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OCULUS
RIFT
LAUNCH
SPECIAL

HIGHLIGHTS
PARAGON ■ TOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER ■ FAR CRY PRIMAL ■ YO-KAI WATCH
DYING LIGHT: THE FOLLOWING ■ FIREWATCH ■ NUCLEAR THRONE ■ UNRAVEL
ISSUE 172 PROJECT X ZONE 2 ■ PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE 2 ■ PONY ISLAND
I guess it must have been around 2009 when
I first met the Hello Games team. All four of
them showed up on our doorstep to demo their
first creation as an indie studio: Joe Danger.
It was fully playable, but still many months
away from getting a release. In fact, as I recall,
it didn’t even have a confirmed platform. And
so we sat and played and chatted about this
wonderful little game they had created as the
first step towards shaking off the shackles of
triple-A development.
I don’t bring this up to reflect on the good
old days when developers were knocking
on our door and we could speak directly to
the creators without interference from press
officers and producers. Those days are even
further back, largely before I even started
writing about games. No, that was as unique
an experience then as it would be now and it
spoke to the openness and earnestness of this
team that they wanted to demo Joe Danger in
person and together.
Seven years later and about a dozen staff
larger, that spirit of openness and shared
responsibility as well as credit pervades in
their Guildford office. No Man’s Sky is bigger
and more sprawling than their stuntman
creation, but it’s no less personal and I think
that might be the secret ingredient that makes
it so special.

Jonathan Gordon
EDITOR

3
 Contents
www.gamestm.co.uk 172 | 16

PREVIEWS FAVOURITES FEATURES

16 Why I Love…Mario Kart 32 One Giant Leap
18 Paragon Luke Crane, Head Of Games, Kickstarter Hello Games reveals to us the hidden worlds of
No Man’s Sky, talks about its future plans and
22 Styx: Shards Of 66 Why I Love…Ridge Racer guides us through a journey deep into this
Darkness Chris Roberts, senior designer, Three Fields extraordinary universe
Entertainment
24 Total War: Warhammer 42 Dark Souls III
26 Space Hulk: Deathwing 98 Why I Love… SSX 3 games™ speaks exclusively to Hidetaka Miyazaki
Fiona Sperry, founder, Three Fields Entertainment about how he’s redefined hardcore gaming with
28 Teenage Mutant Ninja the Souls series as we offer our final verdict on the
Turtles: Mutants 126 The Vault latest sequel
games™ sifts through the myriad accessories and
In Manhattan add-ons the industry offers so you don’t have to. We 48 Persuasive Tactics
30 Showcase bring you board games, tech, and more Are we in the middle of a strategy renaissance? We
speak to the makers of XCOM 2, Wasteland 2, and
more to find out what keeps the genre so popular

54 15 Ways Doom Is Making

Hell Fun Again
Find out how the fantastic features and advances
of id’s latest shooter are making it relevant again

58 The VR Future Is Now

72 As Oculus Rift lands, we break down the hardware,
Far Cry Primal discuss the impact of the technology and look at
what it’s all going to cost

REVIEWS
26 72 Far Cry Primal
Space Hulk: Deathwing
76 Dying Light:
DISCUSS The Following
78 Firewatch 54
08 The gaming horizon Doom
takes shape 80 Unravel
As Destiny, Mass Effect and Assassin’s Creed set
up their plans for sequels we look at what we can
expect from the late 2016 slate of titles
82 Plants Vs Zombies:
Garden Warfare 2
RETRO
102 The Retro Guide
09 Reader Reaction 84 Layers Of Fear To Star Wars
Your thoughts on the big news regarding Watch
Dogs, Creed and more
86 Nuclear Throne The Lucas-made world has been as impactful in
gaming as it has been on the silver screen. We
87 Assassin’s Creed look back over some of the essential interactive
12 Remembering Lionhead experiences it’s offered
We reflect on the closure of one of the UK’s most Chronicles: Russia
celebrated and well-known studios
88 Project X Zone 2 112 Behind The Scenes:
14 Kongetsu Shadow Man
90 The Flame In The Flood From comic book to dark adventure, this
Our man with his eyes on Japan gives us the latest
innovative action experience was formative for
intel on all things in the East 91 Pony Island many. We chat with the team to find out how it
92 Oxenfree was made

94 KLAUS 118 Retro Interview:

94 Tharsis Chris Sawyer
As the originator of the Tycoon series, Sawyer’s
95 Naruto Shippuden: influence on the industry is deep and broad. We find
out how he made his way in the business
Ultimate Ninja Storm 4
95 Fortified 122 Game Changers: Quake
We celebrate one of the innovators of 3D FPS
96 The Town Of Light gaming; Quake’s rules and systems would be
mimicked for years to come

6
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32 Feature

NO MAN’S SKY We explore the universe, trade with aliens

and battle space pirates with Hello Games

7
Discuss NEWS
INDUSTRY GOSSIP
OPINION
YOUR VIEWS

LOOKING AHEAD

The blockbusters start lining up

Here’s what to expect from the biggest franchises over the next 13 months
As the sun set on 2015, it means 2016 is already packed with the servers, game-breaking bugs and litany of
was easy enough for us likes of The Division, Deus Ex: Mankind annoying glitches, how about you?
S to take a step back and Divided, Gears Of War 4, and yes, (finally) Ubisoft has made a huge statement
declare it a banner year Uncharted 4 – it’s likely to be another of intent for the fiscal year: promising the
for the current generation – the year incredible year, basically. In spite of all of successful launches of Far Cry Primal, For
open worlds expanded, storytelling this though, there were still a handful of Honor, Ghost Recon Wildlands and South
evolved and, in many respects, gaming big industry mainstays that were MIA. The Park: The Fractured But Whole before 31
grew up. But through all of the good financial reports have changed all of that, March 2017. Considering Ubi’s track record,
gaming times, fond memories shared, and the news is likely to leave a lot of you that’s already looking pretty packed, but
and accolades awarded across the winter caught between sadness and hope. it still went ahead and confirmed that an
months, it’s also worth remembering that Sadness, that many of your favourite all-new ‘high-potential, triple-A’ IP was in
it too was a year peppered with small, but franchises will not be returning in the next development, as is Watch Dogs 2.
regular disappointments. 13 months – hell, even sadness that some Little is known about the new IP,
Because for every release with the of your least favourites will be returning. aside from Ubisoft CFO Alain Martinez
impact of The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, Metal Hope, that this will finally give publishers commenting that it would have “strong
Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and and developers alike enough time to digital live service offer,” which could
Life Is Strange, there seemed to be an get their act together. We know we’ve literally mean anything at this stage –
accompanying, heartbreaking, delay. That had enough of the broken launch day because we all love Uplay, right? Watch

DATA STREAM WARREN SPECTOR HAS JOINED THE DEVELOPER OF SYSTEM SHOCK 3 AS DIRECTOR

8
 For daily news
updates and
Your guide to the essential stories exclusive interviews
Contents
facebook.com/gamesTM
10 DEEPER INTO THE
2016 LINEUP
Which other games are getting
12 THE HIGHS AND LOWS
OF LIONHEAD
One of the UK’s most celebrated
14 KONGETSU
Our Japanese gaming expert
takes a closer look at Nintendo’s @gamesTMmag
themselves into position for later studios is being closed by latest plans for the 3DS and Wii U
in the year? Microsoft. We reflect on its history for 2016 and beyond www.gamestm.co.uk

Reader Reaction
Your reaction to the sequel
announcements

Watch Dogs
2 is in
development,
how does that
make you feel?

Inset Following the disastrous launch of

Assassin's Creed: Unity and the disappointing ■ Excited to see it
reception of Syndicate, Assassin's Creed will
finally be taking a year off. ■ Pretty upset ■ Don’t care

Are you happy

Assassin’s
Creed is taking
a year off?

■ Too little, too late

■ No, I’ll miss it ■ Absolutely

Respawn
is reportedly putting a
Dogs 2 is a surprise announcement Above The rumours game in 2016,” read an official statement, huge focus on single-
leaking out of Ubisoft
though, especially as its debut wasn’t have pointed towards as jaws dropped from Abstergo to Reddit. player for Titanfall 2,
exactly the huge success everybody Watch Dogs shifting
from Chicago to San
“Since the release of Assassin’s Creed but is it a necessary
was expecting it to be. But Ubisoft needs Unity, we’ve learned a lot based on
Francisco for the addition?
something to fill a gap in the market, a sequel, expected to your feedback. We’ve also updated our
large void that hasn’t existed since 2008 launch winter 2016. development processes and recommitted
– there will be no major Assassin’s Creed to making Assassin’s Creed a premier
title this year. open-world franchise," the statement
“This year, we also are stepping back continued. "We’re taking this year to
and re-examining the Assassin’s Creed evolve the game mechanics and to make ■ Mildly Interested
franchise. As a result, we’ve decided that sure we’re delivering on the promise of ■ Unnecessary ■ Excited to play it!
there will not be a new Assassin’s Creed Assassin’s Creed offering unique and

HTC VIVE PREORDERS BROKE THROUGH 15,000 UNITS ONLY TEN MINUTES AFTER GOING ON SALE

9
 Discuss

“stepWatch Dogs 2 will need to finally

up and prove it’s capable of Inset Bungie has a lot of work to do now
to restore faith in Destiny, following a
becoming a triple-A franchise
”
somewhat turbulent year; whether a full
sequel will be enough remains to be seen.

memorable gameplay experiences that too. Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst isn’t garnering
make history everyone’s playground.” the excitement EA may have expected,
While it looks like Ubisoft is finally while Mass Effect Andromeda is now
reacting to the backlash to Assassin’s looking at an early 2017 release. Activision
Creed Unity numerous performance isn’t fairing much better, with Titanfall
problems, it’s more likely that it is in fact 2 fears starting to mount, and fans are
reacting to the poor sales of last year’s beginning to revolt against Destiny; an act
Above Ubisoft hasn't
announced what it Syndicate. The London-based adventure of defiance that is in no way helped by the
is likely to do with underperformed on the shelves, falling news that a full sequel to Destiny won’t be
Assassin's Creed, but well short of publisher expectations and arriving any time soon.
we imagine it will take
the time to enhance the previous entries in the series. AC 2017 Bungie keeps promising that a “second,
gameplay mechanics likely won’t show up at E3, though rumours larger update [is] slated for spring,” though
and shift to a more have it placed in Ancient Egypt and set as a it’s nowhere in sight. A lack of regular
open-ended design.
prequel to the entire franchise – potentially communication continues to hamper
as the beginning of a new trilogy that also Destiny, as fans eagerly await a follow-up
spans Rome and Greece. In a year where to The Taken King to justify their hundreds
Michael Fassbender is leading an all-new – if not thousands – of hours spent. The
Assassin’s Creed movie, it’s shocking spring update will supposedly “feature a
to think Ubisoft isn’t looking to milk the significant Light increase, a bunch of new
proverbial cash cow – but that’s where a gear to earn and equip, and new challenges
Above You have to (rumoured) San Francisco bound Watch for PvE players seeking some more fun
wonder how much Inset It is likely
Ubisoft will need to Dogs 2 will need to step up and prove it’s experiences and replayability,” essentially Destiny fans will still
change to make Watch capable of becoming a triple-A franchise. setting the stage for a “large expansion see the release of a
Dogs live up to its major expansion in
While Ubisoft is struggling with its later in the year”. Whether that will be 2016, though Bungie
potential, the first
was a huge missed big hitters, EA and Activision are also enough to keep players interested ahead of is being unhelpfully
opportunity. struggling to sort their 2016 line-ups out a full sequel in 2017 remains to be seen. cagey as always.

DATA STREAM THE WRITER’S GUILD HAS GIVEN RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER AN AWARD FOR ITS SCRIPT

10
 DISCUSS | THE BLOCKBUSTERS START TO TAKE SHAPE

Below 2016 is going to be a great year, but it’s also exciting to see
2017 take shape with the likes of Titanfall 2, Destiny 2, Cyberpunk 2077
and the unnamed Visceral Star Wars games already on the horizon.

As for Titanfall 2, developer Respawn all-new memorable characters,” read

Entertainment maintains that production a press release, while pointing to a
is well underway, but with all signs release for the game before the end of
pointing to a multiplatform release and 2016. So long as the sequel maintains
an emphasis on single-player campaign, its high-intensity multiplayer action, we
we do wonder if the relatively small team can’t imagine we’ll be reacting poorly to
is biting off more than it can chew. Lead the introduction of a full single-player
writer Jesse Stern has already gone on campaign – it’s interesting to see that’s
record with Forbes, claiming that, with where the emphasis lies though, especially
Titanfall 2, Respawn is “doing [its] best with rumours circulating that a Titanfall TV
to deliver a vision of grand global series might move into active production in
colonial warfare retelling the story the near future.
of the American Revolution and the As it stands, if everything stays on
American Civil War in space,” while track, 2016 will be another banner year
insinuating that the sequel will for gaming. There are some gargantuan
“portray a world in which science titles on the horizon and room for a few
meets magic, but a world which surprises. All eyes will be on Watch Dogs
will still be ‘grounded, dirty, human 2, to see whether Ubisoft can turn it into
and real.’” the franchise it so desperately wants it to
Thanks to a leak from Todd be; on Titanfall 2, to see if Respawn can
McFarlane toys, of all places, the maintain success with its hit new IP; and on
emphasis on character and single-player Destiny, to see whether Bungie can finally
is again pointed to. “The hotly anticipated achieve a sustainable and fun experience.
Titanfall 2 will deliver the frantic action All we can say for certain is that 2016 is
fans have come to love, plus dramatically looking very strong, and there’s plenty
charged cinematic moments through to look forward to in 2017 too.

4 BILLION SESSIONS OF FALLOUT SHELTER HAVE BEEN PLAYED ON IOS AND ANDROID SAYS BETHESDA

11
 Discuss
LIONHEAD STUDIOS: 1996 - 2016

Every adventure has to come to an end

Looking back over 20 years of Lionhead, as Microsoft shuts down the famed British developer
fter much consideration
we have decided to
“A cease development on
Fable Legends, and are
in discussions with employees about
the proposed closure of Lionhead
Studios in the UK.” That statement
from Microsoft Studios Europe general
manager Hanno Lemke unceremoniously
marks the end of an era. Twenty years
after the studio first opened its doors –
and ten years after Microsoft acquired
it – Lionhead is no more. With the
future of the Fable franchise unclear,
all we can do now is thank the famed ■ Fable Anniversary only served to remind
British development studio for the good fans how much they enjoyed Lionhead’s RPG
memories and hope the 100+ staff that output, but sadly the studio wasn’t planning
were working away on Legends land on on producing such games anymore.
their feet soon enough.

The highs and lows of Lionhead

3 Fable Fable II
2
Black & White 2 Fable: Anniversary
Black & White Fable III
1
0 Fable Heroes
The Movies Milo & Kate Cancelled
-1 Unity Cancelled
-2 BC Cancelled Fable: The Journey
-3 Fable Legends Cancelled

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Disappearing act
These four other studios were also mysteriously removed from Microsoft
Studios’ official website on the day Lionhead and Press Play were shut down

The sad demise of Press Play

■ Buried by word that Lionhead would be closed, we
Big Park Function Studios Good Science SOTA also received the sad news that the studio behind Max:
Originally responsible for Described as an Responsible for working Started alongside many The Curse Of Brotherhood and Kalimba would see its
driving NFL integration “incubation team at on the original Kinect of the other studios doors shut after the release of two critically-acclaimed
with the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Studios under tech – as well as listed here, SOTA was Xbox exclusives. The small studio from Denmark was hard
Xbox One forward, the the Xbox division,” the likes of Kinect rumoured to be working on at work on Knoxville, a survival game due for release in
studio has seemingly Function was responsible Adventures, Fun Labs and innovative new Kinect titles
2016, though that too has been cancelled following the
been consolidated into for “[bringing] new Star Wars – Good Science for Xbox One alongside
the Microsoft Game technologies to the is heavily rumoured to Good Science, Function and internal shake-up. At the time of writing, Microsoft has yet
Studios machine as consumer as we did with be working on launch LXP – though the backlash to give a reason as to why the studio has closed, though
entertainment takes a the Kinect.” Now rumoured titles for the upcoming against Kinect seems to it seems likely that the poor sales of Kalimba could have
back seat to gaming. to be working on HoloLens. HoloLens tech. have ended it. been a big reason behind Microsoft’s move.

THE NEW MINECRAFT COMBAT UPDATE IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE SINCE MICROSOFT BOUGHT MOJANG

12
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 KONGETSU
Mario’s uncertain future

“couldn’t
A new dedicated handheld
hope to penetrate
the modern market
”

NX: Nintendo’s Dreamcast?

ith the 3DS reaching a plateau and Wii sense – by offering simplified versions of its classic

W U lucky to get even a bronze medal franchises on mobile, Nintendo isn’t eating into its Import Watch
out of this generation, it’s plain to own sales, rather those of its competitors.
see that Nintendo currently stands at
a crossroads with regards to its next hardware
The issue I’m struggling with right now, though,
is whether there’s even a place for that unification of Star Ocean: Integrity
release – one route leads to a Wii-style success
story, one to another generation of treading water
handheld and console gaming. After all, that fusion
was pretty much the entire design brief for Vita,
And Faithlessness
and the last... well, folks round these parts call an amazing platform but one likely to go down as
that one ‘Sega Road’. Nintendo wouldn’t nearly Sony’s worst-performing major gaming hardware ■ Look past the fact that it has one of the
be the first major player to exit the home hardware release (PSP Go doesn’t count). Like the Dreamcast, worst titles of any major release in the
market – Atari, SNK and Commodore all pulled out Nintendo’s next console is simply going to come along last decade and there’s hope to be found
here – the PS4 isn’t exactly swimming in
long before Dreamcast removed Sega from the at a horrible time – unless it has its own gimmick
quality JRPGs right now and the few we do
equation, but I’m fairly sure that’s not a situation that can draw the public eye away from the VR boom
have are remakes of the classics, meaning
Nintendo plans on dealing with. going on this years, can deliver hardware that trumps there’s a title shot waiting for any solid
The handheld market, however, is a different console front-runner Sony and is able to offer games entry that can beat FFXV, Ni No Kuni 2 and
matter, yet one that the Japanese giant seems to have with the value to make them preferable to Nintendo’s Persona 5 onto the shelves. Real-time combat
under control. Reports suggest that NX could be a own mobile output, it could be doomed from the (with character-switching), sprawling open
hybrid platform that brings together the best of home offset. And that’s no easy checklist right there. planets to explore and an inevitably ludicrous
and portable gaming, something that actually makes Of course, at this point we don’t even know spiralling sequence of narrative events
perfect sense when combined with its recent shift into what NX is, or when it might happen. But the fact should all conspire to make this one of the
best original JRPGs on the system… for a
mobile territory. A new dedicated handheld couldn’t remains that cutting edge hardware has never been
while, at least.
hope to penetrate a modern market where we’re Nintendo’s strong suit, while its last few shots at
drowning in smartphones and tablets, but a unified gimmicks have failed to recapture the magic of the
solution may yet be able to find its niche. DS or Wii. It’s not going to be easy, but if anyone can
The quality of Nintendo’s first-party output has do it...
been largely responsible for keep three of its last four
home consoles afloat (Wii didn’t need the help – it Luke Albigés is Editor of
already had a luxury liner built out of shovelware) and Play magazine and sincerely
while some will happily take a close alternative to the hopes Nintendo can find a
real deal if it means not buying a new console, that’s way to remain relevant in
where this mobile powerplay really starts to make the hardware business.

DRAGON’S DOGMA: DARK ARISEN IS CAPCOM’S FASTEST SELLING PC GAME EVER, ACCORDING TO THE PUBLISHER

14
Europe’s Number 1 Destination For

ANIME . GAMING . MANGA

www.ricedigital.co.uk
 “As far as local multiplayer
goes, it’s one of the best games”
LUKE CRANE, HEAD OF GAMES, KICKSTARTER
WHY I ...
MARIO KART
LUKE CRANE,
HEAD OF GAMES, KICKSTARTER

I love the weird versions

of Mario Kart. I’m talking
Double Dash and Mario Kart
Wii – you know, with those
wheel controllers – I really love
those wheels. We actually, in
fact, developed a joke because
using that Wii controller would
take a certain touch to get all
the subtlety out of them. We
were constantly complaining,
people who did not have that
touch, the ‘Oh, my controller is
broken’ crowd.
And so we started a letter
writing campaign: “Dear
Nintendo! I was playing Mario
Kart and…”, so every time
somebody would complain you’d
write them a letter to Nintendo.
I just love, love, love Mario Kart.
As far as local multiplayer goes
it’s one of the best games – track
design, character level design,
everything. Ah, I
could play it forever.
 PREVIEW | PARAGON | MULTI

Paragon
■ Epic turns its hand to the MOBA with two teams of five heroes battling in
classic three-lane valleys. Can it take on the established giants of the genre?

The first truly great console MOBA?

T INFORMATION
here’s a general misconception, differently. It’s a PvP game that puts five heroes
shared (and perhaps even accepted) against another five, with each team tasked
by gamers, publishers and eSport with marching across a three-lane battlefield Details
enthusiasts alike, that the MOBA isn’t alongside minions in an attempt to destroy Format:
designed to thrive on console. That isn’t to towers, inhibiters and, ultimately, an enemy PS4, PC
Origin:
say it hasn’t been attempted before, or even that base. There’s a jungle to navigate and 13 heroes USA
some titles haven’t found a moderate amount to choose between, each offering a unique Publisher:
of success in doing so – Monday Night Combat set of abilities and Ultimates. A single match Epic Games
Developer:
and Guardians Of Middle Earth were fine can last anywhere between 25 minutes and In-House
examples from the last generation, while Smite upwards of an hour, depending on the skill level Release:
Q1 2016
continues to steadily hold ground on Xbox One. of each team. This isn’t an attempt to make Players:
But they weren’t exactly pulling in League Of the MOBA ‘more accessible’, ‘more fun’ or any 1-10
Legends numbers now, were they? of the other hollow corporate BS that so many
Then again, expecting anything to come have promised over the years. This is Epic
Developer Profile
Founded in 1991, as
close to replicating the localised lane thrills and simply trying to make the traditional MOBA Epic MegaGames, the
hectic hero combat of Riot’s decade defining experience work simultaneously on console studio would go on to
triumph seems unrealistic at this stage in the and PC. develop titles such as
Jazz Jackrabbit and
game – it is to MOBAs what World Of Warcraft It’s doing a pretty convincing job of it too. Overkill before a name
was to the MMO. But that doesn’t mean there For Epic to make this work (and be fun) it has change turned it into
Epic Games in 1999.
isn’t space in the genre for new contenders. had to make a handful of fundamental changes From there a new focus
DOTA 2 and Heroes Of The Storm have carved to the traditional MOBA experience. The was put on developing
its Unreal Engine tech,
out their own niches on PC pretty successfully biggest sees the action shift from a top-down which eventually led to
and, when it comes to console development, perspective to a closer, third-person POV. It’s the release of Xbox 360
well, studios simply need to get smarter in the impossible to overstate how integral this is to market leader Gears
Of War.
way they approach the genre, mechanics as Paragon’s appeal. While Smite opted to try and
well as the audience. convert traditional mechanics into this POV, Epic Developer History
That’s why Paragon, even at this incredibly has instead made Paragon handle more like a Gears Of War
2006 [Xbox 360]
early stage in development, seems like such a third-person shooter. Unreal Tournament 3
triumph for Epic Games. At a glance, Paragon 2007 [Xbox 360, PS3, PC]
looks like it’s designed to be the MOBA for /// So not only do you need to keep an eye on Gears Of War 2 2008
[Xbox 360]
the Gears Of War generation – gently darting your cooldowns and your position at all times, Gears Of War 3 2011
between conflicting genres without diluting you also now need to make a reasonable [Xbox 360]
either in the process. Its heroes are intricately effort to aim your attacks. Action seems faster, High Point
designed war machines, powerhouse more intense, and more ferocious than that
Developed as a
showcases to the power of Unreal Engine 4; of a traditional MOBA, leaving each and every showcase of its stunning
Paragon shakes off the top-down camera, battle with rival heroes feeling like it’s been Unreal Engine 3 tech,
Epic delivered the first
dragging the action down to a familiar third- ripped straight from the twitch stream of an all- truly spectacular Xbox
person perspective; and the frantic action important Worlds final encounter. 360 game in Gears Of
comes fast and furiously, though a waist-high We opted to go into battle with a DualShock War, a game that set
the benchmark for
cover shootout never arrives. Epic may have 4 controller, fighting a mixture of mouse third-person action.
made a MOBA, but it doesn’t play like any you’ve and keyboard wielding developers and other
likely had in your hands before. journalists taking the gamepad approach to
Though we should be clear, Paragon is lane management, and found little problems
unashamedly, fundamentally a MOBA at with the set up. Each hero has five abilities and
heart – not a hybrid like Gearbox is putting out each are mapped intuitively to the controller
there with Battleborn. It’s important that you – response time seemed precise and we had
understand its similarities to the competition, little problem emerging victorious in battles
so that you can appreciate what it is doing versus multiple heroes. Epic seems confident

18
 PREVIEW | PARAGON | MULTI

THE BEST-LOOKING MOBA

YOU’VE NEVER SEEN a MOBA that looks quite like Paragon,
and that’s down to the incredible implementation of
the Unreal Engine 4. If you’ve been waiting for Epic to
showcase its new engine, look no further. The lanes are
intricately detailed and the Jungle is dense and vibrant, it
brings a whole new level of immersion to play. We were
particularly impressed with the models of the heroes;
each has their own unique style and design quirks, and
should you be unfortunate enough to be within touching
distance of an enemy you’ll also notice an impressive array
of particle and damage effects on show – and that’s across
both PlayStation 4 and PC. It’s probably the closest a MOBA
has come to actually looking like its CGI trailers yet.

“Paragon is the MOBA from Epic

Games that puts you in the fight with
explosive action, direct third-person
control, and deep strategic choice”.
PRESS RELEASE EPIC GAMES
 PREVIEW | PARAGON | MULTI

that Paragon will support Cross-play at launch – lane wiped by a well executed Ultimate strike
between PS4 and PC owners – and, from what from above by a ranged AOE hero.
we’ve experienced at least, we don’t imagine With months still to go until open beta (let
there’s going to be a great deal of handicap alone a full launch) we were surprised to see
offered by either alternative control method. how well balanced the 13 heroes were. Every
That third-person camera hasn’t just character type – filling the standardised roles of
changed the pace and flow of combat though, Tank, Carry, Support and Jungler, etc… – has an
it’s also given us a whole new perspective equal in battle, and success or failure is largely
on the battleground itself. We only had the determined on how teams position themselves
chance to sample a single map in Paragon to meet each threat as it emerges.
so far but, as League players are no If there is any one area for concern though,
doubt aware, one is all you need. It’s giant. it centres on Paragon’s implementation of card
Seriously, once you step foot out of your deck system, instead of the traditional shop TRY IT YOURSELF
tower defended base, you will be able to look front. Rather than having an in-round shop
LIKE WITH ANY MOBA, playing
out upon this massive, sprawling tangle of that lets you purchase upgrades for your hero,
it for yourself is key. Paragon
lanes and jungle and it’s impressive, if not a you instead need to build a deck of cards that is currently in closed beta
little bit intimidating. represent items and passive effects ahead of a on PS4 and PC, with invites
More impressive still, is that Paragon game beginning. steadily going out to those
introduces verticality into its design. The Decks can be constructed from a pool of that have signed up. It’s here
depth and scale found here is completely cards – of varying rarities, of course – that you where hero balancing and
card management will really be
unlike most top-down 2D plane MOBAs, and unlock by playing and winning games. You can
trialed by fire by the community
it means you not only need to be aware of form multiple decks for each hero, designed before the official launch in
what’s in front of and behind you at times, around different tactical options and plays, and late 2016. An open beta is
but above and below you as well. We often then select it before a game springs into action. planned for the summer though
found ourselves trying to manage forward In theory, it’s wildly expansive. In reality, it it sounds as if Epic is only
momentum in the top lane, only to see the seems suspiciously restrictive. more than happy to delay these
public tests to ensure the game
is up to scratch. Regardless
“We really want gamers to be able to opt-in and be of when it goes live, we can

here with us from the start, to give feedback and help only hope cross-play becomes
part of these betas before
shape the game”. long, as this could have drastic
implications on the overall
■ Above: Combat is incredibly
PRESS RELEASE EPIC GAMES balance of Paragon. involving, and Epic has walked a
tight line between making it as
tactical as that of a traditional
MOBA and as visually stimulating
as a battle you might find in
one of its triple-A third-person
shooters. Right: CGI trailers for the
game have been created in-engine,
which means they do actually give
a fairly accurate representation
of what to expect. Below: Epic
isn’t talking too much about its
monetisation plans just yet, though
the studio has confirmed that its
card packs will not be part of it.
That means we can likely expect to
see hero cosmetic items and the
like cost supplementary cash.

■ Above: Thanks to the implementation of the Unreal Engine 4, Paragon looks absolutely stunning. The lanes are expansive and vast, and full of verticality; delivering a
whole new breadth of tactical opportunities.

20
 PREVIEW | PARAGON | MULTI

This system seems to demand that all to opt for higher health and manna pools in
players, regardless of skill level, have a relatively an effort to become more defensive; or go
strong mechanical understanding of MOBAs all-rounded to better suit team support and
and all 13 heroes. If the idea is to build decks Jungle roles. Epic has already confirmed that,
to support certain roles and combat certain thankfully, card packs can not be purchased
characters, this will be lost on a new or even with real cash –monitization elements will be
intermediate player. In Paragon, like every present, though they are still yet to be confirmed
MOBA, dying can have dire consequences on – but this also means that players with more
the flow of a game – it doesn’t feel great to be time to play will only be able to further their
underpowered for the better part of an hour advantage over others.
because you’ve picked out (and locked into) the Ultimately, Paragon is already looking like
wrong card deck ahead of a game. a really strong alternative to the other MOBA
Still, there is a lot of scope for advanced games on the market. It does a great job of
players to really build some interesting making players feel like they are part of the
configurations. Each card’s item or upgrade action – it has all of the traditional elements of
comes with its own specific cost – the more the MOBA, but it combines them effortlessly
powerful the effect, the more expensive it is. with the ferocity of a third-person shooter.
That means you’ll need to build a deck that has Aiming and spell timing is critical to success,
a progressive cost curve – not unlike building and it’s deeply satisfying to pull of tricky crowd
a competitive deck in Hearthstone. This deck management manoeuvres and multiple hero
system clearly has the potential to bring a new kills as a result. Positional play is key too, which
tactical element to MOBAs; some cards can be only goes to make Paragon feel immensely
upgraded and enhanced in game by placing immersive. The biggest questions now are
additional cards in ‘sockets’, further increasing whether the card system can be appropriately
your potency in battle. balanced, and whether the reality of cross
platform play will impact the competitive side to
/// It’s an interesting idea, and certainly brings the game – but in terms of gameplay? Whether
a new tactical element to the traditional MOBA you’re running down other heroes, battling
progression system. You will have the option alongside minions or circle strafing NPCs in
of planning upgrades depending on how you the Jungle, Paragon gives a fantastic amount
want to play, though it all hinges on the cards of control over your character – it only serves
you have available to you. You may want to go to make the upcoming title one of the most
all out offensive, boosting your damage and intricate, enjoyable and involved MOBAs
lowering your cooldowns. Perhaps you want we’ve ever had the pleasure of playing.

21
 PREVIEW | STYX: SHARDS OF DARKNESS | MULTI

n The environment we’re shown is from early in the game, and restricted for the demo. But
what Cyanide has crammed into it – beams to shimmy, ropes to climb, ziplines to… er, zip –
makes Shards of Darkness feel like a playground. In which children murder each other.

MAKING A MURDERER
THE DEVELOPER WAS keen to stress that Styx isn’t
much of a fighter – you’re not supposed to be
wrecking Elven cities like a child moodily smashing
up a Lord Of The Rings LEGO set. Which was at
odds with the massacre we witnessed in our
demo. One guy got tipped over a ledge, another got
jumped on and shanked in the back. But the real
high point of this Tolkien-esque Poirot episode was
when two guards were lured underneath the same
heavy wooden chandelier, the supporting rope for
which then mysteriously snapped, crushing them
both to death and presumably leaving bereaved
families to weep over their lost loved ones.

n Above: We’re only shown the one environment, but aside from towns on stilts, Styx will also be
rifling through Dwarven and Elven settlements, as well as airships. Right: Styx has goblin magic to help
him in his thieving, like creating a clone of himself to send in his stead when things get a bit tasty.

22
 PREVIEW | STYX: SHARDS OF DARKNESS | MULTI

Styx: Shards of Darkness

■ A larcenous goblin breaks, climbs and swings into buildings to pilfer their contents
and stab up their owners, then escapes via rope/zipline/more stabbing up

Lock up your daughters. And sons. And silverware

Y
ou know something’s gone wrong guard from their respective slumbers and What we see is quite limited – just the
INFORMATION
when you start feeling sorry for aimless wanderings). You can jump up one level from early on in the story (we're
the guards. As we watch Styx, the to the exposed wooden beams outside, told little beyond ‘you’re a thief, go rob Details
skulking thief goblin, skulk and thieve and shimmying along ledges and clambering people’). But developers Cyanide promise Format:
PC, PS4, Xbox One
goblin about the small outpost of the demo, up onto the roof until you find a crawl that far from outwitting mere humans, you’ll Origin:
the guards dawdle about like a pensioner space to wiggle through, or you can dangle also be travelling to different environments France
Publisher:
who knows they came into the room for underneath the floor, swinging back and run by Dwarves and Dark Elves – and Focus Interactive
something, but can’t quite remember what. forth on ropes until you discover one that robbing them blind, too. The races will have Developer:
Some of them – a lot, really, when you leads up to an open window. There’s shades their own distinct behaviours, designed to Cyanide
Release:
remember what their job is – are asleep. of Dishonored in there, too, as you conceal shake up your playing style and forcing TBC 2016
The rest wander over to a table, stop, turn yourself (not well, but well enough for Styx to adopt new strategies. Dwarves, Players:
1
around, wander to the centre of the room, the AI) under tables staring out patiently for instance, have mighty big noses and
stop, then head over to a different table and at people’s knees and peering through a correspondingly mighty sense of smell, Developer Profile
stop. Then Styx cuts the cord holding up the keyholes to gauge the ratio of guards to which they’ll employ to root out Styx like a Besides developing
chandelier over their heads and smashes cupboards in the next room. delicious sticky-fingered truffle. Shards of Darkness’
forebear, Styx: Master of
them into the floor in a cloud of dust. It’s Which means, in the end, that the really Shadows (2014), Cyanide
like watching a grim reaper on commission /// And like Dishonored (and also because interesting parts of Styx are the parts is also responsible for
the upcoming Space
making his way round an old folks’ home. you’re a goblin) there are of course magic we’ve not seen yet. The idea is there, the
Hulk: Deathwing (see
But let’s pretend for our purposes that powers to play around page 26), 2012’s Game
these are evil pensioners. Tesco-vouchers- with, powered by the “ The environments of Styx: Of Thrones RPG and
more than a half dozen
at-Christmas-type pensioners. Because in-game resource,
once you stop feeling sorry for them, Styx: Amber. In the demo Shards of Darkness are enormous games about cycling.
No, really.
Shards of Darkness looks quite fun. You
creep about next to low walls, nabbing odd
we’re shown, the
example we’re given
and semi-open, with an emphasis
Developer History
bits of loot that the dearies have left lying is Styx’s cloning on verticality” Styx: Master of Shadows
about in boxes or behind locked doors, ability: toss out a PRESS RELEASE, CYANIDE 2014 [Multi]
Of Orcs and Men
and then once two of them have bumbled cocoon and almost 2012 [Multi]
off in different directions, you tip one over instantly a fully-grown Styx-llgagner bursts mechanics are there, but ultimately you’re Blood Bowl II
a precipice and drag the other one into a out of it, of which you then take control and not really a master thief if your victims have 2015 [Multi]

cupboard for a covert clobbering. send off to scout or perform riskier feats left all the doors open and obligingly fall
High Point
It’s all a bit Assassin’s Creed meets Thief, of thievery. Cleverly, you can also lob the asleep the moment they’re done arranging
Cyanide is the studio that
the life of this larcenous goblin acrobat. In cocoon to areas that Styx otherwise can’t the family heirlooms. Give the NPCs a few was trusted to adapt
the demo level we see, you’re encouraged reach, birthing your dearest clone on top of espressos and a purpose beyond wearing Games Workshop’s
lesser-known Blood Bowl
to scout out the on-stilts buildings to find high roofs, for example, to clear the way for circuitous paths into the carpets, and Shards series. It’s like the Super
one of multiple entry points (rather than the true Styx patiently waiting in front of a of Darkness could be a decent step Bowl, but with Orcs. And,
just barging in the door, which rouses the locked door. up from it predecessor. you know, more blood.

■ Above: The combat system from the first game has been retooled, allowing Styx to slit
up multiple enemies at once. At least, that’s what we’re told; in the demo we see, Styx
only dispatches enemies solely through subterfuge – like wrinkly, green Agent 47.

23
 PREVIEW | TOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER | PC

Total War:
Warhammer ■ A seemingly perfect fit: the oh-so-British Warhammer mixed in with the just-as-British Total War
series. Magic and fantasy make for new challenges, but generally this is Total War as you know it

WAAAGH, what is it good for?

I INFORMATION
n some ways it feels the most obvious passionately live what we do and feel very
combination ever heard of – Total War, proud of it and put everything into it.”
a series that takes tabletop gaming’s The game itself is Total War as you know Details
Format:
inspiration and has run with it for the it, but also as you don’t. While series veterans PC
better part of two decades, combined with will be right in there, picking up some of the Origin:
Warhammer, one of the games that defined newer concepts immediately (dark magic is UK
Publisher:
tabletop gaming. But in others, it doesn’t just the Vampires’ currency, for example), Sega
seem to fit: Total War has always covered the there are a fair few bigger twists and turns Developer:
Creative Assembly
real world, while Warhammer is the most to come to grips with. As Roxborough said: Release:
fantasy of fantasy universes... and yet, it’s all “We’re effectively creating four different Total 24 May
Players:
coming together rather well. War games, one different one for each race. 1-8
Ian Roxborough, project lead on Total War: It’s not just the new features, but that those
Warhammer, told us the jump to fantasy features genuinely drive the way you play, Developer Profile
was a natural one: “Ultimately, for a number the way you balance the economy, how Formed in 1987,
of years we’ve been toying with the idea of building and tech trees work, it’s very much Creative Assembly
spent its formative
doing a fantasy game anyway,” he said, “This about driving that. Playing as the Vampires years mainly working
was a real opportunity to just jump into a has its own distinct flavour, then playing on ports of games to
DOS. By 2000 it had
really awesome pre-existing universe and as the Greenskins is a whole different ball created the first Total
make a game that appeals to everyone – game, likewise Empire and Dwarfs.” War game, Shogun,
because it can. It’s still very much at its heart There are also elements like diplomacy, and since then – while
not a one-series studio
a Total War game, but rather than taking Warhammer-style. Some races just don’t get by any means – has
history we take the Warhammer universe.” on – this is baked in to the game from the mainly been known
for its work on the
Andy Hall, writer at Creative Assembly beginning of any campaign – the Empire and strategy franchise.
– and former Games Workshop scribe – Greenskins don’t see eye to eye... but that can
explained why the idea is such a compelling change; it is sandbox after all. It’s another
Developer History
one: “If you are a Total War fan, why wouldn’t balancing act – getting the accuracy while
Total War: Attila
you be interested in how giants interact? How also maintaining the freedom for players to 2015 [PC]
you use spells in a real-time battle? All the do as they wish. Alien: Isolation 2014
geo-political campaign issues? These [PC, PS4, Xbox One]

different races, with different value sets

to what humans have – obviously the
“It’s for Total War fans, it’s Empire: Total War
2009 [PC]

Empire is very much what we want: for Warhammer fans, it’s for Shogun: Total War
2000 [PC]
a stable realm, to tax the populace, to
keep them safe. But even that is set
people who haven’t really High Point
within this magical world of wizards come across Total War before” While the Total War
series has been
and so on. But with Orks where it’s consistently great
ANDY HALL, WRITER, CREATIVE ASSEMBLY (bar the odd misstep),
focused on fighting... all these different Alien: Isolation showed
value sets create different kinds of Creative Assembly is
more than just a strategy
inertia for the campaign. It’s a very intriguing It’s that newness that Creative Assembly developer. Original,
concept to play.” is hoping will engage returning players, terrifying and brilliant.
This intriguing concept, as Hall calls it, is while also luring in those who have never
one that has been fully supported on both played the series before – and, of course,
sides of the fence, with the team’s ideas the dedicated Warhammer fanbase. With
supported 100 per cent by Games Workshop. the basic formula now 16 years old and still
“It’s been great,” Roxborough said, “A load being refined with every new release, there’s
of people at Workshop are fans of Total War little chance the core concept of Total War:
and now they’re like ‘oh wow, that’s our Warhammer will be a failure. It’s how the
thing now in Total War!’ All the while we’re balance is handled that will be key – and
going ‘wow, it’s Total War with Warhammer!’ Creative Assembly’s dedication to getting
■ Above: New strategies involve new units, like
Both companies are also quite similar, both this right makes it look like things could well
those which can fly or wield magic. It’s a learning
staffed by people who are passionate about be heading in completely the right curve, but we found it easy to get to grips with.
the products, rather than anything else – we direction: all-out WAAAAGH!

24
 PREVIEW | TOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER | PC

AS YOU GO ALONG
Andy Hall, writer on Total War: Warhammer,
previously worked at Games Workshop – but
even he is finding new and interesting
things coming about as a result of working
on the game: “For me, the interesting thing
was covering parts of the IP that Games
Workshop has never had to cover before, or
never needed to,” he said, “What does Manfred
von Carstein sound like? Even doing some
stuff like the buildings – Total War by its very
nature needs buildings that Games Workshop
has never needed, like a Goblin sawmill. How
does that work in the Warhammer world? So I
n Above: The battlefield is familiar to anyone who’s dabbled in Total War, but the way things are approached differs from race to race. The get paid to write about Snotlings running on
lack of ranged units for Vampires, for example, makes adaptation necessary to succeed. Below: There’s enough information to fill in the casual
the conveyor belt, which is cool!”
players. You certainly don’t have to be an expert on all things Ork to understand what’s going on, but the deeper lore is there for diehard fans.

25
 PREVIEW | SPACE HULK: DEATHWING | PS4

■ Left: Even what may look like a peaceful cathedral isn't safe in this war-
ridden future world. The dark wrecks of spaceships that you explore in this
gloomy game are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Below: You
can enjoy a huge variety weapons to play around with, but you must do so
while looking like a Victorian deep sea diver.

INFORMATION Space Hulk:

Details
Format:
PC, PS4, Xbox One
Origin:
Deathwing ■ A woefully small squad of heavily armoured space marines clomp and squish their way
France through derelict spaceships and alien monsters (respectively) in search of loot and audiologs
Publisher:
Focus Interactive
Developer:
Streum on Studio /
Purging the scum of the universe
Cyanide
Release:

I
TBC 2016 n the grim darkness of the far future, At least, that’s the reason we’re given as we conveniently at bullet-level. Less Ridley Scott,
Players:
1-4 there is only war. Well, that’s not quite watch the three Deathwing squad members more Rick and Morty.
true. There are also a lot of locked and stomp around the wreck of a gloomy And we say hopefully because at the centre
Developer Profile lockable doors. This is a major coup for people spaceship, cutting their way through swarms of Space Hulk, there’s quite a cool mechanic:
French devs Streum On
living in far future, as war has no idea what of shrieking monsters. The toothier inhabitants those lockable doors we mentioned. While
Studio were responsible to do about locked doors. With a big enough of this particular derelict are Genestealers – in the demo the Terminators had all their
for the deliciously left-field cupboard and a sturdy padlock, we could fast, bipedal xenomorphs about the size of weapons unlocked, in the game proper
first-person magic shooter
E.Y.E. Divine Cybermancy probably do away with war altogether. But then a man that scamper along the ship’s tight there will reportedly be a real risk of getting
– as weird to play as it is to Games Workshop would have to change the corridors or clamber up onto gangways to go swarmed. The way to counter this is to look
try and pronounce. Cyanide,
meanwhile, are the creators tagline for Warhammer 40,000 to ‘in the safe at the squad with indecently large claws. at your in-game map, make note of how the
of Styx: Master of Shadows and secure utopia of the far future, nothing is In the pre-release footage we see, they’re corridors connect and which doors you can
and the upcoming Styx:
Shards of Darkness (see wrong but don’t open the cupboard’. Which absolutely no match for the Terminators, who seal off, then strategically funnel the tide of
page 22). would be rubbish. have everything from the Warhammer 40K teeth and chitin into areas where you can more
‘War’ in this analogy means aliens, arsenal to swat them away with, from Assault efficiently mulch them. Think of the turret set-
Developer History specifically the ones that are hunting you and Cannons to Heavy Flamers to Lightning Claws. up scenes in Aliens laid on top of Doom, and
Styx: Master of Shadows your squad of heavily armoured Deathwing Unfortunately, they’re also (though hopefully you’re somewhere in the ballpark. That’s the
2014 [PC, PS4, Terminators (think of a massive fridge, but with only in this early stage of development) level of action and chaos against a dark and
Xbox One]
Game of Thrones 2012
machine guns and space hammers instead of quite dim – preferring to charge noisily in dank backdrop Space Hulk is aiming for
[PC, PS3, Xbox 360] a vegetable drawer) through the titular Space straight lines with howling faces positioned and so far, it’s impressive.
Of Orcs and Men 2012 Hulks. For the glory of far future Imperium
[PC, PS3, Xbox 360]
E.Y.E. Divine
of Man, you and your squadmates are tasked
with raiding these gargantuan derelict ships for
“ Space Hulk: Deathwing offers players the chance to
Cybermancy 2011 [PC]
Relics and uncovering a dark truth (everything experience a desperate battle against Genestealers
in the future is dark) about the history of the
Deathwing and its associated chapter of Space
in the claustrophobic tunnels of a Space Hulk”
Marines, the Dark (see?) Angels. PRESS RELEASE, FOCUS HOME STUDIOS

26
 PREVIEW | TMNT: MUTANTS IN MANHATTAN | MULTI

TMNT: Mutants In Manhattan

n The team behind Bayonetta, Vanquish and Transformers: Devastation brings its slick
combat expertise to the world of the Turtles

COMIC BOOK STYLINGS

Heroes in a half shell go Platinum 1 TMNT VETERANS, you can
breathe a sigh of relief - this

I
t’s been a staggering 14 years since we last had a really truly deserve. Much like Devastation, Mutants in Manhattan new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
great Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game in the form of will wisely ignore all terrible movies (and not so terrible game won’t be tying into Michael Bay-
Turtles In Time, and every half-baked effort since has Nickelodeon show) in favour of its classic comic routes. orchestrated film reboot territory.
paled in comparison. Enter Platinum Games - it of Bayonetta That means ultraviolence on a combo-tastic scale only Instead, we’re treated to a cel-shaded-
and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance fame - to turn our green- Platinum could manage. Expect to take on Shredder’s esque comic book style that’s a mix
skinned, pizza-swilling dreams into a bona fide reality. nefarious Foot Clan with everything from awesome between the classic TV show, Tsutomu
Fresh off its reinvigoration of the previously deceased double-team moves to time-bending special attacks (one of Oyamada’s manga series and the
Transformers franchise with last year’s Devastation, Platinum Leonardo’s attacks turns everything black and white, just like current run on IDW Publishing. In fact,
is giving the Heroes in a Half-Shell the ass-kicking entry they the original ’80s comic). Cowabunga, indeed. Platinum even cited Brazilian artist
and penciller on IDW’s version Mateus
INFORMATION Santolouco as an inspiration.
Dialing back the clock to those ’80s
Details Developer Profile Developer History High Point and ’90s inspirations worked a treat
Format: PS4. Xbox One, PS3, With veteran developers Shinji Mikami, Hideki Bayonetta, 2009 [Multi] After garnering plenty of critical for Transformers: Devastation and it’s
Xbox 360, PC Kamiya and Atsushi Inaba as its founders, Vanquish, 2010 [Multi] acclaim with 2009’s exquisite
Origin: Japan Platinum Games has become one of the MGR: Revengeance, Bayonetta, Platinum finally already given Mutants In Manhattan an
Publisher: Activision premiere multiformat studios in Japan. 2013 [Multi] returned to the franchise in 2014 instantly authentic feel. The addition
Developer: Platinum Games Specialising in stylised visuals and sharp Transformers: and produced its slickest and most
Release: Summer 2016 combat, Platinum is as comfortable working Devastation, rewarding experience to date in of current IDW co-writer Tom Waltz on
Players: 1-4 on new IPs as it is reinvigorating old ones. 2015 [Multi] Bayonetta 2. story duties probably won’t hurt either.

28
 PREVIEW | TMNT: MUTANTS IN MANHATTAN | MULTI

4
5

“ Teenage Mutant Ninja

Turtles: Mutants In Manhattan
is the game that the fanatics
have been salivating for.”
ROBERT COOPER, PLATINUM GAMES

2 TURTLE TEAMWORK FAMILIAR FACES 4 BOSSES REQUIRE CUSTOMISABLE

UNLIKE THE utterly forgettable
3 NO TEENAGE Mutant Ninja COOPERATION 5 FIGHTING STYLES
tie-in game to the surprisingly Turtles game would be EVERY PLATINUM Games DONNY, RAPH, Mikey and Leo
decent 2007 TMNT movie, Mutants complete without a rogues gallery offering needs a giant boss or two, aren’t just a bunch of contrasting
In Manhattan will be a proper of… well, rogues. Alongside chums and TMNT: Mutants In Manhattan personalities - they’re four very
co-operative experience. Up to four April O’Neil and rodent-turned- is planning to tick that box in true, different fighting styles and weapon
players will be able to pick their sensei Splinter, the Turtles will face mutated style. The Japanese studio choices. And it’s here we see the
poison from Donatello, Michelangelo, off against plenty of unfriendly foes. is staying tightlipped on the full list Platinum touch shine. For instance,
Raphael and Leonardo, with each Bebop and Rocksteady, complete of big bads, but we do know mutant stoic leader Leonardo’s twin katanas
character offering a different with token gillets and questionable shark monster Armaggon (first make him an all-rounder with his
playstyle that will riff off their eyewear, are back and as roided- introduced in the old Archie comics) medium reach and respectable
personality and choice of weapons. up as ever, while long-time blade will be making his first videogame speed, and while Michelangelo’s
Those fighting styles complement fetishist Shredder returns with the appearance since TMNT: Tournament nunchucks might have a small strike
one another, so if you’re playing in an entire Foot Clan at his disposable. Fighters on the SNES. zone, he’s easily the fastest.
online session you’ll need to choose There were no signs of hockey Much like everything else in the Raphael is the slowest Turt, but
your half-shell teammates carefully. enthusiast Casey Jones or evil genius game, Platinum tells us these bosses he’s the powerhouse of heavy strikes
Platinum wants this to be the kind Krang, but we wouldn’t be surprised will need just as much cooperation And as for Donny? Well, that staff
of game where communication and if they make an appearance. Oh, and a to take down. We’re not expecting has some serious ranged reach.
collaboration are just as important as certain giant mutant shark seems to Bloodborne levels of difficulty, but Best of all, each one is customisable,
solo hijinks so best start working on have joined the party. We wonder who knowing the developer they should enabling you to build your hero
that online etiquette. that could be... still be devilishly challenging. of choice the more you play.

29
 PREVIEW | ROUND-UP | MULTIFORMAT

SHOWCASE
MORE TITLES TO WATCH FOR ON THE GAMING HORIZON

BLOOD ALLOY: EVERSPACE PROJECT GRAND

REBORN ELEA KINGDOM
Format: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, Wii U Format: PC, Xbox One Format: PC, PS4, Xbox One Format: PS4, PS Vita
Publisher: Suppressive Fire Publisher: Rockfish Games Publisher: Kyodai Publisher: MonoChro
Developer: In-house Developer: In-house Developer: In-house Developer: Spike Chunsoft
ETA: Q3 2016 ETA: October 2016 ETA: Q3 2016 ETA: 21 June 2016

INSPIRED BY Metroid and Dark Souls, BILLED AS a single player 3D space PROJECT ELEA has caught attention GRAND KINGDOM, a tactical RPG that
Blood Alloy: Reborn is the product of shooter with rogue-like elements and with a flashy trailer showing the launched in Japan back in November,
a failed Kickstarter campaign that a non-linear narrative, Everspace hails story of a woman who wakes up in a arrives on UK shores at the end of
inspired the developer, Suppressive from the team behind the Galaxy on locked cabin on-board the Worldtree- June. Sporting fast-paced action
Fire, to go back to the drawing board. Fire series. The project – nearing half class starship Pilgrimage II in deep and strategic planning, as well as a
The current iteration has been boiled a million euro on Kickstarter – boasts space. Players will need to battle an meaty character creation system and
down to its purest form with reworked a raft of features including VR support invasive intelligence to save the ship customisation options, Grand Kingdom
art and design, and with a much and plush visuals courtesy of Epic’s and uncover the truth behind what will release in a special limited edition
smaller scale game in the works Unreal Engine 4. Rockfish announced happened to the Pilgrimage and its that features a 128-page art book,
compared to original concept the team a partnership with ID@Xbox to bring crew. Pegged for release on multiple poster, soundtrack and transparent
is promising a finished product by the the game to Microsoft’s platform, so platforms later in the year, Project Elea decals. No price as of yet, but we don’t
time 2016 comes to a close. expect details on a release date soon. is worth keeping a close eye on. expect it to be cheap so start saving.

THE CULLING GODUS WARS SONG OF ANARCUTE

THE DEEP
Format: PC Format: PC Format: PC, PS4, Xbox One Format: PC, Xbox One
Publisher: Xaviant Games Publisher: 22cans Publisher: Insomniac Games Publisher: Anarteam
Developer: In-house Developer: In-house Developer: In-house Developer: In-house
ETA: Steam Early Access ETA: Steam Early Access ETA: Q2 2016 ETA: Q3 2016

PICTURE YOURSELF on a remote GODUS WARS is a real-time strategy SONG OF the Deep is developer ANARCUTE IS a cuddly riot simulator
island with 16 people. Now you have title that serves as a precursor to Insomniac Games’ answer to the that tasks you with controlling dozens of
20 minutes to explore, craft weapons the long-troubled release, Godus. metroidvania genre, a colourful and demonstrators determined to relieve the
before slaying your island brethren. Brandishing four deities, each with charming side-scrolling adventure that world of the numerous evil corporations
That’s the premise of this Battle Royale different styles, Godus Wars originally casts you as Merryn, a young girl on a that have a stranglehold over it. In order
inspired first-person slaughter-fest included micro transactions that were journey to find her father, a fisherman to do this the rioters band together and
from Xaviant Games on Steam Early shelved after disgruntled gamers lost at sea. The nippy narrative is wreak havoc on various cities controlled
Access. The Culling is a standalone complained. Whether or not this will help strengthened by a vast underwater by the corporations all while wearing
experience featuring a variety of modes improve the mostly negative reviews world made up of sunken cities, weird goofy animal heads. The challenge is to
that we’re going to be keeping a close remains to be seen. As for Godus itself, creatures and tricky puzzles. We can’t avoid getting your rioters nabbed by the
eye on over the coming months. its release date still remains a mystery. wait to get our hands on it. cops. Colour us curious for this one.

30
 CANCELLED – Fable Legends CANCELLED – Batman: Arkham Knight (OSX)
“To be honest, we didn’t anticipate just how big Fable Legends is becoming.” No surprise here given what a train wreck the PC launch was. Warner
So said Lionhead just a few weeks before the announcement that the game Bros. has now pulled the plug on the Mac and Linux versions of
was being cancelled and the studio closed. It’s been a bit of a surprise. Rocksteady’s final Dark Knight outing.

MASTERS VISAGE KNIGHTS CITY OF

OF ORION AND BIKES THE SHROUD
Format: PC Format: PC, PS4, Xbox One Format: PC, Mac Format: PC
Publisher: WG Labs Publisher: Sad Square Games Publisher: US Publisher: Abyssal Arts
Developer: NGD Studios Developer: In-house Developer: In-house Developer: In-house
ETA: Q4 2016 ETA: January 2017 ETA: Q4 2016 ETA: August 2016

MASTERS OF Orion is a reboot of the HEAVILY INSPIRED by the short-lived KNIGHTS AND Bikes is a charming CITY OF the Shroud is a tactical fighting
1993 classic strategy title that NGD P.T. Visage is developer Sad Square’s open-worlder on an island near RPG that combines real-time fighting
Studios are currently beavering away ode to the haunted house genre and Cornwall in the eighties that, systems with team-based tactics,
on for release later in the year. NGD games like Silent Hill. Plonked inside according to its two former Media managed through a nifty combat
doesn’t plan to change much, rather an old house during the 1980s you’re Molecule developers, riffs on the likes wheel. One of the most interesting
take the original’s solid formula and thrust into a spooky scenario and tasked of The Goonies and Earthbound. It’s aspects of this one is that the narrative
enhance it with modern graphics and a with exploring gloomy corridors and on Kickstarter seeking funds, but we will be community driven rather than
swish new orchestral soundtrack. The abandoned rooms. The game was don’t expect it to have any problems set in stone. Writer Moira Katson plans
robot newscasters and combat look funded pretty quickly on Kickstarter because, well, just look at how good to pen each chapter of the episodic
a little stilted, but there’s still time for and has since surpassed a number of it looks. That said, if you have a few release by charting the cumulative
improvement, so here’s hoping NGD stretch goals, including a multi platform quid to spare and want to see this one actions of players, which should make
can make the fixes before year’s end. release on both PC and consoles. released, head over and get donating. for some interesting results.

INVISIGUN SPACE ESSENCE NEED

HEROES REVOLVER TO KNOW
Format: PC Format: PC, Mac Format: PC, Mac Format: PC
Publisher: Sombr Studio Publisher: Moonfall Games Publisher: Onevision Publisher: Monomyth Games
Developer: In-house Developer: In-house Developer: In-house Developer: In-house
ETA: Q3 2016 ETA: Q3 2016 ETA: October 2016 ETA: December 2016

INVISIGUN HEROES is a weird one INSPIRED BY Towerfall and Samurai BILLED AS a “surreal first person IT’S NO surprise that someone has
and we’re not sure how it will work, but Gunn with gameplay ripped from the exploration adventure”, Essence decided to capitalise on the shadowy
we're intrigued at the very least. The likes of Capcom’s Megaman X and set looks hugely ambitious and equally world of the modern intelligence
game takes its cues from Bomberman, in a world that owes its fair share of gorgeous. The goal is uncovering the agency. Set in the Department of
but the twist is that, by default, players debt to Cowboy Bebop, Space Revolver many mysteries in this strange world. Liberty, developer Monomyth is calling
are invisible until they fire their weapon, is a quirky little looker that’s being sold Onevision is promising puzzles and Need To Know a surveillance thriller
which means you’ll basically have to as a “shoot your own adventure” title. special abilities as well as numerous that will push your integrity to the
rely on hearing, memory and your What does that mean? Apparently in stretch goals on its Kickstarter, limits, and it looks kind of slick. With
character’s special abilities to trump the game’s story mode you can pull including console and VR support. With the promise of a gripping tale that
your opponents. Do you think it stands a a gun on anyone at any point during a five core worlds to explore, be sure to charts real character progression
chance? Answers on a postcard, please. conversation and whack ‘em. Sold. look out for this one in October. we’re eager to sample this one.

31
32
NO MAN’S SKY IS THE GAME WE’VE ALL
BEEN WAITING TO SEE UP CLOSE.
FINALLY, GAMES™ HAS BEEN GIVEN THE
CHANCE TO PLAY IT AT LENGTH AND
SPEAK WITH THE TEAM BEHIND IT

33
 STARTED WITH FOUR GUYS AND A SMALL ROOM
WITH WALLS COVERED IN SCI FI BOOK COVERS.
Or, perhaps it would be more accurate to say, it started out
as a bit of a joke. “We had this thing that we called Project
Skyscraper, which we always had on our website under
‘Games that we make’, explains Sean Murray, Hello Games
managing director as we chat about the formative days of No
Man’s Sky. “The other game that we make in the description
said ‘Secret Project: The most ambitious game ever made’.
And it was this nice little joke that we had going on amongst
ourselves. ‘We could do this or this and this is how it would be
built’ and so on.”
‘The most ambitious game ever made.’ That’s an apt way
to describe what we’re now sitting in front of, with its 18
quintillion possible planets. No Man’s Sky is ambitious in its
scale; ambitious for an indie team of around 16 developers (the
days of Hello Games being just four people ended during the
development of Joe Danger, much as some continue to share
that number); ambitious in its use of technology; ambitious
in the variety of gameplay it’s offering, something that’s been
somewhat unclear until this moment.
Clearly, the idea of making something hugely ambitious
stuck in the minds of the Hello Games team, even if it hadn’t
been intended as something to follow through. Given that Joe
Danger had been born from the original four founders of the
team playing around with some old toys and being drawn to
an Evel Knievel doll, we wondered what process had spawned
such a gargantuan new project. “We took four of us and we
went back into that little room trying to almost recreate the
situation we had when we were making Joe Danger,” says
Murray. “It was like ‘Let’s have this little, new startup before
we think of another game’. We didn’t tell any of the rest of
the team about what we were making or what we were doing
and we properly blocked off the door, so we had our own little
entrance and stuff.” hopped into our ship and began to launch ourselves out into
the cosmos, the sky turning from blue to a rich purple as we

T
hat’s where the sci-fi book covers came into play. “We broke through the atmosphere and into near orbit around the
covered the walls, floor to ceiling, with sci-fi imagery. planet. Where to now?
You can’t sit in a room like that and not just soak it That was pretty much the question that seemed to plague
in, even if you don’t want to.” That original inspiration Sean Murray in the later stages of Joe Danger 2. While the
still holds firm in the spirit and execution of No Man’s Sky. concept of what would become No Man’s Sky was floating in
As we experienced walking around a planet for the first the air, it hadn’t actually been started yet and as managing
time in the game, the bright colours and strange creatures director of a recently expanded team, he needed to make a
that surrounded us looked like they could have been taken decision about the future of the studio.
right off the pages of a pulp sci-fi novel. Like so much of this “I couldn’t picture myself making Joe Danger 3 or
sort of fiction, No Man’s Sky is steeped in an earnest love of something that was of a similar size,” he tells us. “And I could
exploration and science. see that coming, almost like the lights of this truck that’s
As we walk amid deep red grass, with small mole-like going to hit you and it’s moving really slowly but you can’t
creatures skittering around our ankles, we can see on the stop it. I just wanted to get away from that. I was like, ‘What
misty horizon mountains and miles upon miles of more I actually want to do is start up a new studio, and that sounds
vegetation and potential life. Pulling out a set of binoculars, really bad even though I’m here with all you guys and we’re
we scan the animals and planets around us, identifying them all having fun and I’ve employed you all, I sort of just want
and registering what minerals or resources are available. As to get away from all this’. This is the responsibility: I have to
has been mentioned before, any new discovery you find can think of a game idea that will require ten people. I have to
be named by you and that will remain in place for all other think of something that’s just about doable. But not too few
players who happen to land on the same planet (if that ever people needed and not too many. You end up coming up with
happens; more on that later). Feeling satisfied that we had something that’s a bit like Joe Danger. I just wanted to do a
named enough animals some variation of the name ‘Bob’, we different thing.”

34
 ■ As you gather resources and gain new upgrades you’ll
be able to travel faster between planets and star clusters.
A warp drive can be added and charged ready for a leap to
an entirely new region of the game as you explore.

QUICKFIRE
QUESTIONING
Some snappy Q&A with Hello
Games’ managing director and
co-founder Sean Murray

What’s your favourite space

exploration game?
I would actually say the
original Elite.

What’s your favourite space

movie?
These are not easy questions!
I’m going to say Aliens.

What fictional planet would

you love to visit?
I reckon I would go for
Tatooine.

Would you take the Virgin

Galactic flight?
Yes. If I could afford it,
absolutely.

What indie game has most

impressed you recently?
Impressed is difficult. Big
games for me were Legend Of
Grimrock, Talos Principle I really
loved. Recently Firewatch and
The Witness, they are really
impressive. That’s actually the
word I would use. This sounds
bad, but I don’t think they’re my
Everyone else had gone home, and I had to stay until five in favourite games ever or anything
like that, but they are stunning.
the morning, so I just started writing code What’s your favourite space
fact you’ve learnt while
And so as Murray waited through the night for a conference time has been spent on iteration and the back and forth. I like making the game ?
call with Microso (to talk about getting a little more attention the word ‘research’; it makes it sound very serious, like we’re My favourite thing is everyone
for Joe Danger Special Edition on XBLA) he began to write scientists. ‘We do important work here!’ But a lot of it has calls star systems ‘solar
systems’ and stars ‘suns’ and
some prototype code, fleshing out something new. “Everyone been trial and error as well, and a lot of it has been born out of
every time that I correct them
else had gone home and I had to stay until five in the morning, necessity, the procedural tools, and choosing that path.” they look at me like I’m crazy.
so I just started writing code,” continues Murray. “The guys It begs the question: how much of what Murray originally There is only one sun and there
came in [the next] morning and I had stayed all night and I was built in that late-night coding session still exists in the game is only one solar system. I’ve
like, ‘We’re doing it! We’re going to do Skyscraper!’. And I had as we’ve seen it today? “I find this really… not depressing, gotten to the point where I call
this awful demo. It looked a bit like Minecra , but on a planet but… a er about five months you could look at it and look at everything solar systems and
and I said, ‘Aren’t you all excited?’ And no one was because it it now and go, ‘that looks a bit like No Man’s Sky’,” Murray suns because I’ve given up. It’s
looked terrible and impossible. But I then just developed that explains. “Which is a really nice feeling in some ways because not really a fact, but I need to
over a year.” there’s some consistency there. You could fly between one get that knowledge out there. It
should be star and star system.
At this point the rest of the team began in earnest creating planet and another and in fact the first planet you flew to was
the game we see today. “A huge amount of the development snowing – and a lot like the one we just showed you in some What sci-fi novel would you
has been into the tools and systems just to make it possible,” ways – so there’s a moment of that being really nice. There recommend?
says Grant Duncan, one of the original four founders of Hello was some consistency of vision. But there’s also a moment of Dune. That’s my favourite
Games and art director on No Man’s Sky. “If it was just the ‘What on earth have we been doing for the last two years? It of all time.
play aspect, it wouldn’t have taken nearly so long. So much was there!’.” ❱❱

35
 ■ The building blocks for animals in No Man’s Sky are based upon
the skeletal makeup and features of many creatures on earth, as
well as some stranger, original concepts. In fact, they will get
stranger the closer you get to the centre of the universe, perhaps
changing some of the biology established on the outer rim.

■ Ships are procedurally-generated,

but cannot be externally customised.
You can however upgrade their ■ Even in the dark and mysterious depths of space you need
capabilities with a limited number of to watch how you behave. Mine too aggressively or attack alien
slots. Some more advanced crafts can crafts too often and you’ll have sentinel robots and intergalactic
be given bigger upgrades; trading up police forces chasing after you.
is an important part of the game.

36
 A
❱❱ s we spend the day with Hello Games, this humility
surfaces again and again, playing down what the
team has achieved. Perhaps it’s born of wanting
to make the game feel understandable and less
intimidating than its number of planets and deep mathematical
foundations might suggest. More likely, it’s a fear that too much
hype might end up hurting No Man’s Sky more than anything,
but it is extraordinary. We can understand the hesitation to
blow their own trumpet, but allow us to strike up the brass
band in their honour. No Man’s Sky is monumental.
The ice planet Murray mentioned is a desolate, dangerous

BLURRING THE LINES

place and one of many hostile planets you can find yourself on,
dictated by their position in relation to the star they orbit. The
planet is so cold in fact that, without shelter, our thermal shield
With such a massive game and talk of a full retail price-point on is depleting. Murray explains that the shield can be upgraded,
release, we discuss with Sean Murray what it means to be ‘indie’ along with various other parts of your suit, as the game
progresses, both by craing new elements as you discover the
“I never know how to take that question,” Sony’s Worldwide Studios for Sony Computer
Murray says, as we bring up the question of Entertainment] doesn’t come down to the designs and by trading. More on that soon.
Hello Games being an indie game maker. “I office and tell us what to do. Much as I love While desolate is the word we used a moment ago to
haven’t had it many times, but I’ve had it from him, it’s kind of nice that that doesn’t happen. describe this planet, we wouldn’t want to give you the wrong
other indies. And it’s like, Sony isn’t trying to tell us impression about how much was there to explore. Creatures
‘Guys! Are you saying I’m not
in the club anymore?’.” We’re self- how to make the game, and
that’s a good thing and as it
still populated this world. There were caverns to delve
into (offering some protection from the cold), rare mineral
Its indie status is now should be.”
occasionally questioned funded and So what does it mean to be
resources that could be converted into fuel and ammo for our
equipment. While our own universe appears to be a largely
simply because of the scale of indie, really? “To me I think of
the game this team is making, we have music, of indie bands when that
barren place, Hello Games has made a clear decision to make
sure every world you find has something of interest.
but Murray has his answer meant something, innovation
for that. “[Being] independent creative control and taking risks and being a bit “We don’t actually do completely spherical planets in the
game; we always have some interest in them because people
is important to me; we’re leſt of field. Having this overall
self-funded and we have creative control and spirit of running very close to the wire. think the game’s broken if they land on a planet like that,”
we go and make our own games. If a game is “It’s hard to define, but the opposite of reveals Murray. “In the real universe you do get completely
terrible, we go bankrupt. Things like that are corporate, basically. That is something spherical planets, but not in No Man’s Sky.” Likewise, each
really important to the game making process.” personally I feel that Hello Games still is. planet is relatively uniform in its environment, which has a
And Sony has allowed the team the space That’s the bit I would actually be sensitive twofold advantage for the developer. “We could support sub-
to work without interference, to maintain about. I would feel hurt if someone said ‘You
biomes and stuff like that and have poles that always have ice
that independent control. “Sony has been guys are really corporate now’. I would argue
really good. Shuhei [Yoshida, President of with them.” on them, but we want players to land on a planet and think
‘Right, it’s that planet with the red grass and the dinosaurs’,
and not land on the desert part of it and then ignore the planet.
And there’s a reason for that; every design decision that we
make is held against a thing and that’s ‘Does this encourage
people to explore and help people to want to go out?’. And
I think that’s what’s different about the game. We’ve built a
universe and that’s what it should be about.”
The other advantage, of course, is that it keeps the
procedural planet formation a little easier to manage and save.
Murray begins our session with the game by working through
a series of test planets that shows how the mathematical
algorithms at the heart of No Man’s Sky play out world by
world. What this means is that we begin on a flat planet,
with nothing but a sky and a ground texture. Then we’re on
a uniformly bumpy world, formed from a single sine wave
equation. The scale is still massive, but it’s very disorientating
being surrounded by identical hills as far as the eye can see.
Then we warp to a world with several sine waves forming the
surface of the planet and now things are beginning to look a
little more natural. We’re seeing how the equations that help
form these planets on the fly as you discover them will create
something interesting and believable.
“You can just about see how it goes up and down and if you
look out at the horizon you can sort of see that it just looks like
a graph,” Murray interjects. “To me, that’s all I see. Hopefully
you’re looking at something that looks like an approximation
of hills and stuff, but for me it’s like I’m in some kind of
application that allows you to walk around inside a formula. It’s
super obvious to me, so I can’t see it any other way.” ❱❱

37
 T
❱❱ he matrix code of the game falls away even more and they can all look a little big ugly, but to get them looking
though on the final world where plants, animals and all feeling like they’re real creatures, that’s where the real hard
water are added to the surroundings. Leaping between work comes in, the trial and error.”
these worlds (which we should emphasise are scaled

W
like real planets and would take ages to traverse on foot alone) alking along the development floor of Hello
we’re almost seeing a slowed-down version of how each world Games’ two-storey studio we get to see some of
in No Man’s Sky is formed in a matter of milliseconds as you this process unfold. A small art team (about four
approach the surface. The game reaches into its grab-bag of people) is building the animals you’ll meet piece
elements, puts them through its algorithms and a world is by piece. They’re using a generator to constantly change their
formed before your eyes. Once formed, it’s seeded and saved for height, length, weight and more and each time you can see
all who might return. Even the major changes you might make to it’s kind of the same animal, but also very different, as if the
the surface of the world (you can use Land Disrupter grenades to evolutionary path of the species was affected depending on the
mine the planet’s surface with the right upgrades) will remain. planet. When you land on a planet, just as the hills, mountains
And everything else is built this way too, from the plants to and seas are placed, so the game is asking itself, ‘What animal
the animals. It’s been an adjustment for the rest of the design life could survive here?’ and ‘What sort of characteristics
team according to Duncan. “Early on in the project, I definitely might it exhibit?’. Then it begins applying skins, it gives the
didn’t like the procedural aspect because I’m so used to having animal a voice, which is completely synthesised by Paul Weir’s
control over everything,” he admits. “I’ve had complete control; programs and adapts to the size and variety of creature, and is
I know exactly how it’s going to look. And you just don’t have even given an animation style for how it walks dependent on its
that with procedural things. It’s skeletal makeup and proportions.
like a balance between adding You won’t be seeing any speedy
rules to procedural systems to
try and influence the results, I think of working with mammoths, or at least you
probably shouldn’t.
but if you do that too much you
end up taking away what makes
the procedural systems “I almost think of working
with the procedural systems like
procedural useful. You take the
magic away because you’re trying
like working with a weird working with a weird collaborator
that is a little bit unpredictable but
to control it too much. That’s been
a big learning curve for me, the
collaborator that is a little is like a mad genius,” is Duncan’s
rather excellent way of looking at
need to relax a little bit and accept
that sometimes you’re going to
bit unpredictable but is it. “Sometimes they do amazing
things, and I’m just journeying
get results that aren’t exactly how
you would have done it.”
like a mad genius through the game with them,
pumping out bizarre artwork.”
“I do it a great disservice when There are a lot of
people ask how it’s possible and I say ‘procedural generation’, misconceptions still about what No Man’s Sky really is and
but I say it as if it’s magic,” adds Murray, waving his hand as he what procedural generation can do, though. “I think, especially
repeats the words, ‘Procedural generation’. “Someone asked as it’s in a sci-fi setting, people almost assume it’s a game
yesterday, ‘then presumably it’s all made for you, so do you that contains every game,” says Duncan. “A lot of people, they
have anything to do?’. Yes, we’re trying to make three different think we’ve created this infinite game generator.” So what is No
games. One where you’re on a planet and it’s a survival game Man’s Sky when you break it down? What do you actually do?
and one where you’re in space with combat and another where It begins on the outer edge of the universe. You have a small
it’s about joining the two up, fighting over planets and trading ship and limited technology, but your overarching mission is
between them and all that sort of thing. Apart from just the to get to the centre of the universe. What’s there? That’s yet
content, which is procedurally-generated, it’s a huge game.” to be revealed, but you can be confident it’s the one spot in
Because ultimately there’s a pretty big difference between the universe where you actually have a fair chance of meeting
random and procedural even if the latter can sometimes feel another player since they’ll be heading there too. So, in the
like the former. Procedural content is cra‘ed. It’s only possible meantime, you journey and you survive. What took us a little
through making the right building blocks and creating the by surprise, as we explored a small star system, was how
systems that can merge and meld those blocks into something much of a survival game this really is. On extreme hot or cold
that always makes sense. That’s been the challenge for Hello worlds you’ll need a thermal shield to keep you going, but the
Games; masses of content creation and refining the code rewards might be great. You could even upgrade this feature of
behind the game so that it can keep creating interesting worlds. your explorer to specialise in resource gathering on the outer
“It’s like organised chaos,” is the take of Paul Weir, audio worlds of star systems. It’s not unlike Minecra‘, in a way, as
director at Hello Games, who also has the challenge of you’re dropped with little knowledge and little instruction into a
developing a soundscape for these worlds and creatures that, procedural world and you need to cra‘ and explore in order to
chances are, he’ll never get to see. “A lot of what we do is get further and achieve greater things.
within these inherently chaotic systems, but you can contain Mojang’s Minecra‘ was in fact a major influence on the
them and make them meaningful. That’s what you want. You team, but not for its gameplay; more as a touchstone for what
want something to feel purposeful.” can be achieved. “It’s great to have Minecra‘ because you can
“I guess, with audio as with the art, with the procedural use it for everything,” Murray tells us. “There are all these
system it’s really easy to make a huge variety of random rules that people thought existed such as ‘People will only
things,” adds Duncan. “It’s [technically] easy to produce a buy Call Of Duty’, and it’s just really nice to say that the best
million different sounds, but to make all of those sounds selling game in the world is this. It proves that you don’t need
relevant, to have them make sense in context? It’s the same photo-realistic graphics, it proves that you don’t need massive
with the visuals I can make. I can make a thousand creatures, cutscenes, it proves that you can be really creative and ❱❱

38
 ■ Landing pads and bases such as this can be found
on many planets. In fact, in space you’ll often be able to
see lines leading to planets through the cosmos. These
indicate trading routes of alien species, which is a good
sign that you might find something on the surface. KEEPING
IT SIMPLE
For all the scale and complexity
of the universe Hello Games
is generating and guiding, the
team says it has to keep things
under control
In applying procedural
generation models to art
design and audio, art director
Grant Duncan and audio
director Paul Weir, probably
had the biggest adjustments
to make to apply their skills
to No Man’s Sky. However,
it’s the simplicity of the
programming that gives them
room to explore and create.
“You never need to make
a system more complex than
it absolutely needs to be,”
says Weir. “If it’s looking like
it’s complex, it’s probably
wrong. The research behind

THE NUMBERS EXPLAINED

it, working through the
problem? That’s complicated.
The solution is oſten really
straightforward and very
THE IMPORTANT FACTS AND FIGURES YOU NEED TO KNOW simple. That’s what elegant
programming is all about.
QUINTILLIONS QUADRILLIONS TRILLIONS BILLIONS MILLIONS THOUSANDS HUNDREDS You don’t want complicated
programming.”
18,446,744,073,709,551,616
POSSIBLE PLANETS IN NO MAN’S SKY
Weir pauses, hesitant
for a moment, and turns to
Duncan. “Was that bollocks?”
“No, it was gold,” laughs
■ This is based on No Man’s Sky using a 64-bit seed system for generating planets. And Duncan. Weir joins in.
what is that? The seed number is what the game remembers to regenerate the planet “For some programmers
again exactly as you found it, and it can handle numbers up to 64 digits long. That leads – not here, not ones I’ve
to over 18 quintillion possible numbers, hence that’s the number of possible planets. tended to work with – there’s
The important word though may be ‘possible’. It doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the total almost a perverse pride in
number, but rather it indicates how unique each planet has the chance to be and how many how complicated your code
there could be without repetition. can be,” Weir continues.
“‘Look at its complexity!’ But
actually that’s not the mark
IT’S A MATHEMATICAL IF A PLANET IS FOUND
of good code. We’ve got
complex enough systems

IMPROBABILITY YOU’LL EVERY SECOND IT WILL TAKE that if we took that direction
it would be chaos.”

MEET ANOTHER PLAYER 585 BILLION

YEARS TO FIND THEM ALL
■ This is something Hello Games is actually a little concerned about. ■ Pretty simple maths on this one,
The universe is so large that if 10 million people play, they could have dividing the number by 60 to get
1,844,674,407,371 planets each without sharing worlds. Under such minutes. 60 again to get hours,
circumstances all the naming mechanics and discovery might seem it’s for 24 to get days, and finally 365
nothing. But since everyone is heading towards the centre of the universe to get years.
you should start seeing others the deeper you get into the game.

THERE ARE ■ Hello Games started as four developers with triple-A backgrounds. Sean
Murray was a technical lead at Criterion working on games like Burnout 3
16 PEOPLE and Black. Grant Duncan arrived from Sumo Digital. Ryan Doyle was also at
Criterion before working at Kuju on Geometry Wars: Galaxies where fellow

WORKING ON co-founder David Ream also worked. Since then the team has expanded,
first in the development of Joe Danger’s spin-offs and sequels to around
ten developers and now to 16, with roughly 4 artists and 8 programmers
NO MAN’S SKY making up the bulk of development staff.

39
 ■ Interacting with monoliths like this one will allow
you to learn more of the four different alien race
languages in the game. You’ll often need to guess based
on a limited context what the monolith wants from you

GENERATION GAMES
No Man’s Sky is the latest in a long history of innovators
to get the best result, though.

in crafted content randomised through mathematics.

Here are some more important contributors

BENEATH APPLE MANOR (1978)

Argued by some to be the first procedurally-generated game,
Beneath Apple Manor is essentially a roguelike, although it
predates Rogue by a couple of years. You must work your way
through a series of dungeons with ten rooms per level, finally
reaching a Golden Apple as your prize on the last floor.

ELITE (1984)
The legendary space explorer used a similar system of seed
numbers to store planetary data as No Man’s Sky does now,
using it as a way to reduce the amount of data that was needed
to make the game. It ended up with eight galaxies containing
256 planets each, although it could have been a lot more.

DIABLO (1996)
The great populariser of the dungeon-crawling genre, Diablo
used procedural generation for its dungeon layouts, making
each dive into the game something unique. The building blocks
were always the same, but it kept things a little unpredictable, ❱❱ innovative and different. You can see people in the industry
and would-be adventurers on their toes. using it all the time as an example, ‘this disproves loads of the
things that you were saying and thinking about gamers and
how people play games’.”

A
.KKRIEGER (2004) nd so Hello Games has made a space survival game
This was essentially a tech demo of what could be achieved so vast that getting to the centre of the universe will
through procedural generation to keep file sizes small. .kkrieger be a Herculean task, while just meeting another
uses only 97,280 bytes of disk space to store the entire game. player among so many planets will be such a rare
And as you can see, it’s not a bad-looking experience. It’s still occurrence it will be electric. You’ll search and discover, earning
available to download for free as a beta. money for everything you find and earning greater riches the
rarer the creature (nocturnal animals, for instance, are worth
more). You’ll gather resources and cra new gear for yourself
and your ship. And you’ll trade, but not necessarily with other
LEFT 4 DEAD (2008) players because, as mentioned, they’re not going to be easy to
What we love about Turtle Rock’s zombie co-op shooter is that
find. We got to take a look at one of the four alien races you’ll
while the levels are fixed, it’s the AI behaviour that’s procedural,
interact with in No Man’s Sky and each has its own history,
managed by the game’s AI Director. It reads the movement and
placement of the players and sends out the horde accordingly, language and lineage you can learn about. Each individual
and that means no two games are the same. you meet is also procedurally created in terms of their body
proportions, clothing and voice so just like in the real world
every individual should look pretty unique.
The monoliths you’ve probably spotted in some images
MINECRAFT (2011) and videos are actually Rosetta Stones for alien speech, giving
you single words that will be translated for you the text time
It’s one of the most played games around and every time
someone starts a new game-world, it’s procedurally-generated. to speak. Over time, through finding more monoliths and just
It’s actually been estimated that given Minecraft ’s own seeding having successful conversations, more words will unlock until
system, it could create a world even larger than No Man’s Sky, hopefully one day you might even be fluent in an alien tongue.
except it keeps its levels instanced separately. Of course, these languages will remain consistent so in theory
someone could just translate them and post a handy dictionary
online sometime a er release, but even so it’s a lot of fun.
Chatting on the ice world with one alien on a base we could only
THE WITNESS (2016) make out one word, but figured he might want to sell us a gun
Jonathan Blow’s excellent puzzle experience saves its procedural for some resources. In making the deal we now had a weapon
content until right at the end and it’s completely optional. The final that would allow faster entry to the factory just a little further
puzzles are generated procedurally and you have to complete
along, in which we could unlock a new technology to be cra ed.
them against a time limit, which means all that sketching and
As we shot at the door and then switched to the alternate
slow-solving you could do before is gone. It’s devious.
fire of a laser-cutter (better for mining), sentinels started to

40
 performers and having that work in real-time in a game.
There’s lots of interesting ways we can take the tech from this
project… It’s really fascinating.”

S
o there’s a lot going on with No Man’s Sky. There’s
survival to consider, craing and trade to enjoy. There’s
space combat and plenty of it too if you want to get into
that. Space stations can be landed on – all procedurally
designed, although from a slightly more limited number of base
elements as we understand it. And at the centre is something to
chase aer. But even then, Murray seems a little uncomfortable
putting everything on a chase to the middle of the universe.
“I never know if it was a good thing or not to say you have
to get to the centre of the universe, because it helps people
to understand the game and that’s why we said it – it is an
important part of the game – but what I want to scream at people
is you’ll just be able to play lots of different ways,” Murray insists.
“I’m actually pretty sure when they pick up the controller, a lot of
people won’t care about the centre anymore.”
And when you think about Minecra, do you think about the
Ender Dragon or just living in its world and playing within its
boundaries? If the world is rich enough and it offers enough
discovery and possibility, you can just exist in the world and
enjoy it. You play just to play. As you begin to see just how
much there is to find and do in a good gaming universe, that
really clicks into place.
In this respect, No Man’s Sky is part of a wave of games that
builds on sandbox experiences in a purer form. Murray reflects
on another touchstone game as he explains his vision for a new
What I want to scream at people form of triple-A experience. “Red Dead Redemption is a real
favourite game of mine,” he tells us. “I used to just go camping
is that you’ll just be able to play lots and stuff like that and it sounds ridiculous. Most people think
there are triple-A games over here and then over there is this
of different ways niche of PC gamers who enjoy games that are on Twitch and
YouTube that none of us really understand. The kind of concept
like The Long Dark: ‘Not really sure why anyone plays it, but
take an interest in us and attacked. These small robots float there’s some kind of niche and they enjoy that and that’s where
around and defend planets from resource thieves like us, but it it will stay’. I think there’s this slow erosion taking place right
can’t be helped. If that journey to the centre is going to happen, now that’s happening and people aren’t really noticing. It’s
we need whatever is behind this door. Acts of the and space going to come crashing across triple-A, where I am sure we’re
piracy are open to you if you’re ready to face the consequences going to see Assassin’s Creed having much more sandbox-style
and we were assured that there are other ways into that factory play. That’s something that I would be really excited about.”
via stealth if we could have found them, but the sentinels are So what about No Man’s Sky post launch? Having seen what
always watching, even off-planet. Shoot too many cargo ships the team has already achieved, it seems churlish to demand
and you’ll start building a wanted level and just like in GTA, more, but the potential for further expansion is so clear and
your criminal activity will attract greater and more forceful the references to Minecra hint at future support. “There are
retribution the longer you persist. things that we don’t find core to the game, but we’ve obviously
And, of course, the world persists. This is a gigantic universe thought about,” Murray reassures us. “And aer the game
so large that meeting another player is mathematically going comes out, once the core is out there and we have people out
to be a rare and special happening, but it is a shared world. exploring there are things like that that we can potentially
The discoveries you make will affect other players; what they support that would be really fun. What we’re trying to build is
find will affect you. And with it all being made from the building the base for the game.”
blocks this team has been making for the last three years, you And what of hopes for the game and how it will be received?
can’t help but appreciate the crasmanship of it all, allowing Apart from everyone enjoying and coming to understand what
some space between different animals, plants and even sounds it is that Hello Games has actually made, Duncan has a rather
so that every world sounds unique instead of just a little turn of simple yet ambitious hope for the influence this game might
a dial different to the last, and that’s taken some time and some have. “I remember reading a study on NASA scientists on what
challenging questions. percentage of them had watched Star Trek when they were
“How do you create a sound that sounds organic and could younger, and it was a ridiculously high stat,” he begins. “My
belong to a creature?” asks Weir. “How do you perform that, highest ambition is that at some point in the future, I want people,
and how does that interact with the game mechanics? In children now, to play No Man’s Sky and be so enthralled by the
designing that whole pipeline, we’ve ended up with a really ■ Animations are assigned to experience that they make it their mission to go to Mars.
creatures as they appear to correctly
interesting solution for interactive sound design for computer “Basically, I think the human race is pretty doomed on earth
match their physique. The same goes
games. In a way, it’s totally different to what anyone’s ever for the sounds they make, depending right now, and really we need a generation to get us off
done. It’s a combination of computer performers and human on their temperament and size. this planet,” laughs Duncan. “I see it as my mission.”

41
42
 ENTER THE CHURCH OF

DARK SOULS
games™ prayed at the unholy altar of Cinder and walked away
cleansed by Hidetaka Miyazaki’s punishing Dark Souls III

W
ith dreary determination and a deep pang of regret,
we begin our journey. Dimly flickering lights do
little to combat the suffocating darkness; rain lashes
wildly against a tomb of glass and steel. Gormless,
broken husks of humanity shuffle off towards a distant
destination, a thick aura of depression surrounding them. The thunderous roar
of unholy airborne beasts is a distant concern; the nauseating smells emanating
from everything around us an immediate one. The warnings hissed by other
nameless weary travellers are becoming an stark reality; the pressure sets in,
though we fear our greatest challenge still lies ahead. This
is, after all, the quintessential Dark Souls experience.
But we aren’t anywhere near the Cemetery of
Dark Souls is at its best when it reflects the human
Ash. We aren’t perched high atop the High Wall of
Lothric, nor are we approaching the outskirts of the
condition - our insatiable appetite for adversity paired
Undead Settlement. We are somewhere far, far worse: with seemingly impossible challenges
Heathrow Airport. Venturing through Terminal 5 at
four thirty in the morning is a torturous gauntlet of hell that, at least while
the experience is being endured, doesn’t feel overly dissimilar to the horrors
constantly unearthed in Hidetaka Miyazaki’s long-running masterclass
in misery. Dark Souls has always been at its best when it reflects the
human condition – our insatiable appetite for overcoming adversity paired
with a series of seemingly impossible challenges laid out in front of us.
Ultimately, the mystery is what makes Dark Souls’ misery worth it. And all
this temporary airport unpleasantness would be worth it in the end, too,
because we were on our way to spend hours struggling through a near-
complete build of Dark Souls III. ❱❱

43
 THE HOLLOWING
How Dark Souls III is changing
its approach to humanity ■ You’ll notice visual similarities
between Dark Souls III and its
Both Dark Souls and its sequel spiritual sequel, Bloodborne. In
Dark Souls II featured the nasty some cases, particularly with the
little system where your character enemy and world design, it looks
would become ‘hollow’ upon like assets have been re-purposed.
everything. It’s a thematic ending
dying. You may not have even for the Dark Souls lore that began
realised the implications of
❱❱ That means we now have a back in 2011, and its mechanics
this happening your first time
around, as the game doesn’t strong image of what the game is and systems are a ‘best-of’ mash-
care to explain it to you. In the and how it compares to the previous up, drawn from Demon’s Souls to lead me towards understanding the
original, being hollow meant you titles in the series. We’ve immersed Bloodborne. Dark Souls III may not next opportunity for the series… I
were unable to summon other ourselves into the gothic horror with bring any new fans into the fold but, look forward to an exciting future
players for co-op nor be invaded a DualShock 4 clasped in our sweaty then again, we aren’t necessarily sure for the creators and the players who
by enemy players. In the sequel, palms and emerged with a sense of Miyazaki wants it to. If anything, this enjoy our games.”
being hollow reduced your its purpose and pitfalls – though we is a glorious last hurrah before the A lot of what you see in Dark Souls
maximum hit points up to 50 aren’t sure all of winds of change III is going to have a creeping sense
percent – which was brutal. This
could be reversed by spending
you are going to
like what you hear.
Its mechanics are a ‘best transform From
Software; a chance
of familiarity to it, perhaps even to
a fault. It’s incredibly reminiscent
a very rare resource in the form
of Humanity, or Human Effigies; For one night in
rainy Hamburg,
of’ mash-up, from Demon’s for the studio to
say thank you to
of what’s come before, but with
some vital tweaks made to the core
depending on the game.
Dark Souls III has seemingly Germany, we Souls to Bloodborne its pious followers, formula. It’s still an experience
gotten rid of the whole system. gathered for before setting out wholly focused on gathering a
It is of course highly possible worship alongside a congregation of to expand the series and its appeal. “sense of accomplishment through
that it was simply disabled in our the From Software faithful – we were “For better or worse, myself overcoming huge difficulty”, as
demo and could later return, or anointed as disciples to the church of and From Software are very much Miyazaki would put it, but the
that From Software has grown
Dark Souls. beholden to habit – but doing method in which you go about
tired with needing to explain it.
Either way, we found no items There is no turning back. things we love can sometimes lead achieving those goals might look
in the game that would suggest to different opportunities in the slightly different – unless you played
reversal of the hollow state, and A TIRELESS DEVOTION end,” reveals Miyazaki, once again Bloodborne, of course.
the only penalty we encountered TO PROGRESS reaffirming his commitment to Cautiously edging out of a wooden
in dying was dropping all of those We are past the point where the press doing things his way and ignoring shack into an all-new area, dubbed
valuable souls in often annoyingly and hardcore fans feel it necessary outside influences. “It delights the Undead Settlement – a place
awkward locations. Besides, the to evangelise on behalf of the Souls me that the Dark Souls series has standing in stark contrast to the
whole idea of being hollowed franchise anymore. Its demonistic achieved popularity. In fact, it is very towering Gothic structures we had
and humanised doesn’t really
roots stretch back to 2009 and if you encouraging for me and provides a explored up to this point, we cast
fit within the lore of Dark Souls
III. A ritualistic revival sees your aren’t a fan already, there’s likely very huge motivation to create games. I our eyes over villagers gathered in
character emerge from the grave, little that will change your mind. think this popularity also might help worship around a flaming cross,
there’s surely no coming back But in a sense, Dark Souls III feels pitchforks in-hand. A rag-clad
from that… right? like the game that is going to change

44
 ■ Enemy attacks
are unpredictable,
especially with things
like villagers erupting
into a mess of tentacles.
These enemies are like
surprise mini-bosses,
though they do respawn
upon your death.

■ In Hamburg, a small church

was transformed into a place of
worship for Dark Souls fans. Was
it a little over the top? It sure was,
but the From Software fan inside
of us sure found it amusing.

were passport control clerks that

instead we walked away from here looked on wearily at the arrival of
witch wielding the bible conducts wondering whether Dark Souls III English games journalists speaking
a mysterious ancient ritual shortly is a little too content to retread old Creating a current-generation game in occult tongues – or, you know,
before beginning one we are only ground. It’s difficult to summon the of this size and scope is a tricky (not discussing the finer points of the
too familiar with – the villagers turn desire to explore – other than to find to mention expensive) business. To Dark Souls lore – and coaches
their attention to us and it isn’t long those all-important bonfires – when deliver the product that we want, in exuding the smell of urine. Like we
before we are knee-deep in sweat as it feels like you are going through the time-frame expected perhaps said, this is the essence of a Dark
the horde descends. the motions of struggling through it is inevitable to see this kind of Souls experience.
The similarities between the locales you have both explored and re-purposing. Again, it’s forgivable if Bleary-eyed from the journey and
Undead Settlement and Bloodborne’s conquered long before. it doesn’t affect our enjoyment of the soaked by the rain, we heaved open
Hemwick Charnel Lane are uncanny, Speaking realistically, this is game further down the line. the doors to the Church Of Dark
impossible to deny. There are a Miyazaki’s game and he can (as he Dark Souls III was never going Souls – it wasn’t unlike entering into
lot of re-purposed assets in play; is known to) do what he wants with to be the game that presented the arena of a boss battle for the first
several of the environments and it. If he’s decided to reference the enhanced gameplay and stunning time. The altar has been somewhat
enemies look like they have been older games, then who are we to new environments – it owes too blasphemously transformed into a
lifted from Bloodborne wholesale say otherwise – we just hope it’s for much to its past. Perhaps that’s makeshift stage that Miyazaki would
with a slightly different colouring. good reason, and more importantly why Bloodborne felt like such a later take to in an attempt to explain
Strangely, for Dark Souls at least, that it doesn’t impede on the majesty much-needed palate cleanser. So the story (it is predictably obtuse).
they are brighter and evoke a little of Dark Souls’ design come April. ultimately you need to decide what’s Dry ice is pumped in from under the
less dread than the ones found in its A major appeal of Dark Souls is more important to you: the visual pews, all re-arranged behind dozens
2015 cousin. On the way to battle one exploring the new areas and the presentation or the mechanics of of consoles, forcing an air of eerie
boss, it didn’t take long to realise we thrill to be found in becoming lost in Dark Souls? stillness to the place – compounded
were walking to the same enclosed a torturous hellscape of overlapping by the live organ hymns echoing
chamber housing The One Reborn corridors and environments that ENTER THE CHURCH around the stones.
– the masonry flanking either side expertly double back on themselves. We’re standing outside of a church Later, while outside, we would
of the walkway the tell. We left with But with Dark Souls III coming out in Hamburg contemplating the see a family approach the church
the feeling that, were we able to run less than a year after Bloodborne success of Dark Souls, two flaming through the darkness: they took one
through the Undead Settlement at (let alone only two years after the torches adorning either side of a look at the burning flames adorning
night, we likely wouldn’t even see a disappointingly bug-ridden Dark weighty door. It’s a journey that took the steps to their palace of holy
difference – perhaps even thinking Souls II) perhaps it’s no surprise 12 hours, delayed by the inevitable worship, gaze at the demonic Lords
that Miyazaki has pulled a crazy so many of the environment and breakdown of one aircraft and the Of Cinder banners hanging from its
stunt by transporting us to the enemy assets are being re-purposed; slow take-off of a replacement. There aging architecture, and turned away,
world of Bloodborne for a spell. But developing on this timescale will aghast. Were we concerned by the
always necessitate shortcuts. blasphemy we were helping Bandai

45
 DIGGING DEEP
■ Like the Souls games
that precede it, this INTO THE STORY
sequel still gives players Potential spoilers incoming,
plenty of options when we try to work out whether
it comes to character there’s a link between Dark
selection. You can still Souls and its threequel
brave it in the buff, or
be one of the new magic- In Dark Souls, we’ve always
focused characters. played some variation of a Cursed
Undead, a human that has since
been doomed to eternal cycles
of death and rebirth – essentially
forcing you to lose every inch of
your humanity and go hollow.
Everything in Lothric is on the
brink of disaster – more so than
ever. Humanity has already faded,
the dark times have consumed
to determine how many times you
all. This means your origin in Dark
could cast a spell – meaning you now Souls III is slightly different: a bell
only needed to track hit points and ‘YOU HAVE DIED’ screen. This has chimes, you emerge from a tomb,
stamina in the 2011 successor; spells been augmented by the increased broken. You aren’t referred to as
❱❱ Namco commit? Sure, but then were limited by the number of casts pace of Bloodborne, with back- an Undead this time out, but as an
this is Dark Souls in 2016; unafraid you had available before needing to stepping and rolling having more Ashen One.
to commit to the darkness. We are return to a bonfire. Dark Souls III impetus than ever – you can even It is often remarked in Dark
learning well. has re-introduced a third bar in blue, stun some enemies by rolling into Souls III that you are “unfit to
Perhaps one of the reasons Dark and you’ll find it sat between the red their legs, we quickly discovered –
become a Lord” which is itself a
direct contrast with the events
Souls has established such a fervent health and green stamina bars. This now where have we seen that before?
of the first Dark Souls. There, you
fan base is that, even while so dictates your FP (Focus Points) stat, It’s the same Dark Souls, only now could become a Lord: you either
much of the gameplay is soaked in drained using spells, but also a new it’s a little faster and set against walked away from the flame and
ceaseless repetition and frustration, type of melee system. a backdrop of beautiful, visually become the Lord of Darkness, or
the combat mechanics have always Once known as Battle Arts, staggering environments. Finally, a you offered yourself to it – much
been rock solid. Dark Souls III Skills are essentially a new array Dark Souls game that regards visual like Gwyn. The Chosen Undead
brings plenty of interesting tweaks of stances and attack patterns that performance as highly as it does was brought back to save the
to the series’ core formula; it feels may throw traditionalists off their its combat. world in Dark Souls, so why are
fresh but familiar – combining Dark game; though they don’t have the This increased attention to
you not worthy for that this time?
Why are you worthy to slay the
Souls’ cautious contemplation with same impact as, say, the Regain graphical perfection also shines
Lords of Cinder but not become
Bloodborne’s more calculated speed mechanic in Bloodborne. Skills range through in the enemy design. It’s the one? This will likely be Dark Souls
of movement. in usefulness, and change depending familiar, focused through a lens of III ’s driving mystery.
With all the Bloodborne on the weapon you have equipped – a grotesque fury. You’ll wait and watch, Especially because there’s
comparisons, it would be easy to ready stance for piercing shields with trying to figure out their movement a chance that you are directly
misinterpret that at a mechanical the Knight’s long sword, to rushing patterns and weapon sets before connected with the Chosen
level. Souls fans shouldn’t expect foes with a halberd, to activating a moving into engagement. Though, Undead from the original.
to have to completely relearn the mace’s ‘stance of prayer’ that reduces we wouldn’t blame you if you rushed Miyazaki mentioned that you play
game; in fact we had little trouble damage taken while activated. in – giant rats, dangerous knights
as an “Unkindled”, as somebody
“tried to become a Lord but
making it through the first two That all said, it’s also easy enough and fire breathing beasts, we’ve
couldn’t.”What if Dark Souls III
bosses – Iudex Gundyr and Vordt of to forget that they are even there, seen it all before. Fighting enemies and the state of Lothric has spun
the Boreal Valley – unscathed. That such little immediate impact do is still enthralling, though, beating out from your actions in the
said, Miyazaki did inform us that they have on the outcome of combat them is still rewarding, and running first game: that after defeating
the difficulty had been scaled back situations – which is worrying when constantly back through the same Gwyn you were unable to kindle
slightly for this build; we assume so you consider it’s essentially the only areas – from bonfire to your Soul the flame and instead faced the
the gaming charlatans could walk major new mechanic that is being spot – is still a tedious exercise in consequences thousands of years
away without their spirits entirely introduced in this instalment. contemplation. But that’s Dark Souls later. Or maybe you are the former
broken. But there are a few changes For the most part, combat plays
Lord of Darkness, the Chosen
for you; whether that sounds like a
Undead ashen and disgraced;
that might surprise you, especially out as expected, in a flurry of split- good time or about as fun as grinding
punished by the Kiln of the First
as they hark all the way back to second decisions, failed parries and your fingers down to bloody stumps Flame for letting the fire – and the
Demon’s Souls. staring at the (ever helpful reminder) let’s you know whether you should hopes of humanity – burn out…
Dark Souls’ predecessor used a be excited about this or not.
traditional RPG magic points system

46
 ■ Skills give players new ways to
combat the horrors of Dark Souls
understand why the lore of Dark III. While it isn’t immediately clear
as to whether they will have
Souls is so impossible to parse, at
a huge impact on the game, it’s
THE END OF ALL THINGS least to those of us in the West, after to cash in your Souls for items, refreshing to see new mechanics.
If you aren’t heavily invested in it has passed through localisation. upgrades and the opportunity to level
the lore of Dark Souls, or simply Still, we did have time to dig into up, but it also gave us a wider view
find it too obtuse to really care a few secrets during our time with of the story itself. A solemn knight
about, being trapped in a room Dark Souls III. If you had doubts reveals to us as an Unkindled – an their respective thrones in an attempt
full of muttering fanatics can be about the game bringing story Ashen One – that has been risen to link the fire again to “preserve
hell on earth. It sounds like chaos elements of the series to a close, this from death to hunt down the mighty the world”. As long as there is a
incarnate; frenzied, unearthly just about confirms the link. We Lords Of Cinder: huge, powerful, burning flame, life will continue; the
babbling summoned from the quickly stumbled upon the Firelink behemoths that look like frustrating darkness cannot be absolute.
nether realms as punishment for Shrine after defeating Dark Souls III’s boss battles later down the line. It’s only possible to get a fleeting
not sacrificing hours of time to first boss, and it’s largely reminiscent In the shrine we see five thrones, sense of the wider story from a
a Wikipedia page. The story is a of Demon’s Souls’ Nexus Hub. Here naming the Cinder Lords as Yhorm handful of hours, that’s the nature
contentious subject amongst the we find the Giant of Dark Souls. That’s also true of
hardcore and casual players of Dark
Souls, and it doesn’t help that its
Andre, a
blacksmith
As long as there is a burning flame, of the
Profaned
the gameplay itself. It’s highly likely
that the difficulty curve and familiar
creator doesn’t seem to have that that bares life will continue; the darkness Capital, the enemies and environments exhibited
much of a stronger grasp on it. a striking Watchers of here will disperse the further you
In a presentation beset with resemblance cannot be absolute the Abyss, trudge through the game, but we
confusion, Miyazaki attempted to to that Andre Holy King can’t be certain. From Software
explain many of the core concepts of Astora from the first Dark Souls Lothric, Last hope of his Line and has upped the quality of the Souls
– though they were translated outing. We also run into a familiar Saint Aldrich of the Deep. There’s franchise massively here; it’s the
into statements that made very knight sporting an onion-shaped a withered figure sitting in the best looking, smoothest and most
little sense. “It’s a story about a helmet, who identifies himself as fifth throne, Ludleth the Exiled, playable entry into the series yet,
guy who didn’t become a lord, Siegward (of Catarina, as you may who is the only one to not abandon and that can only be a good thing.
now he’s fighting other lords,” he recall). You can probably see where the Firelink Shrine. Ludleth, we With its 12 April release date fast
would say in one sentence, before we are going with this; if there was discovered with a little snooping, is approaching, all we can do now
admitting, “Sorry I’m not very good ever any doubt in your mind that the the only of the five to be left charred is consider its mysteries, bow our
at explaining the story… You’ll find Dark Souls games were linked in a by the process of ‘Linking The Fire’ – heads to the altar of Cinder, and hope
yourself asking, ‘What’s going on?’ metaphysical way, this should be all something we’ve come across many that the adversity and struggles it
Well, you will just have to find that the proof you need. a time in the Dark Souls series. It so lovingly advocates do not
out for yourself!” Now we truly The Firelink Shrine also serves looks like this third outing will have consume us entirely.
a further purpose. Not only is it the us forcibly returning the Lords to
location you’ll return to in an attempt

47
 PERSUASIVE

TACTICS
Where others rise and fall, strategy remains: powerful,
ever-present, adored. gamesTM takes a look at the
evolution of the genre that pre-dates all of gaming

48
■ The traditional RTS died a slow
death, and efforts like Command &
Conquer 4 failed miserably to
reinvigorate the genre.

I
t’s the oldest genre “You think about this as a
in the world, predating strategy designer – the very first
videogames, computer games, games are strategy games,” he says,
any form of organised game. It forms “All of them have their roots in strategy...
a base element of near enough all thought What’s special about strategy is that it flexes
processes. Nations have risen – and fallen – because of different muscles. It’s not about the experience of playing,
good and bad use of it. Without strategy, there would be nothing your reflexes or coordination in general – but it appeals to that
– never mind Civilization, we wouldn’t have a civilisation as we part of your brain, as humans we like to learn things.”
know it. Strategy is, in short, quite an interesting genre. It’s no surprise, considering how broad the criteria to be
Inxile’s Brian Fargo puts it simply: “Without strategy there considered a strategy game is, that there are a huge array of
is no game,” he says, “Whether I’m playing Civilization, Tiger different games sitting under the genre umbrella. Civilization,
Woods Golf or Halo I need to be developing some kind of Wasteland, Warcra˜, the Sim series, the Tycoon titles, Football
strategy in my mind as to how Manager, Syndicate, most (but

“orWhether it was Chess, Go

to approach the problems. It not all) of the X-Com/XCOM
is the underpinning of what games, and plenty of others.
makes any game interesting and
stimulating.” But this is a broad Senet they paved the way They’re all very different games,
and just because they all have
look at strategy in general – it’s
the specific genre (admittedly
for all modern games ” strategy in them to different
degrees, it doesn’t mean they
broad in itself) that’s such a have the same appeal to all
captivating, ever-present part of gaming. players. But they do have things in common.
“As a player I’m not just seeking to defeat an opponent, One good example of this is provided by the XCOM series.
I’m looking to defeat a system,” Tomas Rawlings, design and Kacper Szymczak, lead designer at CreativeForge Games explains:
production director at Auroch Digital, says. “By that I mean “While being on the front lines of the war against alien invaders
for the player to win they have to start to understand how is undoubtedly exciting, the history of XCOM titles in other genres
the system works as well as how your opponent does. You shows that a large part of the appeal is the responsibility for the
soon start to re-apply your strategy in new situations, and survival of humanity. Sometimes the protagonist of the FPS has to
when it works you feel a great rush and that sense that you’ve be sacrificed by the hero of the strategy and that too is a part of the
outwitted the system.” experience.” Basically, there are always broader concerns at play –
It’s a viewpoint shared by XCOM 2 designer Jake Solomon, the death of one being a tragedy, the death of many a statistic.
that the core of the genre in gaming is about learning a system ❱❱
and using it against what was originally challenging you.

49
 ■ Sometimes all
a flagging genre
needs is a shot
of atmosphere in
its arm – or lack
thereof, as the
case may be – and
you get something ■ Age of Empires 2 is a game so nigh-on perfect,
as special as it is still played and loved to this day. Even its
the classic RTS technically better sequel can’t compete.
Homeworld.

A
❱❱
nd this universal appeal is something that to generate it’s move, it would take me days to finish a game
has been present in strategy gaming since assuming it didn’t crash. But still I was fascinated.”
the very beginning. When asking our experts for Solomon shares that obsessive feeling with Fargo – as do
their input on the legends of the genre, we were most of our strategy experts – but on different titles. “I thought
given enough names to fill a whole extra feature Age of Empires II: Age of Kings was an absolutely perfect
– Dune II, Metal Gear Ac!d, Rebel Star Raiders, Laser Squad, game. You didn’t have to be a super-expert to play. I remember
Advance Wars, and countless others we wouldn’t even have a„er I’d played a LAN game of that, I would stew on the drive
considered – or even thought were classed as strategy titles. home thinking what I should have done... it just consumed me.
“For me it was probably Warcra„ in terms of the way it shook Then there was Syndicate,” he continues, “It had an impact – I
up the genre and added real time elements in for yet further think one that’s more visible in XCOM 2 – there’s that tug of
brain work,” Fargo explains, “Dune probably gets more credit for dark cyberpunk. Syndicate always stuck with me. Outside of
the innovation but I spent far more time with Warcra„. It clearly the original X-Com I think Syndicate has the most to do with

“ I’m personally looking forward to some real artificial intelligence:

simulated staff or advisors we can really delegate some duties to ”
struck a bigger nerve as Blizzard is now the most successful modern XCOM, they’re connected amorphously in my mind.”
developer in the world. And, of course, the line from XCOM 2 traces all the way back
“Also, when I was young and had my Apple II computer I used to the original UFO: Enemy Unknown, which Szymczak cites as
to play Computer Ambush and boy, that was an affair of patience. one of the most impactful on the young developer: “It created a
It was a buggy game in which the computer would take hours tangible sense of dread and inadequacy when going against the
intimidating alien invaders with Earth-built weapons. The tense
atmosphere, line of sight mechanics and map design made
turn-based battles as exciting as any real-time shootout. While
not the first of its kind, UFO felt like a true blockbuster with
visuals able to match the fantasy.”
Finally, Johan Andersson – studio manager of Paradox
Development Studio – tells us no list can be complete without
Civilization – and who are we to disagree? “It is probably the
most successful franchise ever,” he says, “And I must say that
without playing that game in my late teens, I probably would
never have delved into making strategy games myself. Then
I’d probably say the original Starcra„. It was the game that
defined and perfected the RTS genre. It was brilliant in its
UI for the time, and had absolutely stellar balance with
three asymmetric sides, which impressed me to no end.”

■ One of the grandest of all strategy games,

Crusader Kings 2 manages to produce some incredible
player stories, all thanks to the depth of its experience.

50
T
his brings up an interesting point where the or concepts or fundamentals that could be pointed at and said
purer strategy genre is concerned: how little to be ‘when things changed’. There’s been no Doom moment
the mechanics of its games have changed over for the strategy genre. But then, there’s never needed to be
the decades. While graphical fidelity has of course one – it was refined and defined before computers even existed,
improved, and the aforementioned user interface through Chess, through Risk, through countless other physical,
updates have made it easier for anyone to get involved, the tabletop forms of gaming.
actual central strategic elements really haven’t moved much That tabletop factor is yet another element that still gets
from their early days. In part because of how strategy as a factored in, even today in our connected, social way of playing
concept predates almost everything, of course, but surely there ■ Blizzard took a long time away the highest (and lowest) tech of videogames. Rawlings explains,
from the RTS genre, but when it came
have been some sea changes in the past 30 years? back, it reminded us all just what
at least in part, why that is: “The big thing you get from tabletop
Solomon doesn’t think so, beyond the look and accessibility was – and is – so special about games is the human factor,” he says, “When you’re [in the middle of] a
of things: “It’s nuts to think about the early 90s – Civilization, of this ilk. game and you start to deploy a strategy and you’re hoping your
Syndicate, X-Com, bookended probably by Warcraƒ 2 when that opponent does not see what you’re up to; that agonising wait
came out. To me that was the first main RTS where it felt like a for them to complete their turn and hoping they’ll not move that
proper RTS. That early 90s period was huge. I think a lot of us tank to there but will move those infantry into close combat...it
as designers are still stunted by that period – we’re still chasing makes for such a great experience.”
the experiences we had hunched over the monitor, chasing that Fargo agrees – while gaming in the digital realm has its
feeling of UFO Defense and those other games from the early place, and is the main money-maker for everyone we spoke to
90s. I don’t remember as much about my time as a kid as I do for this feature, there’s something unbeatable about the social
about some of those games I played back then.” board gaming world. “Strategy games on computer bring an
While the concept of an evolution of the genre is leƒ broader ease of use and accessibility that table top games oƒen lack,”
by Rawlings: “I’d say Red Alert – it was full on strategy (and an he says, “They also oƒen hide a lot of the formula work behind
■ It might not have actually started
evolution of Dune 2) but into the gaming mainstream, saying the scenes so that the player doesn’t have to roll dice. But
it all, but Sid Meier’s Civilization will
‘this genre is here, deal with it’.” Nobody we spoke with was go down in history as the granddaddy nothing beats a good old strategy game feast when your friends
able to nail down any huge step for strategy – any shiƒ in styles of the genre. are sitting right there with you. ❱❱

5 LESS OBVIOUS STRATEGY HEAVYWEIGHTS

Without Civ or XCOM, what is there? Plenty, it seems

Company Defcon Sins Of A Neptune’s Endless

Of Heroes Mutually assured
destruction is
Solar Empire Pride Legend
When the RTS genre When PCs got more Some turn-based A descendent of the
something satirists
was all but dead on its powerful, their strategic strategy games have groundwork laid out
can have a field day
feet, in came this plucky elements got deeper. you waiting minutes by Civilization, Endless
with when it comes to
young Second World Or, they got bigger. between turns, as you Legend makes you
discussing how it can
War upstart and single- SOASE is of the latter, figure out your next explore, expand, exploit
be called a ‘strategy’
handedly reinvigorated with your strategic move. Neptune’s Pride and exterminate your
with a straight face. But
and entire sub-genre. thinking all going into can have you mulling way through. The
in playing Defcon you
Its sequels are fantastic, making the biggest, things over for days, strategy comes in
realise just how the
but the original still most effective space even though it’s real- choosing an approach
total annihilation of life
has such an incredible fleet possible to time. Focusing almost for each situation, and
on earth could play out
feel to it, it’s hard to conquer the galaxy. A entirely on high-level the mechanics of the
with a bit of thought
recommend anything blunt instrument, but strategy, it’s a pure, game make it one that’s
behind it. Also, it’s
else in the series over it. it's still fantastic fun. unique experience. impossible to ignore.
actually terrifying.

51
 Blurring the lines ❱❱ “You cannot deny the origins of strategy games going
back thousands of years. Whether it was Chess, Go or Senet
they paved the way for all modern games. Even games like
Because not everything is pure strategy Wasteland were inspired by and used the rules of Mercenaries,
Spies and Private Eyes – and of course Wasteland inspired
Fallout. Everything always draws a clear line back to tabletop.”
Football Manager The difference in experiences provided by the digital and
Shouting at your screen after your allegedly good physical worlds of strategy gaming are so vast, though,
players have lost their third game in a row might that they can peacefully coexist for the foreseeable future. If
not seem strategic, nor does the ‘bid all the money’ anything, the rise of videogaming has preceded the resurgence
approach to transfers, but Football Manager has of the tabletop gaming world, with one feeding back into the
become an increasingly strategic game as it has become other and vice versa – the X-Com born from tabletop roots, with
more complex. Mind games and careful management
the XCOM reboot birthing a physical, tabletop game of its own.
of individuals, bosses and fans all comes together.
It’s a positive feedback loop the likes of which we haven’t seen
before, and it’s leaving us all spoiled for choice – almost to a
fault, as there’s just too much around to be able to play it all.
Galactic Civilizations 2 “I believe that both flavours of strategy can and do learn a lot
Along with all other 4x games, Galactic from one another,” Szymczak says, “Tabletop games became
Civilizations 2 (and its series stablemates) more immersive and visually attractive to capture the interest
blends elements of management, of the videogame generation, oŠen adopting clever devices
simulation, planning, building, combat and and systems (both analogue and digital) to simulate and keep
strategy. It is the kind of thing that can and track of more complex scenarios. At the same time tabletop
will take over many hours of your life should
games remain easier to prototype which makes them attractive
you give it half a chance.
to amateur designers. They also attract a slightly different
audience, initially, building awareness and testing mechanics
which can then be brought into the digital realm.
Prison Architect “I mean, Chess used to be seen as a simulated battle – a
What could have been a simplistic building king’s game which entertained and educated at the same time.
simulator becomes so much more strategic when It’s still the best mainstream reference, which both gamers and
you realise how much consideration can be made non-gamers should understand!”
for your inmates and staff. Foresee problems and This is another common theme in our discussions on
nip them in the bud with strategic planning of an strategy – it all comes back to the early days, to things like
entire prison system – showing the US for-profit
Chess. In many ways, modern strategy videogames are better
model how it should be done.
than Chess – they have the (sometimes literal) bells and
whistles to make the experience more engaging and impactful.
But not one of our designers would honestly say their games
Sim City – or any games – were objectively better than that strategy
The blend here comes with Sim City being legend. Too much is borrowed or otherwise appropriated from
a game of management, simulation and the battle of kings, queens, pawns and knights; Chess is simply
planning – with strategy being the meta too pure an experience to be one that can be ‘bettered’ in any
element tying everything together. Fail to believable way.
plan accordingly, and an entire city will fail So does that mean the future is an unexciting one? That the
before your very eyes. A masterful series,
genre of strategy will stagnate, unable to evolve past things
bringing the best of each genre to the fore.
like prettier graphics and slightly easier UIs? Of course not. On
one hand, strategy as a genre – as a game type – has survived
and thrived for years, decades, centuries and millennia. It has
staying power. And on the other hand, we’re always seeing
Brütal Legend exciting developments in the world of technology and gaming –
The example of what can go wrong when and it’s all going to feed back into the genre of genres.
blending genres – especially in a console
world, where strategy has never really enjoyed ■ Ultraviolent it might have been,
a foothold. Under-explained they might have 1993’s Syndicate nevertheless
been, Double Fine’s surprising insertion of brought strategic concerns like
RTS elements to this Jack Black vehicle was careful management of drug
actually good fun to play, if ultimately shallow. intake and whether or not you
should try and persuade
that cop to the fore.

52
 ■ Wasteland 2, like the original, is a package of two very
different sides: one an epic, gloriously-written RPG. The other, a fine,
turn-based strategy game – which will punish you for your transgressions.

S
zymczak points out some of the huge shi s Rawlings tells us, “At a conference I was speaking at, one of
we’ve already seen in strategy: “Being able to the presentations was on the trends in mobile genre, and Clash
simulate large-scale trends in Democracy 3 or the of Clans and Fire Age showed strategy dominating the field.
insanely complex politics of Europa Universalis IV The resurgence of XCOM in recent years has also been part of
makes things more interesting and customisable,” this. However I can recall a few years back pitching turn-base
he says, “While AI keeps improving, the ability to play beside strategy titles and getting no traction because it was seen as an
or against human players can also enhance the experience in ‘older’ genre. Not so now!”
many different ways. I’m personally looking forward to some So it’s all rosy? Of course not – there are valid concerns;
real artificial intelligence: simulated staff or advisors we can we can’t let ourselves run away with ideas, or just assume
really delegate some duties to and so on. Combine it with virtual that because strategy has been around forever, it’ll be popular
or augmented reality and my fantasy of running an Imperial no matter what people do with it. Solomon airs his caution:
Sector Fleet from Battlefleet Gothic gets ever closer.” “I get turned off by my own mechanics if they’re boring, or
Elsewhere, Fargo is also extremely positive about the future complicated or whatever – so I think the danger would be
of the strategy genre – thanks in no small part to the changes to make things too complicated... I don’t believe there’s any

“ I don’t remember as much about my time as a kid as I

do about some of those games I played back then ”
and updates we’ve already seen: “The biggest fundamental objective value in complication. Complexity is good. I’m more
change has been design that incorporates using the internet,” impressed by designers who can do things simply, rather than
he explains, “Whether it’s a matching service like Battle Net or by people who just throw another fucking system at something.
simple peer to peer gaming, it changed everything. Imagine I don’t think an enormous amount has changed, and I think
the old play-by-mail days in which you awaited your friends that’s because strategy is much, much, much older than the
response via the post office. The next big step will be VR in videogames that are trying to present it. And there’s only a limit
which we feel more connected by sitting in a virtual room for to what the human brain can cope with.”
each other. Games have just begun to have their real power.” And yet... “I think we reached our limit pretty early on in
This feeling clearly runs through the development videogames,” Solomon continues, “There haven’t been that many
community, and it’s being felt both inside studios and even now changes, just in terms of a shiš from simulation to game-games.
outside, in the cut-throat world of publishing and marketing “At the same time I think it’s stupid to say that, because
– thanks in no small part to certain mobile and casual titles at some point someone will just come along and release a
being based almost entirely in the strategy genre. “Interestingly, strategy game that blows us all out of the water with new
strategy-related games are in the ascendant at the moment,” ideas. What do I know?”

53
 Developer: id Software Release date: 13 May 2016 Format: PS4, Xbox One, PC

A
er nearly 12 years away from the
frontline of gaming, Doom is returning
and while its development has been
challenging, the final game looks to have
recaptured the same spirit as id’s original shooters. By
harking back to some older shooter concepts, Doom is
looking to revitalise the genre and stand out from the
military shooter crowd. But just what exactly has the
team added to Doom to make it so much fun?

54
 A NEW HELL
03
Since this game is harking
back to the classic Dooms
of the Nineties, it needed an
entirely new approach to how it depicted
Hell. Those first couple of games may
stick in your mind as being pretty
gruesome, but actually they were a little
flat by modern standards. As such, id
needed to get a little creative and the
result is closer to what you probably had
in your head when playing the series
back in the day. The team has gone back
to the kind of heavy metal album cover
images that would have inspired the
original developers as well as adding
some touches of their own.

CLASSIC
GAMEPLAY
INSPIRED BY RAGE
01
Perhaps the most important choice made by id down-the-barrel feel to it, but actually, if anything, it’s more in

04
Software in the development of Doom has been to tune with the upcoming trends. We’re seeing more and more id’s last big game was Rage,
stick to what the series has always stood for rather shooters embrace a faster pace, run-and-gun, keep-moving- so it should come as little
than chasing some new vision of what the FPS is supposed and-keep-shooting approach now and it’s making things much surprise that it has had
to be. Not only does that mean that 2016’s Doom has a classic, more interesting again after years of dour military shooters. some influence on the way Doom’s 2016
incarnation has turned out. While the
story and open-world feel of that title has

CLASSIC
not travelled over, some of the traversal
and AI behaviour has and that’s very
welcome. You’ll find you have a great

GUNS
amount of freedom to clamber and climb
around the environment, but so will the
enemies you face; you can move around

02
It wouldn’t be Doom without the shotgun, the environment quickly, so can they…
minigun and of course the BFG, so that’s
exactly what you’ll find in the new game.
There are some new weapons, but it’s important to
note that they only expand the options rather than
supersede the classics. With a new game it might have
been tempting to put a new stamp on it and create
some new uber-weapon that would surpass all others,
but the BFG is still the most powerful and brutal gun in
the game. It has reverence for its past both in terms of
moment-to-moment gameplay and weapon feel. CUTTING EDGE TECH
05
Legends such as John
Romero and John Carmack
may no longer be working
at id Software, but their legacy lives on at
the company and many of their former
colleagues are still there, even if their
names are not quite as well-known.

HellisH
Carmack in particular leaves an important
legacy in the form of the id Tech 5 engine,

WhisperS
which has been modified and enhanced for
Doom. We already saw a glimpse of what
THE SPIDER MASTERMIND AND it was capable of with Rage, but frankly the
ARCH-VILE ARE BELIEVED TO last generation of hardware just wasn’t
BE RETURNING FOR ID’S
ready for what this engine can do. Now is
NEW DOOM
the time for id Tech 5 to shine. ❱❱

55
 FULL CAMPAIGN
UNAFRAID
06
In what almost feels like

OF FAILURE
another throwback to an
earlier era of shooter game
design, id has made clear that we should

09
expect a healthy solo campaign length Strangely, one of the things that gives us the
from its latest offering. 13 hours is the most confidence with the new Doom is that it
estimate currently being floated on social nearly came together a few years back and the
media, depending heavily on player skill development team threw what it had built away. Back
and the difficulty level being used. Still, in 2011, Doom was apparently on the path to a fairly
that’s at least twice as long as most FPS standard sequel, but it just didn’t feel right so id got rid
campaigns of recent memory. Given the of it and started over. That’s a pretty bold move with
pace and carnage of what we’ve seen a brand as recognisable as this, because frankly any
so far, there might be some concern as Doom is likely to have done alright. Instead they all
to whether it can sustain such relentless went back to the beginning and completely rethought
mayhem for that long, but we’re keen their approach. While we may never know what was
to see it try. lost, this is looking pretty good to us.

FULL-ON SPEED
07
The pace of Doom is a
refreshing shock to the
system. There’s no sprint
button; you’re running all the time.
Camping is the fastest way to get yourself
killed and using a scope is risky at best.
The fluidity here can be breathtaking as
you weave between demons, separate
them from the pack, take them out and HellisH
move on. It may look very different to its
Nineties forebears, but in terms of the
constant and speedy movement, this is
WhisperS
DATAMINING OF A RECENT ALPHA
TEST SUGGESTS THAT SOME
very close to those games. BOSS BATTLES MIGHT BE
RANDOMLY TIMED

FUN DRIVES
EVERYTHING
10
Speak to the development team
and they’ll tell you, if they’re
GLORY KILLS not sure whether or not a new

08
One thing that we feared gun or feature should be added to the
might break that pace was game, the first question they ask is:
Glory Kills, the finishing ‘Is it fun?’ Everything else comes second.
moves you can use on demons once One example of this actually came from
you get them in a stunned state, but that a feature quietly integrated from the
couldn’t be further from the truth. The Quake series in the form of jump pads.
closest analogue we can think of with this The idea apparently arose that they
new addition is the way you earn nitro might be interesting things to add to
in Burnout. In that game, the more risks the new vision of Hell. Did they make
you take, the faster you can go. In Doom, sense with the world they were building?
the closer you get to your foes, the faster Probably not. Are they in the original
you replenish health and ammo. So if you games? No, they are not. But did they
get low on supplies, a couple of nice Glory add some fun? Absolutely, so the team
Kills will earn you a little extra reward and simply found a way to justify them.
get you back in the fight quicker.

56
 MULTIPLAYER TWISTS
13
The classic feel of the new
Doom is exemplified by
the arena shooter base
of its multiplayer gameplay, but that
doesn’t mean you should expect basic
deathmatch and CTF modes. A great
example is a mode called Warpath, which
on the surface is a king of the hill variant,
but in this example the zone you need to
occupy is always moving along a fixed
path. Opposite to that zone is a pentagram
from which you can respawn as a
Revenant or Baron Of Hell. So, you get the
classic siege gameplay of KOTH, but with
constant movement and demons.

CUSTOMISE
YOUR STYLE
11
One element that has migrated over from more head, torso, arms, and legs ready for battle. What you can also
contemporary shooters is the concept of player unlock are gameplay modifiers that can be used after each A NEW FPS ICON
14
customisation and that takes a number of forms. death so that you kick off the level wearing armour or with a Whatever you want to say
For a start, you can earn currency in game to spend on new little extra health. There are a number of options and each just about id, you can’t claim it lacks
armour loadouts for your Doom Marine, customising your gives a little tweak to the game. ambition. The developer has
set itself no smaller task than to create
an FPS for the modern era that can be
as iconic and culturally impactful as the

SUBTLE NEW
original Doom. Frankly, that seems like
a challenge too far even for a game as
cool-looking as this one, but the fact that

STRATEGIES
it set itself that bar and reached for it so
earnestly means a lot. It doesn’t strike us
as a coy marketing line. This team really

12
You can also express yourself through your wants to achieve that level of success and
playing style, and this is supported further we admire that enthusiasm.
through things like secondary firing options on
all of your weapons. Shotguns offer a triple-fire option,
for instance, or you can detonate a rocket from your
missile launcher before impact to take advantage of a
little splash damage. These small adjustments can help
you thin out and control crowds of demons as you whizz
around and pick them off with some nasty close-quarter
kills. There’s actually a nice amount of strategy buried in
amongst the crazy gore and gunfire.
MAKE YOUR OWN MAPS
15
When it all comes down to it
though, if you don’t really like
what id has made with the new
Doom, you can just make something of
your own within the game. The SnapMap
functionality lets you create your own
multiplayer maps and challenges,
and offers masses of functionality and
customisation. You’re restricted to working
with pre-existing objects from the game,
so it’s not a full map tool in the way classic
Doom players might remember, but it
is pretty versatile. Apparently the team
already has a tower defence mode
working using the tools.

57
 LAUNCH SPECIAL

OCULUS
RIFT W ITH OCULUS RI FT NO W AVA I L A BLE TO TH E PUBLIC, G A M ES™
I N V E S T I G AT E S W H E T H E R Y E A R S O F H Y P E A N D A N T I C I PAT I O N H AV E
B E E N M AT C H E D B Y A K I L L E R E N D P R O D U C T

V
irtual reality has the potential to change the way we to hit the market since the Eighties – for all that VR
look at and experience, well, just about everything. technology is actually looking genuinely impressive
That’s not a statement made purely for editorial these days, let us not forget the Virtual Boy and
impact, it’s just the reality of the situation we now find its terrible, migraine-inducing experiences. But
ourselves in. Between the HTC Vive, PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift re-ignited the VR spark for many
Samsung Gear VR, virtual reality is primed to take the world game developers, cinematographers, architects,
by storm in 2016. Each headset offers different experiences for medical professionals and social media gurus
vastly different audiences, and the ranging financial barriers around the world when it was originally pitched
of entry reflect that. on Kickstarter in August of 2012; the crowd-
Valve’s collaboration with HTC has brought about the funding campaign ended up with 9,522 believers
Vive, undoubtedly the first premium consumer VR headset putting down a combined $2.5 million – though
– and one that refuses to compromise on its graphical and even that pales in comparison to the $2 billion dollar
processing power, giving it a price tag to match that pulls investment made by Facebook in 2014.
no punches. The PlayStation VR is positioned to exclusively And so here we are, almost four years later. There’s
cater to gamers, using a plug-and-play design, while a finalised device, a launch price, a wave of exclusive
Samsung Gear VR has already impressed as a mobile-ready videogames, a pre-order campaign and, of course, a
device with a lot of potential. release date. But after so many years of hype, expectation
But of course, all eyes are on Oculus Rift. As far as we’re and concern, we find ourselves asking that all-important
concerned, it’s the first major consumer-targeted VR device question: has it all been worth it? ❱❱

IS YOUR PC VR READY?
 There’s a lot of very sophisticated VIDEO CARD NVIDIA GTX 970 (£270) / AMD R9
technology packed into the Oculus Rift and it 290/380 (£190) equivalent or greater
needs an appropriately-scaled PC to properly
CPU Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater (£160)
function. That means that it’s time to upgrade.
While Oculus has revealed a handful of pre- MEMORY 8GB+ RAM (£30)
built machines that come out of the box VR VIDEO OUTPUT Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output
ready, they are rather expensive – Alienware’s
X51 R3 begins at £775 – it’ll likely be cheaper to USB PORTS 3x USB 3.0 ports plus 1x USB 2.0 port
upgrade your current set-up. OS Windows 7 SP1 64 bit or newer

58
 WHAT’S IN
THE BOX
OCULUS RIFT
POSITIONAL
TRACKING SENSOR
OCULUS REMOTE
XBOX ONE WIRELESS
CONTROLLER
DETACHABLE HEADPHONES
W/ MICROPHONE
LUCKY’S TALE
EVE: VALKYRIE
(W/ PRE-ORDERS)

PRICE
£499.99
$599.99
RELE A SE DATE
28 MARCH
2016

59
 OCULUS RIFT GET CONNECTED
 The Oculus Rift isn’t wireless; it
requires an HDMI cable to be run from

TEARDOWN
the device to your PC, though an optional
DVI adaptor for laptops and some graphics
cards will be made available. It also
includes a 10ft USB cable – which powers
the device – and includes a USB port so you
can connect a controller or headphones.
These connections make the Rift a little
BREAKING D O W N T H E H E A D S E T T H AT heavier than expected, but it doesn’t cause
any discomfort.
S TA R T E D A VR REVOLUTION

T
here’s a lot of pressure for the Oculus Rift to deliver.
games™ has been following the cautious evolution
of the virtual reality headset since the launch of the
first prototype and, looking at the final product, it surprises
us just how far the technology and design has come in a
mere four years. Ever since we first got our hands on a DK1
development, we saw the potential – though it was difficult
to imagine the weighty, clunky mess of wires ever being
ready for general release. But Oculus kept evolving the
Rift, bringing coding guru John Carmack – previously of id
Software and Doom, Quake and Wolfenstein 3D fame – into
the fold. And we can only imagine that a two billion dollar
investment from Facebook didn’t hurt, either. The resulting
product is something lifted straight from a sci-fi movie, a
consumer-focused virtual reality headset that’s ready to not
only change the way in which we interact with our virtual
gaming worlds, but also other forms of entertainment,
education, and social interaction.

AUDIO UPGRADE
 Curiously, the Oculus Rift now comes with an integrated microphone, and a pair of
detachable headphones. We don’t know why you would want them, mind, as the Rift’s
audio solution uses Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) tech to create a sense of
true 3D audio spatialisation. Essentially, it means the Rift can immerse the user aurally
in a virtual world with realistic sound rendered from all directions. It’s incredibly
impressive tech that works better than we could have imagined.

REFINED COMFORT
 A lot of questions have been asked about
Rift’s ability to provide safe, comfortable
play for long durations, and Oculus has
clearly worked hard to make it as user- POSITIONED IN 3D SPACE
friendly as possible. The vertical and  It’s impossible to overstate how important it
horizontal velcro straps can be adjusted was for Oculus to get this right; we’ve seen Oculus
to fit different head sizes; the lenses can play with various iterations of tracking technology
be switched out to increase or decrease – essential to track your position in a 3D space in real
magnification of the OLED screens, and you time – and this discreet little device handles it perfectly.
can even adjust how far they are from your A series of infrared LEDs are hidden away in the headset and
eyes. Interestingly, this also means this then monitored by this little device using Oculus’ Constellation
iteration of Rift is incredibly comfortable, Tracking System. In means you have full 360 degree perspective, which
even for glasses-wearers. is integral for games such as Adr1ft.

MICROSOFT PARTNERSHIP FOV DETAILED

 While Oculus will support an array of control  Thanks to the combination of the on-board Adjacent
options from launch, it’s the Microsoft partnership Reality Tracker and the separate Constellation Tracking
that has truly opened up the Rift to the possibility of System, the Rift is able to show the user a 110-degree field
being a gaming platform; every device will come bundled of view. This means you can look around freely within the
with an Xbox One wireless controller. As you can’t see device and see a natural FOV, with only a minimal amount
your hands when wearing the headset, it makes a huge of screen blurring towards the edges. Rift also features
difference to the physical act of playing a game with six full directions of rotational and positional tracking;
such a ergonomic gamepad in your hand – and to think, all working at a precise, low-latency, and sub-millimetre
the DK1 had us struggling with a mouse and keyboard. accurate level for a smooth gaming experience.

60
 HOW DOES
RIFT HANDLE
OVER AN
VIEWING THE USER INTERFACE EXTENDED
We were a little concerned as to how Rift would handle the conventional UI. VR still
struggles with the traditional game HUD and menus due to font sizes and focusing. But here
we are, relatively impressed by Oculus Home. As soon as you slip on the headset you’ll see
PLAYTEST?
Home, a default environment that lets you launch applications, view your friends list and One of the biggest problems facing virtual reality is the
purchase (and demo) new VR content from the storefront. It seems to work well, but as we all question of playtime and the potential repercussions.
know from the disappointing Xbox One storefronts – they’ll be properly tested only once they Being that this is brand new technology, it’ll likely be
are populated with a lot of content. a while before we get definitive answers on whether or
not long gaming sessions inside VR – with your eyes
so close to two very powerful, magnified screens –
THE SCREEN TECHNOLOGY EXPLAINED will have any long-lasting effects. We’ve often heard
 The DK1 unit used to use a 7-inch LCD screen, it was a low-  Powering this device is a single
developers cite that children under 12 years of age are
resolution display that revealed a startling truth: consumer custom motherboard, which comes
focused-VR might be here, but games weren’t going to look equipped with an ARM processor, being advised against long sessions as their eyes are still
great on it. But as technology has evolved, so too has the Rift. control chips for the LED developing; so if you have kids and want to take them
The retail device comes fitted with two OLED screens (one screen, and the ‘Adjacent Reality on a virtual-reality adventure, it is worth monitoring the
for each eye), displaying at a resolution of 2160 x 1200 and a Tracker’ – originally developed length of their play sessions.
refresh rate of 90Hz. That means that not only does the Rift independently of Oculus. It Our longest VR session to date has been with EVE:
display crisp, high-definition images straight to your eyes, but features a magnetometer, a Valkyrie, which clocked in at around six hours of near
it’s smooth too – motion sickness is essentially eliminated. gyroscope and an accelerometer, continuous play. While motion sickness thankfully
which all sync up to determine
wasn’t an issue, eye strain and mental exhaustion were.
your exact position in a 3D space.
Ultimately, as Valkyrie’s lead designer Andrew Willans
It originally tracked movement
250 times a second (250hz), and tells us, it’s in the hands of the players to decide when
the final device tracks at up to they’ve had enough time inside Rift – developers aren’t
1,000 times a second – ensuring in the business of telling players when and how they
the Rift tracks insanely small should consume their videogames. “I think that’s in the
head movements. hands of the users; we can’t really control that,” says
Willians. “Nobody gets ill, nobody gets sick, there’s no
[limitation] saying you can only do it for this long. It’s
really up to the user to manage their game time, just like
anything else. It isn’t something that’s exclusive to VR,
let’s put it that way.”

61
 A BUSY YEAR AHEAD
HOW DOES OCULUS RIFT C O M P A R E T O T H E C O M P E T I T I O N?
With three major players landing on the VR scene in 2016, we stack them up against
each another to see how the competition is really looking for this exciting new market

[HTC VIVE] [PLAYSTATION VR] [OCULUS RIFT]

£639.99/$799.99 £299.99/$399.99 (EST.) £499.99/$599.99

AUDIENCE AUDIENCE AUDIENCE
THE HARDCORE THE GAMER THE FUTURIST
■ Valve wasn’t messing around when it ■ At the time of writing, Sony is still yet to ■ This is the first step into an all-new world, and
teamed up with HTC to launch the Vive. This confirm an RRP for the PlayStation VR headset it’s likely that there will be some road bumps.
is a seriously impressive, if expensive, piece – previously Project Morpheus. Still, this is a Oculus, in spite of its Facebook backing, still
of technology. But, for that heavy price, you’re consumer-focused device aimed at keeping the feels like the underdog in many ways. It’s easy to
getting an incredibly accurate VR headset that barrier to entry low – both in terms of set-up see the passion behind the project – 23-year-old
features a front-facing camera – to interject real and price – though that will naturally affect the creator Palmer Luckey built the first prototype
world elements into the virtual space. It’s been hardware itself. Its plug-and-play nature is good in his garage – but there could be some kinks to
built in such a way that you can get up and walk news for the PC-averse, though we have concerns work out as the first commercial units begin to
around inside a virtual world for the first time, over the device being able to appropriately render land. But it’s here, Oculus has done what it set out
but that does mean you need a clear 15x15ft space 90 frames-per-second images, which is required to do: it has given the world a genuine reason to
for it to work properly. for VR to eliminate motion sickness. get excited again about VR.

HOW TO SET UP YOUR OCULUS RIFT

1 UNBOX
THE HEADSET
Once you’ve got the Rift in your hands,
2 CONNECT
TO YOUR PC
At this point, you should have already
3 START THE
CONFIGURATION
Attach the positional tracker to your
4 TURN ON
THE FUTURE
Go ahead and turn on the Rift, you’ll
you’ll want to take note of the cable checked the PC specs, and upgraded if PC via USB, then grab a comfortable find the power button on the top right
running from the top of the headset. necessary. Next, you’ll need to make sure chair and adjust the height. From here, of the headset. The screen will begin to
Make sure it is attached securely to the you have a spare HDMI and USB port you’ll want to run the sync cable from power on, though you should be wary of
ports on the front of the unit, and make open. Connect up the 10ft cables to your your Rift into the sensor and position an LED light atop the device. Blue means
sure it isn’t obscuring the LED sensors PC, but be wary of using extenders – it it towards you at eye level, at least everything is fine, but orange means
in any way. will interfere with the signal. five feet away. that there are signal issues to resolve.

62
 MANAGING MOTION
SICKNESS INSIDE A
VIRTUAL WORLD
HAS OCULUS E L I M I N AT E D Q U E A S I N E S S?
OCULUS’S KILLER
INPUT IS MISSING

O
ne of the biggest concerns going into virtual reality
was the fear of crippling motion sickness destroying
AT LAUNCH
BUT HOW BIG OF
any sense of long-term immersion. If we think I M P A C T W I L L I T H A V E?
back to every time we’ve had the opportunity to get eyes-  In a rush to meet the
on with Oculus Rift pre-2015, almost every game demo market first, Oculus Rift
we played lasted for roughly 10 to 15 minutes and would will be without its killer
control input – Oculus
leave us caught between trying not to vomit and completely Touch. Two wireless
awestruck by the technology. Thankfully, motion sickness controllers that essentially
has been all but eliminated from the games that we’ve played function in a similar
fashion to PlayStation
on the final headset build. Thankfully, the technology has Move or Nintendo’s Wii
evolved to match developer ambition. The device is now in a Motes, Oculus Touch gives
position where it can support lengthy play sessions. you a wildly immersive
VR experience. The
“It’s just the tech. Honestly, it’s all tech. Our design is controllers – which look
built around player comfort and immediacy; knowing your like a traditional gamepad
surroundings in the fantasy,” says Willians, commenting split in half – allow you
to reach out into virtual
on the sudden disappearance of motion sickness from space, making hand gestures
VR games. “But it’s the tech that’s really helped us. We’ve and interacting with
got better resolution than we’ve ever had, we’ve got lower objects directly.
We’re disappointed to
latency…it just removes that edge. see the controllers miss
“People keep saying that player comfort is largely the launch. It’s this level
in the hands of the developers, and I totally of intuitive interaction
that makes the HTC Vive
agree with that. In terms of the motion so appealing. Having full
sickness, there’s absolutely none control of your arms and
of that. If you were to barrel roll hands in a 3D space is mind-
blowing; the impact this
continually, you’ll get dizzy; style of control method has
but guess what, if you stand on the FPS genre – when
here on the spot and spin paired with the positional
tracker – is incredibly
three times you are going difficult to convey. The
to get dizzy – that’s not VR, Oculus Touch controllers
that’s just life.” will go on sale later in
2016, though it’s likely they
will now be relegated to
the unfortunate position of
expensive luxury product.

5 ADJUST
THE STRAPS
Before you dive into any games, adjust
6 CHANGE OUT
THE LENSES
Rift comes with two sizes of lens to
7 DO YOU
USE GLASSES?
If you need glasses to play games (or
8 STEP INTO
THE RIFT
If you’ve followed all of these steps and
the head straps. There’s nothing more help you get accustomed to the Rift see) then you’ll be happy to learn that upgraded your PC properly, you will now
irritating than fiddling with them once technology. If you are long-sighted or there’s no need to renew that contact be ready to step into the Rift. Launch
you’re already in-game. Make sure it’s have perfect vision, you’ll want to use lens subscription you loathe so much. a game from your desktop and you’ll be
comfortable but secure; if you’ve not the taller set of lens. If you are visually Grab a coin and adjust the ‘distance whisked straight into the action, or go
experienced VR before, you might be challenged (nearsighted) you’ll want to adjustment screw’, now you can move the in blind and you’ll find yourself at the
moving around more than you expect. use the shorter pair. internal screens further from your eyes. Oculus Home storefront.

63
 DAY ONE EXPECTATIONS
E A R LY VERDICTS ON THE OCULUS L A U N C H D AY O F F E R I N GS

THE CLIMB EVE: VALKYRIE LUCKY’S TALE ADR1FT

■ If there’s one thing we can say ■ Without question, EVE: Valkyrie ■ While we still aren’t sure how ■ We’ve had our eyes on this one
about a Crytek release with absolute will be VR’s first blockbuster. We’ve a third-person action game is for so long now that we’re only
certainty, it’s that it’s bound to had extensive time with Valkyrie, going to hold up over lengthy hoping this terrifying space thriller
look stunning. The Climb is no and were immediately impressed by playtime, we have been impressed doesn’t disappoint. Frequently
exception; Crytek’s first venture the fast-paced dogfighter. It brings with Lucky’s Tale thus far. It’s referred to as ‘Gravity: The Game’,
into VR sees the Oculus Rift used to the battles of Battlestar Galactica a cheerful platformer that’s Adr1ft sees you caught alone in a
replicate a gorgeous (and stomach- to life, as you battle relentlessly channelling the charm and whit ruined space station, doing your
churning) mountain ascension against other players in beautifully- of Banjo-Kazooie, only it’s doing it best to survive as the crushing
sequence; leaping across rocks in designed space areas. The look-to- in a lush virtual space. This one is darkness surrounds you. This
VR is terrifying enough to make lock targeting system – which has coming bundled in with every sale might not be a horror game exactly,
your legs a little numb. The Climb you track players with your heard of the Oculus Rift, so it’s clear that but we can’t imagine much scarier
has been designed as a competitive movements in full 3D space – is Oculus deems it good enough to than hearing your avatar slowly
experience too, so be sure to get a revelation. This is the game to be an engaging experience for its dying, gasping for breath as you
your friends together for some play; the first system-seller of a hardware – this is likely the first struggle to find replacement
friendly death-defying competition. new generation. game every owner will play. oxygen tanks.

OCULUS RIFT
THE FINAL VERDICT
IS I T W O R T H P I C K I N G U P A D E V I C E AT L A U N C H?

T
here’s going to be a big, immediate buzz around virtual reality in the
coming weeks. It’s a huge deal, after all, and now you all finally have an
opportunity to see what we’ve been raving about for years now. But it’s
good to keep things in perspective, and it’s worth remembering that this is only
the beginning of a very exciting time in our industry.
Being an early adopter has never been cheap – remember the first-gen
iPhone? They launched at $499.99 with a two-year contract, before eventually
inevitably dropping in price. Right now, the Rift is a premium, impressive piece of
technology that has the potential to change the way we look at and interact with
videogames. But it’s also an experience that’s launching with absent features –
such as the highly touted Facebook social media integration and Microsoft Xbox
One Cinema experience – but they will surely come in time.
If you’re lucky enough to have a PC capable of running Oculus Rift, and you
don’t mind the lack of games currently available (over 100 titles are said to be
launching before the end of 2016, though) then we can’t recommend it enough.
You’ll be on the forefront of a gaming revolution – paying a pretty good price for a
highly sophisticated piece of technology. If, on the other hand, you are concerned
about upgrading your PC or worried about the amount of games available, then it
might be worth waiting a few months – or opting instead for the PlayStation VR
experience when that launches this Summer. But for now, you won’t find anything
else quite like the Oculus Rift: from KickStarter project to gaming revolution in
four years, we can only begin to dream what comes next for the games industry.

64
 THE ART OF

A stunning collection
ll off ground-breaking
d b k game art from
f
the latest addition to the critically acclaimed Tom Clancy franchise.

OUT NOW . TITANBOOKS.COM

© 2016 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Tom Clancy’s, The Division logo, the Soldier icon, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries.
WHY I ...
RIDGE RACER
REVOLUTION
CHRIS ROBERTS, SENIOR DESIGNER,
THREE FIELDS ENTERTAINMENT

The game that has always

just stuck with me is
Ridge Racer Revolution. It’s also
the game that’s gotten me closest
to a heart attack when playing
it, and I think that’s a good
thing. It gives you such a lovely
place to drive, it’s just a lovely
sunny day – driving down by
the beach, with the seagulls, the
water lapping.
It was so hard as well,
incredibly challenging when
you go up against the White
Angel car, you had to drive
it via the rear-view mirror. It
had a rhythm to it, you know,
it was balanced. And from a
geeky point of view, it could be
played via Serial Link on PS1
and it would unlock (only for
that mode) the original Ridge
Racer track. I remember going
around to a friends’ house and
we would just constantly spend
all day trying to beat each other
on that original Ridge
Racer track.
 “It’s the game that’s
gotten me closest to
a heart attack when
playing it, and I think
that’s a good thing”
CHRIS ROBERTS, SENIOR DESIGNER,
THREE FIELDS ENTERTAINMENT
 Reviews
72 Far Cry Primal
PC, PS4, Xbox One

76 Dying Light: The Following

PC, PS4, Xbox One

78 Firewatch
PC, PS4

80 Unravel
PC, PS4, Xbox One

82 Plants Vs Zombies:
Garden Warfare 2
PC, PS4, Xbox One

84 Layers Of Fear
PC, PS4, Xbox One,

86 Nuclear Throne
PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS Vita

87 Assassin’s Creed
Chronicles: Russia
PC, PS4, Xbox One

88 Project X Zone 2
3DS

90 The Flame In The Flood

PC, Xbox One

91 Pony Island
PC

92 Oxenfree
PC, PS4, Xbox One

94 Klaus
PS4

94 Tharsis
PC

95 Naruto Shippuden:
Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 74
FAR CRY PRIMAL
PC, PS4, Xbox One

95 Fortified
PC, Xbox One Has going back in time helped to
96 The Town Of Light give Far Cry a new direction or
PC is it just more of the same?

70
THE AVERAGE
Three of the numbers in a ten-point scale are of greater importance
than the others: five, seven, and of course, ten. Some publications would
fool you into believing that a 7/10 game is average, but that just doesn’t
make sense to us. games™ reviews videogames on their entertainment
value, and so any title that simply performs to an adequate standard will
receive a 5/10. Simple. The elusive ten is reserved for games of incredible,
irrefutable quality, but please be aware that a score of ten in no way
professes to mean perfection. Perfection is an unattainable goal, and on a
ten-point scale nothing should be unattainable. Again, simple. Our reviews
are not a checklist of technical features with points knocked off for flaws,
neither are they a PR-pressured fluff-fest – we’d never let that happen,
and besides you’d smell it a mile off. And finally, the reviews you find

76
within these pages are most certainly not statements of fact, they are the
opinions of schooled, knowledgeable videogame journalists, designed to
enlighten, inform, and engage. The gospel according to games™.

78

80
84

82
86 AGREE/DISAGREE?
games™ is always right. But that doesn't stop some
people disagreeing. Think we've got a review horribly
wrong? Or did we nail it?
Let us know through the following channels:

facebook.com/gamesTM
@gamesTMmag
#gamestmiswrong #gamestmisright
gplus.to/gamesTMmagazine

71
 REVIEW FAR CRY PRIMAL XBOX ONE

EVEN WITH THE LACK OF TRADITIONAL WEAPONRY,

EXPLOSIVES OR VEHICLES, THE GAMEPLAY AT THE CENTRE
OF PRIMAL FEELS RESOLUTELY SIMILAR

AN ENTIRELY
NEW LANGUAGE
We have a tendency to expect
good work from Elias “I didn’t
ask for this” Toufexis, who has
lent his talent to voicing caveman
protagonist Takkar. Still, he misses
the mark here – through no fault of
his own, we must add. Ubisoft has
gone to great lengths to create an
authentic script, but in doing so
it has failed to craft a fun story.
The studio even brought in a pair
of linguistics professors onto the
project to craft three dialects
(one for each of the tribes) based
on the common ancestor of most
modern European languages, Proto-
Indo-European. It’s impressive,
though it’s also constrained by
the reality of the achievement;
talking is relegated to a handful
of characters, and even then it’s
limited to short sentences.

72
 GIVE ME THE POWER OF MAN’S RED FLOWER

Far Cry Primal

DETAILS Far Cry has never been a franchise loop that the Ubisoft Montreal has peddled to
afraid of evolution. It has often felt death – only now we’re doing it all over again
FORMAT: Xbox One
like the dark horse of the Ubisoft family: free in the Stone Age.
OTHER FORMATS:
PS4, PC of expectation, open to experimentation, Radio towers have morphed into bonfires;
ORIGIN: Canada unshackled from the demands of you light a beacon instead of rewiring the
PUBLISHER: Ubisoft
annualisation. But for all of its freedom – in electronics; crafting and hunting is bigger
DEVELOPER: Ubisoft
Montreal scope and design – the spectre of change than ever, searching for resources to craft
PRICE: £49.99 forever looms. A franchise that once thrived makeshift weaponry is now key on your
RELEASE: Out now on reinventing itself was quickly dragged to sprawling to-do list; and outposts are, well,
PLAYERS: 1
ONLINE REVIEWED: N/A
the guillotine; the stale similarities shared still just outposts. Some things never change.
between Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 4 were a Even with the lack of traditional weaponry,
surprise disappointment, while the exhausting explosives or vehicles, the gameplay at the
insanity of Blood Dragon is an enjoyable, if centre of Primal feels resolutely similar.
not entirely memorable, distraction. And so
here we are with Far Cry: Primal. It feels In many respects, it’s almost as if Ubisoft
like a desperate attempt on Ubisoft’s part Montreal has misunderstood the criticism

FINGERPRINT
to challenge everything so often levied at
you thought you knew Assassin’s Creed and its
about Far Cry sequels constant, banal attempts
WHAT MAKES THIS GAME UNIQUE
and spin-offs. to reinvent itself, and
STONE AGE: The prehistoric setting does make for
Primal represented a nice change of pace, even if the mechanics haven’t blindly applied the
a chance for Ubisoft changed a great deal. same wayward logic to
Montreal to reinvent the Primal. If consumers are
Left: Primal has wheel. This could have, and probably should growing tired and discontented with what’s on
difficulty curve problems
throughout, which
have, been an opportunity to refresh old offer in a game, a change of setting doesn’t
aren’t helped by being mechanics, retire tired systems – without fear immediately, magically, fix the problem – if
able to tame mighty of upsetting the player base – and really strike anything, it just accentuates it.
beasts. Once you get
your supernatural mitts ahead in a new and exciting direction. But, The opening hour of Primal highlights the
on a saber-toothed surprisingly, as it turns out, leaping 10,000 disparity between the promise of the setting
tiger or a bear, you’ll
years into the past hasn’t really changed much. and reality of the product. Sixty minutes
likely encounter little
resistance. Primal is a devolution of the core open-world of gruelling survival sets a glorious stage.

FAR CRY 2
BETTER THAN
WORSE THAN

FAR CRY 4

Left: The hallucination

moments of Far Cry Primal
Above: Melee combat is disappointingly underdeveloped. There’s little skill in using a club or spear; rank among some of the
essentially it’s just bashing until an enemy falls to the ground. The introduction of a block button lowest moments of the game;
would have at least brought some variety to combat. they are painfully dull.

73
 REVIEW FAR CRY PRIMAL XBOX ONE

Groups of hunters stalk prey in packs, FAQs

desperate for food to survive the week.
Q. FAR CRY MEETS TUROK?
Animals present a fierce and terrifying threat, Well, sort of. Except it lacks
immediately more dangerous than Pagan Min dinosaurs. And also guns. You
know what? This is nothing like
or his predecessor, Vaas. Locations must be Far Cry meets Turok.
scouted before night falls, fire pits crudely
Q. WAIT, NO DINOSAURS?
constructed within to keep warm, and, all the Yep, seriously. Ubisoft has taken
while, predators lurk in the shadows, eyes us back to pre-historic times
and failed to deliver the one
illuminated by the moon. But then the set thing we really wanted, in the
dressing of this survival-sim collapses in front name of historical accuracy.

of your eyes; a clever façade designed to Q. WHAT CAN I DO THEN?

dazzle you. Well, you can ride a tiger, which
is pretty badass – especially
Primal pulls a Tomb Raider on you – it gives
when storming an outpost with
you the impression that survival and struggle a flaming torch held high above
are at the heart of the experience ahead, when your head.

in reality it’s just the ghostly apparition of

what could have been, had the development Right: With your access
been a little more brave. Open the world map to spears limited,
and you’ll find the usual: a litany of quest initially at least, your
only option for ranged
markers and points of interest, 20 hours’ combat is with the
worth of mundane objectives hidden behind bow. It feels as great
to use here as it did
a fog of prehistoric war. The inventory screen
in Far Cry 4, especially
is a gaping chasm, begging to be clogged up once you upgrade it
with herbs, woods, leather and rocks to forge to fire two arrows
simultaneously.
upgrades and unlock skills.

Perhaps the biggest problem here is that that Far Cry usually maintains so well begins
the world of Oros is so legitimately stunning to stall. After the opening hour, the wildlife
that so much of Primal feels like a missed of Oros presents little threat. The rival tribes
opportunity. Moving between objectives is that staunchly hold territory are but moving
an exercise in banality. The worlds of Far stopgaps on your way to another map-
Cry are always designed in such a way that expanding bonfire. We may have complained
you’re forever in motion – always moving about the bombastic nature of the larger-than-
towards the next mission or item – but Primal life villains that inhabit Far Cry games in the
seems to need the space for you to give it a past, but their presence is missed here; over-
moment of quiet appreciation, though that the-top bad guys are better than none at all.
never arrives. Oros is one of the most striking There’s too much familiarity in this foreign
worlds to ever come out of Ubisoft Montreal – land, then, which is a shame because the
a landscape twisted by nature, not man, and setting could have done so much to revive
it deserves exploration – sadly, there’s very flagging franchise interest. Take the pool of
little to do or find away from the paths you’re weapons at your disposal, for instance: it’s
supposed to be treading. noticeably smaller than any previous outing,
There’s a lack of focus to the game’s design and you’ll find your offensive capabilities
Above: The world
and pacing. Without a well-defined villain to reduced to simple clubs, spears and bows. of Oros is beautiful;
rail against, that sense of forward momentum The heavy reliance on melee combat pushes this is without
question one of
the most gorgeous
worlds Ubisoft has
ever created.

Right: Far Cry Primal

is a fun adventure,
but it’s also hugely
disappointing. It fails
to make great use
of the setting, nor
does it make any real
attempt to progress
mechanically. It’s a
wasted opportunity.

74
Below: Hope you like capturing outposts and radio towers (well,
bonfires) because both return in Far Cry Primal.
TIMELINE HIGHLIGHTS
THE BEST BITS IN THE GAME AND
WHEN YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE THEM
30 MINS
● Hunting through the
night is terrifying, as
wolves creep and howl
through the shadows, best
bring a healthy helping of
fire with you for safety.

10 HOURS
● Once you begin to
progress through the
skill trees you’ll be able
to tame some incredibly
powerful animals to aid
you in your journey.

2 DAYS
● At this point, you’ll begin

WITHOUT A VILLAIN TO RAIL AGAINST, THE to hunt through every

corner of the map looking

SENSE OF FORWARD MOMENTUM THAT FAR CRY for treasures and cave
paintings to wrap up the

USUALLY MAINTAINS SO WELL BEGINS TO STALL last achievements.

BUILD A BETTER LIFE you to abandon stealth and get up close and the most bizarre releases from the studio, and
Instead of hunting a big bad or overthrowing personal with your aggressors – be they that works both for and against it throughout.
a nation, Far Cry Primal has a more considered angry tribespeople or feral animals – but it’s But through all of the disappointment and
approach to story that never really takes off. Your mechanically simple to a fault. Your attacks the missed opportunities, there’s still the same
goal is to, essentially, build a settlement and then are limited to light and heavy, governed by sense of chaotic fun and wanton destruction at
nurture it – with the Wenja people rebuilding their
length of time you pull the trigger. There the heart of Primal that we’ve always loved
culture around your presence. This filters into
a very basic new game system, which sees you isn’t even the ability to block, and so combat about Far Cry. It has a fantastic sense of
tackling emergent missions out in the open-world becomes just wildly swinging or prodding at place and atmosphere, but that’s constantly at
and securing new Bonfires in an attempt to raise enemies until they can be looted. war with the simplistic design, boring mission
your population. This then filters down into specific structures and utterly forgettable story.
gameplay rewards, as well as the opportunity for
That said, combat can be avoided almost There is potentially a lot of fun to be had
your people to gather rare and lucrative resources
on your behalf. It’s an interesting idea, but it has entirely once you unlock the ability to tame in Primal – but that isn’t enough this time.

MISSING LINK
such little impact on the game that it’ll likely go the creatures of Oros. Without the draw of a
largely unnoticed. This was supposed to be maniacal villain to hunt,
Primal ’s big new feature, and without co-op or
W H AT W E W O U L D C H A N GE
though it’s actually multiplayer to tug your
COOP: Considering that effective hunters travelled
proved to be a game- in packs, the removal of co-op really hurts the overall attention away from the
breaking distraction. experience here. familiar explore-and-
Powerful creatures, such destroy gameplay loop,
as cave bears or tigers, can be tamed as Primal doesn’t provide any of the standout
replacements for the modern weaponry you’d moments its predecessors have always
expect to see in any other Far Cry game. Only, peddled so successfully.
X no longer forces a reload of your assault If only Ubisoft Montreal had felt more
rifle, instead it now lets you pet your sabre- confident in its wild gambit – if only it had gone
toothed tiger companion with a congratulatory further with the Stone Age concept – and we
ear scratch for displaying all of the ferocity of could have been looking at something special.
an AK-47. Instead, we have a Far Cry game that feels fun
Then there are the hallucinatory elements in its familiarity, but is sadly lacking in many
that swing between insane and frustrating. integral ways.
Flying across a warped landscape to gain a
naturalistic control over an owl, that’s fine VERDICT
with us. Dropping into the spirit realm – whilst AN UNCONVINCING ATTEMPT TO REVITALISE THE FRANCHISE
riding a mammoth from a first-person POV,
gamesTMmag scored 6 for
of course – and being forced to fend off wave
and after wave of demonic ghost rhinos ad 6 Far Cry Primal
Follow our scores on
nauseam is not okay. Primal really is one of

75
 REVIEW DYING LIGHT: THE FOLLOWING PS4

ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GOES OFF‘ROAD

Dying Light: The Following

Dying Light stuck with us because incredibly beige and all-round charisma hole DETAILS
FORMAT: PS4
of its sun-dappled, almost nostalgic that is protagonist Kyle Crane, there’s a lot of
OTHER FORMATS: Xbox One, PC
look at an apocalypse that’s yet to happen. atmosphere and almost-noir intrigue in The ORIGIN: Poland
It made you feel safe, over-powered, almost Following. It’s self-contained – stepping away PUBLISHER: Warner Bros.
Interactive Entertainment
relaxed during the nice daylight missions, from some of the high drama that stumbled
DEVELOPER: TechLand
but once night fell it was a mad scramble the vanilla game’s pace – and despite a slow- PRICE: £34.99 (Enhanced
for survival. You’d scrape your shins getting burning start, a couple of blind twists and the Edition)
up buildings, twist your ankle jumping from whole conspirator angle is a fresh take on RELEASE: Out now
PLAYERS: 1-4 (2-4 online)
rafter to roof, but you needed to get gone, zombie fiction a lot of other media formats
ONLINE REVIEWED: Yes
otherwise you’d never see that reassuring could learn from.
daylight again. The pacing is better than the main game,
That’s why The Following’s sprawling too: you get to enter this realm with all your MAD MAX

BETTER THAN
farmlands and sweeping open fields feel a gear and skills intact, but you’re not as over-
little odd to us – it’s a total sidestep from powered as you might think. It also frees you
what the original game was in many ways, up to explore more – there’s no grind here,
and initially we were nervous about setting so you feel relatively confident wandering
foot in this infected new world. Something around, dispatching zombies whenever
Above: You're completely free to explore the new world of
about that dense urban cluster of concrete you want to, not because you have to. You’ll The Following.
and steel at least made us feel safe. Here, in be relying on guns/bows more, which is a
AS GOOD AS

The Following’s tropical backwaters, we were shame, because the character animations
frightfully exposed. and most satisfying moments in Dying Light
Below: New weapons have been added to adjust to new
This sense of slight dread is capitalised have always rested in the melee combat.
DYING LIGHT environments in the game.
upon in the DLC’s story. If you can get past the The lack of cover around the farmlands just

76
 FAQs
Q. WHAT’S THE LENGTH
BLIND TWISTS AND THE CONSPIRACY ANGLE IS A
OF THE DLC?
We played for about 12 hours
in total, but we didn’t explore
FRESH TAKE ON ZOMBIE FICTION A LOT OF OTHER
absolutely everything there was
to see. It’s a big ol’ space!
MEDIA FORMATS COULD LEARN FROM
Q. IS THERE
STILL PARKOUR?
Absolutely, there just isn’t as makes that nigh-impossible, unfortunately. If The new map is also bigger than the main
much Jackie Chan-inspired
building hopping going on in
it wasn’t for the new tactical crossbow (better game’s… but that just feels superfluous: we
here as there is in the original. than Far Cry’s, on par with Dishonored’s), understand this expansion is about driving
Q. HOW DOES THE we’d have been left wanting. and exploration, but without the packed-out
DRIVING FEEL? urban landscapes cluttering the horizon, it
Good! It reminds us of Far Cry
4 because of the forced first The other main addition to your skillset can feel decidedly empty.
person view and tight controls, here is a little buggy. This buggy works the
but we liked Far Cry 4.
same way as Dying Light’s weapons – it If you’re a fan of racing and the whole buggy
deteriorates during use. We scavenged side of The Following, though, you can play
enough parts to build new ones here and with three other players in online races –
there, but we didn’t really feel the need to go almost like Mario Kart meets The Walking
out of our way to level up the vehicle-devoted Dead – and the whole kart-driven experience
skill tree, especially since some of the car lends itself to a distinctive Mad Max feel. In
upgrades themselves seemed tied to a script. fact, The Following is a better Mad Max game
Below: Prepare to have
It’s a nice mechanic, but a bit fluffy at times – than the Warner Bros. effort that was released
the bejesus scared out
of you. exactly the same as the weapon system. last year. If you had the character Max in place
Driving around of Crane and his copy/
this post-apocalyptic
countryside is fun,
FINGERPRINT paste personality, this
little excursion into the
though: the world WHAT MAKES THIS GAME UNIQUE zombified countryside
building that made I WANT YOUR BRAAAAKES: The mix of kart would have been made
action and zombie killing sprees – alongside all those
Techland’s first pass perilous obstacles karting is known for – actually even better.
at Dying Light so work really well together As it stands, this is
good is held high and a good example of how
celebrated here, too: everything from little to do a DLC package. Dying Light almost
ad-hoc racetracks to cottages that tell an mimics its own skill tree in how its grown –
entire family’s story without any human opening up one whole new branch (driving)
interaction whatsoever… there’s a lot of things whilst adding a skill point or two to everything
here Bethesda could learn from in its next else it’d already set out on making great
open-world endeavour. Throw a couple of (zombie killing, level design, environmental
well-realised NPCs and a well-timed, leanly storytelling, gunplay). Crane and the
Crowd Control
executed boss fight or two in the mix and the cookie-cutter quests aside, this approach to
With the emphasis very much on ranged combat in this expansion,
you’ve got to adapt or die when it comes to taking on the moaning
open world teems with threat. wrangling the undead in a countryside setting
hoardes of the undead. You’ll still have a couple of melee options Like any open world game, though, the is tense, enjoyable and unnerving – a little like
when the shambling enemies get in close, but largely you’ll have to expansive freedom you have to play and 28 Days Later by way of Mad Max. That’s not a
take a pot shot or two, run back, gauge your options and act in the explore comes at the cost of bugs: a few bad thing, not a bad thing at all.
best interests of self-preservation. Don’t be afraid of running away,
and don’t feel like you’ve got to kill everything you come across:
times, we noticed the AI get jammed into a
tree, or through a wall, or get really confused
VERDICT
DESPITE SOME BUGS, A SOLID GAME WITH GREAT FREEDOM
sometimes living to see another sunrise is more attractive than
getting a few extra experience points. One again, The Following is by a shin-high obstacle between us and them. gamesTMmag scored 7 for
expanding nicely on the gameplay and themes of its mother-game, Some of the quests devolve into ‘go here,
adding interesting mechanics and some excellent new tactical do this, come back’ which is fine unless you 7 Dying Light: The Following
Follow our scores on
elements you need to consider. die and respawn away from your buggy.

77
REVIEW FIREWATCH PS4

STANDING AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD Above: Artist Olly Moss has done a spectacular job

Firewatch
designing the world of Firewatch. The woodland preserve
is truly a location to revel in. You’ll want to spend as much
time as possible exploring and settling into its rhythms.

Run to your shelf, grab a book at much more. Firewatch presents a similar Powerful indeed, but it’s not exactly
DETAILS
random and blindly tear out an quandary. From the outset you know very unheard of in this era of game design.
FORMAT: PS4
entire chapter. Oh, who are we kidding; OTHER FORMATS: PC
little about Henry, and yet developer Campo Much like fellow walking simulators Gone
nobody owns books anymore, do they? So ORIGIN: USA Santo asks that you empathise entirely with Home, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and
put your Kindle down gently and consider PUBLISHER: Campo Santo his situation. He’s a man that’s taken to living Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture, Firewatch
this revised plan before you start gingerly DEVELOPER: In-house at the edge of the world – as we know is made by a small team with a small
PRICE: £14.99
ripping wires out: sprint down to your local it at least. Placed in self-imposed exile to budget – creating complex environments
RELEASE: Out now
Waterstones, grab a book at random, and PLAYERS: 1
deal with a personal tragedy, a brief text- (inhabited by multiple characters) can be an
blindly tear out an entire chapter – you may ONLINE REVIEWED: N/A based prologue hints towards a torrid life of expensive and time consuming proposition.
also want to calmly explain to the dismayed dwindling returns, and so Henry ventures And so Firewatch circumvents this limitation
till attendant that this is in aid of knowledge. deep into the forest as a fire watchman. by doubling down on a sense of solitude.
Read the crumpled pages with your weary He’s using physical loneliness to combat the Without the distraction of others, you are
eyes, and consider them for a moment. Did emotional equivalent, and it’s a powerful forcibly immersed in a particular time
it make sense? How did it make you feel? narrative tool. and place. Alone, you are completely free
Ultimately, were you frustrated or intrigued to lose yourself in an atmosphere without
by the chapter-bound story? distraction; free for your mind to drift and
There’s a fine chance that following LIFE ISN’T BOUND BY TRADITIONAL soak in all the tension.
through with this exercise would leave you To be clear: Firewatch isn’t a horror game,
fairly confused; perhaps you’d glean an STORYTELLING RULES, SO WHY but it racks up tension better than the best in
idea of the characters and motivations, but the genre. For the majority of the four hours
without wider context you’re left wanting SHOULD A VIDEOGAME BE? you’ll spend entrenched in Campo Santo’s

78
FAQs Left: PC players will find a nice bonus waiting for them; an in-game
camera can be found that lets you take photos, they can then be
Q. A GOOD DEBUT? developed online and ordered as beautiful prints.
As far as first games go, Campo
Santo couldn’t have really
done any better. Firewatch is a
subversive walking simulator.

Q. VALUE FOR MONEY?

While it’s only four hours long,
you won’t likely be disappointed
by what you get out of the game.

Q. THE STANDOUT FEATURE?

Much of the game hangs on the
dialogue, and Campo Santo did a
fantastic job with the writing and
hiring of solid voice actors.

gorgeous, sprawling woodland, you’ll quickly to hear a human voice over the rustling of
find yourself deeply unsettled by the events branches and howls of wind in the night.
that soon unfold. It becomes clear that your It’s this discomfort that ultimately brings
Below: The gameplay is only form of human contact – or any contact Firewatch together. The interactions between
limited, but exploring with
with the outside world for that matter – Henry and Delilah are often witty and riddled
a map and compass proves
to be fairly engrossing. is with a fellow-watchman, named Delilah, with sarcasm, but there’s always the sense
Even if you are directionally via a walkie-talkie. Much of your time will you are both on the razor’s edge. When the
challenged, it’s never too
be spent exploring the mysterious behaviour
difficult to find your way.
growing relationship
between the two lost
MISSING LINK in the forest starts to
become erratic, you
souls over a summer
W H A T W E W O U L D C H A N G E will be labouring over
RUSHED ENDING: More time could have been
– though it isn’t long spent on building towards the ending. It’s the rushed dialogue reactions and
before mysterious and nature of it that makes it so divisive. responses. It’s possible
potentially dangerous to piss Delilah off to
circumstances begin to rear their ugly head. the point where she will want to ‘cool off’,
Initially, you’ll reach out and chat just to leaving you totally and utterly abandoned. It’s
spare yourself from the life of mundanity a terrifying feeling, being truly alone – and
found in Henry’s day-to-day tasks. For it’s a crux of the human condition Firewatch
the first hour or so you’ll follow a reliable orbits constantly.
formula of heading out to solve woodland While there’s a lot of joy to be found in the
problems at the behest of Delilah; chasing character drama, your lasting impression
down rebellious teens setting off fireworks will likely be informed by how you receive the
or investigating a cut power line. You can call ending. It’s difficult to really know if Firewatch
in at any time as you navigate the world with is trying to say something more, or whether
a map and compass; asking questions about it’s simply aspiring to give you a snapshot
the world around you, reporting indiscretions into a small part of someone’s life. Firewatch
against nature. She too, can call in to you at feels like a vignette of Henry’s life, rather
any time, and more often than not Delilah than a defining moment in it. It’s an intimate
is eager to provoke a reaction – she too character piece that just so happens to be
brought baggage with her to the wild lands. told in the videogame medium; how content
There’s clearly more to the relationship you are reading a chapter from a larger
than meets the eye, and you’ll be drawn into piece will likely define how much enjoyment
it immediately – the dialogue writing and you glean from the experience. Life isn’t
voice acting is sublime, though we’d expect bound by traditional storytelling rules, so
nothing less from a studio formed around why should a videogame? Firewatch is a brief
PS4 LAUNCH PROBLEMS EVERYBODY’S GONE
TO THE RAPTURE
Disappointingly, the PS4 launch of Firewatch ex-Telltale developers, famed for their work but enjoyable experience set in a stunning
BETTER THAN

was riddled with performance problems. For a on The Walking Dead: Season One. and lovingly crafted environment, but there
game that has you navigating forests, climbing is no real ending – there’s simply the place
rocky hills and admiring the view, a plummeting Campo Santo cleverly plays on the illusion where you stopped reading the story.
frame-rate was pretty unacceptable. Thankfully, the
of time. While you are free to explore artist
game has been patched, bringing it in line with
the PC release. It’s a shame that Campo Santo
thought it was acceptable to release Firewatch
Olly Moss’ beautifully serene forest as you
please – and will be eager to photograph
VERDICT
A BEAUTIFUL AND THOUGHTFUL GAME WITH A CONTENTIOUS ENDING
in this condition, especially as it isn’t a game that some of the more stunning environments
gamesTMmag scored 7 for
WORSE THAN

really inspires a second play through. That said, it – the reality of your situation forces you
is well worth diving back in now without the fear into strange behavioural patterns. You’ll start 7 Firewatch
of motion sickness cropping up to spoil your fun. Follow our scores on
GONE HOME calling into Delilah to ease discomfort, just

79
 REVIEW UNRAVEL PS4

Some of the game’s better puzzles involve using your

yarn to create pulley systems. You can tie knots to
certain parts of the scenery to fix parts of your wool
there, making it easier to put together pulleys like this.

YARNY’S WOOLLY WORLD

Unravel
When Unravel was thrust into the
DETAILS
limelight and ultimately stole the
FORMAT: PS4
show at EA’s E3 2015 conference, it set
OTHER FORMATS: Xbox
a level of expectation that was always One, PC
going to be difficult to meet. While the ORIGIN: Sweden considerate and sparing with your wool, be because it looks like a big-budget triple-A
PUBLISHER: EA
finished game certainly reaches this level in though: if you don’t keep topping yourself game that its imperfect gameplay – usually
DEVELOPER: Coldwood
terms of emotion and sentiment, it doesn’t Interactive up by picking up spare wool dotted around expected and accepted with indie games –
quite manage it when it comes to puzzle PRICE: £14.99 each stage you risk reaching a point where feels so disappointing in this case.
RELEASE: Out now
platforming. You play as Yarny, a little red you can go no further It isn’t always

FINGERPRINT
PLAYERS: 1
woolly character who’s been tasked with ONLINE REVIEWED: N/A
and have to backtrack. bad news. When it
exploring a range of picturesque Swedish By the time you’re all comes together
landscapes in an attempt to find memories only a couple of WHAT MAKES THIS GAME UNIQUE – and it often does
from the past. Along the way the game tries levels into the game WASTING AWAY – As you proceed through a stage – Unravel is an
and Yarny continues to unravel he gets noticeably
everything in its power to tug on your woolly these woolly puzzles thinner. It’s an interesting way of showing how much adorable game
little heartstrings, and there are moments start to show signs wool you have left instead of a standard energy bar with a charming
that may have you choking up if you’re the of fiddliness. Many soundtrack and
sentimental type. of the more physics-based ones result in some gorgeous background environments.
Unfortunately, these aren’t the only TEMBO THE annoying trial-and-error experiments or There’s still a sense of satisfaction each time
emotions Unravel is likely to evoke as you BADASS ELEPHANT occasional accidental death as objects don’t you solve a puzzle and Yarny’s animations
BETTER THAN

play. Some others – most notably frustration quite line up or you don’t jump off your are enough to warm your heart. It’s just a
– also fight their way to the surface as you wool trampoline with just the right timing. shame that the game’s myriad frustrating
struggle with the game’s numerous fiddly Elsewhere, a selection of irritating enemies moments ensure this warm heart is
puzzles, many of which make use of the provide a series of puzzles in which failure accompanied by heat under the collar.
slightly unpredictable physics engine. Most results in a frustrating one-hit kill, similar to
of the puzzles revolve around Yarny and
his woolly body. As he progresses through
the likes of Limbo and Max And The Curse
Of Brotherhood.
VERDICT
ITS PUZZLES FRUSTRATE FOR THE WRONG REASONS
WORSE THAN

each level he unravels, leaving a trail of wool It can’t be denied that given developer gamesTMmag scored 7 for
behind him which can be tied to obstacles Coldwood Interactive’s history of forgettable
to create makeshift platforms, pulleys, skiing and PlayStation Move games, 7 Unravel
ORI AND THE Follow our scores on
trampolines and the like. You have to be BLIND FOREST Unravel is a superb effort. Indeed, it might

80
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 REVIEW PLANTS VS. ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE 2 XBOX ONE

ALAN TITCHMARSH HAS GOT HIS WORK CUT OUT

Plants Vs. Zombies: Right: Online games are pretty standard fare –
deathmatch, capture the flag, etc – but you also have,

Garden Warfare 2
in the spirit of the original Plants Vs. Zombies mobile
game, a co-op wave defence mode. You can play it
solo, too, but with a pal it’s much better

Below: Citron, a giant orange with a cannon

attached, is one of the strongest characters on the
plants’ team. His closest counterpart in the zombie
camp is Captain Deadbeard, a peg-leg pirate zombie
armed with rockets and a pistol
DETAILS Aside from listing off all its new in videogaming. And it’s not like PopCap
FORMAT: Xbox One features, it’s hard to know what hasn’t pulled it off. Certainly, this is the game
OTHER FORMATS: to say about Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden the studio wanted to make and on top of all
PC, PS4
ORIGIN: US
Warfare 2. If you’ve played the first, this is the rigorously tweaked combat modes and
PUBLISHER: Electronic more of the same, albeit with extra missions, balanced multiplayer fights there’s a lot of
Arts characters, collectibles and so on. Moreover, visual flair: characters are varied and amusing
DEVELOPER: PopCap
Games if you’ve played any third-person shooter, and the levels are very colourful. This is the
PRICE: £39.99 period, you won’t be surprised. All of the game PopCap wanted to make. It’s just that
RELEASE: Out now compliments Garden Warfare 2 deserves – it’s very boring.
PLAYERS: 1-24
competent, smooth, big – feel like backhanded
ONLINE REVIEWED: Yes
insults. If you’re looking for something Garden Warfare 2 is a time sink. Its innocent,
thought-provoking, or a game that’s going to playful visage does little to disguise that what
linger in your imagination after you’ve finished it really wants from you is more: more time,
playing, Garden Warfare 2 is not it. more commitment, more enthusiasm about
That’s not to say it’s half-hearted. PopCap, collecting in-game junk and useless points. If
Below: Switching back who could have easily stuck to producing you sat down to play this on your phone while
and forth between plants mobile games, has taken a risk moving to waiting for a train, or just idly killing time,
and zombies is basically
seamless, and each side
big console development, and away from that’d be fair enough. But it’s a big console
offers its own unique puzzle and strategy mechanics. Any studio game, and in an era when big console games,
rewards and missions. prepared to take on new challenges is worth generally, are trying to do new things. Perhaps
For our money, the plant Below: Backyard Battleground is a new open-world, replacing
missions are better, as plaudits, and Garden Warfare 2 represents Garden Warfare 2 deserves to be met more on the menu screen of the original Plants Vs. Zombies. From here
are the characters a willingness to experiment too rarely seen its own terms – if a good game is a game that you can access new quests and combat minigames

FRESH FRUIT DAILY

Garden Warfare 2 is updated with new
quests every 48 hours so there’s plenty to be
getting on with. But these added missions
and their objectives quickly get repetitive.
Kill X amount of enemies. Win a deathmatch.
Find some collectibles. They’re emblematic
of a greater problem in Plants Vs. Zombies:
once the initial novelty wears off the game
quickly becomes a grind. This is a third-person
EVERY MULTIPLAYER GAME shooter but it inherits from its mobile-based
predecessor awful fixations on statistics and
AWARDS YOU MORE POINTS number-crunching. It feels like a game that’s
never supposed to end. Those added missions,
AND MORE GEAR though a nice idea, are just extra, useless
holes into which to pour your time.

82
achieves precisely what its creators intended, FAQ
FAQs Deadbeard, a pirate zombie equipped with a fight on your hands. The Garden Ops (or
Plants Vs. Zombies certainly makes the grade. pistol. The characters can also be customised Graveyard Ops) missions – traditional wave
Q. WHO’S THIS AIMED AT?
But there’s something ugly about how games Kids will love it. Strategy players using card packs, which are purchased using defence against increasingly tough opponents
of this ilk play out, something patronising and and shooter fans might find it a in-game currency. – are fun also. Again you can play them either
little light – it’s stuck in between
cynical about its structure, and its fixation both genres.
co-op or solo, and it’s during the latter rounds
on acquisition and levelling up. You accept a Played with 24 people, Garden Warfare that Garden Warfare 2’s design really starts to
Q. WHAT’S DIFFERENT
mission, you kill X amount of enemies, you ON CONSOLE? 2, again, works perfectly fine. Everything is shine. Taken alone or in small, uniform groups,
unlock some more points and power-ups, Garden Warfare is a big jump breezier and faster paced than your typical as in the campaign missions, the enemies feel
for PopCap. Some of the
you do another mission. Every couple of days strategy mechanics from the
online shooter and the focus, rather than like cannon fodder. But when they attack in
PopCap adds more objectives and collectibles. mobile series are still present rugged competition, is on knockabout fun. combinations, a batch of Imps coupled with a
but this, essentially, is a third-

MISSING LINK
Every multiplayer game awards you more You dip in and dip out – squad of Super Brainz,
person shooter.
points and more gear. It’s an endless cycle – the monotony of Garden for example, you can see
Q. IS IT FUNNY?
do more, get more, do more. And there’s no Warfare’s thin single- how much work PopCap
narrative substance, not even much humour,
Yes, but not as much as it could
be. Some of the characters will player missions is nicely
W H A T W E W O U L D C H A N G E has put into balancing
raise a smile, but the levels and BRAINS, BRAINS: Garden Warfare 2 is such a
to keep things interesting. You shoot, you get, broken up by a couple colourful world, full of big characters and wacky its game and creating
set-ups are bland and repetitive.
you shoot again. This is what you’ve done in of games of capture ideas, but the levels themselves lack flair. They’re systems that allow
thoughtless and humdrum, less like distinctive
hundreds of other videogames. When you play the flag. However, the missions and more like extra “content.” It’s a shame. for varied battles and
Garden Warfare 2 you are, very literally, just mulitplayer modes setpieces.
wasting time. can also be played solo against AI enemies, Despite its pretty environments and
But it certainly works and if a successful and this is Garden Warfare 2’s biggest selling swollen production value, Garden Warfare 2
SUNSET OVERDRIVE
sequel is one that addresses the problems point over its predecessor. PvP is fun, but in feels a lot like its smartphone cousins, less a
AS GOOD AS

of the original whilst adding more ‘content’, solo deathmatches you can add weapon and videogame, in the noble sense, and more a tar
Garden Warfare 2 certainly steps over that behaviour modifiers and really stir things up. pit, swallowing down your time and providing
very low bar. Kernel Corn, a heavy weapons- Setting the match to double speed is pretty little in return but useless virtual tat.
style corn on the cob is a new addition to self-explanatory, as is turning off reloads, VERDICT
the Plants’ cast of characters as is Rose, a but if you switch both of those on (and a FUNNY BUT FOCUSED ON ‘CONTENT’ RATHER THAN IDEAS
magic wielding flower that can turn enemies physics modifier which means every time
into goats. The Zombies get: Super Brainz, a you get shot you go flying halfway across the gamesTMmag scored 5 for
WORSE THAN

melee character; the Imp, a quick, low health map) you’ve finally – after treading through 5 Plants Vs. Zombies:
Garden Warfare 2
troublemaker who, if he lives long enough, Garden Warfare 2’s undercooked campaign
Follow our scores on
can spawn in a powerful robot; and Captain PLANTS VS. ZOMBIES: and multiplayer modes – got an interesting
GARDEN WARFARE

83
 REVIEW LAYERS OF FEAR XBOX ONE

POTENT YET UNEVEN HORROR

Layers Of Fear
DETAILS Jump scares are all well and good
FORMAT: Xbox One
when it comes to building the
OTHER FORMATS: PC, PS4 ultimate horror masterpiece, but it’s that
ORIGIN: Poland sense of intangible foreboding that can
PUBLISHER: Aspyr really crawl under your skin and be the
DEVELOPER: Bloober Team SA
end of you – an air of creeping dread
PRICE: £14.99
RELEASE: Out now
that shreds your nerves and turns grown Above: It’s sluggish movement aside, LOF is an attractive experience. The lighting in particular – candles
adults into gibbering wrecks. That’s not to flickering and flashes of lightning – adds an extra dimension to your psychological trip.
PLAYERS: 1
ONLINE REVIEWED: N/A say Layers Of Fear, the latest offering from
Polish studio Bloober Team, is free of classic
leaping frights but it’s in that thick, viscous air
of hallucinogenic terror that it really flexes its
malformed fingers best.
SLENDER 2: THE ARRIVAL
The similarities to genre darling P.T. are
BETTER THAN

here with a seemingly endless cycle of doors

and ever changing rooms, but it’s actually got
more in common with psychedelic horror
trips such as Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s
Requiem. Chambers warp and paintings take
on unnerving bestial qualities while whispers
build like a morose hum in the background
AS GOOD AS

– they even hiss out of

AMNESIA: THE DARK DESCENT

your DualShock 4’s
speaker if you’re playing
FINGERPRINT
on PS4 – it all adds to a WHAT MAKES THIS GAME UNIQUE
sense of decaying sanity AESTHETIC: Using portraiture and classical painting flavour of horror over a larger canvas and take its time with
that works far better styles as a device for horror, with the corruption of
the familiar and the almost-psychedelic twisting of to your usual those crimson brush strokes. There’s also a
than the traditional ‘hide reality gives LOF a hellish sheen. abandoned asylums, bizarre overly-weighted feel to navigation that’s
from the monster’ shtick it’s just a shame LOF clearly meant to emulate the natural sway of
overused in the likes of Outlast. seems so quick to finish up its own experience. walking, but ends up making movement feel
As an artist struggling with a nasty dose Save for a few obtuse puzzles in the closing like a chore.
of creative block, you navigate a Resi-aping half hour or so, it’s all over in barely two and If anything, LOF can, well, layer it on a little
Victorian mansion, complete with Gothic a half hours. With its machine gun approach thick. Once it gets going, the game pummels
stylings, and classical painting motifs. It’s an to scares and psychological warfare, you your senses at every turn. In those opening
enticing combination that offers a different end up wishing LOF would spread its ideas hours, it’s a delicious onslaught that leaves you
breathless with its slew of shifting shadows,
creepy dolls and ghostly encounters, but after
it while the ferocious barrage starts to lose
its potency. It also doesn’t help that LOF often
recycles many of its ideas as you attempt to
complete your macabre artistic masterpiece.
What you’re left with is a short slice of horror
that’s got a few genuinely brilliant ideas up its
bloody sleeve, but one that dulls the edges of
its own experience with a lack of subtlety. Still,
LOF’s brilliant setting and premise oozes with
a Gothic, MR James-esque ambiance that will
shred your nerves like a clock-watching ripper.

VERDICT
CREEPY LOCATION, POOR PACING

gamesTMmag scored 6 for

6 Layers Of Fear
Follow our scores on

84
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 REVIEW NUCLEAR THRONE PC

Right: Some levels are shrouded in darkness, and introduce lighting effects.
These areas are infested with rats, but flames and explosions light up the dark.

WELCOME TO YOUR NEW LOVEHATE ADDICTION

Nuclear Throne
DETAILS Nuclear Throne is psychological amount to little more than differing levels of have profound effects on the game, such as
FORMAT: PC
torture in game form. All it wants health, armour or attack power, in Nuclear the ability to slow the movement of enemy
OTHER FORMATS: Mac, Linux, to do is punish you, yet you’ll keep coming Throne the numerous character abilities bullets or introduce randomised HP boosts
PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One back for more. It’s like reeling at the smell of fundamentally change the way you play. with each kill. Then you die and it’s all gone.
ORIGIN: Netherlands
a particularly pungent cheese, but you can’t The initial character, Fish, has an evasive Besides the insane twitch skill that you
PUBLISHER:
Vlambeer help but have just one more sniff. roll move, which is relatively uninspiring gradually acquire as a player, Nuclear Throne
DEVELOPER: In-house Nuclear Throne is a super fast-paced, compared to the Mutant ‘Melting’, who can calls for an understanding of its many
PRICE: £9.49
top-down twin-stick shooter in which you make the corpses of downed enemies systems. And this offers the game a level
RELEASE: Out now
PLAYERS: 1-2 get just a single life to reach the end. A explode, allowing for sophisticated kill-chain of depth, strategy and, in turn, longevity, that
‘Roguelike’ of sorts, if you die, it sends you techniques. Or the you wouldn’t typically
WORLDWIDE
ONLINE REVIEWED: Windows
XP, 1.2Ghz+ CPU, 1024MB
RAM, 256MB GPU, 200MB back to the first level. And the stages are Mutant ‘Rebel’, who expect from a simple-
HDD space randomly generated, so forget being able can sacrifice hit points looking twin-stick
(HP) to spawn an T A K I N G G A M I N G O N L I N E shooter. Add to that
ONLINE REVIEWED: N/A
to memorise all of the enemy positions,
bullet patterns and perfect sight lines. Every AI-controlled ally. TIMELY EVENTS: Bonus Weekly and Daily modes numerous gameplay-
offer fixed levels and a pre-selected character. Since
time you have a go at reaching the Nuclear As the enemies everyone’s playing the exact same thing, leaderboards changing secrets to
Throne – the eponymous end-game reward grow in number and are added where you can track your mad skills. explore, a two-player
– you’ll be facing unknowns at every turn. ferocity, you too get co-op option, and
It’s brutal. And it’s absolutely brilliant. more powerful. You’ll ditch your basic pistol timed events that ditch randomly-generated
You pick your Mutant character at the and shotgun for grenade launchers, laser levels in favour of fixed stages, and Nuclear
start of your run, each one boasting their pistols, flame throwers and the awesome Throne – a mere 156MB install – blossoms
own unique perks and abilities. What’s crowd-wrecking Flak Cannon. You also into a behemoth of a game.
especially interesting here is that, unlike level up, letting you choose a ‘Mutation’ with Nuclear Throne is Vlambeer’s best work
DEAD NATION most games in which character variations each level. Mutations are perks which also yet. It’s wonderful, evil, gorgeous, horrible,
BETTER THAN

satisfying and merciless. You might hate its

lack of checkpoints, or bad levels spawns
that almost instantly kill you. It doesn’t care.
Screw you. It hates you. But you’ll love it.

VERDICT
AS GOOD AS

SETS A NEW BENCHMARK FOR TWIN-STICK SHOOTERS

gamesTMmag scored 9 for

9 Nuclear Throne
GEOMETRY WARS: Above: Developer Vlambeer has earned itself a reputation for enriching what appear to be simplistic game ideas
Follow our scores on
RETRO EVOLVED with astonishing depth and design. Nuclear Throne exemplifies this with intricate, multi-layered strategy.

86
 REVIEW ASSASSIN’S CREED CHRONICLES: RUSSIA XBOX ONE

ASSASSIN’S OF THE WORLD UNITE

Assassin’s Creed
Chronicles: Russia
If it’s going to continue the But it’s still a mess. Especially after And the writing is awful. Chronicles:
DETAILS
Assassin’s Creed series can the opener, when you’re introduced to Russia illustrates clearly how the series
FORMAT: Xbox One
learn a lot from Chronicles: Russia. A OTHER FORMATS: PC, PS4, your second playable character, and it uses historical context as window dressing,
2.5D platformer in the vein of Mark of the PS Vita becomes a kind of single player co-op presented blithely and barely. It seems the
ORIGIN: Britain
Ninja, it strips away so much of the clutter game, like Resident Evil Zero or Brothers. designers are interested simply in visual
PUBLISHER: Ubisoft
that slows down the mainline Assassin’s DEVELOPER: Climax Studios
You’ll find yourself having to restart time splendour. The buildings and backgrounds
series. You don’t have as many gadgets, PRICE: £7.99 and time again as the finicky controls and in have a distinctly Soviet aesthetic, which
or skills. And the typically useless free- RELEASE: Out now fussy systems sabotage your plans. It is might be a little early given that the Russian
running mechanic is now simple climbing PLAYERS: 1 a very disapproving Revolution had only
and jumping – there are still plenty of
moments where you’ll fumble and fall, but
ONLINE REVIEWED: N/A
game. It offers you
little tricks – climb
MISSING LINK taken place the year
before. Like the
Chronicles: Russia is much more graceful over guards with W H A T W E W O U L D C H A N G E other Assassin’s
than 3D outings like Syndicate. your grappling gun, EVEN FLOW The stuffiness and over-engineering in Creed games, its
Best of all, it dispenses with the typical ASSASSIN’S distract them with a Assassin’s Creed is largely dispensed by Chronicles,
but it is still finicky. You’re forced to restart almost
representation of
Assassin’s Creed screen clutter. There CREED UNITY ringing telephone – every encounter until you do it exactly as it demands history is largely
BETTER THAN

are fewer pop-ups, no blinking, shrieking and suggests you'll just affectation.
exclamation marks above guards’ heads use them to formulate your own strategies. Chronicles: Russia ultimately feels half-
and less of the encyclopedia pages, But in practice, unless you follow a very hearted and lacks consistency.
nagging to be read. The common failing of strict, narrow path and execute every
Assassin’s Creed is that, despite its stealthy move exactly as the game intends, you’re VERDICT
WORSE THAN

premise, missions often degenerate into scuppered. Rather than think for yourself, AN OFFHAND EFFORT THAT ADDS LITTLE TO THE SERIES
fighting and killing dozens of people, using or master your tools, you have to just keep
clunky combat mechanics. Chronicles: dying and restarting until work out that gamesTMmag scored 4 for

Russia is leaner and more straightforward path. It has less litter, but often descends 4 Assassin’s Creed
Chronicles: Russia
- on occasion, it feels like Assassin’s Creed into the same shambolic stop-start farce
MARK OF THE NINJA Follow our scores on
as it was always meant to be. as the bigger Assassin’s Creed games.

Pedantic history note, but Chronicles: Russia features

the famous hammer and sickle of the Soviet Union
even though it wasn’t adopted until 1923.

87
 REVIEW PROJECT X ZONE 2 3DS

Above: Not content with letting Sega, Capcom and Bandai Namco
X GONNA GIVE IT TO YA

Project X Zone 2
characters team up, Nintendo characters get in on the action too. Chrom
and Lucina from Fire Emblem turn up as a playable pair unit, and Fiora
from Xenoblade Chronicles appears alongside Xenosaga’s KOS-MOS.

If the original Project X Zone DETAILS The localisation work here is be easily won on your first attempt, and
wasn’t enough to scratch your FORMAT: 3DS tremendous, especially given the sheer it’s only as the game approaches its final
crossover itch, this sequel offers ORIGIN: Japan number of characters and possible chapters that the difficulty level begins to
more of the same. Those hoping for PUBLISHER: Bandai Namco interactions. The ’fish out of water’ trope slightly increase.
massive changes to its predecessor’s DEVELOPER: Monolith Soft is used to its fullest throughout, leading to This isn’t necessarily a problem: for
PRICE: £34.99
basic gameplay, though, will remain some genuine laugh-out-loud moments those not well-versed in strategy – or
RELEASE: Out now
disappointed, as Project X Zone 2 doubles PLAYERS: 1 as each unexpected those who are but
down on the hope that its character
interactions make up for the lack of depth.
ONLINE REVIEWED: N/A encounter plays out.
The more obscure FINGERPRINT just want a game
where they can
As before, the plot is nonsensical. A your retro gaming WHAT MAKES THIS GAME UNIQUE switch their brain
bunch of portals have started appearing knowledge, the CROSSPEDIA: Project X Zone 2 has an enormous off – there’s plenty
all over Japan and it’s up to a group of more you’ll get out encyclopedia covering every character, enemy and
organisation in the game. With over 30 franchises
of spectacle here,
heroes from different dimensions and of this, as all manner featured in some way, it’s a great addition. with a timing-based
eras of time to join forces and defeat the of references are combat system and
evil responsible. This is little more than a dropped with alarming regularity. Even even more screen-filling moves supported
plot device used to explain the weird and one-time Japanese Sega Saturn TV ad by incredible sprite work. Just be aware
wonderful interactions between Capcom, mascot Segata Sanshiro arrives as a that if you’re expecting a massive
Sega and Bandai Namco characters. PROJECT X ZONE playable character at one point. challenge, like you’d get in some of the
BETTER THAN

It’s here where Project X Zone is at its Where the game excels in its dialogue games these characters have come from,
best, offering fanfiction levels of crossover and fan service, however, it falters you’re still going to find yourself waiting for
nonsense with returning characters like slightly in its tactical gameplay. As with it by the time the credits are rolling. Light
Heihachi from Tekken, Chris & Jill from the original, Project X Zone 2 feels like and amusing, but not offering much more.
Resident Evil and Ryu & Ken from Street it’s been designed for players who are
Fighter joined by new faces like Phoenix relatively new to tactical RPGs, drawn in by VERDICT
NO MASTERPIECE, BUT CAPTIVATING
Wright, Axel from Streets Of Rage and Ryo the crossover aspect but perhaps worried
WORSE THAN

from Shenmue. Nintendo even enters the about the complexity of the genre. There gamesTMmag scored 7 for
fray this time around as characters from isn’t much depth beyond assigning solo
Fire Emblem and Xenoblade turn up to characters to pairs and applying certain 7 Project X Zone 2
FIRE EMBLEM Follow our scores on
expand the roster. AWAKENING items. As such the majority of battles will

88
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 REVIEW THE FLAME IN THE FLOOD XBOX ONE

CRY ME A RIVER

The Flame In
The Flood
The world is against you –
DETAILS
that’s something you’ve got to
FORMAT: Xbox One
understand early on in The Flame OTHER FORMATS: PC
In The Flood if you want to survive. ORIGIN: USA
On our first run, we got four days in (and PUBLISHER: The Molasses
Flood
five miles downstream) before we died of
DEVELOPER: In-house
dehydration, and dysentery, coughing our PRICE: £15.99
lungs up on the mangled remains of our RELEASE: Out now
raft, drifting headfirst into broiling rapids. PLAYERS: 1 If you play the game well and survive Despite some skinniness in the core
It's a survival roguelike – a procedurally ONLINE REVIEWED: N/A the ever-increasing dangers of this mechanics, this is a strong game with
generated adventure through America’s waterlogged slice of Americana, there isn’t a consistently charming aesthetic and
flooded heartlands. Once you master much repetition. If you keep dying, though, challenging progression-based system: if
the basics – keeping warm, keeping you will have to play through the pseudo- you’re enduring enough to live through
dry, getting yourself fed, keeping tutorial over and over again. the first week or so, you’ll meet a slew
a decent water supply – you can start Once you’ve got of survivors, and
making progress. This isn’t a game about
exploration, it’s about progress: if you stop
your head around
the mechanics,
FINGERPRINT you’ll uncover a
glimpse of America
off at every camp, plundered hospital or the learning curve WHAT MAKES THIS GAME UNIQUE that’s still celebrated.
crumbling hardware store, you’re going to isn’t bad: you start aDOG DAYS: If you happen to die, you can give Aesop
selection of your belongings in your dying breath –
You’ll never come
get mauled by wolves or set upon by boars. crafting traps, ready for him to give to your next character. any closer to finding
DEAD ISLAND: EPIDEMIC
Trust us, we suffered many a laceration catching prey, using out why this flood is
BETTER THAN

and broken bone from those urban pests. predators to do your dirty work. You learn happening… but that just adds to the whole
Instead, you’re going to want to stock to pilot your makeshift barge – hell, you ‘life goes on’ philosophy that’s echoed
up – make some snares, kill some rabbits, might even get yourself a nice little floating so pleasantly.
cook their meat – and head on. If you keep home. But you’ve got to prioritise.
stopping off, two things will happen: firstly, Even if it’s going well (and that never VERDICT
BIG ON HEART, BUT LIGHT ON MECHANICS
you’ll encounter more things that exist really lasts for long), you'll still battle with
only to kill you (ants, poison ivy, dodgy the inventory: it’s tight, and while you can
AS GOOD AS

gamesTMmag scored 7 for

water supplies et al), and secondly; you’ll transfer things to your ever-loyal canine
see right through the game’s fairly scant Aesop, or even upgrade your pack, this is 7 The Flame In The Flood
Follow our scores on
offering of mechanics. DON'T STARVE a game of micro-managing your survival.

Above: You’re going to be spending a lot of time on the water, so learning

to plot your course ahead of time and avoid damaging your raft is vital.

90
 REVIEW PONY ISLAND XBOX ONE

WILL YOU HACK OR BE HACKED? Below: These computer code-themed puzzles make up a large portion of the game. You rearrange triggers to
direct the order of the code, changing its outcome. Programming skills aren’t required but familiarity will help.

Pony Island
In Pony Island you control a DETAILS
happy little Pony whose only FORMAT: PC
mission in life is to hop over fences and ORIGIN: Canada
reach the end goal. At least, that’s the PUBLISHER:
Daniel Mullins Games
facade behind which a more sinister reality
DEVELOPER: In-house
awaits. It turns out Pony Island is actually PRICE: £3.99
some sort of evil arcade cabinet that traps RELEASE: Out now
human souls. The real protagonist of Pony PLAYERS: 1 simplistic fence hopping adventure as he taste to appreciate its quirkiness. If you
Island is you, the player, and your enemy is MINIMUM SPEC: Windows angrily makes unfair changes to the game don’t, you probably won’t even make it past
XP, 2GB RAM, DirectX 9.0,
the arcade game’s mysterious creator, a 400MB HDD space to combat your inevitable success. the first five minutes, and that being said,
ONLINE REVIEWED: N/A
seemingly sinister figure that crops up in It also plays tricks on you. At one this is certainly not a game for everyone.
text form, demanding that you hand over point the game had It’s incredibly short
your soul. Yes, this game is a bit weird.
This mystery developer has apparently
us fooled severely
enough that we
MISSING LINK too – with a decent
rate of progress
already trapped the soul of one unwitting almost sent foul- W H A T W E W O U L D C H A N G E you’ll see the end
victim, who contacts you via a messenger mouthed messages JUST A PONY: Having started life as a 48-hour credits within a mere
game dev jam project, Pony Island is short and light
window requesting your help. This is to one of our actual on variety. With more time it could been expanded
three hours.
where things get really bizarre: as if they real-life friends, beyond a novel three-hour jaunt. But despite its
weren’t already. thinking they were short length, overt
Your fourth wall-smashing mission is messing with us. And this wasn’t the only simplicity and some droning repetition,
to hack your way into the inner workings anecdotal moment that broke the fourth Pony Island has to be commended for
of the fictional Pony Island arcade cabinet, wall, but we can’t say too much without being bold enough to present such an
re-arrange its code structure, delete its THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE spoiling the experience. oddball idea in such an unapologetic
BETTER THAN

‘core program files’ and essentially break It’s incredibly clever in ways that harks fashion. For those with the pallet to
the game to release your mystery friend back to the GameCube classic, Eternal appreciate its unique offering, this will be
from ghostly captivity. Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, which had among the most memorable (and fleeting)
This bizarre objective presents itself gamers frantically getting out of their seats games you’ll play this year.
in the form of puzzles that have you to attempt to swat an annoying fly on their
VERDICT
WORSE THAN

manipulating wonky menus, finding secret TV screens before realising the game was
passwords, hacking user profiles, and pulling their legs. CLEVER, UNIQUE, INVENTIVE BUT BRIEF AND REPETITIVE

even playing around with computer code Pony Island will screw with your head, gamesTMmag scored 7 for
to ‘crash’ the game. In-between spouts of mislead you, break on you, and at one point
hacking, the game’s seemingly malevolent even ask you to quit playing. And it does all 7 Pony Island
THE MAGIC CIRCLE Follow our scores on
creator forces you to play levels in his this in good faith that you have the acquired

Above: As you hack your way through Pony Island you’ll escape the confines of the game and find yourself poking around a pseudo
operating system, trying to find holes in its security while communicating with the game’s mystery developer on chat.

91
 REVIEW OXENFREE PC

TEEN THRILLER WITH A TALKATIVE TWIST

Oxenfree
A group of teenagers dice with DETAILS
the paranormal during an island FORMAT: PC
vacation gone wrong in this thriller OTHER FORMATS: PS4,
adventure, but Oxenfree is as much XBOX ONE
ORIGIN: US
about relationships as it is about ghosts
PUBLISHER: Night School
and ghouls. It attempts to tug at your heart Studio
strings with richly developed characters, but DEVELOPER: In-house
PRICE: £14.99
despite a moody atmosphere and fantastic
RELEASE: Out now
voice performances, it falls short of being PLAYERS: 1
truly memorable. MINIMUM Windows 7, Intel i3
2.0 GHz CPU, 2 GB RAM, 1GB
Five teens embark on a weekend retreat Shader Model 3.0 Compatible
to a picturesque island that was once a GPU, DirectX 9.0c means, but these responses are remarkably That along with an especially zoomed out
ONLINE REVIEWED: N/A
military base. As you do, we guess. Things organic in nature; your options are rarely camera, toy-like character models, and some
get off to a good start, with drinks and a clearly good or bad; there’s no right or wrong. illogical behaviour creates an unfortunate
bonfire on the beach. But the trip soon goes Your choices affect emotional disconnect,
awry when your character, Alex, and her new
stepbrother Jonas wander off to explore a
the cleverly interwoven
conversations and
FINGERPRINT and that’s a rather
critical issue when
nearby cave, which leads to an encounter nuances of the plot, WHAT MAKES THIS GAME UNIQUE you consider that
with a sinister paranormal force. Obviously. which lets you explore TUNE IN: Alex’s radio plays a starring role in the the game’s snail-
It sounds like a conventional paranormal the relationships game. You scan frequencies by slowly moving your
mouse horizontally. Find a fiendish frequency and like pacing leans
thriller: you explore the island, tracking down between Alex and prepare for things to get creepy. quite heavily on its
your friends while using a radio to tune into her peers and pivotal vital conversation
ghostly broadcasts, activating mysterious events in their lives. This makes for an mechanic. Regardless, Oxenfree is
THE OLD CITY: LEVIATHAN
portals, encountering glitches in the flow of intriguing story that follows in the footsteps of ambitious, atmospheric, and still intriguing
BETTER THAN

time and numerous other peculiar, mind- Heavy Rain and the narrative-lead works of enough that it’s well worth playing if you
bending events. But Oxenfree is a more Telltale Games. But Oxenfree ultimately fails fancy an artistic break from the typical
sentimental game that attempts to explore to reach the bar set by such titles. arcade indie experience.
the intricacies of human interaction and The script, while superbly performed,
relationships. It’s a game about dialogue. fails to realistically portray the distress VERDICT
INTRIGUING GAME HELD BACK BY A FALTERING SCRIPT
As you wander the island, Alex engages we’d expect from teenagers trapped on a
in constant conversation with whomever deserted island with a demonic force. Rather
WORSE THAN

gamesTMmag scored 6 for

she’s with. As these conversations unfold, than frequent hysteria, these teens remain
you’re frequently prompted to choose your unnaturally calm, with over-baked witty one- 6 Oxenfree
Follow our scores on
responses. This isn’t a new mechanic by any HEAVY RAIN liners and Nickelodeon-style wisecracks.

Above: The art style in Oxenfree, the work of former Disney staff, is uniquely gorgeous. Intentionally drab in places and vibrant in
others, its soft pastel tones combine with a mellow soundtrack to create an intensely atmospheric island.

92
 Console Finance.com

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 REVIEWS

DETAILS DICE WITH DEATH

FORMAT: PC
OTHER FORMATS: PS4
ORIGIN: USA
PUBLISHER:
Choice Provisions
Tharsis
DEVELOPER: In-house Space travel is hard, unforgiving turns, meaning that anything you fail to deal
PRICE: £10.99 and dangerous. If you hadn’t with in one turn will still be waiting for you
RELEASE: Out now worked that out for yourself, Tharsis alongside a fresh batch of disasters. Of course,
PLAYERS: 1
will make sure you’re aware of it before if you encounter an incident with a high repair
MINIMUM SPEC: OS:
Windows 7 x64, very long. Having encountered trouble value and plenty of “void” hazards (which
Processor: Intel Core
i5, Memory: 2 GB RAM, on a journey to Mars, your goal is to keep cause your dice to disappear) on higher rolls,
Graphics: DirectX 11
compatible graphics the ship’s crew alive by managing its food you’re probably scuppered anyway.
card, Storage: 2 GB supply, mitigating problems with the ship It’s hard to survive in Tharsis, and that
available space
ONLINE REVIEWED: N/A itself and keeping stress and health in check. seems to be what the developer was going for.
This seems intimidating, but a quick play However, while the dice system is intriguing,
through the tutorial is all it takes for you to get none of your options ever feel like they’re
STEAM MARINES acquainted with the dice-based system that making a major difference in mitigating
BETTER THAN

governs your available actions. adverse rolls. With that crucial sense of
Of course, the use of dice implies a certain agency stripped away, the design feels less
element of randomness, and it’s here that like a game and more like a masochistic
the problems occur. The interface in Tharsis exercise in futility.
makes perfect sense and allows you to
plan your actions effectively, but no matter
how intelligently you assign your crew (and
VERDICT
AN INTERESTING BUT FRUSTRATING SPACE ODDITY
WORSE THAN

therefore the dice assigned to them) to tasks gamesTMmag scored 5 for

and incidents, a set of bad rolls will result in
damage to the ship and deaths amongst the
Below: Dice can be assigned to a variety of purposes,
including projects, crew skills, module skills and repairs,
5 Tharsis
FTL: FASTER THAN LIGHT Follow our scores on
crew. Worse yet, incidents persist between but, as this screen shows, high rolls are crucial.

DETAILS I SAID HEY, WHAT’S GOING ON?

FORMAT: PS4
OTHER FORMATS: PC
ORIGIN: USA
PUBLISHER: La Cosa
Entertainment
KLAUS
DEVELOPER: Peter There are games that finish with As well as having a good story, KLAUS is a
Moorhead
PRICE: £15.99 more questions than answers and great puzzle game, one that gives you the right
RELEASE: Out now there are games that finish definitively, balance of frustration, reward and teamwork.
PLAYERS: 1 everyone getting a clear picture of what The five worlds that it comprises of are all unique
ONLINE REVIEWED: N/A has happened in its final moments. KLAUS, and challenging, Glitch World being particularly
a puzzle platformer, is of the former variety, its interesting. Memory levels can also be unlocked
thought-provoking narrative leaving players to in the game, and revisited in Arcade mode, ones
put the pieces together. that give you access to a secret inside Klaus’
Waking up with amnesia in a basement, you head if you finish them, the sheer amount of
play as Klaus, so named because of the tattoo different challenges and designs for these levels,
on his arm. Once you’ve dusted yourself off, an and the game as a whole, being impressive.
existential journey through the building begins, However, KLAUS does overstay its welcome
LOST IN SHADOW meeting bosses and a brawny playable friend, a tad, some level trimming perhaps giving the
BETTER THAN

KI, along the way. Breaking the fourth wall via game a less chore-like feeling towards the end.
textual speech, the protagonist addresses the Despite this, KLAUS is still a fantastic puzzle
player constantly. This method of conversational platformer, one that will make you think as well
plot is what drives the story and you to keep as solve, jump and occasionally, swear.
playing, a relationship with Klaus, and KI,
forming as a result of seeing into their thoughts VERDICT
A THOUGHTFUL EXPERIENCE WITH GREAT GAMEPLAY
and feelings. The story is also one that can be
WORSE THAN

sympathised with, the greater picture not only gamesTMmag scored 8 for
Above: Keys are dotted throughout the levels and you’ll
looking at Klaus’ life, but existence as a whole, need to find these to give you access to things, such as

metaphors surrounding work and individualism 8 KLAUS terminals. Terminals can be hacked by Klaus, resulting in
THE SWAPPER Follow our scores on environmental pieces moving within the level.
being littered throughout.

94
 REVIEWS

GO TOGETHER OR GO HOME

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4

With Masashi Kishimoto’s long- based on timing and positioning, and a visual DETAILS started well over a decade ago), it’s not hard to
running manga series having finally treatment that perfectly captures the spirit FORMAT: Xbox One appreciate the dramatic battles that it offers,
reached its conclusion, it seems possible of the source material. The core combat has OTHER FORMATS: PS4, PC including some titanic struggles between
ORIGIN: Japan
that we may not see further tie-in games been revamped this year, adding several new enormous creatures. The cel-shaded visuals
PUBLISHER: Bandai
to accompany it. But if Naruto Shippuden: mechanics including elemental powers and Namco Games are better than before too, with enhanced
Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 is the end for Naruto as weapon/armour breaking attacks. It’s still not DEVELOPER: CyberConnect2 particle effects and higher quality character
a gaming property, it’s a series going out on a hugely deep, as the simplified controls limit the PRICE: £44.99 models, though it’s not as impressive an
RELEASE: Out now
high note. This is an evolutionary sequel, doing number of unique attacks you can perform, upgrade over last-gen entries in the series as
PLAYERS: 1-2 (1-2 Online)
everything its predecessors did, only bigger but it’s accessible and offers plenty to explore ONLINE REVIEWED: No we’d envisaged – it still looks lovely, but doesn’t
and better. with over 100 characters to try. Even if the reach the height of Guilty Gear Xrd.
Just as in previous entries in the series, story mode goes completely over your head You need not be a fan of Naruto to check out
ULTIMATE NINJA
this game offers compelling ninja combat (and it might, given that it concludes a story STORM REVOLUTION Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4,

BETTER THAN
though; the fighting is good enough to appeal to
any player, particularly if you feel that traditional
one-on-one fighters are overly complex.

VERDICT
ULTIMATE FOR FANS, GOOD FOR ANYONE ELSE

WORSE THAN gamesTMmag scored 7 for

7 Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate

Ninja Storm 4
Below: Few games pull off the anime look better than this, but we’d have liked to see CyberConnect2 aim for 60fps – BLAZBLUE CHRONOPHAN- Follow our scores on
as it is, the series doesn’t look like it’s advanced too far since the last gen. TASMA EXTEND

INVASION OF THE COOP SHOOTER

Fortified There are four character

classes available in Fortified,
each with different weaponry.
We preferred the Captain in
general, but no one character
DETAILS If you love Fifties sci-fi in which dominates online, suggesting
that Clapfoot has nailed a
invaders from the red planet are
FORMAT: Xbox One range of characters to suit
OTHER FORMATS: PC used as an unsubtle metaphor for the diverse sets of needs.
ORIGIN: Canada red menace of the Soviet Union, you’ll
PUBLISHER: Clapfoot feel right at home with Fortified. Between
DEVELOPER: In-house the well-constructed retro-futuristic aesthetic
PRICE: £11.99
and gung-ho attitudes of the heroes that
RELEASE: Out now
PLAYERS: 1 (1-4 online) constitute Earth’s best hope of resistance,
ONLINE REVIEWED: Yes Fortified could easily pass for any pulp novel
of the era. It’s not exactly a subtle exploration
of character that Fortified is going for, but they’ll handle the majority of threats for you. existing team. Fortified is visually attractive
MONDAY NIGHT COMBAT that’s no bad thing. Hard mode mitigates this to some extent by and well designed in general, with enjoyable
BETTER THAN

Each stage of Fortified sees you setting limiting the time between waves, but it’s not mechanics and solid technical performance.
up a loadout, then placing strategic defences an ideal solution. Its lifespan will be limited if you’re playing
to protect your rockets – these can be In co-op, enemies take more punishment alone or with unknowns, but you’ll get a lot out
infantry, artillery or simply helpful objects as an incentive to get players to work of it if you can find a good group to play with.
like exploding barrels. You’ll then face waves together, and this generally works pretty
of attack in which you can become actively well if you’re playing with a group that can VERDICT
BEST WITH A TEAM OF HEROES
involved by using your own weaponry, with co-ordinate effectively. However, it’s better
WORSE THAN

unlimited ammo but varying reload rates. played with friends – if you’re playing with gamesTMmag scored 7 for
However, on the default difficulty level of the public groups it’s possible for players to join
campaign mode this isn’t always necessary mid-way through a game, leaving the new 7 Fortified
ORCS MUST DIE 2 Follow our scores on
– if you set up your defences well enough, player confused and inviting failure for the

95
 REVIEW THE TOWN OF LIGHT PC

The translated script could have done with a lot

of polish; the end result is something that hits the
occasional emotional nerve but frequently falls flat
due to an over-reliance on easy triggers.

NOT AS DAZZLING AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN

The Town Of Light

Oh, wonderful; another horror It could be argued that there’s a parallel to be innocent souls), mental health wards around
DETAILS
about a mysterious and abandoned drawn between a player having to go through the time of WWII have had their often abhorrent
FORMAT: PC
asylum, we thought. Get ready for jump pointless exercises they’re not emotionally treatment of patients well documented. It’s a
ORIGIN: Italy
scares and shadows, right? Well, not quite, PUBLISHER: LKA.it invested in and the way that mental illness can fascinating period of history, and the fact that
though we’d forgive you for thinking exactly DEVELOPER: In-house force one to go through actions they don’t want you are included in the story, as a voice of
that about The Town Of Light. Thankfully, this PRICE: £13.99 to, but with the clumsy hand with which this is reason in Renee’s head, literally answering
isn’t your standard exhaustingly jumpy trawl RELEASE: Out now delivered, that conclusion feels a little generous. questions she raises about her treatment and
PLAYERS: 1
through a dingy/gory mental institution. Instead, The oh-so-meaningful voice-acting and the what to do, lifts this game to a higher intellectual
MINIMUM SPEC: Windows
The Town Of Light brings you the story of an 7/8/10 64-bit, Intel Core i3, typo-riddled subtitles level. What do you

MISSING LINK
4GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce
ex-patient, the unhinged yet mostly coherent GTX 460, AMD Radeon HD don’t help to build a think of the hospital
6770 1GB VRAM, DirectX
Renee, circa Italy, 1942, four years after her Version 11, 8GB storage feeling of quality, either. staff carrying out these
treatment/incarceration. ONLINE REVIEWED: N/A And yet, the building W H A T W E W O U L D C H A N G E treatments? Were they
And yet, while it’s easy to tick off some and grounds of the SEVER THE GAMEPLAY: Renee’s exploration of the doing the best they
trigger warning boxes, so often shorthand asylum are wonderfully asylum that holds so many horrific memories for her
would have been much more emotionally resonant
could or were they
signifiers for lazy heartstring-plucking – sexual recreated, and The without the player-alienating tasks to be completed. wilfully neglectful?
assault, torture, paedophilia, tick – and come Town Of Light in its It is for this self-
to the conclusion that The Town Of Light is a entirety delivers an unnerving experience far analysis and exploration of ideas that, for all
powerful story, it’s sadly not polished enough, removed from the tedious ‘dark plus spooky its flaws, we do recommend The Town Of
not tight enough in its delivery to be truly RISE OF NIGHTMARES noise plus shoddy electricals’ horror formula. Light. It isn’t particularly good at telling its own
BETTER THAN

affecting. While there are elements of unbridled The game is at its best when immersing story coherently or engagingly, but it excels
unpleasantness, made all the more disturbing you in Renee’s personal, hauntingly strange at providing a few hours of raw, memorable
with the facsimile of a real-life asylum, there’s experience, sprinkled with hyper-sensory storytelling, elements of which will stay with
no connection built between the player and psychosis and warped memory, before you long after you’ve come away from Volterra.
Renee, to give you reason to care. When bringing you back to an ungrounded reality.
tasked with putting a doll somewhere warm,
for example, despite the sunshine outside, you
There is also something to be said for the
unflinching yet unsensationalist exploration of
VERDICT
GENUINE CREATIVE POTENTIAL, BUT LACKS POLISH
WORSE THAN

have to place the doll under harsh lamplight. ‘insanity’. Though it’s a dangerous path (the gamesTMmag scored 6 for
One of many careless wedges unthinkingly entertainment industry’s strict adherence
driven between player and character, perhaps, to asylums and mental health wards being 6 The Town Of Light
FIREWATCH Follow our scores on
or a sign of her institutionalised state? dangerous, ugly places, built to trap and torture

96
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 “SSX had been okay, Tricky was
cool, but SSX 3 was just a pleasure
to play all the way through”
FIONA SPERRY, FOUNDER, THREE FIELDS ENTERTAINMENT
WHY I ...
SSX 3
FIONA SPERRY, FOUNDER,
THREE FIELDS ENTERTAINMENT

A game I love? Mine would

probably have to be SSX 3,
actually. I was thinking SSX
Tricky, but that was just the
start. SSX 3 was starting to get…
I mean, it wasn’t open world,
but the series was starting to get
this openness to it. It was really
vibrant; it had great sound
effects and music. The better
you got at the game, the better
it was. It was kind of like our
Burnout 3, it was just really
well executed.
SSX had been okay, Tricky
was cool, but SSX 3 was just
a pleasure to play all the way
through. When it ended, we
would just select a different
character and start again.
It’s just a really well-made
game and it gave me a lot of
enjoyment. I don’t know if it’s
my favourite game ever, but
it’s certainly one that sticks in
my mind. Professionally, it’s
certainly had a lot of
influence as well.
 NO.172

102
RETRO GUIDE TO…

STAR WARS
The Lucas-made world has been as impactful
BEHIND THE SCENES
112 SHADOW MAN
From comic to dark
in gaming as it has been on the silver screen. adventure, we chat with the
We look back over some of the essential team behind this innovative
action experience to find out
interactive experiences it’s offered how it was made

RETRO INTERVIEW
118 CHRIS
SAWYER
As the originator of the Tycoon
series of games, Sawyer’s
influence on the industry is
deep and broad. We find
out how he made his way in
the business

GAME CHANGERS
122 QUAKE
We celebrate one of the
innovators of 3D FPS gaming
– Quake’s rules and systems
would be mimicked for years
to come

DISCUSS Have your say on all things

retro on our dedicated forum www.gamestm.co.uk/forum
 THE GUIDE TO…

As The Force Awakens prepares to hit Blu-ray and

DVD we look back at the many, many games based on
George Lucas’ universe. How many have you played?

102
 THE RETRO GUIDE TO… STAR WARS

NO MOVIE LICENCE has on the menu, with the developer STARS WARS:
as many games devoted instead working on original ideas JEDI ARENA 1983
to it as Star Wars does. such as Ballblazer, Rescue On
ATARI 2600
Although the first game didn’t Fractalus! and The Eidolon.
Remember that sequence where
arrive until five years after the It wasn’t until the early Nineties
Luke receives training from Ben
original film, they soon began that the newly renamed LucasArts Kenobi aboard the Millennium
arriving thick and fast, eventually started to make its own Star Wars Falcon? Well, Parker Bros decided
reaching saturation point during games, with early examples to make an entire game on it. The
the early Noughties, when the including X-Wing and Rebel end results were not very good, as
release of The Phantom Menace Assault. More quickly followed, if a million gamers suddenly cried
and the original trilogy saw but it continued to license out out at once. The aim is to deflect
interest in the brand peak to an all the popular brand to other shots from a training droid and
new high. developers, including BioWare, then deflect them back towards
your opponent who resides on
Interestingly, the first Star Wars Sega, Pandemic, Totally Games
the other side of the screen. It’s
games weren’t actually made by and many others. All in all over a decent enough idea and has
Lucasfilm as the studio didn’t have 120 Star Wars games have elements of the excellent Warlords,
a dedicated games department. been released since the early but it’s let down by shoddy
Instead the licence was given Eighties, covering a wide array counter-intuitive controls. Even
to the likes of Parker Bros and of genres, from educational having four difficulty levels can’t
Atari, although George Lucas games to first-person shoot- save it.
would still have the final say ’em-ups. As a result we could
on what would appear in the never possibly cover all of
final product. In fact, even them, although the following
when a games division was games do make up the best
finally set up at Lucasfilm and worst examples from the
Star Wars games weren’t even ground-breaking saga.

STAR WARS 1983

ARCADE, VARIOUS
Atari’s wire-frame-based shooter remains one of the most faithful
adaptations of the original film and still maintains a cult following some
three decades after its release. It features lots of excellent digitised
speech, a rousing score, plenty of fast-paced action and three distinct
stages to battle through: an initial skirmish with TIE Fighters, a battle
across the Death Star’s surface and the final deadly trench run, which
gets progressively tougher each time you blow the Death Star up. Due to
its immense popularity it was ported to a staggering number of systems
back in the day, many of which were of a very high standard. It’s easily
the first Star Wars game to truly capture the thrill and excitement of the
original movie.

RETURN OF THE JEDI:

DEATH STAR BATTLE 1983
ARCADE, VARIOUS
STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE
STRIKES BACK 1982 Another Atari 2600 exclusive
from Parker Bros and another
ATARI 2600, INTELLIVISION complete waste of the Star Wars
Star Wars was already five years old by the time the first licensed licence. Controlling the Millennium
game came out, as a result, Parker Bros focused on creating a Falcon you must shoot waves of
videogame based on the excellent second movie. Choosing to focus enemies in the bottom half of
on the dramatic Hoth battle – which would be the inspiration for the screen until you can break
many later games – it sees you scrolling across an impressively through the Death Star’s shield.
smooth landscape trying to shoot down as many AT-ATs as possible. You then have to take out the
You need to stop the AT-AT’s from reaching Echo Base, so simply Death Star’s core before it can be
shoot them down, Defender style. Whilst not very original it was a fully constructed. Once completed
lot of fun. you get to do it all over again, but
you’ll have switched off by then.

103
 STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI 1994
ARCADE, VARIOUS
Atari’s second coin-op adaptation moved away from wire-frame
graphics and used raster graphics via an interesting isometric perspective.
The results were decent, if not spectacular, with gameplay spread across
several stages. The first level is a fun Speeder bike chase that has you
avoiding obstacles and shooting down enemies. The second stage
switches to the Millennium Falcon while the third alternates between the
Falcon and piloting an AT-ST. It’s fun, but lacked the impact of Star Wars.

STAR WARS 1991

NES, VARIOUS
Another Star Wars Famicom game, but this one actually reached
the west. This is an interesting effort that features overhead Land
STAR WARS 1987 Speeder stages, side-on platforming and the odd first-person
section. Characters can switch between Luke, Leia and Han, but
FAMICOM
only Luke has infinite lives. It sounds decent, although the actual
Many won’t have played graphics are rather dinky. Interestingly, the Game Gear version has
Namco’s game as it was released exclusive levels not found on the other consoles.
exclusively in Japan for the
Famicom. It’s loosely based
on the original film and is the
earliest example of a character
being able to use force abilities
“IT IS THE EARLIEST EXAMPLE
in a Star Wars game. Ostensibly OF A CHARACTER BEING ABLE TO
a platformer, Luke climbs and
STAR WARS: THE jumps his way around levels using USE FORCE ABILITIES”
EMPIRE STRIKES said force abilities and his trusty
BACK 1985 lightsaber, cleaving up enemies
as he goes. While there are some
ARCADE, VARIOUS
cool first-person battles in the
STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE
Atari’s third coin-op game
Millennium Falcon and Luke’s STRIKES BACK 1992
wasn’t a popular one. It utilised NES, GAME BOY
X-Wing, it’s all ruined by a stupidly
the same wire-frame graphics that
high difficulty level. This sequel followed on from Star Wars, but only reached the NES and
had made Star Wars so popular
and once again featured a lot Game Boy, with the Master System and Game Gear losing out. You only
of variety in its gameplay. This play as Luke, but your force powers are greatly expanded. It retains the
time, players switched between same variety as Star War, but with greatly refined controls. Sadly, as the
Luke Skywalker and Han Solo NES was slowing down in popularity Return Of The Jedi never appeared.
and could take part in a variety
of tasks, from shooting down
AT-ATs to taking out TIE Fighters
and negotiating an asteroid field.
Unfortunately for Atari, many coin-
op vendors didn’t want to upgrade
their Star Wars cabinets.

STAR WARS DROIDS

1988
VARIOUS SUPER STAR
Visually, this 8-bit adaptation of the
WARS 1992
cartoon show was great, easily capturing SNES
its cute style. Sadly the actual gameplay Recently released on PS4
wasn’t up to the same standard (although, and Vita, Super Star Wars had
let’s face it, any game based around the everything. You could play as
adventures of C3-PO is always going to Luke, Han or Chewie, the graphics
have an uphill struggle). Droids’ gameplay were excellent with some insane
consists of the two robot buddies Mode 7 effects, while the music
navigating eight levels by accessing lifts was absolutely superb. While
and triggering Simon-style passwords. mainly a run-and-gun it threw in
Needless to say it’s exciting as it sounds the odd Mode 7 level and included
and gets boring incredibly quickly. the now famous trench run.

104
 THE RETRO GUIDE TO… STAR WARS

STAR WARS
ARCADE 1993
ARCADE, 32X
MIKE HALLY
Sega’s first coin-op game was
quality. Housed in a huge bespoke
INTERVIEW
cabinet, it allowed one person to The Star Wars
act as a pilot, while the other could co-creator on
handle the guns. Although there
are only three different missions
the classic
– shooting down TIE Fighters, arcade game
STAR WARS: destroying a Super Star Destroyer
REBEL ASSAULT and navigating the trench – it’s full
1993 of explosive set-pieces and never
What was it like working
on Star Wars?
PC, VARIOUS gets boring. An exclusive 32X port
It was the most intense project
Rebel Assault was a big deal at followed in 1994.
that I had ever been involved
the time, being one of the first PC
in, let alone being the project
games to make extensive use of
leader and game designer.
FMV. Its gameplay wasn’t quite as
impressive, however, as it’s little Every single day was a battle within the team to be a part
more than a basic on-rails shooter of issues involving every of something special and
that typically has you piloting a department associated with make a name for ourselves. I
variety of different spaceships Star Wars’ development. From think every development team
(although one level has you running a team perspective, we were at Atari was under a lot of
around on foot). It’s also notable up against shared company pressure to perform and create
for featuring plenty of new and resources, along with trying magic, but the Star Wars coin-
completely forgettable characters.
to create the impossible. New op was a new and different
technology, a game worthy venture for us so it just
of the Star Wars name and a magnified the expectations
product that would out-earn everyone had.
any other game of the time
were just some of the daily Why vector graphics?
pressures we faced. And let’s We ended up going with vector
not forget the creation of a graphics because Atari felt
brand new controller, voice that they were best suited to
and music to the mix? Star Wars’ development and
what it required based on
Was Lucasfilm a the original game designs.
STAR WARS: X-WING 1993 stickler for detail? It was one of the first three-
From the initial meeting with dimensional games and at the
PC, VARIOUS
the licensing group to all the time it was the only display
Star Wars: X-Wing was the dramatic dog-fighting game that Rebel
follow-up meetings with the that we had access to that
Assault should have been. It not only allowed you to fight against
games department group there had a chance of pulling off
the Empire in a variety of Rebel ships, but like many other games
authorised by LucasFilm, it was considered canon too. There’s was one consistent theme that what we wanted to achieve.
plenty of variety to the gameplay with the player participating in the Lucasfilm groups had… At this time in the evolution
escort missions, vicious dogfights and deadly strikes against key they were all very protective of videogames almost every
Empire targets. Famed for its polygon graphics and excellent use of of the Star Wars universe coin-operated game had
iMuse it became a smash hit, with several expansions. and every detail had to be its own custom hardware to
accurate. If I had any element maximise the needs for the
that was not accurate, they specific requirements of
instantly made me aware the game.
SUPER STAR WARS: and it had to be changed.
EMPIRE STRIKES Since they were also involved Why was it so popular?
BACK 1993 in game development, they Star Wars captured the
SNES did understand some of the essence of one of the greatest
This Super Nintendo sequel features a decisions that I made. properties ever created for
number of subtle changes. Characters now the big screen and beyond. It
have secondary and primary weapons, it’s Was there much pressure? allowed someone to become
no longer possible to choose your hero at Oh it never stopped. There Luke Skywalker and play an
the start of the game and Luke can now were two main areas of interactive role just like what
block with his lightsaber and eventually extreme pressure. One was people viewed on the big
use force powers. It still alternates between
from the company and their screen. It had just the right mix
side-on run-and-gun stages and some
neat Mode 7 stages (particularly the need for this game to get of all the elements it takes to
battle of Hoth) but the graphics have been finished and be a huge make a winner… For me, it’s a
greatly improved and some of the bosses success, while the other true timeless piece of history
look spectacular. Sadly, it’s marred by a was internal pressure from and art.
somewhat frustrating difficulty level.

105
 STAR WARS CHESS 1993
PC, MEGA CD CREATING
SUPER
We’d love to say that this is a
stunningly innovative take on the
ancient board game, but we would
be lying, sadly. It’s nothing more
than a simple adaptation of Chess,
STAR WARS
but it is clearly better because it’s Kalani Streicher recalls the
Star Wars Chess. All this really creation of a SNES classic
means is that famous characters
take the place of the playing pieces Why make it a run-and-gun? How much control were
of the game, but now come with I was a big fan of platform you given?
rather swish attack animations.
games and side-scrollers, We were in control of all
Contra, Super Castlevania, creative aspects of the game
Turrican and Mega Man on such as game design, art and
SUPER RETURN OF THE JEDI 1994 SNES were my favourite games. animation, and Sculptured
SNES I was also playing the Willow was responsible for coding the
The last Star Wars SNES game once again features the ability to choose your arcade game, which inspired game. Sculptured had a great
character at the start of each level. It does however, limit the number of force me to push the visual quality engine, tools and development
powers Luke has access to and starts off with a really naff Mode 7 racing stage. on the SNES above other kits that allowed us to rapidly
Get past this however and you’ll find a fun, if rather pedestrian game. games. I wanted it to be as create levels and character
good a side-scroller as Contra animation. [Lead programmer]
or Castlevania, with the visual Peter Ward at Sculptured was
quality of arcade games such an incredible engineer and a
as Willow or Street Fighter, and true Star Wars fan. I had such a
vehicle gameplay using Mode 7 blast working with him. Initially
as seen in F-Zero. I created a design document
outlining all specification
Why did you add different and progression of the levels,
gameplay perspectives? characters and vehicles from
I wanted to allow players to the first to last level. We then
interact with their favourite did storyboards for the plot
Star Wars vehicles in third progression, cinematics and
or first-person perspective, story panels. My concept
STAR WARS: TIE and experience the different and art lead Harrison Fong
FIGHTER 1994 aspects they’d seen in the storyboarded a lot of them,
PC, MAC movies. I didn’t want to utilise which we then passed on to
The follow-up to X-Wing allowed the vehicles in a side-scrolling the team and converted it into
you to play as the Imperials. While or top-down fashion. I wanted digital artwork.
it adds useful new mechanics such the player to feel like they were
as a far better targeting system in the vehicle racing across the Tell us about the
and the ability to access mission
desert or through the galaxy. Mode 7 stages…
objectives in-game (far more useful
It was our first attempt to utilise
than it sounds) it greatly enhances
the overall gameplay by adding Did you study the Mode 7 in a different way than
far better missions and some truly original film? other games. The landspeeder
epic battles. As with X-Wing it was I looked at every aspect of stage had to show progression,
followed by an expansion, the rather the movie in detail with the moving across a desert
spiffy Defender Of The Empire. team and pointed out the towards the mountains in the
environments and characters I distance. It was a fine balance
wanted in the game. We used of sprite usage for the terrain,
STAR WARS: REBEL ASSAULT II: reference materials and photos enemy characters and distant
THE HIDDEN EMPIRE 1995 from Lucasfilm’s photo library, parallaxing of the mountain
PC, MAC, PLAYSTATION and took reference pictures of range. We had to take that one
While the FMV was greatly the actual movie models from step further with the X-Wing
improved, everything else about the Lucas Archives. Everybody level, flying across the surface
The Hidden Empire was pretty poor. on the team was a hardcore and then down the trench
The gameplay was still incredibly Star Wars fan. I was also allowing the player to be able
simplistic (although clever producing the X-Wing game at to move anywhere in space.
techniques do give the impression the same time, which added And lastly integrating the
that you have more control) while
even more extensive research Millenium Falcon took several
the acting throughout is incredibly
of every spacecraft and ship iterations. It is such a unique
weak. The actual plot does manage
to be fairly involving, but the in the game. I was heavily ship that we fairly quickly ran
twitchy controls and monotonous entrenched in getting the out of sprites/tiles. We had to
gameplay make it a surprisingly authenticity of the Star Wars pull off every trick we had in the
dull blaster. universe into these games. book for those sections.

106
 THE RETRO GUIDE TO… STAR WARS

STAR WARS: DARK

FORCES 1995
PC, PLAYSTATION
This revolutionary FPS is so
much more than just a Doom
clone. In addition to featuring a
genuine cinematic story (a first
for the genre) it also allowed you
to look up and down, jump or STAR WARS:
duck and added useful items that SHADOW OF THE
enhanced the gameplay. Luke EMPIRE 1996 STAR WARS: MASTERS
Skywalker was originally going to N64 OF TERAS KESAI 1997
be the protagonist, but a new hero Shadow Of The Empire kicks off PLAYSTATION
Kyle Katarn, was added instead. with an excellent and familiar Hoth This PlayStation exclusive sounds like a fantastic idea, until you
level, but soon jumps into exciting actually start playing it. While Masters Of Teras Kesai features an
new Star Wars territory. While the in-depth story that involves the Emperor being angry with Luke
camera isn’t perfect, Shadow Of Skywalker about something or other, it’s generally an excuse for lots of
The Empire remains a solid third- famous characters to kick the hell out of each other. Luke Skywalker,
person action game thanks to some Han Solo, Chewbacca and a scantily clad Princess Leia are all present
intelligent level design, great boss and correct and all lumber around like they’re in the advance stages of
fights and a genuinely good story. arthritis, due to the naff animation that’s on display. Even the addition
Oh and newcomer Dash Rendar is of Boba Fett, Darth Vader and book favourite, Mara Jade, can’t make
rather brilliant too. the game cool and it ends up feeling incredibly tired due to its boring
special moves, overall clunky controls and tough difficulty level.

STAR WARS: X-WING

VS TIE FIGHTER 1997
PC “WE’LL SAY THIS QUIETLY, BUT
This solid follow-up to TIE Fighter added greatly improved
options for multiplayer gameplay, but dropped the popular
THIS IS BASICALLY THE BEST
campaign mode that made the earlier games so fun. Up to STAR WARS ARCADE GAME”
eight players could play at once, in a variety of gameplay
modes, including standard free-for-alls and team-based
events. Graphically it was superb for its time too, greatly
improving on the engine featured in the earlier games.
It was succeeded seven months later by the expansion
Balance Of Power, which added a super campaign mode.

STAR WARS: YODA STORIES 1997

PC, MAC, GAME BOY COLOR
The gameplay of Yoda Stories is ridiculously basic, but we still find
it enjoyable. It’s essentially Indiana Jones And His Desktop Adventures,
but with a Star Wars spin. Levels are procedurally generated and consist
of Luke navigating each screen to find Yoda. Once discovered, Yoda
gives Luke a variety of tasks to complete. An adaptation was released for
Game Boy Color in 1999.

STAR WARS JEDI KNIGHT: STAR WARS

DARK FORCES II 1997 TRILOGY ARCADE 1998
PC ARCADE
Everything about Dark Forces’ We’ll say this quietly, but this
sequel was suitably epic. It boasted is basically the best Star Wars
an excellent new multiplayer mode, arcade game. It features plenty
allowed for 3D acceleration-based of variety in its many missions
graphics cards, the choice between and has incredible looking
first and third-person perspectives as visuals to boot. Levels range
well as the ability to use a lightsaber from flying across the Death
and Jedi force powers. While the Star’s surface to escaping Echo
force powers are fun (particularly in Base and racing around on
multiplayer mode) its the excellent Speeder Bikes, while its exciting
lightsaber battles that make Dark bonus stages have you battling
Forces II so memorable. Darth Vader and Boba Fett.

107
 DARON STINNETT
A brief look at Star Wars: Dark Forces
What was the design ethos given the tools and technology our vision for the game and I did
behind the games? that was available at the time. not feel like adding anything
We were focused on creating a more would make it any better.
game that allowed players to Did this change at all during
explore Star Wars environments development? How did it feel to be involved
in 3D for the first time. We felt like It didn’t. We started with a vision with a Star Wars title? Was it a
Dark Forces was an incredible of creating a game that was a series that you had much love
opportunity to build what we all fun and compelling exploration for beforehand?
imagined lay beyond the sets of Star Wars locations and giving It was awesome! It felt like I was
created for the movie and bring the player the chance to become transported to this amazing
those environments, characters, part of the Star Wars story fantasy working environment.
and stories to life and make the and we stuck to it. I remember Where outside my window ILM museums. We frequently had
player feel like they were part of when the game was nearing might be crashing and blowing up lunch at the Ranch right next to
discovering it. So we knew that completion and the president of jumbo jets (this was before they George, and we felt like we were
we needed strong characters LucasArts asked me if I wanted did that kind of thing with CG). solving problems that no one had
and story. And we were also very any more time to add anything And our offices where literally solved before. It was a fantastic
focused on creating environments more to Dark Forces and I said stacked with famous props from experience and one of the
that felt as real as was possible “no”. I felt like we had realised the movies that today are in highlights of my career.

STAR WARS EPISODE 1: RACER 1999

PC, VARIOUS
This is one of the best racing games on the N64. Based on one of
the best sequences from The Phantom Menace, it features challenging
AI racers, truly excellent track design, superb ship handling and even
utilises the N64’s expansion pack. It’s easily the best Star Wars racing
game, although Sega’s coin-op Star Wars: Racer Arcade comes pretty
damned close.

STAR WARS: GALACTIC

BATTLEGROUNDS 2001
PC, MAC
Considering that the films feature so many giant battles, it’s
rather surprising that it took so long to produce a Star Wars RTS.
Collaboration between LucasArts and Ensemble Studios, Galactic
Battlegrounds utilises the Genie engine that was also used to
power Age Of Empires I and II. One interesting aspect of Galactic
Battlegrounds is that victory can be achieved in several ways, as
opposed to simply wiping out the opposing team (although this
of course remains an option too). An expansion pack, Star Wars:
Galactic Battlegrounds Clone Campaigns was released in 2003.

STAR WARS:
STARFIGHTER
2001
VARIOUS
The best way to describe
Starfighter is as Rogue
Squadron with a Naboo-based
STAR WARS ROGUE SQUADRON II: skin. It’s a solid enough action
ROGUE LEADER 2001 game, with the play taking
part in a variety of missions
GAMECUBE whilst flying around in a
While the N64 and PC predecessor was good, Rogue Leader was number of different ships. An
soooo much better. It features superlative visuals that helped sell plenty upgraded version of the game
of GameCubes and a large number of fantastically designed missions. was released for Xbox and
There’s lots of ships to pilot and plenty of great unlockables to discover, featured greatly enhanced
including five bonus levels. While the third game was less impressive, it did graphics along with a superior
allow you to play all of Rogue Leader’s levels in co-op mode. expanded multiplayer mode.

108
 THE RETRO GUIDE TO… STAR WARS

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS 2002 STAR WARS:

VARIOUS BATTLEFRONT 2004
This was the first of several Star VARIOUS
Wars games by Pandemic Studios Battlefront was Pandemic’s
and it’s not bad at all. While there answer to the popular Battlefield
are a few levels that focus on series. It’s incredibly authentic and
Anakin Skywalker and Mace Windu, features superb aesthetics, but is let
it’s predominantly a vehicular- down by its lack of a proper single
based action game. The handling player campaign. The conquest-
throughout is very solid and there’s based battles take place on a variety
a great number of vehicles to use. of popular planets and players could
Oh, and the multiplayer mode is use both land and air-based vehicles.
rather decent too. Characters from the films, including
Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker
can fight alongside you too, giving
Battlefront a truly epic feel.
STAR WARS JEDI
KNIGHT II: JEDI
OUTCAST 2002
VARIOUS
Utilising the Quake III engine,
Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast features
greatly enhanced lightsabre
duels and continues to push the
multiplayer mode that debuted STAR WARS:
in Jedi Knight. The Xbox and KNIGHTS OF THE
GameCube versions, coded
by Vicarious Visions, aren’t as
OLD REPUBLIC
polished as the PC port, but are 2003
VARIOUS
still perfectly entertaining third- LEGO STAR WARS:
person adventures. BioWare’s decision to separate
its Star Wars game from the
THE VIDEO GAME 2005
films by 4,000 odd years was a
VARIOUS
fantastic decision. It effortlessly This was the first of many LEGO games from Traveller’s Tales. It
introduces new characters and introduces many mechanics that would become key components of
events, whilst giving everything an the series going forward, including stud collecting, the switching of
air of familiarity. It features a host characters to solve puzzles and co-operative gameplay. While a decent
of memorable playable characters start to the series it was let down by some truly dire vehicle sections that
and introduces many of the were a chore to play.
ingredients that would shape the
company’s later games. The story
has plenty of clever twists and turns,
while the combat throughout (based
on the D20 rules system) is superb.

STAR WARS GALAXIES 2003

PC
This was the first attempt at a Star Wars MMORPG, and it proved
very successful. The original game introduced 10 characters classes, ten
professions and ten planets. The planets were roughly 225square kilometres
in size, although those of later expansions were typically smaller. Due to its
popularity, three expansions followed: Jump To Lightspeed, Rage Of The
Wookies and Trials Of Obi-Wan. It also introduced a trading card game,
but the servers were sadly shut down in 2011.

STAR WARS REPUBLIC COMMANDO

2005
XBOX, PC, MOBILE
This is effectively a Star Wars take on Rainbow Six and Ghost
Recon, with the player controlling a squad of commandos. The
gameplay is solid with easy-to-use squad activations and there’s a
lot of variety in the game’s missions. It’s also notable for being the
first Star Wars game to feature licensed music.

109
 LEGO STAR WARS: THE ORIGINAL STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC 2011
TRILOGY 2006 PC
VARIOUS
BioWare’s own stab at the MMORPG is a far better attempt than
The second LEGO game from Traveller’s Tales was far better than Sony’s, currently boasts a million live subscribers and is still running
the original, and not just because it’s based on the superior original today. Players are able to become members of either the Sith Empire
films. The puzzles and interacting with characters are better and more or Galactic Empire, choose from a number of different races and
frequent. The vehicle levels feel far less clunky, while there are even have access to numerous classes. Moral choices can affect gameplay,
more things to collect. The Mos Eisley Cantina acts as a hub where while players can permanently open and close storylines. It’s currently
players can unlock new levels and buy over 50 different characters. They supported by five expansions, with a level cap of 65.
generally have more abilities than they did in the original game.

STAR WARS:
THE FORCE
UNLEASHED 2008
VARIOUS
This third-person action game
has some of the most spectacular
use of force powers ever seen,
allowing you to pull down a Star
STAR WARS: Destroyer at one point. While
EMPIRE AT it’s let down by some fiddly QTE
WAR 2006 sections and some generally weak
bosses, the insane amount of
PC, MAC power you have at your fingertips
This excellent RTS takes place more than makes up for it. Avoid
in real time and features three the terrible sequel though.
distinctive modes. Galactic
Conquest is a huge open-ended
sandbox campaign where you
can play as the Empire of Rebels.
Skirmish Mode plays out like a
more traditional RTS, while the
ANGRY BIRDS STAR WARS 2012
story-based Campaign Mode is IOS, VARIOUS
set before and during the Battle This is essentially a mash-up of Angry Birds and Angry Birds Space.
Of Yavin. An expansion, Forces Of It uses the classic Angry Birds formulae but gives many of the existing
Corruption was also released. birds brand new abilities to use, which unlock as you make your way
through the different planets. The Millennium Falcon replaces the Mighty
Eagle of earlier games and can also be rewarded once a set number of
stars are earned. A sequel followed in 2013.
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS –
LIGHTSABER DUELS 2008
WII KINECT STAR
While using a Wii Remote as a lightsaber is blindingly obvious, it couldn’t WARS 2012
help developer Krome Studios make a good game. As with Soul Calibur XBOX 360
Legends the fighting always feels flaky and imprecise and you never feel
Despite some truly
fully in control of your actions. A disappointingly bland fighter.
interesting gameplay modes
that range from podracing to
having a dance off in Jabba
The Hutt’s palace, Kinect Star
Wars is a mess. While it looks
wonderful and has some neat
ideas (who doesn’t want to
run amok as a rancor?) it’s let
down by incredibly imprecise
controls that make its five
stages a chore to play.

110
 THE RETRO GUIDE TO… STAR WARS

STAR WARS PINBALL 2013

VARIOUS EVEN MORE STAR WARS
Zen Studios has released a number of excellent pinball tables for
both Zen Pinball and Pinball FX. Star Wars Pinball included a table
In case you still need things to play…
based around The Clone Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, as well as STAR WARS REBELLION (1998)
the popular bounty hunter Boba Fett. Balance Of The Force followed the
STAR WARS: ROGUE SQUADRON (1998)
same year and added three more tables, while Heroes Of The Force was
released in 2014 and added four more. Two additional tables have been STAR WARS MILLENNIUM
released to tie in with The Force Awakens. FALCON CD-ROM PLAYSET (1998)
STAR WARS: YODA’S CHALLENGE (1999)
STAR WARS EPISODE 1:
THE GUNGAN FRONTIER (1999)
STAR WARS: EPISODE 1 –
THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999)
STAR WARS: DROID WORKS (1999)
STAR WARS: DEMOLITION (2000)
STAR WARS: RACER ARCADE (2000)
STAR WARS: ANAKIN’S SPEEDWAY (2000)
STAR WARS EPISODE 1: JEDI POWER BATTLES (2000)
STAR WARS EPISODE 1: BATTLE FOR NABOO (2000)
STAR WARS: STAR WARS: OBI-WAN (2001)
GALAXY OF
HEROES 2015 STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (2002)
IOS, ANDROID STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTER (2002)
Assemble a squad of heroes and STAR WARS RACER REVENGE (2002)
take on other players and a rather STAR WARS: THE NEW DROID ARMY (2002)
lengthy campaign. While Galaxy STAR WARS: JEDI STARFIGHTER (2002)
Of Heroes has some surprisingly
absorbing gameplay and plenty of DISNEY INFINITY STAR WARS ROGUE SQUADRON III:
classic characters to unlock, most 3.0 2015 REBEL STRIKE (2003)
of the good content is behind some VARIOUS STAR WARS: FLIGHT OF THE FALCON (2003)
very steep micro transactions. If STAR WARS JEDI KNIGHT: JEDI ACADEMY (2003)
you don’t mind grinding however, After its disappointing jaunt
you’ll find it to be a surprisingly in the Marvel universe, Disney’s STAR WARS TRILOGY:
diverting timewaster. third Infinity game was far APPRENTICE OF THE FORCE (2004)
more rewarding and has been STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT MOBILE (2005)
supplemented by some brilliant
models. In addition to featuring STAR WARS: EPISODE III –
a far more intuitive sandbox for REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005)
creating new games in the Toybox STAR WARS: JEDI ASSASSIN (2005)
mode, the three Star Wars playsets STAR WARS: LIGHTSABER COMBAT (2005)
that are available are far more
entertaining with more interesting STAR WARS: REPUBLIC COMMANDO:
and varied missions. ORDER 66 (2005)
STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE
OLD REPUBLIC II: THE SITH LORDS (2005)
STAR WARS: PUZZLE BLASTER (2005)
STAR WARS STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT II (2005)
BATTLEFRONT 2015 STAR WARS: LETHAL ALLIANCE (2006)
VARIOUS
STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT:
A Battlefront game by DICE RENEGADE SQUADRON (2007)
sounds sublime, but the reality is
that this is a weak adaptation of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS –
the earlier Battlefront game that JEDI ALLIANCE (2008)
is low on gameplay modes and STAR WARS: JEDI READING (2008)
STAR WARS decent maps. The free content that STAR WARS: LIVE FIRE (2008)
BATTLEPOD 2015 has appeared is welcome and
STAR WARS: JEDI MATH (2008)
ARCADE the aesthetics are incredible, but
DICE is going to have to work a lot STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS –
Namco Bandai’s first arcade harder with any planned sequel. REPUBLIC HEROES (2009)
blaster is superb, and plays like
a hypercharged version of Sega’s STAR WARS: TRENCH RUN (2009)
Star Wars Trilogy Arcade. It’s STAR WARS: JEDI TRIALS (2009)
a hectic on-rails shooter that’s STAR WARS: FALCON GUNNER (2010)
based on the first three films, but
STAR WARS: BATTLE OF HOTH (2010)
also features a new level where
you play as Darth Vader after his STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED II (2010)
defeat at the end of A New Hope.

111
 BEHIND THE SCENES

SHADOW
MAN
In 1994, Acclaim Entertainment purchased popular comic
publisher Valiant. First came Turok – then this gothic tale
of Michael LeRoi, a voodoo warrior charged with protecting
the world of the living – from the world of the dead…
112
 BEHIND THE SCENES SHADOW MAN

THE EARLY TO MID-NINETIES WERE

A SUCCESSFUL PERIOD FOR GLEN
COVE’S ACCLAIM ENTERTAINMENT.
Mortal Kombat was raking in the dollars, and with the
millions invested by cable company Tele-Communications
Inc burning a hole in its pocket, Acclaim was looking for
companies to acquire. Valiant Entertainment was founded
in 1989, partly by famous Marvel alumni Jim Shooter and
Released: 1999 Bob Layton. The comics industry was fast approaching
■ Some of the Acclaim Teesside staff
Format: Dreamcast, Nintendo its peak, which was reached around 4-5 years later when relax in a local pub around the time of
64, PlayStation, PC Valiant’s venture-capital investor, Triumph, sold Valiant to Shadow Man’s development.
Publisher: Acclaim Acclaim. As Acclaim CEO, Greg Fischbach, told Retro
Entertainment Inc. Gamer, “We paid 75 million dollars [for Valiant] and
Key Staff: Jason Falcus (studio lost a shitload of money. It was a banker. They were the
head and development third biggest comics company, and we were looking for
director), Simon Phipps, Guy something else to invest in.” Acclaim took over publication
Miller (game and level design, of Valiant’s line of comics, and naturally eyed up several
story), Paul Taylor, Jonathan titles as potential videogames. “But we bought into the
Ackerley (programming), comic book business right at the top of the market,”
Trevor Storey, Nick Patrick continued Fischbach, “and then all of a sudden it starts to
(art, level design), Tim fall apart. And we rode it all the way down.” ■ The asylum was a superbly-
Haywood (audio) Acclaim’s first cross-media product was an obvious designed gothic location.
choice in Turok: Dinosaur Hunter.
Dinosaurs were back in vogue of Turok, Valiant’s
thanks to the Jurassic Park
franchise and Turok became a
WE BOUGHT INTO line of comics were
scrutinised for further
massive hit, particularly on the THE COMIC BOOK possible videogame
Nintendo 64. It was developed
by Iguana Entertainment, based BUSINESS RIGHT franchises. Continues
Falcus, “Acclaim sent a
in Austin, Texas, and in addition AT THE TOP OF load of Valiant comics
to Valiant, Acclaim was busy
acquiring more games developers THE MARKET to our studio and asked
us if we’d like to pitch
and subsuming them as satellite Greg Fischbach, Acclaim CEO for a game based on
development studios. In the UK, any of them. We looked
Optimus Software, founded by through them all and
Jason and Darren Falcus in 1988, Shadow Man stood out
would become part of the American company. as being perfect for the transition to videogame.
“We were a small team in the north east of England, We felt it filled the gap in the market for a platform
working on games for a few major publishers such as adventure game with a darker, more mature theme, as
Codemasters and Gremlin,” explains Jason Falcus. “Our well as a rich storyline.”
first employee, Adrian Ludley, emigrated to the U.S. and Shadow Man is the story of Michael LeRoi, an undead
ended up working for Iguana Entertainment.” When voodoo warrior caught between two worlds: our world,
Ludley hooked up his former employers with the CEO of the Liveside, and the Deadside, a grim and dangerous
his new company, Optimus Software soon became Iguana place where all souls eventually locate. The game begins
UK and subsequently Acclaim Studios Teesside when in 1888 as legendary serial killer Jack the Ripper prepares
zombie it purchased Iguana Entertainment. After the success to take his own life, disappointed the unearthly powers his
■ Guy Miller in full show.
makeup for an E3 killing spree was meant to unlock has not materialised.
Enter Legion, a powerful being seeking to recruit five
serial killers, each harbouring a dark soul that he plans to
use to create an immortal army. Legion’s target: Liveside.
Acclaim Teesside assembled a team of approximately
20 people to work on Shadow Man. A budget and
timescale were set although, as was fast becoming
common, these evolved over time as the scope of the
game was extended. Development began in 1997.
Creative director Guy Miller and senior designer Simon
Phipps began storyboarding their ideas on how the game
would work; graphic artists such as Trevor Storey and
Nick Patrick began digitizing this vision, and a group
of programmers including Paul Taylor and Jonathan
Ackerley set about organising the nuts and bolts beneath
the hood. Ex-Ocean audio expert Tim Haywood was
another vital cog in the Shadow Man machine.
■ Shadowman offered a wide array
of interesting demonic enemies to On his personal website, Phipps details a slightly
take on throughout the game. different account of how the Shadow Man project started.

113
 ■ The game created a fantastic mix
of otherworldly imagery against the
backdrop of familiar locations.

“We were asked by

Acclaim’s head office in
New York to come up with a
IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY
3D horror adventure…along FOR US TO SHOW WE COULD
the lines of Resident Evil, but
in full 3D.” A small team within CREATE A NEW GAME IP,
Acclaim Teesside created AND MAKE OUR MARK AS A
The game is
a proposal that focused on
Thomas Deacon, an ex-NYPD CREATIVE FORCE
massive, very policeman who had assumed a
new career as a demon hunter.
Acclaim Teesside’s Jason Falcus
atmospheric, Phipps also recalls the material
and strangely Teesside was sent when its proposal was not taken
up. “The comics were Ninjak, Magnus Robot Fighter,
■■■ However, as coder Paul Taylor explains,
another Valiant property was also being developed
addictive. It Bloodshot, Trinity Angels and Shadow Man, penned by concurrently. “I joined in 1997 and worked on a game
should keep Garth Ennis and illustrated by Ashley Wood…[Shadow
Man] had been running for about five issues, so it was
based on another of Valiant’s characters, Bloodshot,”
he reveals. “There wasn’t much to Shadow Man at that
you busy for very easy for us to slot into the timeline and expand the stage, but the plan was to use its game engine to give
a week or two world of Deadside. The premise we worked under was,
simply, that if there is no Heaven or Hell and everyone
Bloodshot a jump start.” With the latter project suffering
from a lack of direction and a focus on PlayStation to PC
at least, and if who dies goes to Deadside, then what happens when the development (which caused the eventual dropping of the
you’ve got the really bad people get organised and decide they want to
come back?”
Shadow Man engine and too much time spent rebuilding
the tech), it was inevitable that Bloodshot would be put on
patience, it’s Studio head and development director Jason Falcus
well worth kept a close on eye on all the different projects within
Acclaim Teesside. “But Shadow Man was very close to my
a dabble heart,” he says, “as it was an opportunity for us to show
Eurogamer, 1999, we could create a new game IP, and make our mark as
a creative force. It was an excellent storyline – it took the
PC Version
main characters from the comic and added in a fantastic
mix of original characters and some really imaginative
locations between the two worlds,” says Falcus. “Jack the
Ripper was a particularly brilliant addition. I don’t recall
we considered other real-life serial killers, but I’m sure
they were heavily inspired!” ■ Trevor Storey relaxes in Acclaim Teesside’s rec room.

114
 BEHIND THE SCENES SHADOW MAN

VALIANTLY
GOING
FORTH
A short history of
Valiant Videogames
TUROK: DINOSAUR
■ A selection of Trevor Storey’s
Shadow Man memorabilia. HUNTER
A European launch game for the
hold as Shadow Man grew steadily. “I was absorbed into Nintendo 64, Acclaim’s version of the
it to help with gameplay programming on the PC version,” loin-clothed beast-slayer was a big hit
recalls Taylor, “and this typically involved receiving a large and paved the way for multiple sequels.
sheet of paper with a map of the game level, the level Developed by Iguana Entertainment
mesh and a bunch of assets from the artists. It was my (Acclaim Studios in Austin, Texas), the
job to plug these together so that all the tricks and traps first-person-shooter had its faults, but
benefitted from a dearth of similar titles
worked, doors unlocked when you operated a particular
on the N64. The mixed reviews of 2008’s ARMORINES
button, cable cars moved when you entered them, cut Turok on the Xbox 360 and PS3 appear Created as an adversary for
scenes triggered at the right moment, and so on.” to have ended the franchise for now. superhero X-O Manowar, the
But perhaps Taylor’s most vital role was the creation Acclaim itself bowed out with Turok: Armorines were a government-
of an animation system. “The artists could animate Evolution in 2002. sponsored team of super marine
characters just fine, but there was nothing in place for soldiers, and a logical choice
other objects, which had to be done in code. This included
for a videogame. Another first-
person shooter, the game used the
doors opening and closing, sliding platforms and, the
same engine as Turok 2, but was
one I’m most proud of, a big hammer that swings down received badly, and poor sales
and strikes a monolith, forming a bridge.” The PC version ensured there would be no further
of Shadow Man was initially its only planned platform. titles in the series. A shame, as its
Having had much success on various consoles, Acclaim Starship Troopers man vs. the bugs
was keen to grow its PC market share. When the game theme could have been a winner
expanded to consoles, Acclaim held back the completed had it been better implemented.
lead PC version as the other versions were finalised.
While the driving force of the story remained with
Phipps and Miller, artists such as Nick Patrick and Trevor
Storey also had important roles in shaping the unusual
look and design of Shadow Man. “I started as lead artist SHADOW MAN
and worked as a level builder, effects and front-end Despite a botched PlayStation port, the original
designer,” says Storey, “I thought the story was cracking Shadow Man sold decently enough to ensure
and [it] really swept us along during development.” Nick a sequel was optioned, although given the
Patrick, who began as a concept artist on the project, original’s poor effort on the Sony console, it
agrees. “Guy and Simon really pushed to keep a story to was a little strange that Shadow Man: 2econd
the game and make it unnerving and unsettling. I worked Coming should only see release on the
PlayStation 2. The plot of the sequel more-or-
quite closely with Trevor, and we had to keep a consistent
less mirrors the first game, with armageddon
look to the levels. I do remember we played a lot of Quake
this time threatened by a pair of demons
at lunch time back then – I think he must have been losing known as Asmodeus and Grigori. The collapse
at one point when his mouse took off and hit me on the of Acclaim two years later spelled doom for the
back of the head!” series, although the comic was rebooted for a
Shadow Man was a complicated development in short time in 2012.
terms of both design and realisation. With both Phipps
and Miller having worked at Core Design, comparisons
with Tomb Raider were inevitable – if a little off the mark, Tomb Raider games.” The central hub created its own
according to Falcus. “The success [of Tomb Raider] set of design issues. While Shadow Man’s storyline
helped us appreciate the potential for such a game,” and plot was relatively simple for Phipps and Miller, the
he admits, “but I would say the main inspirations were construction of the various levels was not so.
games such as Mario 64 and Zelda. These titles both With the game requiring the player to revisit locations
utilised expanding 3D worlds, and we loved the way from earlier in the game, and be able to explore further
they were based around a central hub, and the world thanks to new weapons and abilities, considerable
expanded as the player increased their abilities.” The thought and planning was needed to ensure everything
team also preferred the dynamic controls that Nintendo operated logically. The designers discovered that the
platform games often honed to perfection. Continues easiest (and fastest) technique was to sketch out each
Falcus, “We wanted to emulate that. I used to get very level on paper before passing it on to the world modellers
frustrated by the animation-driven controls of the early to build, texture and light it. With the comic version of

115
 ■ Many of the real world locations

SHADOW MAN
(such as this London Underground station)
were even creepier than Deadside.

GETS CUT
Coder Paul Taylor explains how a tragic
real-life incident affected Shadow Man
“It came right at the end when we were
finishing off the PC version. The infamous
Deadside a black and desolate area, it was left to Columbine school massacre took place in
the imagination of the art department to give this April 1999, and this led to the sudden and
part of the game its detailed and unearthly look. Says arguably misguided opinion that violent video
Patrick, “I worked quite a bit on the asylum, so those were games were a key factor. I believe Acclaim
my favourite parts. The level design was well-planned, but CEO Greg Fischbach was called before a
when I look back now, I’m surprised how sparse it feels senate committee investigating the issue, or
in places. There are quite a few long corridors with not something like that. Afterwards, as a result of
much in; you wouldn’t get away with that these days!” The what was discussed, or nervousness about
asylum is a superbly-designed part of Shadow Man, and the public perception of violent videogames,
also used as a hub for some of the game’s later levels. the order came through that Shadow Man’s content should be toned down. Gore was
“Some of my favourite sections were those in the asylum,” cut down across the board, and as quickly as possible. I got an interesting bug caused
agrees Falcus, “which I think was down to the weird and by this rapid censoring. There was one room where the tiled ceiling bled if you shot it.
wonderful creatures, and also the New York tenement The collision detection was reporting the bullet was hitting flesh, so I traced it through
building which was very atmospheric and creepy.” thinking it must be going wrong and thinking it’s hitting something else, possibly outside
Technically, Shadow Man was also a huge challenge the room. The trace didn’t find anything broken, but it did reveal that there was a body
for the studio. “We had to build all of the 3D tech and pinned to the ceiling with surgical instruments. In a rush to hide this, they’d simply
tools, including our own engine, called VISTA,” continues removed the textures, rendering it invisible. There are rumours of pre-Columbine copies
Falcus. “The design was ambitious, requiring large interior of Shadow Man floating around out there, but I’ve never seen one.”
and exterior locations with seamless transitions – which
at the time was quite unusual. We also wanted a
dynamic animation blending system so we could
have a more versatile character control system.
This allowed Shadow Man to run while aiming
WE LITERALLY TOOK THE PC
his two weapons in different directions.” Mike VERSION AND DROPPED IT STRAIGHT
LeRoi also possessed uncanny athletic abilities, his
slender figure leaping around each level, grasping
INTO THE DREAMCAST COMPILER.
ledges with one hand and taking out assorted
demons with the other. All of the game’s controls
OF COURSE, IT DIDN’T WORK
Coder Paul Taylor
needed to be fine-tuned so that these complex
moves operated correctly.
one sample CD.” Haywood improvised to begin
■■■ Another, perhaps overlooked, element of Shadow with, before approval for additional equipment was
Man was its sound design. Former Ocean Software granted. Soon the department had expanded to include
employee Tim Haywood, having been made redundant a Kurzweil K2500R (a synthesizer), vocal processor, semi-
from the Manchester company, was recommended by acoustic guitar and a large sample library.
another ex-Ocean worker who now coded for the Tees Haywood’s first job was providing all of the audio for
developer. “They didn’t have any audio staff at all, so I Shadow Man. “I was audio director, composer, sound
had to start from scratch and set up a studio myself,” says designer, audio tester, voice casting, voice director, actor,
Haywood. “It was exciting because I had nothing more dialogue editor, audio implementer, and trade show
than a PC, Sound Forge, a simple recording device and evangelist,” he grins. “And it really was a blank page. We

> A GAMING EVOLUTION Tomb Raider > Shadow Man > Mirror’s Edge

Tomb Raider Mirror’s Edge

encapsulated the focused totally on
running, jumping acrobatics and
and shooting movement, and
of endangered was none the
species worse for it.
gameplay.

116
 BEHIND THE SCENES SHADOW MAN

had the comic books as a reference, and I talked to Guy

[Miller] and we picked various film references to draw
from. The rest of the audio came from the visual style of
the game and how it made me feel.”
The prime version of Shadow Man [PC] implemented
the Miles Sound System; primitive by today’s standards,
highly effective in 1999. “When you walked through the
different areas of a level, you heard ambient sound
coming from lots of places, and it blended very nicely for
the time,” recounts Haywood, who despite the smaller
storage of the Nintendo 64, used compression technology
to squeeze the speech and music into the cartridge. “We
just downgraded the quality where we needed to, to make
I am simply things fit. The PlayStation version suffered the most and
had only 90 sound effects from the original 600.” ■ Mike travels between the two worlds using his
flabbergasted Ah, the PlayStation port. While the PC, N64 and
final earthly possession: a teddy bear
given to him by his dying brother.
at how awful Dreamcast versions of Shadow Man were all well-
received, with critics praising the game’s atmosphere
it looks and and playability, things were a little different over on the
plays. Why did Sony console. “Acclaim decided very late in the day
that they wanted a PlayStation version,” laments Falcus.
Acclaim try to “Basically because it was the biggest platform at the
force this game time.” Unfortunately, a lack of experience with the console,
coupled with extreme time pressure meant the port was
onto PlayStation vastly inferior. It was also an unusual move for Acclaim
while the who up to that point had forged a decent reputation based
on its support of the Nintendo consoles. “We understood
PC and N64 their reasoning – it was a big opportunity to get the game
versions look, on the biggest platform. But it was a technical nightmare
to execute and we weren’t very happy with the end result.” out all the PC-specific code until the compiler stopped
play and feel Sales were also unimpressive compared to the complaining. But I was quite proud of it and the team
so good? Nintendo 64 in particular, probably a reflection of the behind it – we managed to pull off a decent conversion in
mass of similar arcade adventures on the PlayStation. the six months we originally estimated. Just about.”
IGN, 1999,
Mature-themed games were rarer on the N64, and While it is inevitable that development of such a
PlayStation version Shadow Man neatly occupied that vacant niche. And on complex game caused minor disagreements, the
the Dreamcast, things were even better, as the powerful learning experience that it became for the majority of
Sega console barely broke a sweat emulating the PC the Acclaim Teesside team means most look back on its
version and contained optimised controls due to the lack creation with fondness. “I loved that time,” recalls Storey,
of a keyboard. “it was working with a fab bunch, many of whom I’m still
“We literally took the PC version and dropped it straight friends with today. The game wasn’t perfect, but it turned
into the Dreamcast compiler,” says programmer Paul out real nice.” Storey’s colleague in the art and design
Taylor. “Of course, it didn’t work…but then we chopped department, Nick Patrick, adds, “I learnt a great deal from
Shadow Man. It was the first big 3D game that Acclaim
■ The Nintendo 64 version was
excellent, and comparable Teesside produced as the whole industry was changing
graphically to the PC game. with longer development times, bigger teams and larger
financial risks. It was tough – when the game went into
crunch development, I seem to remember Tim [Haywood]
was spotted wandering the corridors one night – he had
been sleeping in his office and got up for a comfort break.”
In reality, Haywood had been living at Acclaim for
some time during the development of Shadow Man, but
still greatly enjoyed the development experience. “I lived
there for about a year and had a room with a bed. There
were showers and a kitchen, so I had all that I needed. But
it was, and still is the best game development experience
I ever had. The way it was made is the way games
should be made, with deep immersion within the subject
matter and total passion for the process and content.”
Studio head Jason Falcus admits he learned much too,
considering his management role on the game. “I learned
a lot about developing large scale, original console games
with a large team,” he says, “and am proud to have been
involved with Shadow Man. It was an ambitious project,
but I think in the end it was an excellent game, and
one that people still talk about today.”

117
 INTERVIEW

CHRIS
SAWYER
Chris Sawyer is one of the pioneer developers of
business simulation games, with his creations still
holding a devoted audience to this day. games™
speaks with the brains behind the Tycoon

SELECT How did you begin your What was the most important element of
GAMEOGRAPHY videogames career? Transport Tycoon you wanted to get right?
While at school and university I think The complexity was what it was all about for
I just saw games programming as a hobby, me – creating a simulation where everything
maybe something I could make a little money affected everything else so that nothing was
with on the side while doing a “serious” job. irrelevant. Even things like trees growing and
Even when I started doing game
conversion work after graduating I
felt it was probably just a stop-gap
I LOVE SEEING HOW PEOPLE
Transport Tycoon until I got a real job, but it kind PLAY MY GAMES IN DIFFERENT
(1994) of took off from there really and I WAYS – I THINK THAT’S WHAT
Designer/Programmer realised I could actually make a
living from games programming.
GIVES ME THE BIGGEST BUZZ
What sorts of games inspired your earliest dying and seeding themselves out, or
days of programming? towns slowly expanding or contracting,
I was fascinated with Sid Meier’s original they all happen for a reason and they all
Railroad Tycoon game – I played it for hours affect the player and what the player does
and hours, definitely my favourite game at also affects them too. Implementing this level of
RollerCoaster Tycoon the time. The viewpoint was just an overhead complexity was actually surprisingly easy, but
(1999) 2D map though, and I wondered whether my getting it balanced was challenging. Making
Designer/Programmer favourite isometric viewpoint would be better, sure that the game world didn’t do undesirable
and whether other modes of transport should things when left to its own devices, and making
be included – I was inspired. I think eventually I sure the player could actually make money
tried Civilization too but didn’t really get on too and enjoy building and interacting in the game
well with it, I could see it was a very good game world. Things like the signalling were possibly
but it just didn’t have the appeal of Railroad an over-indulgence on my part as I think I
Tycoon for me. The only other PC game I wanted the game to have a bit of a “model
remember playing a lot at that time was Geoff railway” look and feel to it. It could have been
Chris Sawyer’s Locomotion Crammond’s Formula One Grand Prix, and to simplified and still worked well as a game, but
(2004) this day I’ve still to find another driving game I I just wanted to have that little bit more realism
Designer/Programmer enjoy as much as I remember enjoying that one. for the trains.

118
INTERVIEW CHRIS SAWYER

119
 You had a couple of others helping you
out with the game’s art and sound,
did you have a particular vision for these
elements? Did you exert much pressure over
these two areas?
Graphically I had a relatively clear vision of
what I wanted to achieve, and luckily Simon
was able to carry that vision forward and in
the process created a graphical style that he
carried forward into my later games. Bitmaps
needed to be certain sizes and to a certain
scale, in a restricted palette of colours, and
I had to ensure Simon knew exactly what
was needed – I think I was on the phone to
him every morning, he’d produce the next
set of bitmaps during the day, then stick a
3.5-inch disc into the post and I’d receive it
the next morning, all very efficient! For the
sound and music I was much more hands-off
– Microprose supplied the sound driver code
SIMON FOSTER ON
and the sound effects themselves after I gave
■ RollerCoaster Tycoon was by far the
WORKING WITH CHRIS
them a list of what I needed, and of course biggest success for Chris Sawyer. ■■■ I’d come back to the
John Broomhall was inspired enough to write a UK on the empty promise of a
collection of original pieces of jazz music. one or two magazines! I think at that point I had partnership with an old work
no doubt the game would be a success and colleague and been left unemploye
d. I
The open-ended gameplay of Transport at least pay back the development costs, and put together some images and gave
them
Tycoon was a big selling point for the game, the months that followed showed that to be the to my brother who worked at another
how did you feel about how players were case. The game sold very well in the UK, most publishing house, he gave them to
the
enjoying the game? of Europe, and Japan (we’d done a special Kanji editor of an Amiga magazine. Now
he’d
I love seeing how people play my games in language version), but struggled in the USA. been sent a Frogger style game that
he
different ways – I think that’s what gives me liked but the graphics weren’t up to
much,
the biggest buzz of all. Games like Transport When you moved onto RollerCoaster Tycoon, so he put me and the programmer
in
Tycoon are basically just a framework, within did you also want to create a deep simulation touch with each other. Once I’d show
n
which people can play in so many different as with Transport Tycoon? that I could do the most important thing
a
ways, some of which I’d never even thought of The great thing about RollerCoaster Tycoon designer can do, which is finish the
job on
when I designed the game. Transport Tycoon is that it appears to be complex but under the time, he put me in touch with a
mate of his who had this game
and RollerCoaster Tycoon let people express skin it’s actually relatively simple, perhaps
about trains...
their own personality within the game rather more so than Transport Tycoon. It’s all the little
than having to adapt to the game’s personality, interactions between the various elements
and perhaps that’s why so many people enjoy that give the game depth, and although
these games. these interactions are relatively simple to
program they create a significant impression
Transport Tycoon ended up being a pretty big of complexity. I think one of the goals I had for
success, how did you feel about it at the time? the game was that everything in the game
I still have magazine clippings of the previews should have significance and should affect
and reviews and was amazed at the time with other things, so for instance the scenery isn’t
how positively the game was received, and I just there to make the game look good, the
loved seeing the full-page screenshots splashed little people actually notice the scenery and
through the articles, and even on the covers of it affects their thoughts and feelings and
ultimately affects what they do. ■ The mobile version of Transport
Tycoon – which Chris Sawyer provided
names
■ Transport Tycoon’s randomised town h
Another goal with the game input on – is a excellent recreation of
uniqu ely British vibe (thoug
gave the game a design was to ensure the ride the game with no loss of depth.
an American option was available).
types all had pros and cons, so
part of the challenge (and fun)
of the game was learning how
to design each type of ride as
good as it can be and learning
how best to use that ride in a
park. And finally I wanted the
little people in the game to be
the measure of success in the
game – if you design your park
and rides well and run your
■ The different themed areas of
park effectively the little people Transport Tycoon Deluxe provided new
will enjoy it and will be happy. and different challenges to take on.

120
 INTERVIEW CHRIS SAWYER

Was there anything in particular that

inspired you to make RollerCoaster Tycoon?
I’d played the original version of Theme Park
and enjoyed it, but its lack of detail with the
roller coasters frustrated me and I always
felt it needed a more three-dimensional look
to it. Perhaps that’s what started me thinking
of developing my own roller coaster game? I
think I set out to make RCT a business game
that didn’t appear to be a business game –
i.e. all the business type detail is in there like
making decisions on what and where to build
and running the park and looking after money
and loans, but the player doesn’t really need
to notice the business side if they understand
what the game is all about – creating a fun
environment to keep the little
people happy.
I’D PLAYED THE ORIGINAL
The piece-by-piece construction VERSION OF THEME
of rides in RollerCoaster Tycoon animations for the people, and generally tried
helped to give the players
PARK AND ENJOYED IT, to improve everything that was in the game.
creative control, was this a BUT ITS LACK OF DETAIL
challenge to enable? FRUSTRATED ME You’ve helped out on Transport Tycoon for
Building things in three- iOS and mobile. Do you think the platform is
dimensions on a two- a good match for simulation games like this?
dimensional screen is always going to be at every aspect of the game and see I think it’s a style of game that really suits these
tricky, and I think RCT probably frustrated what could be improved, and basically latest mobile and tablet platforms – It’s almost
many players while they tried to learn how to just make the game bigger and better. I like things have come full circle. Back when I
build things – I didn’t want to “dumb down” the didn’t want to change the fundamentals, but created TT and RCT on the PC the timing was
construction process though, as I felt that would given the time and budget there were many perfect as the games suited the mouse-driven
take away one of the challenges of the game, things I wanted to improve and add, things high-res displays that were just becoming
i.e. learning to build fun rides. I hoped that which there just wasn’t time to do with the available, and now we have even higher-res
players would start to realise the importance original game. touch-screens, which also suit the style of game
of every single piece of curved or straight or For me, RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 became perfectly, where you can basically have the
sloped track they build as they all affect how the the definitive version of the game – I put in world in your lap and point and move things
train runs, and ultimately affects how the little as many types of roller coaster as I could, I with your finger, it just seems to really suit this
people react when they ride the ride. added more scenery and more flexible ways style of games.
of building scenery, I put in a park editor and
What did you want to achieve with the sequel? a track designer, designed ways for tracks Was it a challenge to bring a game like
I think the success of RollerCoaster Tycoon and park scenarios to be saved so players Transport Tycoon over to mobile and tablet?
gave me a new impetus to take another look could exchange them, added more AI and I haven’t directly worked on the mobile
platforms, that’s been down to Origin8’s team
of programmers, but working with them has
given me a good insight into the development
process for iOS and Android. One of the
biggest challenges for the team was trying to
get the mobile device’s display system to cope
with the style of graphics the game needed. For
all the power and functionality of the graphics
chips on modern hardware it’s very difficult to
persuade it to do something it wasn’t designed
to do, like pixel-mapped graphics rather than
polygons or sprites.
Another big challenge was how to make the
game completely playable with only touches
and gestures (especially difficult on a tiny
mobile phone screen) while still keeping the
depth and complexity of the game. When
Origin8 took on the project I don’t think they
realised exactly how much of a challenge they
had taken on and it’s all credit to them that
■ As a spiritual successor to Transport they managed to stick with it and managed to
Tycoon, Locomotion provided a lot of
the same sort of gameplay – but
complete it without compromising the
wasn’t received as well by fans. game’s detail or depth.

121
 GAME CHANGERS

QUAKE
Released: 22 June 1996 Publisher: GT Interactive Developer: id Software System: PC, Mac, Saturn, N64, Linux, Amiga

Quake’s
e
contributions ar
en ov er loo ke d, but
oft
m e th at truly
this is the ga
t the tem pla te for arena
se
e online
shooters and mad
ye r FP S
multipla
possible

Were it not for Quake, the state of gaming would be very different.
It’s the FPS that made 3D space feel real for the very first time

WHAT DO YOU remember of 1996? For many ever made, but there’s a strong argument to be made for
a gamer, it was a year tied up in the whine of it being considered one of the most influential games of
a dial-up connection; screams of discontent all time.
parents echoing throughout neighbourhoods as homes It’s funny though; we almost ended up with something
were made unreachable in the evenings, the phone entirely different. id Software was eager to try and build
line sacrificed to the alter of Quake. It’s almost something more expansive after the release of
impossible to picture it now – a world where Doom II in ‘94; the earliest screenshots for Quake
the internet wasn’t a necessity for gaming, but teased medieval mazes and dragons, yup,
a luxury afforded to those lucky to be on the Quake was going to be more RPG than
frontlines of a revolution. FPS. But towards the end of development
While Quake may not have made an everything changed.
immediate splash, like its stable mate Doom, it has
become an essential part to the overall heritage of ■ ■ ■ Legendary figure John Carmack had seemingly
the shooter genre. It did so much to define and evolve gone completely insane, as the most creative figures
the FPS that it ended up inadvertently shaping the have a tendency to do from time to time. He opted to
future of gaming. It might not be the best game not only develop an all-new 3D engine, one that would

122
 GAME-CHANGERS QUAKE

BEST BOSSES
THE TOUGHEST ENEMY ENCOUNTERS
IN QUAKE DETAILED

CHTHON VORE SHUB-NIGGURATH

★ If you played Quake as a kid, Chthon ★ Think of this spider-like hybrid horror as ★ The ruler of monsters and destroyed
was one of the most terrifying creatures Quake’s version of Doom’s Baron Of Hell. of worlds, Shub-Niggurath is a tentacle
ever designed, with its demonic face and its Keep an eye out for its homing ball, due to nightmare that arrives in the final moments
powerful lava attacks. the significant damage it inflicts. of Quake. It’s a classic, frantic fight.

later go on to push boundaries as it offered full real-time would thrive online. Its movement systems are legendary;
3D rendering and early support for 3D acceleration; but an KEY players would gleefully bunny hop, strafe shoot and rocket
all new TCP/IP networking model that would revolutionise FACTS jump their way through online gauntlets, the FPS was
multiplayer gaming. The promise of the engine and never the same again.
■ Quake was
network model, prompted id to consider that perhaps its originally a combat
development goals were too lofty and stripped Quake focused RPG title ■ ■ ■ Quake was responsible for introducing a
back to its Doom-y roots. featuring medieval generation of gamers to the joys of modding and map
That’s how we ended up with a science-fiction shooter environments and creation. Consider even, the impossible rise of eSports,
set in bleak, gothic mazes. The Quake Engine that dragons. Because it Quake is even responsible for that: Dennis Fong (often
allowed id to create a tense and bloody single-player switched focus late credited as the first professional gamer) famously won
campaign that was technically stunning at the time, into development, John Carmack’s Ferrari 328 at a Microsoft-sponsored Red
as well offering free all-axis viewing with the mouse; it many of these Annihilation tournament in 1997.
was revolutionary for the genre, turning the flat corridor gothic themes can Quake will forever stand as an anomaly in the industry.
spaces ushered in by Doom into sprawling, truly three- still be seen in its It’s such a strange game that you would struggle to
dimensional labyrinths. design today. imagine something like it releasing today. Its levels are
But really, when we look back on the legacy of Quake, expansive and vertical; it allowed players to cut their
it all comes down to the advancements it made to ■ John Carmack own paths through multiplayer arenas and use the
multiplayer. The network code provided by Carmack in really outdid environment as a tool for defensive and offensive plays
the QuakeWorld patch was transformative; he discovered himself with – it was simply unheard of at the time. It was a slick and
a way to make multiplayer gaming work reliably over dial- Quake’s 3D minimalist FPS game with a high skill ceiling; players
up connection. No longer was deathmatch constrained engine, making have spent decades trying to master its tricky corridors
to LAN parties, but it could be played from anywhere you one of the first truly and weapons.
can move your PC, and at any time with people around three-dimensional But looking back at it, it’s hard to understand the
the world. Suddenly we had an action game that didn’t shooters. The appeal unless you were there for it. The mix of stone
verticality of the
have to sacrifice its ferocity in an attempt to mitigate and steel in the settings will immediately throw you off,
maps played a big
high latency modems. Quake’s fast and furious gunplay while the off-kilter fantasy-overtones permeate through
part in its success
the Cthulhu-mythos monsters and even the rough-and-
in the multiplayer
ready weapons. Quake doesn’t have a clear message or
scene.
intent – but it does have great gameplay, and that’s what’s
CONSIDER THE maintained across two decades. There’s an intrinsic
thrill to be found in propelling yourself across a map
IMPOSSIBLE RISE OF with rockets, quickly slaying any player in your path.

ESPORTS: QUAKE IS Quake is a true game changer, even if its larger

contributions to the industry are overlooked in favour
EVEN RESPONSIBLE of Doom and Wolfenstein. The way it revolutionised

FOR THAT multiplayer, online gaming and even the simple act
of movement in a 3D space, has likely filtered down to
every first-person game since in one way or another.

123
 GAME CHANGERS

EIGHT GAMES WE
WOULDN’T HAVE
WITHOUT QUAKE
THE ARENA GAMES INSPIRED BY THE
MULTIPLAYER MADNESS OF QUAKE

SHOOTMANIA STORM RISE OF THE TRIAD

■ Once positioned as the next big thing on the eSports scene, ■ A remake of Apogee’s 1995’s Dark War, Rise Of The Triad was seen
Shootmania Storm is the arena shooter reborn. This fast and furious by many as something of a relic from the early age of shooters. It’s
first-person shooter took the classic Quake gameplay and stripped it entirely entrenched in outdated design ethos and mechanics – but
back even further; each round kicks off with rocket launchers in the that also makes it feel uniquely authentic. If you’re after old-school
hands of every player, and that create a fair amount of chaos in the action, Rise Of The Triad offers a simple and enduring splattering of
opening minutes. arena action.

124
 GAME-CHANGERS QUAKE

UNREAL TOURNAMENT DOOM 3

■ You can’t really have a conversation about arena shooters without talking ■ Doom 3’s multiplayer offering wasn’t great at launch, but the community
about Unreal Tournament. Despite being fundamentally different game channelled the spirit of Quake and began modding it into shape. Once
experience, UT was always seen as a direct competitor to Quake by the fans got their hands on it, Quake quickly found an active community as the
late Nineties. Despite its age, Unreal Tournament still has a healthy player multiplayer action was increased from four to sixteen players, new instant
base online, thanks to its timeless mechanics and incredible level design. respawn game modes were added and plenty of crazy weapons arrived.

TRIBES ASCEND TOXIKK

■ Tribes Ascend might never have found the audience it truly deserved ■ Ridiculous spelling aside, Toxikk is another one of those arena shooters
when it went into open beta in 2012, but it did always try to do things a little tenaciously dedicated to the past. While Toxikk clearly owes a great debt
bit differently. A free-to-play FPS that spun out of the Tribes franchise, it put to Unreal Tournament, there’s something about its considered movement
a huge emphasis on fun new weapon builds, interesting map design and and frantic combat that recalls fond memories of Quake. A focus on clan
interesting ranking systems to keep people involved. competition also keeps it fiercely boiling over on the competitive scene.

REFLEX XONOTIC
■ In essence, Reflex is a spiritual successor to the prominent Quake III ■ Xonotic feels like the arena shooter built for a modern, ever-insatiable
mod Challenge ProMode Arena. Except everything has been tweaked audience. While its gameplay isn’t that unchanged from the foundation
to ensure it’s chaotically destructive. Everything from damage, to laid down by Quake or Unreal Tournament, it has put a wild emphasis on
momentum, weapon swap and reload speeds have been tweaked to the mod community. It is open-source by design, which means if you want
ensure gunplay comes fast and furiously. This won’t be for everyone, but something new or a crazy new mode variety it won’t take much looking
Reflex offers a smart modernisation of old gameplay. (and downloading) to get it.

125
 TOYS | PERIPHERALS | A P PA R E L | GADGETS | BOOKS

V U T
THE

XBOX ONE ELITE

CONTROLLER
MANUFACTURER: MICROSOFT PRICE: £119.99

IF WE HAD to pick one stand-out sell for us was the addition of hair-triggers
feature of the Xbox One Elite controller it would – flick a small, physical switch on the back
be the click sound that the magnets on of the controller and the triggers stop half-
the D-pad make when it way; perfect for shooters. The additional rear
snaps onto the controller. triggers were more hit and miss… which is to
We know it sounds odd, say we kept hitting them by accident. Still, our
but that is the sort of podgy fingers shouldn’t be a strike against the
sound that dreams are controller – especially as these triggers are
made of. Thankfully, we just as easy to attach and remove.
don’t just have to pick one Button customisation is straightforward,
feature – what kind of review too; the Xbox’s built-in app allows you to
would that be? map buttons, change dead zones and trigger
The replaceable D-pad (and sensitivity, and lets you create two custom
sticks) are exceptionally well-done; presets that can be switched at any moment.
it takes less 15 seconds to change all three, The price is the real sticking point, but you get
and you get a good selection of options in a lot in the box – if you want to step up your
the included carry case. The other massive game, there isn’t a better way to do it.

XBOX ONE CHATPAD XBOX ONE DIGITAL TV TUNER

We tested this alongside the Elite controller, which we soon realised was a The Xbox was always sold as a multimedia console; yet, at launch, Microsoft
mistake – that controller packs some extra weight over a standard Xbox One failed to fully deliver on its promises. But now one small TV tuner is fixing that.
pad, and with the additional Chatpad the whole thing was much too heavy. Still, The Tuner is easy to set up, and once it’s plugged in you’ll get all the Freeview
on a standard controller this did the business, speeding up typing tenfold. The channels, including HD, and access to the excellent OneGuide. You can pause a
included headset is a bonus for online players, and the two programmable channel for up to 30 minutes, and even watch on your Windows or iOS mobile
buttons (which currently take screenshots or gameclips) are a nice touch. device. You can’t use it as a recording device, though, so keep that in mind.
Manufacturer: Microsoft Manufacturer: Microsoft
Price: £29.99 Price: £24.99

126
GAMING SONIC BOOM MONOPOLY
CLOTHING SOLD BY: AMAZON.COM PRICE: £29.99

SONIC GOT A big redesign

in his latest game, and the result was one of
the most average of Sonic games in recent
memory. Well guess what! Now it can be
relived through a board game that is sure to
cause some arguments among friends and
family alike. The latest branded Monopoly
lets you buy and trade your favourite
characters, locations and even some of
Tails’ gadgets as you battle it out to force
your opponents into bankruptcy. You know
STREET FIGHTER SOCKS the drill here: it’s Monopoly. Still, for all that
■ The joy of these socks is that, Sonic Boom was a disappointment, we’d
when wearing shoes, nobody will rather play this than regular Monopoly.
suspect what is hiding on your www.amazon.com
foot. For all they know you just
have bright socks, right? WRONG.
They’re Street Fighter themed,
and therefore awesome.
www.numskull.co.uk
XCOM: THE BOARD GAME
SOLD BY: FORBIDDEN PLANET PRICE: £40.99

WITH XCOM 2 still drawing us back in

months after release, there’s never been a better
time to try this XCOM board game, which sees
you and up to three friends cooperating to try and
stop the evil aliens from invading. That’s right,
this twist on the old board game mantra of ‘play
against your mates’ changes things up by adding
RARE T-SHIRT an external threat that will require teamwork and
■ For true gaming fans, few some lucky dice rolls to push back impending
logos (or developers) are so doom. The companion app puts another modern
widely loved as Rare. Now, twist on the board game formula, making this a
with this officially licensed unique proposition.
shirt, you can show off your
www.forbiddenplanet.com
love for the British company by
emblazoning its logo on
your chest.
www.insertcoinclothing.com

THE WITCHER
ADVENTURE
GAME
SOLD BY: FORBIDDEN PLANET PRICE: £40.99

EVERY ADVENTURE IS different in this

Witcher board game, which puts you in the
shoes of one of four heroes and sends you off on
RYU VARSITY JACKET a quest to defeat monsters and build your
If you want to show off your reputation. Each character has their own unique
Ansatsuken skills outside of the
skills and abilities, giving players a different
dojo, this is the way to do it. With
experience every time they play. Race your
stylised SF and Ryu logos and
a bright colour scheme, it’s the opponents to complete the most quests and gain
perfect way to get into the Street the most renown as Geralt of Rivia, Triss
Fighter mindset. Merigold, the minstrel Dandelion, or Yarpen
www.numskull.co.uk Zigrin the dwarf.
www.forbiddenplanet.com

127
 TOYS | PERIPHERALS | A PPA R E L | GADGETS | BOOKS
Imagine Publishing Ltd

V U T
THE
Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill,
Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EZ
☎ +44 (0) 1202 586200
Web: www.imagine-publishing.co.uk
www.gamestm.co.uk
www.greatdigitalmags.com

THE Magazine team

Editor Jonathan Gordon
☎ 01202 586213

UNOFFICIAL Art Editor Andy Salter

Senior Staff Writer Josh West

GAME &
Production Editor Rebecca Richards
Editor In Chief Dan Hutchinson
Senior Art Editor Andy Downes

WATCH
Photographer James Sheppard
Publishing Director Aaron Asadi
Head of Design Ross Andrews

COLLECTOR’S Contributors
Luke Albigés, Stephen Ashby, Adam Barnes, Sanne de Boer,
Ian Dransfield, Mike Jackson, Darran Jones, Barry Keating,

GUIDE
PUBLISHER: BIENENGRÄBER
Graeme Mason, Jen Neal, Dom Peppiatt, Emma Quinlan,
Dominic Reseigh-Lincoln, Chris Scullion, Ed Smith, Nicholas Thorpe,
Richard Wordsworth

Cover Image
No Man's Sky © 2016 Hello Games. All rights reserved

FOR RETRO Advertising

Digital or printed media packs are available on request.
COLLECTORS out there, finding the
Head of Sales Hang Deretz ☎ 01202 586442
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International
research for every single item before games and other toys to the gaming is the inclusion of a modern day
games™ is available for licensing. Contact the International
you can really know the kind of price giant we know and love today. section for each game. If a Game department to discuss partnership opportunities.
you should be paying, and what you Each handheld device gets two & Watch title has been ported to a Head of International Licensing Cathy Blackman
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BEFORE MARIO WORLD OF WARCRAFT: THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: ☎ +61 2 9972 8800
Before becoming the company we ILLIDAN TWILIGHT PRINCESS HD Disclaimer
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which is packed full of photos of Illidan Stormrage gets his own book. ■ This Link adventure got a little and review. Although the magazine has endeavoured to ensure all information is correct
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