
period was a treasure trove for longtime fans,
with plenty of recreated matches, retrospective
video packages, and tons of unlockables. To
follow up on that great addition to the series,
developer Yuke's (now under the 2K banner
instead of THQ) has widened its historic lens to
focus on the 30-year history of The Showcase
of the Immortals, WrestleMania. It’s handled
with the same amount of love and knowledge
as the Attitude Era mode, but it comes with a
few disappointments as well.
Pulling the roster from 30 years of wres-
tling history provides a higher concentration
of legends than focusing on a few years in
the late ‘90s, meaning you see more Randy
Savages and fewer X-Pacs. Most of the big
names of WrestleMania history are here, with
a few exceptions. You can’t tell the story of
WrestleMania without Randy Savage, Ric
Flair, Ultimate Warrior, or Hulk Hogan, and
you find them all grimacing and flexing on the
character select screen.
The roster may be packed with Hall of
Famers, but the wider scope comes at the
expense of a predictable dive into wrestling
history. WWE 13’s Attitude Era mode fea-
tured plenty of big, iconic matches that are
etched into the minds of wrestling fans, but
it also came with the occasional “Oh yeah,
| totally forgot about that!” moment that
uncovered some forgotten nostalgia. Given
WWE's obsession with reminding fans of
the grand history of WrestleMania, almost
every match in 2K14’s campaign comes
with a certain amount of predictability. You
know you're going to slam Andre the Giant,
you know you're going to kick Ric Flair into
T hough the Smackdown vs. Raw series
Razor Ramon proves to Shawn Michaels
who the true Intercontinental Champion is
reviews 88
“retirement,” and you certainly know that
The Undertaker is never going down for
the count. Despite its predictability, these
matches are still a blast to play. 2K’s atten-
tion to detail is evident in the recreations of
each WrestleMania arena, font, logo, and
wrestler attire. Matches from the ‘80s and
‘90s even feature a visual filter to simulate the
lower video quality of the period.
Most of the historical objectives in these
matches work well from a gameplay per-
spective, but some feel like chores. Triple
Threat matches can be a mess thanks to
the added Al character, and the Rock vs.
Cena rematch from WrestleMania XXIX ends
the mode on a sour note. After completing
numerous historical objectives and hitting The
Rock with multiple finishers, he’s magically
granted infinite finishers. The player is granted
this as well, but Rocky wiggled out of the
Attitude Adjustment every time | attempted
it. Reversals weren’t a problem throughout
the rest of my experience, but this particular
moment felt broken and forced me to play the
match over a dozen times.
Most of 2K’s focus was on the campaign
mode, because the game is similar to last
year’s offering once you venture into other
options. Universe mode feels identical outside
of minor options like setting the duration of
rivalries and applying themes to pay-per-view
events. The creation suite is still extensive,
but its additions are mostly relegated to new
logos and clothing. Even the core gameplay
feels familiar, as additions like the catapult fin-
ishers rarely come up organically in matches.
WWE 2K14 has some issues, but | still
enjoyed the majority of my time with it. THQ
attempted similar historical themes in the
past with Legends of WrestleMania and
WWE All-Stars, but 2K14 complements its
historical angle with deep mechanics.
2K’s first stab at sports entertainment is a
lot of fun (especially for history buffs), but the
feeling of déja vu left me wanting the devel-
oper to move the full experience forward
with the same enthusiasm that it embraced
wrestling’s past. » Dan Ryckert
The Heartbreak Kid lays mto
the Macho Man at ringside
NBA 2K14
Hail the king, for better or worse
gamesńormer
SILVER |
j; outed as the second coming of Michael
Jordan as early as his junior year of high
school, LeBron James has shouldered
the burden of outlandish expectations his
entire life. But four MVP awards and two
championships into his storied career, he still
has more than his fair share of haters. Most
of this ill will springs from the public relations
gaffe where LeBron rebuffed his hometown
fans on national television and announced his
intentions to take his talents to South Beach
alongside Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.
After back-to-back championships some
of that hostility has abated, and NBA 2K14
serves as another step in the rehabilitation of
his reputation.
In the LeBron: Path to Greatness mode,
players assume control of King James to try
and best Michael Jordan’s six NBA champi-
onships, which is the benchmark many NBA
fans expect the Miami Heat forward to reach
if he wants to supplant Jordan as the best
player of all time. You can take two tracks to
achieve this goal: either stand tough in Miami
or join LeBron on a “fantastic journey” where
he takes his talents to New York and eventu-
ally returns home to bring a championship
to Cleveland.
Visual Concepts gives Path to Greatness
as much attention to detail as the stellar
Jordan Challenge from NBA 2K11, creating
running storylines and providing contextual
commentary throughout the experience. The
craftsmanship of these what-if scenarios
is impressive, but it comes off as a public
relations stunt built to communicate that
LeBron’s successes should be celebrated by
all NBA fans — including the shunned masses
in Cleveland.
If you're not a LeBron James fan, NBA
2K14 doesn’t bring much else to the table
in terms of game modes. The Association
mode is showing its age with curious GM Al
behavior that offers mystifying trades and
does a poor job with team construction.
One rebuilding team offered me the center it
just drafted number two overall in exchange
for a package centered around my backup
small forward. The popular My Career mode,
which is still a destination mode, is largely
untouched, and relegating the restored
five-on-five Crews mode to pickup blacktop
games is a missed opportunity.
On the court, NBA 2K14 continues to
improve its game. This year’s primary
change comes in the form of a reconfigured
right analog stick, which now handles all
dribbling and shooting moves without the
need for a trigger modifier. This system
works well once you learn the subtleties of
switching between dribbling (where moves
are activated by tapping the stick quickly in
any direction) and shooting (holding the stick
in any direction).
Freeing up the trigger allowed Visual
Concepts to surface freestyle passing. Pulling
off highlight reel no-look passes is as simple
in Path to Greatness mode, you write
LeBron's best-case-scenario legacy
Style 1 to 4-Player Sports (10-Player Online) Publisher 2K Sports Developer Visual Concepts Release October 1 Rating E
as holding the trigger and pushing the right
analog stick in the direction of the intended
player, tnough your success rate is largely
dependent on the skills of the passing player.
On the other side of the ball, blocking shots is
easier, and players defending off the ball move
with more urgency than in past iterations.
Elsewhere, the on-court action needs refine-
ment. Players clip through one another too
frequently when battling under the basket,
balls warp strangely into players hands during
some transition animations, and defenses tend
to sink too far into the paint, leaving perimeter
shooters way too much room to operate.
Like the superstar who graces its cover, NBA
2K14 features an undeniable sense of great-
ness. Its presentation is the best the sports
genre has to offer, and the gameplay refine-
ments improve an already stellar game. It’s a
shame Visual Concepts didn't put the same
level of effort into improving the popular My
Career and Association modes. » Matt Bertz
» Concept
Celebrate the current and
potential future success of
four-time MVP LeBron James
„ Graphics
Clipping animations and
some ugly player faces are
signs that we're overdue
for new hardware
» Sound
The best commentary team in
sports games returns with all-
new talking points
» Playability
It may take a few games to
get used to, but once you
learn the boundaries between
dribbling moves and shooting
on the right analog stick, it's a
welcome improvement
» Entertainment
With no meaningful overhauls
to the My Player or Association
modes, NBA 2K14 doesn’t offer
much incentive to upgrade
outside of improved gameplay
and a new mode celebrating
LeBron James
» Replay Value
High
9
Concept
Play the Big Bad Wolf in an
episodic murder mystery
using Bill Willingham’s
Fables universe
Graphics
Watching Fables’ seedy world
come to life is a high point;
Telltale nailed the art style
from the comics
Sound
The quality music keeps
with the ‘80s era and has
a detective vibe. The voice
actors are top-notch and
make their parts believable
Playability
The controls are easy to
grasp, but the QTEs might
not be accessible for those
without quick reflexes
Entertainment
With great dialogue, quirky
characters, and an intriguing
story, this is one of Telltale’s
best offerings
Replay Value
High
The Edge
The PC version looks and runs
better, with little in the way
of load times. I also had an
annoyance in the 360 version
where the game would pause
briefly to load some of the
high-action fights. The PS3
version doesn't have as many
load issues, but still isn't as
smooth as the PC.
90 reviews
The Wolf Among Us:
Episode 1— Faith
Making the
Wolf Among Us, has a primary theme
running through it: “Expect the unex-
pected.” That's appropriate considering
that Bill Willingham’s Fables — the comic on
which The Wolf Among Us is based — is all
about twisting everything you think you know
about fairy tales.
In Fabletown, a secret community in New
York where famed characters conceal their
true identities with magic, nothing is as it
seems and everyone has something to hide.
Expect alcohol-indulging flying monkeys and
former heroes fallen from grace. The dark
interpretations of these fairy tales are grip-
ping, and Telltale never forgets that hook.
Plenty of merciless fights, foul language,
and unfortunate circumstances unfold in the
first episode when a fellow Fable turns up
brutally murdered. As sheriff Bigby (a.k.a. the
Big Bad Wolf), you must solve the case with
the strong-willed Snow (White) along for the
ride. The two have blazing chemistry, to say
the least.
The tale isn’t happy, but it is intriguing due
to its outrageous personalities, like a chain-
smoking pig as your main confidant. The big-
gest lure, however, is role-playing as Bigby.
He has plenty of swagger, but he also faces
an interesting problem: trying to prove he’s
past his big bad ways. How do you convince
people to trust you when at one point you
tried to eat them? Do you give up and use
force, or try to show these Fables a softer
side of Bigby? That's a decision that Telltale
allows you to make throughout.
The choices don’t just extend to dialogue,
but also where you go. Telltale places two
equally important crises in front of you, stop-
ping the action completely for contemplation.
For instance, | had to decide between two
different places to visit. One had Toad, who
— aith, the debut episode of Telltale's The
A tender moment with the Big Bad Wolf
wolf in you hunger for more
called to say he was in trouble; the other
place had hot evidence regarding the murder.
Consequences come no matter what deci-
sion you make. The big choices are standout
moments because they make you second-
guess and wonder about the outcome of the
other, encouraging multiple playthroughs.
The fights are bigger, faster, and rougher
than previous Telltale projects. The controls
mirror The Walking Dead, with the face and
directional buttons driving quick-time events.
While the controls feel responsive and forgiv-
ing, the action unfolds quickly, giving you little
time to react. You must dodge objects thrown
at you, and at certain points you can pick up
your own, like a pool stick, for vicious and
satisfying hits.
When you're not fighting, you're investi-
gating. This involves researching the dead
Fable using the magic mirror, tracking down
suspects, and examining various locations.
pe Payot Adventure Publisher Telltale Games PIPESE Telltale Games Release October 11 (360, za October 15 AŻ) — M
Telltale struggled with making the point- and-
click portions engaging in The Waking Dead,
but it’s improved here. Examining objects
often allows you to catch characters in lies.
Unfortunately, investigating feels overly linear.
Not much is hidden, and it turns into a click-
every-possible-object-to-advance plot. At
least | was intrigued enough to piece together
the clues.
While the gameplay is still second-rate
compared to the story, Faith succeeds most
because of its unpredictability. Even longtime
Fables fans will be shocked by some of the
revelations. | read the Fables comics —
which aren't required for this prequel —
was still blindsided. The episode ends
perfectly, leaving plenty of intrigue on the
table to bring you back. I’ve been agonizing
ever since, trying to figure out exactly what
Telltale is planning after this standout opener.
Kimberley Wallace
and
Enemy Within
a prized
2
gemenformer
-GOLD
8 ast year's reboot of the XCOM series
was a masterwork. Its deep strategy
and intense firefights required careful
scheming, but putting a bullet through the
last invader's overgrown skull was one of
my favorite moments of 2012. The game
was so finely balanced that I thought adding
to it would disrupt its strategic flow, but
Firaxis has released an expansion that slides
between Enemy Unknown's cracks, filling in
some gaps | didn't even realize existed, fur-
ther diversifying the tactics without disrupting
XCOM's delicate balance.
If you played Enemy Unknown, you're
already familiar with XCOM's dual nature: You
alternate between commanding a squad of
soldiers in tumed-based combat and manag-
ing your limited resources to defend against
alien invaders. Both layers of the game are
highly rewarding in their own right, and Enemy
Within cleverly adds to both.
The most important addition is a currency
system called Meld. With it, any soldier can
receive biotic implants, granting them a variety
of superpowers such as the ability to jump to
previously unattainable heights, sense unseen
enemies, and emit psionic feedback on any
alien that tries a mind meld. The augments
help diversify your options on the battlefield
and open up new strategies that weren’t
available in last year’s game. Having trouble
flanking alien squads? Equip a skin mod that
makes one of your Assault members nearly
invisible in high cover. Tired of watching your
squaddies throw grenades at their friends after
they become mind controlled? Beef up their
psionic defense with a brain mod.
Biotic mods are a useful tool, but Enemy
Within’s new MEC class quickly became my
favorite use for Meld. These cybersuits are
Enemy Within’s new character class. They
can’t take refuge behind cover, but they often
don’t need to. Their high-impact Gatling guns
and devastating physical attacks mean that
alien alloy
enemies don’t stick around long when these
hulks are on the battlefield. Some MECs have
extended mobility, which makes them effec-
tive scouts, and the mech’s upgradability
gives it an extended arsenal that includes
grenades, flamethrowers, and EMP blasts.
MECs are such a highly versatile new unit that
now | can’t imagine an XCOM playthrough
without them.
With all these great trooper augments, Meld
never remains in the bank for long, which kept
me on a greedy hunt for more every time I
entered a new level. It is found inside canisters
during each ground mission, but the contain-
ers are on a countdown timer. If you don’t find
them quickly, they explode, destroying their
contents. | was often in such a rush to acquire
more Meld that | pushed my troops deeper
into the map, placing them into sticky situa-
tions that required clever footwork to escape.
You have to start a new game to take advan-
tage of Enemy Within's new content, but Meld
is an enticing and dangerous carrot that adds
a beautiful wrinkle to a game already fraught
with sweat-inducing decisions.
XCOM's new toys are a lot of fun, but they
don't make things too easy. The alien invad-
ers have a few new tricks of their own, like
new units called Seekers. These flying robotic
squid cloak themselves, then materialize out
of the air and start strangling your soldiers
with their prehensile limbs — slowly squeezing
the life out of your teammates until they are
rescued. This means snipers are no longer
safe on the roof of a gas station across the
street. However, Mechtoids are even more
terrifying. The alien answer to MECs, these
goliaths have massive health bars, and their
twin cannons can fire twice each round.
These new enemies round out the existing
units, and often forced me to rethink the tired
strategies | developed playing the core game.
Aliens aren’t the only enemy you face this
time around, either. Enemy Within contains
Style 1-Player Strategy (2-Player Online) Publisher 2K Games Developer Firaxis Games Release November 15 Rating M
a meta-narrative about a group of human
extremists called Exalt who are convinced
that the aliens will improve humanity’s way
of life, and they set out to combat XCOM
at every turn. These battles are a change of
pace from the alien encounters, since fight-
ing Exalt is more like fighting an evil version
of your own squad. They have equivalent
powers and technology, and I enjoyed gun-
ning them down just as much as the invaders.
Even though | enthusiastically devoured all
of Enemy Within’s new content, there were
moments where | felt like | was playing last
year’s game. Despite Firaxis’ improvements,
the developer wasn’t able to fix the line-of-
sight issues, which often grant enemies full
or partial cover even when you should have a
clear shot. Acquiring new squad members still
feels unbalanced; since you can’t assign your
soldiers’ roles, and they only learn their spe-
cialty once they’ve ranked up, it’s easy to end
up with holes in your squad. By the end, | had
an abundance of heavy units and was sorely
in need of a support squaddie.
Enemy Within’s minor flaws shouldn’t be
enough to distract anyone from diving back
into Firaxis’ well-tuned expansion. The game
often throws you curveballs; you can easily
have a rookie wander too deep into the battle-
field and suddenly alert three units of ene-
mies. However, dealing with the bad hands
you're dealt is what makes XCOM’s battles
so exciting — and often leads to creative prob-
lem solving. Enemy Within adds more troop
customization options, fearsome enemy units,
and new levels to explore. Anyone who loves
an intense firefight should test their mettle on
Enemy Within. » Ben Reeves
2K Games could not provide us with pre-release console
versions of Enemy Within. This review pertains only to the PC
version, which requires XCOM: Enemy Unknown. On PS3 and
Xbox 360, Enemy Within is a standalone product; owning
last year's game is not required.
» Concept
Add new enemies, a new
Class, and a variety of new
ways to combat the alien
threat in this expansion to
last year's hit strategy title
» Graphics
XCOM is far from the best-
looking game on the market,
but the detailed environments
and cinematic camera pull
you into the action
» Sound
Your soldiers now speak in
their native language, which
helps believability. The music
also gets your blood pumping
before each battle
» Playability
Firaxis hasn't fixed the line-
of-sight issues, but XCOM
remains a highly polished
and supremely balanced
strategy game
» Entertainment
Enemy Within isn't easy, but
its complex strategy and clever
enemy AI provide a highly
rewarding experience
» Replay Value
High
reviews 91
The simple environments and
3D models don’t detract from
the experience in the slightest
Kevan Brighting’s step-by-
step narration sells the many
jokes and secrets
Playability
The controls are basic, but
provide everything you
need to explore the
branching narrative
» Entertainment
I was constantly surprised and
entertained by The Stanley
Parable's numerous endings
and humorous twists
reviews 92
The stanley Parable
A pleasing web of possibilities
Style 1-Player Adventure Publisher Galactic Cafe Developer Galactic Cafe Release October 17 Rating NR
8.5 "mr
Create an amusing interactive
experience that plays with
your preconceptions of game
design, player choice,
riginally released as a Half-Life 2 mod
back in 2011, The Stanley Parable is
best described as an experiment in
interactive storytelling. Through the simplest
of first-person control schemes, players
respond to a variety of choices laid out before
them by a disembodied, all-knowing narrator.
While your interaction with the world doesn’t
evolve beyond wandering around an empty
office opening doors and pushing buttons,
the clever scenarios and amusing narration
entertain for dozens of playthroughs.
You play as the titular Stanley, a white-collar
button-pusher who finds himself mysteriously
alone in his office one day. As you investigate
the building, the narrator shepherds you from
room to room, describing your actions before
you actually take them. Whether you follow
his guidance or stumble off the beaten path is
your choice, but each playthrough only takes
a few minutes, and no matter what ending
you come to, the story restarts. The result is
a Groundhog’s Day-like loop of you making
your way through the changing office build-
ing, employing different choices to obtain dif-
ferent outcomes.
Much of the enjoyment comes from your
interactions with The Stanley Parable’s
wry narrator, voiced by British actor Kevan
Brighting. Every choice you’re presented with
offers a new opportunity to obey or defy your
handler, who responds in unpredictable and
amusing ways. Go through the wrong door-
way, and he may give you the benefit of the
doubt, bending the story to accommodate
your errant action. Continually disregard his
directions and he may call you out in an angry
THE
NLEY PARI
diatribe or magically alter the environment
to force you into following his lead. As you
challenge the narrator's expectations, the
game challenges your own, dropping you into
odd situations that defy the lessons you’ve
learned from countless games, with hallways
that double back on themselves, buttons
that do nothing, and no-win scenarios you’re
simply meant to experience, not solve.
Galactic Cafe's creativity keeps the basic
gameplay interesting. Each narrative twist
and humorous soliloquy inspired me to test
every branching path in hopes of uncovering
new endings, of which there are many. Some
are throwaway gags that made me chuckle
(I never thought standing in a broom closet
could be so amusing). Other times, the nar-
rator’s musings made me stop and think. The
developer isn’t afraid to break the fourth wall,
questioning traditional game design, the value
of player choice, and many other conventions
we don’t think twice about.
The Stanley Parable is built upon a single,
simple premise, and only offers a few hours
of entertainment. That said, those few hours
were unlike any I’ve experienced playing
games before. If you’re a fan of experimental
indie projects or just in the mood for a fun
detour from your typical gaming adventure,
look no further. » Jeff Marchiafava >
The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
ra
Everything a fan could hope for
*
Run
Style 1-Player Action / Adventure Publisher Nintendo Developer Nintendo Release November 22 Rating E
hen Nintendo announced that it was
W returning to A Link to the Past's ver-
sion of Hyrule for A Link Between
Worlds, | expected a nice, nostalgic homage
to the SNES classic. | didn’t think it would
blow me away. | was wrong. This isn’t just a
tribute; as amazing as A Link to the Past is, |
can't think of a single thing A Link Between
Worids doesn't do better.
Series traditions are back and better than
ever, but | was surprised at Nintendo’s will-
ingness to shake up formulas that have been
in place for years. Early in the game, a rabbit-
like creature called Ravio invades Link's
home and sets up a shop inside. There, Link
pays a small fee to rent any item he wishes,
including series standbys like the bow, boo-
merang, hammer, and hookshot. These items
operate on a regenerating meter, so the days
of harvesting arrows and bombs are over.
While A Link to the Past featured cool items
like the fire rod, | rarely used them because
they depleted my magic meter. With the
regeneration, you're now free to use any item
as much as you want.
If you've rented any items, Ravio takes them
all back when you die. Later on, you’re given
the option to permanently purchase these
items for a higher price. This system breaks
from tradition in a major way, as Link’s item
screen can be loaded up early on. Some
Zelda purists may cry foul at such a major
shift in formula, but | loved it. After spending
hundreds of rupees to rent items, it becomes
genuinely scary when you're about to fall
in battle. Considering that most items are
available at any time, | was impressed that
the various heart pieces and collectibles still
require plenty of thought to obtain.
items aren't the only part of the old formula
that’s been changed. Maps are a thing of
the past, as the dungeon layouts are visible
from the moment you step in the front door. If
you’re afraid that this dumbs down the expe-
rience or makes it simpler, don’t be. These
numerous dungeons are filled with devious
traps and incredibly clever puzzles, many of
which make great use of the mechanic that
allows Link to turn into a 2D drawing and walk
along walls. I'd stare at a puzzle and deem it
impossible to solve, only to remember Link’s
new ability and use it to find an alternate path
through an area. Unlike a specific item or
weapon being used in obvious places (shoot-
ing an eye switch with an arrow, for example),
this is an ability that forces you to look at
things differently throughout the entire game.
Dungeons are so well-designed that even a
dreaded water temple is a ton of fun to play
through. As if some of the best dungeons in
Zelda history weren’t enough, they typically
end with some of the best bosses Link has
ever encountered. Since the special items are
always available and are no longer regulated
by a finite meter, you are free to experiment
with different methods of attack. Some of
these baddies are returning foes from A Link
to the Past, but many are brand new. To top
off the experience, the quest ends with a suit-
ably challenging and unique final boss fight.
In another break from tradition, players are
given more choice when it comes to what
order they want to tackle the dungeons in. No
number system is in place to tell you where to
go next, and no characters try to push you in
any particular direction. It’s freeing to simply
wander the map and explore new areas and
dungeons at your leisure. When one boss was
giving me a particularly hard time, | was able
to leave, gain some more heart containers by
defeating other dungeons, and then return
stronger to defeat it.
The connection to the past is always
obvious, from the fantastic new versions of
jombs and arrows are ove:
classic tunes to the returning sound effects.
Even though Hyrule is laid out in the same
general manner as A Link to the Past, Link
Between Worlds is not just a copy-paste
job. Smart tweaks have been made to aid
exploration. Fast travel opens up early on,
and occasional caves or breaks in treelines
make it easier to reach areas that previously
required more legwork.
Zelda may be one of my favorite series,
but | admit its faults when they’re pres-
ent. However, | wouldn’t change anything
about this game. The new item system is a
welcome change of pace. The lifted restric-
tions on dungeon order offers a great sense
of freedom. The dungeons and boss battles
are all excellent. The presentation is stellar,
with gorgeous, vivid visuals, and one of the
best soundtracks in gaming. | want to let the
experience roll around in my brain for a while
before | decide where it ranks among the best
entries in the franchise, but | can say with
confidence that it should be spoken in the
same breath as A Link to the Past. In every
way, A Link Between Worlds is exactly what
you want out of a Zelda game. » Dan Ryckert
Two aspects of A Link Between Worlds were unavailable for
our pre-release review: StreetPass multiplayer and the hint
ghost system. Multiplayer involves a deathmatch-style multi-
player mode that allows other players (playing as Shadow
Links) to inhabit your world with a selection of weapons. The
hint ghost system allows players to pay ghosts in 3DS Play
Coins in exchange for tips.
Concept
Return to the world of a
classic and improve upon it
„Graphics
The vivid color palette feels
true to A Link to the Past, and
the world looks great
» Sound
New versions of classic tunes
are much improved, and
numerous new tracks
shine as well
% Playability
Dungeons are filled with
clever puzzles, the overworld
offers tons of exploration, and
the boss fights are intense
» Entertainment
Without a doubt, this is
among the best Zelda games
» Replay Value
High
reviews 93
8.75
3DS
» Concept
Build a more attractive
version of the standard
Pokémon game, with
a number of changes
both big and small
» Graphics
Seeing the world and
creatures in rich new detail
makes the universe all that
much easier to get lost in.
Character and Pokémon
animation are excellent,
especially during battle
„» Sound
Remixed and new music
offers some hum-worthy
tunes, but you won't be
missing out on an important
part of the game by playing
with the sound off
* ability
The ability to finally move
diagonally makes your
trainer far more comfortable
to control. It finally feels like
you are moving a person
instead of chess piece. Menu
navigation and battling
remains largely unchanged
Entertainment
I haven't had this much fun
with a Pokćmon game since
I explored the Johto region in
Pokémon Gold and Silver
» Replay
Value
High
regards, but there are a few
things that separate the
two and will influence your
purchasing decision. As is
the case with almost every
Pokémon release, there is a
different legendary Pokémon
exclusive to each version.
The other big distinction is
the types of Mega Evolutions
for Charizard and Mewtwo.
Those Pokémon have differ-
ent Mega Evolution forms in
each game, and it's up to you
to decide which one you find
the most aesthetically pleas-
ing. There are other minor
differences between the two,
but Nintendo is keeping them
a secret.
94 reviews
© SILVER
Pokemon X & Y
Style 1-Player Role-Playing (4-Player Online) Publisher Nintendo Developer Game Freak Release October 12 Rating E
ry okémon hasn't made a concerted effort
to step outside of its comfort zone ever
| since it first released in Japan in 1996 —
and for good reason. It found its hook nearly
20 years ago and has held on firm for better
and worse. In this way, changing things
in Pokémon presents a certain degree of
uncomfortable risk. X 8 Y offer no significant
changes in direction to the Pokémon series,
but this is the most drastic step the series has
ever taken.
Pokémon X 8 Y looks far different from
previous Pokémon games. Pokémon are no
longer restricted to 2D sprites, and participate
in combat as fully modeled creatures. Instead
of making a couple of two-dimensional
images butt heads, you now see creatures
with their own idle animations and combat
moves come to life on screen. It may be a
cliché to say they, “come to life,” but the new
models make a difference. The Pokémon
now feel more real than they ever have. The
polygonal models also allow the camera to
move around the combat arena making every
battle more engrossing.
The world itself also benefits from the
new dimension. This isn’t the first time
we've walked around in a modeled, non-flat
Pokémon world, but this is the first time that
—
the full game has been presented this way. As
a result, the world feels more fluid, consistent,
and explorable.
The path through the game and its inter-
connected cities and towns is more rigid in
X & Y, with fewer branches and opportunities
to get lost. Pokémon fans who love exploring
dense maze-like regions are going to be dis-
appointed by the lack of opportunities to veer
off the beaten path, but it helps the pacing
tremendously. It also makes the world more
inviting to new players and those who have
stepped away for a few years and are inter-
ested in returning.
Despite the smartly implemented world
constrictions, walking around and track-
ing down wild Pokémon in the tall grass is
still exciting. That exciting feeling of coming
across a brand-new Pokémon you’ve never
seen before, or finally catching that one that
has been eluding you still comes through, and
is aided by the new look. And watching them
evolve into new forms continues to be the ulti-
mate reward for leveling your team.
Many familiar pocket monsters return in
X & Y, which is exciting as you get to see
them in their new 3D models. Some of the
new Pokémon are laughably bad, like Kefki,
who is literally a ring of keys. However, the
new Pokémon who are meant to be cute (like
Bunnelby) are exactly that, and the cool and
ferocious Pokémon like (Tyrantrum) are worth
adding to your team. Even the bad ones are
fun to discover and show off.
Mega Evolutions are one of Pokémon X & Y’s
most publicized new features, and while
they are cool, they don’t drastically change
combat. Once you find the appropriate item
and attach it to the appropriate Pokémon,
mega evolving can be performed during
battle, and does not eliminate a turn. It’s a
free move to make your fighter stronger, and
seeing the additional evolutions are exciting.
The one downside to the Mega Evolutions is
the necessity of sitting through their anima-
tions each time you use them — which is often.
Pokémon X & Y does not break the mold
of what we expect when we play a Pokémon
game. It goes down the check list of impor-
tant Pokémon features, neatly ticking them
off one by one. It still feels like a Pokémon
game, but the ease of player control, the
updated art direction, 3D graphics, and the
scaling of the world make everything more
inviting, attractive, and fun. It’s a great start-
ing point for new trainers, and a worthwhile
continuing adventure for those who know
what to expect. » Kyle Hilliard
Phoenix Wright: Ace
Attorney — Dual Destinies |
Phoenix Wright fights to stay alive in the courtroom
Style 1-Player Adventure Publisher Capcom
Developer Capcom Release October 24 Rating M
t's true; the latest Ace Attorney is only available via
download in the Nintendo eShop. Just because
Capcom is scared to lose money on physical copies
doesn't mean you should let Phoenix Wright's return
pass you by.
In Dual Destinies, you can’t help but notice the new
presentation. Familiar locations like the courthouse and
detention center have received a facelift (don't worry,
the guards haven't moved a muscle), and the characters
all still look hand drawn while performing more com-
plicated motions than were remotely possible before.
The classic, zany tone is spot-on, with a weirdo wit-
ness who refuses to leave a cardboard box and an
astronaut who pretends to suffocate when his oxygen
hose comes loose. Most of the fun is meeting this
rogues gallery of strange characters and villainous sus-
pects while keeping your fingers crossed for cameos
from your favorite Ace Attorney alumni.
Phoenix Wright returns to his lawyering job, sharing
the starring role with Apollo Justice and newcomer
Athena Cykes. Athena's new mood matrix device
senses subjects’ emotions during testimony, and it’s
up to you to pick out what doesn’t match (like some-
one being happy when a bomb goes off). It doesn’t
reinvent the wheel, but it and classics like the Psyche-
Lock are sprinkled in to shake up the standard press-
statement-and-present-evidence loop.
Investigations get a boost via new 3D crime scenes
in which you can rotate all around the room. This
adds more interesting options to what the developers
can do and makes the environments fee! more like a
real place instead of an interactive painting. It’s also
easy to get directly where you need to go as opposed
to the old convoluted travel system. A new task list
highlights what you need to do to progress. | never
felt lost, which was relatively common in past games.
Conversations are all saved in a log that you can
access any time. It’s nice to be able to double-check
your facts, though sometimes text boxes show up
empty in the occasional annoying glitch.
Cases all have their own charm and loopy resolutions
that you would never expect, and it still feels great to
nail a cocky suspect to the wall in court. Even though
the last two connected cases kept me glued to the
screen, I’m getting tired of the overall structure. Early
cases have small connections to the one big mystery,
which is connected to another big mystery from seven
years ago that happens to involve many of the charac-
ters. This reused device is the only element that hasn’t
received some kind of upgrade. For a series that’s
constantly struggling to grow beyond a cult audi-
ence, it needs to fire on all cylinders. » Bryan Vore
8
308
» Concept
Bring the courtroom drama
to life with fully animated
3D characters
*
The characters and back-
grounds look better than ever
» Sound
As usual, the soundtrack is
excellent. Drums and bass
in particular sound more
realistic and funky than
in previous titles
» Playability
Like most adventure games, the
simple inputs are not the focus
» Entertainment
The charm is still there, but
the reused story structure is
getting stale
» Replay Value
Moderately Low
Rated M For Murder
While this is the first Ace
Attorney to receive an M
rating from the ESRB, I didn’t
find it to be any gorier than
usual. I think the impressive
new cinematics may have |
pushed it over the edge with |
fulty animated murders and j
dripping blood.
Device 6
The next step in interactive fiction
© SILVER
Style 1-Player Puzzle Publisher Simogo Games
Developer Simogo Games Release October 17 Rating 12+
September 1946.
a recollection of how you got there. Your head
hurts. Judging from the view from a window,
you're in a tower. You head downstairs, open a door,
and turn. At least, that’s what your character, Anna,
is experiencing; for you, the player, things are just
as disorienting.
You see Anna’s story displayed on your screen in
text. You swipe down as you read, and see a small
graphic of a window inset into the text. As Anna sees
that she's in a tower and makes out a lighthouse,
you've scrolled the text down far enough for that
lighthouse to appear in the window frame. The words
stack like stairs as she begins her descent. When she
opens the door at the bottom and heads to the right,
the text turns as well - and you turn your iPad to keep
up. You never take direct control of Anna. Instead, you
swipe along branching paths of text, solving puzzles
and reading about her fate along the way.
Because each chapter is self-contained, you usually
have access to everything you need to complete each
one within a few minutes. Of course, that assumes
that you've been paying close attention. The puzzles
are stripped down as much as the visuals, usually
only requiring button presses between two options.
They’re no less satisfying than those with full visual
inventories, however, and my internal “Hell yeah!”
moments were just as loud as in any other puzzle-
heavy game.
Many of the recordings that you hear in the game
reminded me of those mysterious numbers stations
heard on shortwave radios. There are light touches
throughout, too. Anna leaves crunching footsteps
as players scroll, and sound effects seemed to have
been timed perfectly for when my eyes would hit the
appropriate moment. It’s a visually sparse experi-
ence, and the audio helps to fill in some of those
atmospheric gaps.
| wasn’t expecting to discover that one of my new
favorite point-and-click adventure games would
feature so little pointing and clicking, but that’s what
Device 6 has done. | felt more than a little silly rotating
my iPad around to read Anna along a new path, but
her story was worth it in the end. » Jeff Cork
Y ou awaken in a strange cylindrical room without
date, just like everything else in the room.
A calendar on the wall claimed that it was
She browsed the bookshelf. It was full of
books about chemistry, mechanics, physics
and mathematics. They were all out of
*
8.78
B r,
Solve the mystery of how
you got to a strange island
through a clever blend of
animated text, sound effects,
and puzzles
» Graphics
Words are your building
blocks, with little animated
videos and other visuals
serving as the mortar
» Sound
Effects are timed to ratchet
up the unsettling atmosphere,
and are used sparingly. Peppy
spy-movie music doesn’t
mask the creepiness
beneath it all
» Playability
There isn’t much here beyond
rotating your iPhone or iPad,
scrolling through text, and
solving puzzles. That doesn’t
make it any less riveting
» Entertainment
Device 6 is an adventure
game stripped down to its
essence, featuring some of the
most interesting puzzles I've
seen in a while. It’s Myst for
graphic design nerds
» Replay Value
Moderately Low
reviews 95
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Army of Two: The Devis Cartel 6.5 Jun-13 God of War: Ascension 8 May-13 Saints Row IV 85 Oct-13 Diablo ill 9.25 Oct-13 Payday 2 8.25 Oct-13
Beyond: Two Souls 7.75 Nov-13 Grand Theft Auto V 9.75 Nov-13 Splinter Cell: Błackiist 9 Oct-13 Disney Infinity 9 Oct-13 Phantom Breaker:
BioShock Infinite 10 May-13 Gnd 2 8.25 Jul-13 Star Trek 5.75 413 Dollar Dash 6 May-13 Battle Grounds 8 May-13
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons 8 Oct is Su eee g Jun-13 Tales of Xllia 8.25 Sep-13 Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen 8.5 Jun-13 Poker Night 2 6 _ Jul-13
Bureau: fbb 8 Obb 7 Oct-13 Tenaria 8 Jun-i3 DuckTales: Remastered 8 Oct-13 P Evolution Soccer 2014 8.25 Nov-13
XCOM Deciassified, The 7.5 Oct-13 injustice: Gods Among Us 9 Jun-13 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 8.5 May-i3 Dungeons & Dragons: Rayman Legends 9 Oct-13
Castle of Busion 7.5 Oct-13 Killer ls Dead 6 Oct-i3 om Racer 9.25 Apri3 Chronicies of Mystara 7.75 Aug-13 Remember Me 7.75 Jul-13
Crysis 3 85 Apr-13 Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix 8.25 Oct-13 Walking Dead: 400 Days, The 8 Sep-13 Dynasty Warriors 8 6 Sep-13 Resident Evil: Revelations 8.75 Jun-13
Dead Island Riptide 8 Jun-13 Last of Us, The 9.5 Aug-13 WRC 3 FIA Word Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon 8.5 Jun-13 Ride to Hell: Retribution 2 Sep-13
Deadly Premonition: Lost Planet 3 6 Oct-13 Ralły Championship 7.75 Jun-13 FIFA 14 8.75 Nov-13 Saints Row IV 8.5 Oct-13
Directors Cut 7.75 Jun-13 Madden NFL 25 7.75 Oct-13 Flashback 3 Nov-13 Sanctum 2 8.5 Jul-13
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Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness 7.5 Nov-13 Metro: Last Light 8.5 is army of Two: The Devi'sCartel 65 Jun-13 Gen AutoV 9.75 Nov-13 State of Decay 7 Aug-13
Disney infinity 9 Octis M 13: The Show 8.75 May-13 BattleBlock Theater g fs Gńid2 8.25 Jul-13 — Teraria 8 _ Jun-13
Divekick 6.5 Nov-13 MLB 23 4 May-13 BioShock Infinite 10 May-13 Injustice: Gods Among Us 9 Jun-138 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 8.5 May-13
Do Not Fal 6 Oct-13 NCAA Football 14 7.75 Aug-13 Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons 8 Oct-13 Killer is Dead 6 Oct-13 TMNT: Out of the Shadows 2 Nov-13
Dragons Crown 8 Sep13 NHL14 7.75 Oct-13 Bureau: Lost Planet 3 6 Oct-13 Tomb Raider 9.25 Apr-13
Dragons Dogma: Dark Arsen 85 Jun-13 Payday 2 8.25 Oct-13 XCOM Declassified, The 7.5 Oct-13 Madden NFL 25 7.75 Oct-13 Walking Dead:
DuckTales: Remastered 8 Oct-13 Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 8.25 Nov-13 Castle of illusion 7.5 Oct-43 Magic: The Gathering — Duels Survival Instincts, The 5 Jun-13
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Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon 85 Jun-13 Remember Me 775 Jul-13 Dark 2 Sep-13 Monaco 8.75 Jun-13 Disney Infinity 9 Oct-13
FIFA 14 8.75 Nov-13 Resident Evil: Revelations 8.75 Jun-13 Dead Island Riptide 8 Jun-13 NCAA Football 14 7.75 Aug-13 DuckTales: Remastered 8 Oct-13
8
Platform Wii U Release October 25 Rating E Ralanre Of The + CE
Like taking your kid to an amusement park or going ale
on a cruise, Wii Party U is more fun in theory than in zB i
practice. As the name suggests, this is a 50/50 mix of Zen Studios’ second Star Wars table pack doesn t have
Wii Sports and Mario Party, and is just as simplistic the.same punch as its inaugural swing at George
and slight as you'd expect. Even an interesting mode Lucas’ beloved sci-fi franchise, but that won't stop
that uses the GamePad for 1 yo pipa action pinball fans from getting piny o + Siok rials out of the
falls flat. — Matt Helge new offerings. — archiafava
Platform PS3 - 360 Release October 15 (PS3), October 16 (360) Rating E
2.5 | Etian Odyssey Untold: i 2 | Rune Factory 4 1.25
‘he | Platform 3DS Release October 1 Rating E10+ Platform PS3 . 360 Release October 8 Rating E
At times, I couldn't put Rune Sometimes during a race you Te
. A Factory 4 down. At others I found simply conserving your fuel and
Millennium Girl has plenty of smail myself disappointed, wanting tires, content where you are. F1
enhancements (and one big one) to more than small tweaks. The 2013 feels like it's in such a rut.
make 1 85 easier for players of all lackluster dungeons and bosses The game features a few new
skill levels, but the series could use and the hoops veterans have to go additions, but it feels like it's
some refinements to Koap the tedium through for many hours aren't fun. coasting on Codemasters’ laurels
at bay. erte: tac Kimberley Wallace too much. — Matthew Kato
Platform 3DS Release October 8 Rating T
Platform Vita Release October 25 Rating T Platform Wii U Release October 29 Rating E10+
When Blackgate is at its best exploration is slow-moving Imitation is the highest form of flattery, but
and tedious, yet you Te making progress. At its Worst, Sonic s mimicry of Super Mario Galaxy's planet-
trekking through Blackgate is a punishing process of hopping formula is an embarrassment. Lost World
backtracking to find a needle in a haystack. It rarely delivers is a confused mash-up of finicky platforming,
moments that live up to the legacy of this „ or the aggravating level design, and some of the most
Metroidvania style of games. — Andrew Reine aggressively annoying villains ever. — Tim Turi
96 the score Visit gameinformer.com/mag for the full reviews
New Super Luigi U
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Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons 8 Oct-13
Card Hunter 8.25 Nov-13
Castle of fusion 75 Oct-13
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Company of Heroes 2 8 Aug-13
Dead island Riptide 8 Jun-13
Divekick 65 Nov-13
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DuckTales: Remastered 8 Oct-13
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Animal Crossing: New Leaf 85 Aug-13
Dillon's Rolling Western:
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98
by Ben Reeves
hen he joined the company
back in the early ‘80s,
Howard Phillips was the
sixth person on Nintendo
of America's payroll.
Even though Nintendo’s U.S. branch was
moving large quantities of valuable product,
the corporation functioned more like a start-up than a multi-million dollar
entertainment company. Phillips quickly became the warehouse manager, the
Fun Club president, and Nintendo’s public face for gaming shows and public
interviews. In 1982 and 83, he processed over 150 shipping containers a week,
making him the largest shipper in the port of Seattle — beating out even Boeing,
the aerospace and defense giant. We asked Phillips to share some of his most
memorable stories from working in Nintendo’s warehouse during that era. ©
003700 007650
NIGHT KONG
“We did repairs on the arcade cabinets that
Nintendo sold,” Phillips says. “One time, one
of the Donkey Kong cabinets had a short that
caused the magenta-colored girders in the
game to disappear, so it looked like Mario was
walking on air. We'd all played Donkey Kong so
many times that we had the level memorized,
so we would challenge each other to see how
far we could get based on our memory of the
levels. We called it Night Kong. Mr. Arakawa
[Nintendo of America’s president] came by
and saw what we were doing, and he told the
Japan team how excited we were about the
disappearing backgrounds.
“A few months later, Miyamoto sent over
Mario Bros. [the original arcade cabinet, which
had Mario and Luigi exterminating turtles in the
sewers by flipping them on their backs and then
kicking them — Ed.]. We discovered that on the
higher levels of Mario Bros., the backgrounds
would drop out and you'd have to play them by
memory. That was the start of Nintendo of Japan
listening to the U.S. team for influence on the
development of their games.”
BABIES EAT BATTERIES
“On the back of Game 8 Watch was a little tab
you could slide off and then put in these little bat-
teries. Well, someone higher up had decided that
babies were going to eat those batteries. | had
just counted that we had 120,000 Game & Watch
devices in our warehouse when Mr. Arakawa told
me, ‘We need to put baby-don’t-eat-the-battery
dots on the back of each one.’ So we had to take
every single Game & Watch we had, unpackage
them all, and place these little orange stickers
over the battery case to prevent babies from slid-
ing open the system and eating the batteries.”
DIRTY CONNECTORS,
DIRTY MINDS
“The connectors for the NES would sometimes
cause missing or corrupt data if they were dirty.
In 1989, we released an official NES Cleaning
Kit to help users clean malfunctioning cartridges
and consoles, but this was really a response to
a phone call we got from a mom who had called
Nintendo’s Game Counselor hotline about her
son’s Duck Hunt game. She had walked by and
seen her child playing Duck Hunt, but the title
screen didn't say ‘Duck,’ and it didn't say ‘Hunt.’
I'll let you use your imagination, but let's say they
were words that a mother wouldn’t be happy
about. We ran back to the testing room and
tried messing with the connectors to the NES,
and sure enough we were able to reproduce the
problem, but the game had already shipped, so
there wasn't much we could do about it.”
KNITTING WITH POWER
“One day, we got a box from Japan, and when
we opened it up there was this big white knit-
ting machine that could hook up to an NES. |
was surprised, because we had a lot of cool
games coming out at that point, but here was
this strange knitting machine. | went to Mr.
Arakawa and said, ‘There is this big knitting
machine in the warehouse.’ He said, Ves, you
need to give a demonstration, because the head
of Toys “R” Us is coming in tomorrow.’ | had to
learn how to use this knitting machine overnight,
which was just awful. The NES would display a
map on the TV of how the strings should be laid
out, and then you’d string up the device, push
go, and the loom would motor over. Then you'd
have to adjust the strings again and do it all over
again. It was horribly boring. | guess Toys “R” Us
wasn't interested, because that thing never really
went anywhere.”
MYSTERY BOXES
“Every day | would get new boxes from Japan,
but the bill of lading would be in Japanese and it
would just say ‘Toys and Games’ on the outside.
It was always like Christmas because | never
knew what | was going to get until | opened it.
“One day, in the summer of 1983, the Famicom
Japan's version of the NES] showed up. It was
really ugly, but it was really cool, because it could
play Donkey Kong dead on to what was in the
arcade. This was impressive, because back then
arcade games were so much more powerful than
what we could do on home machines. | said,
‘Holy cow! This thing is great!’ and | told Mr.
Arakawa, ‘We've got to release this because it's
going to be the next big thing!’ But he said, ‘No,
the market’s not ready for it,’ because retailers
were so worried about getting shipped another
E.T. — another game that would sit on shelves
and not sell. So we stuck with the arcade busi-
ness, and Nintendo didn’t release the NES in
America for another two years.”
=” n
BLASTER MASTER
“We were constantly testing all the games to see
what was good and what shouldn't be released
here in the states. One day, the game Blaster
Master showed up. It had already come out in
Japan, but it was waiting for approval for U.S.
release. So, I'm playing the game, and I get to
the end boss, and | notice that he's, let's say,
well endowed — below-his-knees well endowed.
| made a tape and took it to our legal depart-
ment and asked them to look at it because
maybe it was supposed to be a tail or some-
thing. Imediately they said, ‘That’s a penis.’ So
we faxed Sunsoft, the developer, and when they
resubmitted the game, the extra limb had been
lopped off. Maybe that’s why he was so angry.”
classic 99
he most successful Pokémon trainers have encyclopedic knowledge of Pokémon. They can tell you
which elemental types have the best success in specific situations. They know the percentages tied
to Pokémon appearances in specific zones. They even know how to make 90-degree turns on bikes.
The easiest test for them is identifying a Pokémon. This test will determine if you have what it takes to be a
great trainer. Match the images with the names to see how you rank!
Score & Rank
0
Magikarp
Salesman
1-3
Bug Catcher
Wade
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11. Raikou
12. Slurpuff
13. Snubbull
14. Tornadus
15. Venusaur
16. Xerneas
11-13
Dragon Trainer
Lance
Red
Arceus
Answers: 1-K, 2-J, 3-F, 4-O, 5-1, 6-M, 7-E, 8-1, 9-C, 10-B, 11-D, 12-H, 13-G, 14-P, 15-A, 16-N
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